Best States / Utah / Grand County

Grand County, UT · off-grid fact sheet

Can you live off-grid in Grand County, Utah?

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Major concerns

Possible, but hard and costly. Only about 11 inches of rain falls a year, so you will rely on a well (near 110 feet here) or hauled water. The sun is strong, about 6.0 hours of full sun a day, so a smaller solar array covers a household. The ground is steep, with slopes averaging about 31%. That raises the cost of a driveway, septic, and foundation.

What the land says

Rain
Desert rain. Plan on a well or hauled water, and on irrigating anything you grow.
About 11 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 110 feet deep; a well typically runs $6,000 to $14,000
Growing season
Enough for most vegetables. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.
About 163 frost-free days, USDA zone 6b; last frost about April 26, first about October 7
Sun
Strong sun. A modest solar array covers a household.
About 6.0 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
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
Terrain
Steep. A flat house site and a driveway route will drive the cost.
Slopes average about 31%, about 5,050 feet above sea level
Soil
Expect a costlier septic system, because the ground is steep. The county's soil test decides.
Silt loam, well drained (USDA soil survey). A mound, sand filter, or treatment unit typically runs $10,000 to $20,000
Road
Paved roads are close by.
Nearest paved road usually within about 3.7 miles (OpenStreetMap)

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Is it legal here?

Zoning
We found no public zoning map for Grand County, so call the county planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
Utah has a mandatory statewide building code: new homes must meet the 2021 International Residential Code with Utah's amendments, and no county can opt out. Your county or city building department issues the permit and does the inspections; the state does not.
Rainwater
Allowed with limits. Check the state's rules before you size a tank.
Composting toilets
Allowed with a permit and an approved unit.
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.

Look up a parcel's zoning free, or read Is it legal to live off-grid in Utah? for permits, septic, wells, and the counties that opt out.

What it costs to set up a homestead here

Well
$6,000 to $14,000
Drilled to about 110 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$10,000 to $20,000
Mound, sand filter, or treatment unit
Solar and batteries
$18,000 to $34,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$16,000 to $43,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $4,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$52,000 to $115,000
Before the house

Before you make an offer on land here

Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
Steep ground can rule out a standard system.
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.
Road access
Confirm the parcel fronts a public road or has a recorded easement.
Without one, you may not have a legal way in.

Nearby counties

9,706 people live in Grand County, about 2.6 per square mile. It ranks 26th of the 29 Utah counties we scored, and Utah ranks 47th of 50 states.

Mesa County, CO · Emery County, UT · Carbon County, UT · Uintah County, UT · Montrose County, CO · Wayne County, UT · All scored Utah counties

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Sources: FEMA flood maps, USGS and state driller well records, USGS brackish groundwater study, USDA soil survey, USGS 3DEP elevation, U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard, USGS seismic hazard, USGS PAD-US public land, U.S. Census housing counts, USDA county land values, FCC broadband map, CMS hospital list. Rainfall: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu (1991-2020 normals, 4 km grid; accessed 2026-09-17). Temperatures: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu (1991-2020 temperature normals, 4 km grid; accessed 2026-09-26). Storms: NOAA hurricane tracks (HURDAT2, 1975-2025) and Storm Prediction Center tornado paths (EF2+, 1990-2025). Roads: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Data updated September 2026.