Off-Grid Living in Stratford, Connecticut

If you're picturing raw land in Stratford where you can just park a camper or throw up a cabin off-grid, I want to save you some frustration: Stratford is a fully zoned town, and that changes the picture a lot compared to unzoned rural counties you might read about elsewhere on this site.

Zoning. The Stratford Zoning Commission adopted a new set of zoning regulations (Chapter A220) effective January 1, 2025, under the authority Connecticut gives towns through Chapter 124 of the General Statutes. Every parcel sits in a district with its own permitted uses, and the Planning and Zoning Administrator has to sign off that your building, lot, and use conform before anything moves forward. You can't just occupy raw land and start living on it.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. The code defines "building" broadly, essentially anything with a roof meant to shelter people, animals, or materials, and any structure over eight feet high counts too. That pulls tiny homes and many RV setups into the same compliance bucket as conventional houses. I didn't find a Stratford provision that specifically blesses tiny homes or RVs as permanent residences, so treat that as unclear and confirm directly with the Zoning Administrator before you commit to a plan.

Building permits. Stratford's Building Official enforces the State Building Code locally, and for many projects a building permit can't even be issued until the Zoning Commission has approved a site plan. Two separate approvals, in other words, not just one stop.

Septic and composting toilets. Connecticut's Public Health Code (administered locally by the Stratford Health Department / Director of Health) governs any system handling 10,000 gallons per day or less. Composting or non-discharging toilets still fall under this same state framework, so you'd still need local Health Department sign-off, not a workaround.

Greywater. Even without a flush toilet, state code says greywater from sinks, tubs, showers, and laundry still needs a septic tank and leaching system, sized at least half of what a full residential system would need. Stratford enforces this through its Health Department; there's no local ordinance loosening that state rule.

Rainwater harvesting. This one's actually straightforward: state building code addresses it, and I didn't find any Stratford-specific restriction layered on top.

Wells. Well construction and water testing follow state Public Health Code standards, with the Stratford Health Department reviewing water quality results locally. No separate town well ordinance beyond that.

Going off-grid entirely. There's no outright ban on disconnecting from public utilities, but occupancy approvals still require a compliant well and an approved sewage disposal method. Disconnecting from the grid doesn't exempt you from those checks.

Bottom line: Stratford isn't hostile to off-grid systems individually, but it is a zoned town layering state health and building code on top of local zoning approval, so plan on multiple offices and confirm specifics before you buy land.