Possible, but hard and costly. Flood zones cover parts of the county, so look up any parcel on FEMA's flood map before you offer. The growing season runs about 279 frost-free days, long enough for a spring and a fall garden. The U.S. Geological Survey maps strong earthquake shaking here, so build to the seismic code.
What the land says
Rain
Too dry to live on rain. Plan on a well, and on irrigating anything you grow.
About 21 inches a year (PRISM, 1991 to 2020 average)
Wells
Typical well depth. Budget for a mid-range well.
The typical well here is about 210 feet deep; a well typically runs $11,000 to $25,000
Growing season
Long enough for a spring and a fall garden.
About 279 frost-free days, USDA zone 9b; last frost about February 21, first about November 29
Sun
Strong sun. A modest solar array covers a household.
About 5.9 hours of full sun a day, averaged over the year
Flood
Flood zones cover parts of the county. Look up any parcel on FEMA's flood map before you offer.
FEMA maps flood zones in parts of the county
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
Earthquakes
Strong shaking is possible. Build to the seismic code and brace the water tank.
USGS seismic hazard map: very high
Terrain
Flat to gentle, easy to build on.
Slopes average about 2%, about 170 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Clay loam, well drained (USDA soil survey). A standard system typically runs $5,000 to $10,000
Road
Paved roads are close by.
Nearest paved road usually within about 0.4 miles (OpenStreetMap)
Check a California 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 Yolo County, so call the county planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
The California Building Standards Code (Title 24) applies statewide and every city and county must enforce it, so a new house needs a permit however remote. A county may adopt the state's optional rules for owner-built rural homes, which relax some standards but still require a permit.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed with a permit and an approved unit.
Water rights
A mix of two systems. Ask the state water office before you drill a well or dam a creek.
Drilled to about 210 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$5,000 to $10,000
Standard system
Solar and batteries
$18,000 to $32,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$4,000 to $10,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $5,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$39,000 to $82,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Flood map
Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
Flood zones cover parts of the county. Building in one means flood insurance and extra permits.
Zoning
Call the county planning office with the parcel number.
There is no public zoning map, so we cannot tell whether the land is zoned.
Wildfire
Ask an insurance agent whether they will write a policy.
The U.S. Forest Service rates wildfire risk high in places.
Nearby counties
220,544 people live in Yolo County, about 217.7 per square mile. It ranks tied for 47th of the 58 California counties we scored, and California ranks 45th of 50 states.