Can you live off-grid in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana?
88
of 100
Good with caveats
Yes, but hurricanes will be the challenge. NOAA counts four hurricane-strength storms within 50 miles since 1975, so build to the wind code and plan for long outages. Rain is plentiful, about 62 inches a year. The U.S. Forest Service rates wildfire risk high across much of the county, so plan cleared ground around the house.
What the land says
Rain
Rain can supply much of a household's water with a large tank. A garden mostly waters itself in normal years.
About 62 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 50 feet to 350 feet
Growing season
Long enough for a spring and a fall garden.
About 273 frost-free days, USDA zone 9a; last frost about February 27, first about November 24
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 5.2 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 in places
Wildfire
Wildfire risk is high across much of the county. Plan cleared ground around the house and fire-resistant materials.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Low to High here
Storms
Expect about two hurricanes within 50 miles over 30 years. Build to the wind code and keep a week of fuel and water. Strong tornadoes pass through now and then. A safe room is worth pricing.
NOAA: four hurricane-strength storms within 50 miles since 1975; about 3 strong (EF2 or stronger) tornadoes a decade within 25 miles
Terrain
Flat, but the ground stays wet. Build on the higher, drier spot.
Slopes average about 1%, about 140 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Silt loam, moderately 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 1.1 miles (OpenStreetMap)
Check a Louisiana 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 Beauregard Parish, so call the parish planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
Louisiana's Uniform Construction Code, which includes the International Residential Code for homes, is mandatory statewide, and every parish and city must enforce it with permits and inspections, including in unincorporated areas.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed.
Water rights
Owners of land along a creek or lake can make reasonable use of its water.
Depends on depth, which varies here. Get a driller's quote.
Septic
$5,000 to $10,000
Standard system
Solar and batteries
$18,000 to $34,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$3,000 to $7,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $3,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$27,000 to $54,000
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 50 feet to 350 feet.
Flood map
Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
Flood zones run along creeks and rivers here. Building in one means flood insurance and extra permits.
Wildfire
Ask an insurance agent whether they will write a policy.
The U.S. Forest Service rates wildfire risk high across much of the county.
Nearby counties
36,827 people live in Beauregard Parish, about 31.8 per square mile. It ranks tied for 35th of the 64 Louisiana counties we scored, and Louisiana ranks 24th of 50 states.