Off-Grid Living in Story County, Iowa

If you're eyeing unincorporated land in Story County, Iowa for an off-grid setup, here's what I've found digging through the county's own pages and code library. Quick note up front: everything below is about unincorporated county land. If the parcel is inside Ames, Nevada, or another town, that municipality's own zoning and building rules take over, not the county's.

Zoning. Story County is unusual for a rural county in that it has countywide zoning, administered by the Story County Planning and Development Department under the Land Development Regulations. Nearly every structure, from pole barns to fences to dwellings, needs a permit. The big number to know: the A-1 agricultural district generally requires 35 acres before you can build a residential home, though the county notes there are exceptions worth asking about if your parcel is smaller.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. The county does have a dedicated Manufactured Housing (RMH) district for planned manufactured home developments. But I couldn't find anything official addressing tiny houses on wheels or long-term RV living as a permanent residence outside that district. Call Planning and Development before you assume either is fine.

Building permits. Zoning permits are required for most structures, and Story County reviews them for zoning conformance, floodplain rules, and platting. If your project will generate wastewater, the county Environmental Health Department has to sign off before a zoning permit is issued. One thing the county does NOT handle: electrical permits. That's the State of Iowa's Electrical Permit program, separate from anything the county does.

Septic. The Story County Environmental Health Department runs private sewage permitting, following state rules (Iowa Administrative Code 567-69) alongside the county's own private sewage ordinance. You apply through the department, get a permit number, and go through site evaluation and inspection. I found nothing specifically on composting toilets, so if that's your plan, ask Environmental Health directly whether it satisfies or replaces the septic requirement.

Greywater and rainwater. Neither is addressed on any official county or state page I could find. Not confirmed either way, so treat these as open questions for Environmental Health or Planning and Development.

Wells. Very clearly regulated: any new well needs a site review, a construction permit, and inspections through the Environmental Health Department, following state setback standards. Story County also offers free well water testing for bacteria, nitrate, arsenic, and manganese through a state-funded program, which is a nice perk if you're on well water.

Going off-grid / disconnecting from utilities. I didn't find any county rule banning off-grid living outright. But since occupied structures still need zoning permits, and wastewater generation triggers Environmental Health review, "off-grid" doesn't mean "unpermitted." Electric hookup isn't mandated by the county, since that's a state matter, but don't read that as a blanket exemption from everything else.

Bottom line: Story County is permit-heavy for a rural county, so budget time to work with Planning and Development and Environmental Health before you build anything.