Yes. We found no major drawback on the land. Water is easy here, with about 49 inches of rain a year and wells near 10 feet.
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 49 inches a year (PRISM, 1991 to 2020 average)
Wells
Shallow wells, so drilling should be one of the cheaper costs.
The typical well here is about 10 feet deep; a well typically runs $3,000 to $6,000
Growing season
Enough for most vegetables. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.
About 176 frost-free days, USDA zone 6a; last frost about April 27, first about October 26
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 4.7 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 across much of the county
Wildfire
Low wildfire risk.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low to Moderate here
Storms
Hurricanes and strong tornadoes are rare here.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; about 0.3 strong (EF2 or stronger) tornadoes a decade within 25 miles
Terrain
Rolling ground. Look for a flat house site.
Slopes average about 9%, about 40 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
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 0.5 miles (OpenStreetMap)
Check a Maine 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
Set by the town, not the county. In the Unorganized Territory, over half the state, the state Land Use Planning Commission zones instead.
Building code
Maine's statewide code (the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code, based on the 2021 International Residential Code) applies everywhere, and owners must follow it even where the town does not enforce it. Only towns of more than 4,000 people must enforce it with permits and inspections.
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 10 feet, with pump and pressure tank
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 $9,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $4,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$30,000 to $63,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Flood map
Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
Flood zones run along creeks and rivers here. Building in one means flood insurance and extra permits.
Zoning
Call the town or township office with the parcel's address.
Set by the town, not the county. In the Unorganized Territory, over half the state, the state Land Use Planning Commission zones instead.
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
37,513 people live in Sagadahoc County, about 147.7 per square mile. It ranks 3rd of the 16 Maine counties we scored, and Maine ranks 29th of 50 states.