Off-Grid Living in East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana

I've been digging into East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana for folks thinking about homesteading or going off-grid here, and the short version is: this is one of the parishes that actually has zoning, so you can't just buy raw land and do whatever you want on it.

Zoning. Unlike some rural Louisiana parishes that skip zoning entirely, East Feliciana Parish's Police Jury created a Planning and Zoning Commission and divided the unincorporated parish into zoning districts. That means your land use, density, and where you can put structures are actively regulated at the parish level. If you're eyeing a specific parcel, I'd call the Planning and Zoning office before you buy anything, since incorporated towns like Clinton, Jackson, Norwood, Wilson, and Slaughter may layer on their own separate rules.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. The parish code has specific Recreational Vehicle Park Regulations, including density and lot-size rules for RV parks. If you're thinking of just parking an RV or camper on raw land long-term rather than in a park, I couldn't confirm how the parish treats that, so ask the Planning and Zoning office directly. Manufactured homes have a state-law path to become "real property" once a recorded act declares them permanently attached to the land. Off-grid tiny homes under the newer Appendix Q building code path aren't confirmed for this parish specifically.

Building permits. The parish's Building Department (part of Inspections and Permits) requires you to get your property division and zoning approved, obtain a 911 address, and get a floodplain determination before permitting even begins. The actual building code itself comes from the state, but the parish administers permitting locally.

Septic and composting toilets. Louisiana's Department of Health, Office of Public Health sets statewide minimum standards for septic systems, and each parish, including East Feliciana, has a local sanitarian office that actually issues the permits and does site evaluations. I didn't find anything addressing composting toilets specifically at either the state or parish level, so that's genuinely unclear, ask the local Health Unit.

Greywater and rainwater. I found no parish-specific ordinance on either topic, which means the state plumbing code baseline is likely what applies, though I couldn't fully confirm that for greywater. Rainwater harvesting looks fine, but keep the parish's floodplain rules in mind if you're near water.

Wells. No parish-specific well ordinance turned up. Well construction and permitting appear to fall under the state Office of Conservation and LDH baseline.

Utilities. I found no parish ordinance forcing unincorporated rural properties to hook up to electric, water, or sewer utilities. Incorporated towns within the parish might require mandatory sewer hookup where service is available, but that's not confirmed from an official parish source.

Bottom line: East Feliciana isn't a zoning-free parish, so plan for some paperwork, and lean on the Planning and Zoning and Building Department offices early.