Off-Grid Living in McKenzie County, North Dakota

I've been digging into McKenzie County, North Dakota for anyone thinking about buying raw land out here and living independent of the grid. Here's what I found, and where I hit walls.

Zoning. McKenzie County has a real, adopted Land Development Ordinance (LDO), covering zoning, the zoning map, and subdivision rules, administered by the county's Planning & Zoning Department. It's not a "no zoning, do whatever" county. On top of that, some individual townships inside the county run their own separate township zoning ordinances, so before you buy, I'd check both the county LDO and whether your specific township has its own layer of rules.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I couldn't confirm a specific minimum dwelling size or an RV-as-permanent-residence rule for the county. North Dakota has no statewide minimum home size, so this is left to local governments, and McKenzie County's public documents don't spell it out clearly. Call Planning & Zoning before you assume a shed, tiny house, or RV will qualify as a legal dwelling.

Building permits. The county has required permits for new construction since 2012, enforced by the McKenzie County Building Department using the North Dakota State Building Code. Plumbing and electrical inspections are handled separately by the state's Plumbing and Electrical Boards, not the county itself.

Septic. Septic (ISTS) permitting is bundled right into the county's residential building permit packet, so when you apply to build, you're also submitting soil type, depth to restricting layer, and tank capacity for county sign-off. Statewide, installers need a license from the ND Department of Environmental Quality. Composting toilets are technically an ISTS category under state oversight, but I found no county-specific composting toilet clause, so ask the Building Department directly.

Greywater and rainwater. Neither has a confirmed county ordinance. My assumption, until someone at the county tells me otherwise, is greywater gets folded into the same septic/ISTS review, and rainwater harvesting is legal under the state's general absence of a prohibiting law, unless your catchment involves structural or underground storage that triggers a building permit review.

Wells and water rights. Small domestic wells are generally exempt from full state appropriation permitting, but construction must still meet state standards, and larger or permanent water projects need a conditional permit from the state Water Appropriation Division. The county's own Water Resource District handles rural water and flood-control matters under state law (NDCC Chapter 61-16.1).

Utility disconnection. I found nothing in county sources mandating a grid hookup as a condition of occupancy, so this looks like it inherits the state baseline: off-grid solar and no forced connection. Still, I'd confirm with the Building Department that occupancy sign-off doesn't quietly require utility service.

Bottom line: McKenzie County is permit-heavy compared to some off-grid destinations, but the septic-and-building bundling is actually convenient. The unclear spots (dwelling size, greywater, rainwater, utility mandates) are worth a phone call before you commit money to land.