Off-Grid Living in Kent County, Maryland

Kent County, Maryland is one of the state's counties that actually keeps its own countywide zoning and land-use code, so it's not just deferring blank-slate to the state or leaving it all to towns. As of July 25, 2025, the county rolled everything, zoning, subdivision, forest conservation, floodplain, and stormwater, into a new Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), replacing the old 2002 zoning regulations. I want to be upfront that I'm researching this from official documents, not from personal experience buying land or pulling permits here, so treat this as a starting map, not a legal opinion.

Zoning and raw land: The county's Planning, Housing, and Zoning department administers zoning under the new UDO. Because setbacks and allowed uses are parcel-specific, the county itself says you need to call in with your tax map, parcel, and lot number to get a real answer.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs: I could not find explicit county language addressing tiny homes or RVs as permanent residences. The building code does recognize HUD-code manufactured homes as exempt from the residential sprinkler mandate that applies to other single- and two-family dwellings, which at least tells you manufactured housing is a recognized category. Anything outside that, plan on a case-by-case conversation with Planning & Zoning.

Building permits: Kent County has adopted Maryland's building performance standards locally, and enforcement runs through the Building Inspector working alongside Planning and Zoning and the Health Department. Even small structures like sheds need a permit, plans, and inspection according to the county's own code notes. Review across multiple departments reportedly takes a while, so budget real lead time and don't assume a fast turnaround.

Septic and composting toilets: This is fully state-delegated to the county Health Department's Environmental Health division, which enforces programs handed down from the Maryland Department of the Environment and the state health department. Percolation testing is mandatory before any septic permit issues, and in areas with high water tables, testing may only happen in a defined wet-season window, so timing your land purchase around that matters. Kent County also requires all septage go to a specific receiving lagoon in Worton, no field or land application anywhere in the county. Composting toilets aren't separately addressed that I could find, so don't assume you can skip a conventional or approved alternative septic system without confirming with Environmental Health first.

Greywater and rainwater: Neither has a distinct Kent County ordinance that I located. Greywater falls back to Maryland's state framework, and rainwater harvesting appears to be allowed by default since nobody has restricted it locally, but I'd call this unconfirmed at the county level either way.

Wells: The Health Department's Environmental Health division issues well permits and potability certificates under state delegation, and county plumbing code requires a licensed Kent County plumber for most piping work beyond the pressure tank.

Full grid disconnection: I found no standalone county law addressing this. It would run through the same channels, building permits, Health Department water/septic approval, and UDO occupancy standards, rather than any dedicated "off-grid" ordinance.