Can you live off-grid in Calvert County, Maryland?
94
of 100
Good with caveats
Yes. We found no major drawback on the land. Rain is plentiful, about 47 inches a year. The growing season runs about 231 frost-free days.
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 47 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 330 feet deep; a well typically runs $13,000 to $29,000
Growing season
A full season for most vegetables.
About 231 frost-free days, USDA zone 8a; last frost about March 31, first about November 17
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 5.0 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 Low here
Storms
Strong tornadoes pass through now and then. A safe room is worth pricing.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; about 2 strong (EF2 or stronger) tornadoes a decade within 25 miles
Terrain
Rolling ground. Look for a flat house site.
Slopes average about 9%, about 110 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 Maryland 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 Calvert County, so call the county planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
Maryland has a statewide building code, the Maryland Building Performance Standards (based on the 2021 International Residential Code for homes), and every county, or in some places the city or town, must enforce it with building permits, inspections, and an occupancy certificate.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed with a permit and an approved unit.
Water rights
Owners of land along a creek or lake can make reasonable use of its water.
Drilled to about 330 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$5,000 to $10,000
Standard system
Solar and batteries
$21,000 to $35,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$3,000 to $8,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $4,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$43,000 to $86,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Well cost
Get a driller's quote.
Wells here run near 330 feet, so the well is a large cost.
Zoning
Call the county 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
94,728 people live in Calvert County, about 444.3 per square mile. It ranks tied for 11th of the 23 Maryland counties we scored, and Maryland ranks 5th of 50 states.