Off-Grid Living in Eddy County, North Dakota

I've been digging through Eddy County, North Dakota's official records to figure out what's actually allowed if you want to live off-grid there, and I'll be upfront: this is one of those places where the county has some structure in place, but a lot of the fine print just isn't published anywhere I could find. Here's what I know, and what I don't.

Zoning. Unlike a number of North Dakota's smallest counties, Eddy County does have a countywide zoning ordinance, adopted by the Eddy County Zoning Commission back in 2017 and amended several times since, most recently in 2025. That means raw-land occupancy isn't a free-for-all here, it's district-dependent. I couldn't find a plain-language breakdown of what's allowed in agricultural versus residential districts specifically for off-grid or minimal dwellings, so if you're serious about a parcel, pull the actual ordinance PDF from the county's site and call the Zoning Board directly.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I found nothing in Eddy County's published materials setting a minimum dwelling size or addressing RV occupancy. North Dakota doesn't set a statewide minimum either, which leaves it entirely up to the county's own ordinance text, which I couldn't fully verify on this point. Treat this as an open question until the Zoning Commission confirms it for your specific plan.

Building permits. The county (as the Authority Having Jurisdiction) is your permit contact, but I couldn't locate Eddy County's own fee schedule or application forms online, so call the Auditor/Commission office. Regardless of local permitting, two things are true statewide: electrical work has to meet the National Electrical Code and be done by a licensed electrician, and the State Plumbing Board enforces the state plumbing code no matter what the county has or hasn't adopted locally.

Septic. This one's clearer. Septic permitting for Eddy County actually runs through the Lake Region District Health Unit, a multi-county health district, not a county-only office. Permits are required before any construction or alteration of an onsite sewage system.

Greywater and rainwater. Both are gray areas, literally. I found no Eddy County or LRDHU-specific rule on greywater reuse, and North Dakota doesn't have clear statewide guidance either, so confirm directly with LRDHU before building anything. Rainwater harvesting isn't prohibited by anything I found at the state or county level, though a large or underground cistern could trigger a building permit review.

Wells. Private wells are a state matter, not a county one. Well drilling and pump installation must go through a contractor licensed by the North Dakota Department of Water Resources, and any water use beyond basic domestic/stock needs runs through the state's conditional water permit process.

Utilities. I found no Eddy County requirement forcing grid hookup for occupancy, so this inherits the state's general position that off-grid living and solar power are legal.

My honest bottom line: Eddy County has more formal zoning structure than you might expect for its size, but the specifics on dwellings, greywater, and permit costs just aren't public yet. Calling the offices below will save you guesswork.