Off-Grid Living in Bellingham, Massachusetts

I'll be upfront: Bellingham, Massachusetts is not a place where you can just buy a wooded lot and quietly build an off-grid cabin. It's a fully zoned town, with Chapter 240 of the Town's Code of Bylaws laying out districts and dimensional rules, and I found no exemptions carved out for tiny homes, RVs-as-residences, or off-grid setups. Here's what I've pieced together, dimension by dimension.

Zoning. Bellingham is divided into zoning districts (plus overlays like a Floodplain District and Water Resource District), with the official map held by the Town Clerk. Any nonstandard land use, including raw-land camping or an unconventional dwelling, is subject to review by the Planning Board and/or Zoning Board of Appeals under Chapter 240.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. The bylaw sets minimum lot size and frontage requirements ("intensity of use" table) for buildings in every district. I did not find a specific town carve-out for tiny homes or RVs as permanent dwellings, so I'd treat this as governed by the general dimensional rules until you confirm otherwise with Planning & Zoning.

Building permits. The Inspectional Services Department enforces the Massachusetts State Building Code, State Sanitary Code, and local zoning bylaws. Permit fees are set by the Board of Selectmen per a schedule authorized under the state code, but I don't have exact figures, ask Inspectional Services directly.

Septic and composting toilets. Massachusetts' Title 5 (310 CMR 15.000) is the state septic law, and Bellingham's Board of Health has its own Title 5 and Private Well Regulations layered on top, enforced by the town's Health Agent. This is where composting toilet approvals would also run through.

Greywater. I found no Bellingham-specific greywater bylaw. State Title 5 treats greywater as wastewater requiring proper treatment, and I have no confirmation of any local exception, so assume the state standard applies unless the Board of Health tells you otherwise.

Rainwater harvesting. I couldn't find any town bylaw or Board of Health regulation addressing rainwater collection specifically. That's a genuine gap in what's publicly documented, not a green light, just unconfirmed.

Private wells. Wells are permitted and regulated locally: the Board of Health maintains Private Well Regulations covering siting, construction, and testing.

Utility disconnection. Even if you're going off-grid electrically (say, with solar), Inspectional Services (Building, Wire, and Plumbing/Gas Inspectors) still requires permits and licensed trades for the installation work itself.

Bottom line: Bellingham is a "check with town hall before you do anything" kind of place. The zoning bylaw and state codes form the backbone, but the town's own health and building departments layer on real requirements you'll need to confirm case by case.