Can you live off-grid in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana?
67
of 100
Major concerns
Possible, but hard and costly. NOAA counts five hurricane-strength storms within 50 miles since 1975, so build to the wind code and plan for long outages. Water is easy here, with about 65 inches of rain a year and wells near 170 feet. Flood zones are common here, so look up any parcel on FEMA's flood map before you offer.
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 65 inches a year (PRISM, 1991 to 2020 average)
Wells
Typical well depth. Budget for a mid-range well.
The typical well here is about 170 feet deep; a well typically runs $7,000 to $15,000
Growing season
Long enough for a spring and a fall garden.
About 287 frost-free days, USDA zone 9a; last frost about February 21, first about December 4
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 are common here. Look up any parcel on FEMA's flood map before you offer.
FEMA maps flood zones across much of the county
Wildfire
Low wildfire risk.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low 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 1%, about 10 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 3.8 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 St. Martin 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.
Drilled to about 170 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
$13,000 to $34,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $3,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$54,000 to $111,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Flood map
Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
Flood zones are common here. Building in one means flood insurance and extra permits.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
The soil stays wet, which can rule out a standard system.
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.
Nearby counties
51,057 people live in St. Martin Parish, about 69.2 per square mile. It ranks tied for 55th of the 64 Louisiana counties we scored, and Louisiana ranks 24th of 50 states.