Can you live off-grid in Churchill County, Nevada?
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Major concerns
Possible, but hard and costly. Only about 5 inches of rain falls a year, so you will rely on a well or hauled water. The sun is strong, about 6.1 hours of full sun a day, so a smaller solar array covers a household. The growing season is only about 137 frost-free days, so plan on cold-hardy crops and a greenhouse.
What the land says
Rain
Desert rain. Plan on a well or hauled water, and on irrigating anything you grow.
About 5 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 10 feet to 460 feet
Growing season
Short. Start seeds indoors and favor cold-hardy crops.
About 137 frost-free days, USDA zone 7a; last frost about May 20, first about October 5
Sun
Strong sun. A modest solar array covers a household.
About 6.1 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 in places
Wildfire
Low wildfire risk.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low to Low here
Storms
Hurricanes and strong tornadoes are rare here.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; no strong (EF2 or stronger) tornado within 25 miles since 1990
Earthquakes
Strong shaking is possible. Build to the seismic code and brace the water tank.
USGS seismic hazard map: high
Terrain
Flat, but the ground stays wet. Build on the higher, drier spot.
Slopes average about 2%, about 3,940 feet above sea level
Soil
Sandy and fast-draining. Septic may need an extra treatment step, and garden beds need compost to hold water. The county's soil test decides.
Sand, somewhat excessively drained (USDA soil survey). A standard system typically runs $5,000 to $10,000
Road
Dirt tracks. Plan to build or maintain your own road.
Nearest road often a dirt track, about 1.7 miles away (OpenStreetMap)
Check a Nevada 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 Churchill County, so call the county planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
Nevada has no statewide residential building code for private homes: each city and county decides whether to adopt a building code, and where it has, its building department issues the permits. The codes the state adopts itself cover only buildings on state property.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed.
Water rights
Water belongs to whoever claimed it first. A new well or pond may need a state permit, and a creek may already be claimed.
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
$9,000 to $23,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $5,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$34,000 to $72,000
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 10 feet to 460 feet.
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.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
Sandy ground drains fast, and some counties require an extra treatment step.
Nearby counties
25,803 people live in Churchill County, about 5.2 per square mile. It ranks 6th of the 17 Nevada counties we scored, and Nevada ranks 49th of 50 states.