OK or TN rules and Reg off grid building codes

[Ryan]

Hello, 1st time post here but a long time follower of the site in general. We are living in the Joplin,MO area and would like to relocate. We are and have been making plans to be off grid or close to down the road. I'm self employed and do have a few options as far as location based on that. We have been looking in the Cookeville,TN area and around Clarksville but seem to have heavy zoning even out in the country. We do have an option for a contract (my work) around Tulsa,OK but haven't checked that out much yet.
Most of the land I find we would have to have a perk test done and build accordingly, well approved, septic and everything before we lived on location. I'm not sure if we will even have a (drilled) well if I don't have to and had thought about no septic. I can build our place for less than getting these things done alone.
We may have to start off the process slowly but we are looking to make this move at least close to where we will build. Maybe we are just looking in the wrong places? I'm the last person on Earth for big gov but it is hard to deal with each county to see what each requires. We just need some general direction it seems and would be glad to share in areas we have some experience.

[NCLee]

Welcome Ryan!!

I live in NC with "codes" coming out of my ears! Our RURAL county adopted the zoning / building codes of a neighboring metro county a few years ago. Since we've been here, our place has gone from having to have a septic permit in order to get an electrical hook-up, to a full blown set of guidelines that better suited for a McMansion on a postage stamp lot, inside the city limits.

You are wise to check into this BEFORE you make any committment to purchase land. Additonally, for the individual piece of land, make sure you know if there are easements, water/mineral rights limitations/restrictions, etc.

I did a google search for county Cookeville TN and turned up this county govt site with some of the info you need. http://planning.putnamco.org/AdoptedCode.asp Under the "downloads" section you can obtain copies of many of the applicable documents to answer your questions, specific to the county.

If the county where any desired piece of land is needed, this, IMHO, is the first step. This way you can stay "under the radar" to at least get some of the info. Especially, if you don't intend to paint your front door the approved color.

Sorry for being sarcastic with that comment. It's gotten almost that bad out here.

Anyway, I hope this helps. And, again, welcome to the forum. Hopefully some TN & OK folks will drop by and have some more specific advice on your questions.

Lee

[tomato204]

All TN counties have the perc test and septic approval thing going.
Wells are registered with the state by the driller everywhere, it's an EPA rule.
IF you have commercial elec they will come and inspect that before you get hooked up, but oddly enough, you can do the wiring yourself _OR_ hire a licensed electrician. I just hooked up one light with switch, one wall socket and had them inspect. They haven't been back, lol.
Solar they don't even know what you're doing but I bet there's a loophole somewhere that says if it runs into the house they need to inspect. It's the Dept of Commerce and Insurance that inspects so if you have homeowner's ins you'd get inspected. Some counties have NO rules for buildings that are agricultural in purpose, just for houses. Only the big 5 counties do you have to be a lic contractor to build and sell a house and this has caused a little shoddy construction.

[MissouriFree]

Hello, 1st time post here but a long time follower of the site in general. We are living in the Joplin,MO area and would like to relocate. We are and have been making plans to be off grid or close to down the road. I'm self employed and do have a few options as far as location based on that. We have been looking in the Cookeville,TN area and around Clarksville but seem to have heavy zoning even out in the country. We do have an option for a contract (my work) around Tulsa,OK but haven't checked that out much yet.
Most of the land I find we would have to have a perk test done and build accordingly, well approved, septic and everything before we lived on location. I'm not sure if we will even have a (drilled) well if I don't have to and had thought about no septic. I can build our place for less than getting these things done alone.
We may have to start off the process slowly but we are looking to make this move at least close to where we will build. Maybe we are just looking in the wrong places? I'm the last person on Earth for big gov but it is hard to deal with each county to see what each requires. We just need some general direction it seems and would be glad to share in areas we have some experience.

Welcome aboard Ryan., wow - unless you a reasonhave specific reason for TN, I would just consider the southern part of Missouri rather than TN ( job permitting). say down around Salem or even down in ozark county. ain't no restriction s there for sure .

You would have to have a well but in dent county there are a lot of lagoon systems .
I don't think you need a permit for either as long as you are a certain distance form property line. On our 40 acres in Camden county , no permits needed for anyhting . the county thought we were joking when DW asked.

mo.

[Ryan]

Thanks for the link Lee. I had been on the site and they have the same rules and regs as in town best I can understand them. I wish I could find the codes in PDF format or something I can open. Seems when they say they go by a certain year national code they should list what the rules are. Maybe I just haven't found them yet.
What I don't understand is if we aren't connected to the electric grid what do we need them to look at? Same goes for septic and well. I guess my wife is right, don't tell her :D, I'm just a non-conformist. We used a sand point system for water other than cooking and drinking for years in the early 90's. Never had any trouble with it and the water tested better than the city next to us. Just seems like they are forcing most folks to be grid tied and regulated.

[Anon001]

Ryan,

Welcome. I have no well and no septic. I also didn't have to have anything inspected with my house. I have been off-grid since May 1998 with no regrets. I use solar and had to have nothing approved. You are not required here to use anyone licensed for anything unless you are putting in a well. Then it is supposed to be someone that is approved by the county.

By the way, I'm in the hills of NE Kansas.

I agree with MissouriFree. If you're already in Missouri, why not stay there and just move out of town, maybe into the Ozarks?

Paul

[Ryan]

We just aren't happy here (Joplin area) this place just has a very negative attitude in general it seems. We have a small print shop/ad co. and I do contract satellite install/service. The printing we can do from any place as I do most of it from the internet and ship. Satellite work here for some reason has always been very hard. My area doesn't have locals which doesn't help. My wife works in management as a local gas station. They are a big chain and in most small towns(starts with a Case..). We have 3 children 2 headed to college in 4 years so we still need to be able to make some decent money. My middle age son is very active in football so a school with a good program as well as general education is important.
I could give up the sat work if printing would pick up. I have zero business on roofs with a prosthetic shoulder and newly added rod in my leg. Tried to show my kids I wasn't old on a 2 wheeled skateboard(death machine). Guess I'm old... This and other health issues are at least some of the reasons I would like to get a self sustaining homestead going.
Paul, I have read a lot of your posts here. Must have been hard with your medical troubles to do what you have done. Good for you! I don't know about these hills you talk about in Kansas :D.

[Teg]

Not sure what range you are looking at moving but you might look further west, places like New Mexico have decent prices and they are fairly lenient especially away from large towns, contrary to popular belief there are some nice area there, both in northern New Mexico and Southern New Mexico. :)

[Anon001]

Paul, I have read a lot of your posts here. Must have been hard with your medical troubles to do what you have done. Good for you!

Thanks. The only reason I mention the problems is to show that homesteading can be done in spite of what others may consider as setbacks. Believe me, ... if there's an easy way to do something, I'll find it. lol Also, I get my work done, even if it takes a lot longer than it would for most men my age.

I don't know about these hills you talk about in Kansas :D.

That's why I wrote it. lol... Most people think of all of Kansas as flat and dry like the western part of the state.

Paul

[Ryan]

Went down to OK City(Edmond) and Tulsa area. The economy looks like it is alive and well in OK City and doing good in Tulsa as well. A buddy needed to pick up some equipment so at the last minute made a long day of it. A lot of nice lakes and some hills. I would need to check out zoning around these areas (within 30 mins or so). Seems when we find an area that isn't so restrictive, regardless of where it is, the schools may not be the best. Couldn't even consider home school. Wife says I have no patience :rolleyes:, that doesn't sound right to me. Anyone have any information on areas around these towns?