Can you live off-grid in Rapides Parish, Louisiana?
93
of 100
Good with caveats
Yes, with two things to plan around. The growing season runs about 271 frost-free days, long enough for a spring and a fall garden. Typical well depths here range from 100 feet to 350 feet, so get a local driller's quote. NOAA counts about four strong tornadoes a decade within 25 miles, so a storm shelter belongs in the plan.
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 60 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 100 feet to 350 feet
Growing season
Long enough for a spring and a fall garden.
About 271 frost-free days, USDA zone 9a; last frost about February 25, first about November 26
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 are rare here. Still, look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
FEMA maps no flood zones nearby
Wildfire
Low wildfire risk.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low to Moderate here
Storms
Strong tornadoes are common. A storm shelter belongs in the plan.
NOAA: one hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; about 4 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 90 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Silty 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 0.6 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 Rapides 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 100 feet to 350 feet.
Zoning
Call the parish planning office with the parcel number.
There is no public zoning map, so we cannot tell whether the land is zoned.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
The county has to approve the ground before it issues a septic permit.
Nearby counties
126,260 people live in Rapides Parish, about 95.4 per square mile. It ranks tied for 13th of the 64 Louisiana counties we scored, and Louisiana ranks 24th of 50 states.