Off-Grid Living in Medway, Massachusetts

Medway, Massachusetts is a fully zoned town, so if you're dreaming of just buying a wooded lot and setting up quietly off-grid, you need to know the Planning and Economic Development Board maintains a comprehensive Zoning Bylaw and Map covering the whole town, with different rules by district (residential, Central Business, Village Commercial, etc.). This isn't a "no zoning" rural town where you can do whatever you want on your own land.

Zoning and land use. Medway's Zoning Bylaw sets district-by-district rules on setbacks and lot coverage, and the town periodically updates these (for instance, lot coverage in the Central Business District was raised from 30% to 80% in recent years). Medway is also navigating the state's MBTA Communities Law, which requires zoning for more multifamily housing in at least one district, but state officials have been clear that doesn't override environmental protections like the Wetlands Protection Act, Title V septic rules, or Medway's own Wetlands Bylaw.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. Medway's bylaw defines various dwelling types and recently added Accessory Dwelling Unit regulations (effective February 2025), but I could not confirm any specific tiny-home minimum size rule or whether living in an RV full-time is permitted. This is worth a direct call to the Building Department before you commit to a plan.

Building permits. Any construction or remodeling in Medway requires going through the Building Department, and the Building Commissioner also serves as the Zoning Enforcement Agent. Permits for building, gas, plumbing, wiring, and mechanical work are handled online.

Septic and greywater. The Board of Health administers the state's Title 5 regulations (310 CMR 15.000) locally, meaning any septic system, from initial site evaluation through installation and repair, needs Board of Health permits. Greywater doesn't have its own separate Medway bylaw that I found; it falls under this same Title 5 framework.

Rainwater harvesting. I didn't find a Medway-specific ordinance addressing rainwater collection one way or the other, so the state baseline would apply, but confirm locally if you're planning a serious catchment system.

Wells. Medway's Board of Health has a dedicated Private Wells regulation, with separate application types for drinking-water wells, well supply certificates, and irrigation or non-potable wells. This is one of the more actively formalized areas of Medway's off-grid-relevant rules, so budget time to work through the Board of Health's process.

Utility disconnection. I found no Medway bylaw specifically banning off-grid electrical living, but any structure still needs to clear state building code (780 CMR) review through the local Building Department, so full off-grid independence would need to be worked out with that office directly.

Bottom line: Medway is a real New England town with real zoning and health department oversight, not a permissive frontier. Off-grid living here is possible but requires working with, not around, several town offices.