Off-Grid Living in Montgomery County, Iowa

Montgomery County, Iowa is one of the counties in the state that still runs its own zoning program, which matters a lot if you're thinking about buying rural land here to live off-grid. That gives the county more say over where and how you can build than in counties that have repealed zoning outright. Here's what I found digging through official sources, and where I hit walls.

Zoning: Montgomery County has an active countywide zoning resolution (last updated 2024) covering unincorporated land, administered by the County Zoning Administrator, who also serves as County Engineer. That office handles district rules, subdivisions, and Board of Adjustment appeals. If you're eyeing a parcel, call them before you buy.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs: Iowa Code (Chapter 335, a state statute) limits how counties can regulate manufactured/modular homes on agricultural land, but it also requires manufactured homes to meet the same siting, foundation, and minimum size standards as site-built homes. I could not find anything from Montgomery County specifically addressing tiny homes on wheels or RVs as full-time residences. That's a real gap, don't assume either way. Ask the Zoning Administrator directly.

Building permits: No official county page spelled out exactly how the state building code (Iowa Code Chapter 103A) is applied in unincorporated Montgomery County, or what the local permit process looks like outside towns. I'm treating this as unclear and inheriting the state baseline until the county confirms specifics.

Septic: This one's solid. The Montgomery County Sanitarian issues septic construction permits directly, aligned with Iowa DNR's statewide onsite wastewater rules (567 IAC Chapter 69). Composting or alternative toilets aren't separately addressed at the county level as far as I found, so DNR's baseline rules would apply.

Greywater and rainwater: Neither has a specific county or Iowa DNR rule I could locate. Iowa doesn't have a dedicated statewide greywater statute, and rainwater catchment for household use doesn't appear specifically regulated or specifically protected either. Ask the Sanitarian before you install a greywater system.

Wells: The Sanitarian's office issues well construction permits and also connects residents with well-water testing (there's a low-cost testing program run through the county's environmental health / extension network). This is a well-documented function of the office.

Off-grid utility disconnection: No ordinance treats "living off-grid" as its own legal category here. Practically, it means your septic and well still need permits from the Sanitarian, and your dwelling still needs to satisfy the county's zoning siting rules, regardless of whether you're on the power grid.

Bottom line: septic and well permitting are clearly handled by the County Sanitarian, and zoning is handled by the County Zoning Administrator, but tiny homes, RVs, greywater, and rainwater rules are genuinely unconfirmed at the county level. Don't guess, call first.