Off-Grid Living in Tremont, Maine

I've been digging into Tremont, Maine for anyone dreaming of a quiet, off-grid life on Mount Desert Island's west side, and here's what I've found. First, the big caveat: Tremont is NOT unzoned. The town runs a full Land Use Ordinance, administered by the Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) and Planning Board, so you can't just buy raw land and do whatever you want.

On zoning and raw-land camping, the Land Use Ordinance limits you to one campsite per lot outside the shoreland zone (or within a set lot-area threshold inside shoreland zones). This is a town-level rule, not a state one, so it applies specifically within Tremont's boundaries.

If you're thinking of living in a tiny home or RV, know that Tremont's ordinance treats RVs as temporary lodging, not permanent dwellings. There are occupancy renewal restrictions requiring breaks in use during certain periods. Tiny homes aren't separately addressed in what I found, so I'd call the CEO's office before assuming anything.

Building permits are required by the town, full stop. The CEO's office reviews plans and issues building and plumbing permits. I also came across news of a 2024 court case involving land use violations going back to 2018, which tells me Tremont does enforce its ordinance, so it's worth doing this by the book.

For septic and composting toilets, the state's Subsurface Wastewater Disposal Rules (administered by Maine's CDC) govern the technical standards, but the actual permit comes from Tremont's Local Plumbing Inspector, who happens to be the same person as the CEO. Portable toilets are allowed short-term, but longer use needs written sign-off locally. Greywater systems fall under this same state-rules-local-permit setup, there's no separate Tremont greywater rule that I found.

Rainwater harvesting and full utility disconnection are both genuinely unclear. I couldn't find a Tremont ordinance or Maine state rule directly addressing either, which doesn't mean they're banned, it means nobody's spelled it out publicly. Wells are permitted and fall under state oversight, with Maine's Private Well Coordinator as the go-to contact, though I found no Tremont-specific well ordinance.

One heads-up: as of the town's last posted notice, Tremont's CEO, Angela Chamberlain, was being shared with the neighboring town of Southwest Harbor. Staffing situations like this shift, so call the Town Office to confirm who's currently handling permits before you make plans.

Bottom line: Tremont is workable for off-grid living but not a free-for-all. Expect town-level permitting for building and septic, state rules layered underneath, and real gaps in the written record around rainwater and utility disconnection that only a phone call can fill.