Can you live off-grid in Grand Isle County, Vermont?
90
of 100
Good with caveats
Yes, with one thing to plan around. Wells are shallow here, near 150 feet, which keeps drilling costs down. The ground is mostly flat and drains well, which keeps building simple. Solar is weaker here, about 4.2 hours of full sun a day, so plan a bigger battery bank or a generator.
What the land says
Rain
Rain helps, but plan on a well for most of your water and on watering the garden in dry months.
About 38 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 150 feet deep; a well typically runs $8,000 to $17,000
Growing season
A full season for most vegetables.
About 181 frost-free days, USDA zone 5b; last frost about April 23, first about October 22
Sun
Fair sun. Plan a larger array or a generator for winter.
About 4.2 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
Flat, but the ground stays wet. Build on the higher, drier spot.
Slopes average about 2%, about 120 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Silt 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 0.4 miles (OpenStreetMap)
Check a Vermont 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. The rules depend on which town the parcel is in.
Building code
Vermont has no statewide building code for an owner-occupied single-family home (the state code covers public buildings and rentals), though a town may adopt its own, so ask the town. New homes must meet the state residential energy code unless the owner builds to live in it and discloses any shortfall to a later buyer.
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 150 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 $8,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $4,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$35,000 to $74,000
Before the house
Before you make an offer on land here
Zoning
Call the town office with the parcel's address.
Zoning here is set by the town, not the county.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
The county has to approve the ground before it issues a septic permit.
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
7,467 people live in Grand Isle County, about 91.3 per square mile. It ranks 2nd of the 14 Vermont counties we scored, and Vermont ranks 30th of 50 states.