Off-Grid Living in Pulaski County, Indiana

If you're looking at a piece of land in Pulaski County, Indiana, and dreaming of going off-grid, here's what I found digging through the county's and state's official pages.

Zoning. Pulaski County adopted countywide zoning back in 1990, and today it runs on a Unified Development Ordinance, most recently amended as Ordinance 2025-03. That means, unlike some rural counties with no zoning at all, you can't just do whatever you want with raw land here, the county's Building, Planning & Zoning Department (which also staffs the Advisory Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals) has jurisdiction. Worth noting: Winamac, Monterey, and Medaryville have joint resolutions with the county, so if your land is near one of those towns, permitting may route through the municipality instead.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. Indiana state law sets a floor here: local zoning can't ban manufactured homes over 950 square feet from any lot where another dwelling type would be allowed. Beyond that state minimum, I couldn't confirm exactly how Pulaski County's 2025 UDO treats tiny homes or RVs as full-time residences. That's a "read the UDO or call the office" question.

Building permits. The county Building Department handles all permits and inspections. The commissioners adopted a current development fee schedule in March 2025, but I don't have the actual dollar figures, so don't take any number you see elsewhere as gospel, confirm with the department.

Septic and composting toilets. Onsite sewage is a local matter here, run by the Pulaski County Health Department under an OWTS ordinance the commissioners signed back in 2007. They handle site evaluations, permits, and septic licensing. For composting or incinerating toilets, the state health department (ISDH) has its own guidance document worth a look.

Greywater and rainwater. Honestly, I didn't find a specific county or state rule for either one. Greywater is probably folded into the general onsite sewage rule that the health department administers, but there's no distinct ordinance I could confirm. Rainwater harvesting looks to be unrestricted, but again, that's an absence of evidence, not a confirmed green light, so ask the health department directly.

Wells. Wells are dual-permitted: the state (Indiana DNR) sets construction standards and keeps well records, while Pulaski County's Health Department issues its own well permit locally, the same office that handles septic. High-capacity wells have separate state rules around registration as a "significant water withdrawal facility." Setbacks can be tightened locally, so check with the county before you site anything.

Utility disconnection. I found no Pulaski County ordinance forcing hookup to public water, sewer, or electric. So living fully off-grid on utilities appears to be fine here, as long as your septic and well permits are squared away with the health department.

Bottom line: Pulaski County is zoned and does require permits for building, septic, and wells, more oversight than a truly rural, unzoned county, but nothing here suggests off-grid living is unwelcome, just regulated.