Can you live off-grid in Coconino County, Arizona?
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Major concerns
Possible, but hard and costly. Only about 9 inches of rain falls a year, so you will rely on a well or hauled water. The sun is strong, about 6.4 hours of full sun a day, so a smaller solar array covers a household. Septic will likely cost more, because rock or a hard layer sits about 21 inches down.
What the land says
Rain
Desert rain. Plan on a well or hauled water, and on irrigating anything you grow.
About 9 inches a year (PRISM, 1991 to 2020 average)
Wells
Well depth varies a lot here. Get a local driller's quote before you offer.
Typical well depths here range from 70 feet to 1,550 feet
Growing season
Enough for most vegetables. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.
About 167 frost-free days, USDA zone 7a; last frost about May 3, first about October 21
Sun
Strong sun. A modest solar array covers a household.
About 6.4 hours of full sun a day, averaged over the year
Flood
Flood zones run along creeks and rivers here. Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
FEMA maps flood zones within a quarter mile in places
Wildfire
Wildfire risk is high in places. Check the risk for the parcel you want.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low to High here
Storms
Hurricanes and strong tornadoes are rare here.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; no strong (EF2 or stronger) tornado within 25 miles since 1990
Terrain
Flat to gentle, easy to build on.
Slopes average about 5%, about 5,620 feet above sea level
Soil
Expect a costlier septic system, because rock or a hard layer sits about 21 inches down. The county's soil test decides.
Loam, well drained (USDA soil survey). A mound, sand filter, or treatment unit typically runs $10,000 to $20,000
Road
Dirt tracks. Plan to build or maintain your own road.
Nearest road often a dirt track, about 0.8 miles away (OpenStreetMap)
Check an Arizona parcel, or plan the one you own
Get a free 0-100 off-grid score.
A step-by-step build plan, sizing your solar, water, garden, septic, heat, and buildings.
Is it legal here?
Zoning
We found no public zoning map for Coconino County, so call the county planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
No statewide residential building code: each county and city decides whether to adopt one, and a county may exempt land zoned rural or unclassified. State law still requires a county building permit for any building or addition costing over $1,000, even where the county has no code.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed.
Water rights
Water belongs to whoever claimed it first. A new well or pond may need a state permit, and a creek may already be claimed.
Depends on depth, which varies here. Get a driller's quote.
Septic
$10,000 to $20,000
Mound, sand filter, or treatment unit
Solar and batteries
$17,000 to $34,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$8,000 to $20,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $4,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$35,000 to $77,000
Before the house, plus the well
Before you make an offer on land here
Well depth
Get a local driller's depth estimate.
Typical well depths here range from 70 feet to 1,550 feet.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
Rock or a hard layer sits about 21 inches down, which can rule out a standard system.
Road access
Confirm a recorded easement to the parcel.
The nearest roads are often dirt tracks.
Nearby counties
144,472 people live in Coconino County, about 7.8 per square mile. It ranks 12th of the 15 Arizona counties we scored, and Arizona ranks 48th of 50 states.