Can you live off-grid in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana?
73
of 100
Significant challenges
Possible, but hurricanes will be hard. NOAA counts five hurricane-strength storms within 50 miles since 1975, so build to the wind code and plan for long outages. Rain is plentiful, about 66 inches a year. Septic will likely cost more, because the soil stays wet most of the year.
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 66 inches a year (PRISM, 1991 to 2020 average)
Wells
Deep wells. Get a driller's quote before you offer.
The typical well here is about 350 feet deep; a well typically runs $12,000 to $27,000
Growing season
Long enough for a spring and a fall garden.
About 319 frost-free days, USDA zone 9b; last frost about February 5, first about December 11
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 5.3 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
Low wildfire risk.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low to Moderate here
Storms
Expect about three 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: five 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 0%, about 0 feet above sea level
Soil
Expect an engineered septic system. The ground stays wet most of the year. The county's soil test decides.
Clay, very poorly drained (USDA soil survey). An engineered system typically runs $15,000 to $25,000
Road
Paved roads are close by.
Nearest paved road usually within about 1 mile (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
St. Charles Parish zones land outside its towns and publishes its zoning map. Our free lookup shows the district for any address.
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.
Drilled to about 350 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$15,000 to $25,000
Engineered 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
$49,000 to $96,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Well cost
Get a driller's quote.
Wells here run near 350 feet, so the well is a large cost.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
The soil stays wet, which can rule out a standard system.
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.
Nearby counties
50,620 people live in St. Charles Parish, about 182.3 per square mile. It ranks tied for 47th of the 64 Louisiana counties we scored, and Louisiana ranks 24th of 50 states.