Can you live off-grid in Ferry County, Washington?
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Major concerns
Possible, but hard and costly. The ground is steep, with slopes averaging about 36%. That raises the cost of a driveway, septic, and foundation. Wells are shallow here, near 80 feet, which keeps drilling costs down. The U.S. Forest Service rates wildfire risk high in parts of the county, so plan cleared ground around the house.
What the land says
Rain
Too dry to live on rain. Plan on a well, and on irrigating anything you grow.
About 20 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 80 feet deep; a well typically runs $5,000 to $12,000
Growing season
Enough for most vegetables. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.
About 151 frost-free days, USDA zone 6b; last frost about May 4, first about October 11
Sun
Fair sun. Plan a larger array or a generator for winter.
About 4.5 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
Wildfire risk is high in parts of the county. Check the risk for the parcel you want.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low to Very High 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 36%, about 3,270 feet above sea level
Soil
Expect a costlier septic system, because the ground is steep. The county's soil test decides.
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 0.4 miles (OpenStreetMap)
Check a Washington 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 Ferry County, so call the county planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
Washington's State Building Code, which includes the International Residential Code for homes, is in effect in every county and city. Counties and cities enforce it, so a new house needs a building permit and inspections anywhere in the state, and a local change to the rules for homes needs State Building Code Council approval.
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.
Drilled to about 80 feet, with pump and pressure tank
Septic
$10,000 to $20,000
Mound, sand filter, or treatment unit
Solar and batteries
$17,000 to $31,000
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
$36,000 to $76,000
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.
Wildfire
Ask an insurance agent whether they will write a policy.
The U.S. Forest Service rates wildfire risk high in parts of the county.
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.
Nearby counties
7,497 people live in Ferry County, about 3.4 per square mile. It ranks 38th of the 39 Washington counties we scored, and Washington ranks 44th of 50 states.