Possible, but water will be hard. Only about 11 inches of rain falls a year, so you will rely on a well (near 50 feet here) or hauled water. The sun is strong, about 5.8 hours of full sun a day, so a smaller solar array covers a household. The growing season is only about 131 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 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 50 feet deep; a well typically runs $4,000 to $10,000
Growing season
Short. Start seeds indoors and favor cold-hardy crops.
About 131 frost-free days, USDA zone 5b; last frost about May 23, first about September 30
Sun
Strong sun. A modest solar array covers a household.
About 5.8 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 in parts of the county
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; about 0.1 strong (EF2 or stronger) tornadoes a decade within 25 miles
Terrain
Rolling ground. Look for a flat house site.
Slopes average about 10%, about 6,000 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Loam, 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 0.7 miles (OpenStreetMap)
Check a Utah 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 Uintah 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.
Drilled to about 50 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
$32,000 to $67,000
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 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
37,747 people live in Uintah County, about 8.4 per square mile. It ranks tied for 9th of the 29 Utah counties we scored, and Utah ranks 47th of 50 states.