Can you live off-grid in Greenbrier County, West Virginia?
86
of 100
Good with caveats
Yes, with two things to plan around. The ground is steep, with slopes averaging about 29%. That raises the cost of a driveway, septic, and foundation. Typical well depths here range from 80 feet to 320 feet, so get a local driller's quote.
What the land says
Rain
Rain can supply much of a household's water with a large tank. A garden mostly waters itself in normal years.
About 47 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 80 feet to 320 feet
Growing season
Enough for most vegetables. Start tomatoes and peppers indoors.
About 167 frost-free days, USDA zone 6b; last frost about April 30, first about October 15
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 4.6 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 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; about 0.3 strong (EF2 or stronger) tornadoes a decade within 25 miles
Terrain
Steep. A flat house site and a driveway route will drive the cost.
Slopes average about 29%, about 2,400 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 0.6 miles (OpenStreetMap)
Check a West Virginia 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
Rural land here is often unzoned. Confirm with the county before you build.
Building code
West Virginia has a State Building Code (the 2018 International Residential Code for homes), but it has force only in the counties and cities that choose to adopt it, and the adopting county or city enforces it. Where your county has not adopted it, no building code applies to a house on unincorporated land.
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.
Depends on depth, which varies here. Get a driller's quote.
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
$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
$32,000 to $65,000
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 80 feet to 320 feet.
Soil test
Get a soil test before you count on septic.
Steep ground can rule out a standard system.
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.
Nearby counties
32,149 people live in Greenbrier County, about 31.5 per square mile. It ranks tied for 10th of the 55 West Virginia counties we scored, and West Virginia ranks 35th of 50 states.