Off-Grid Living in Meredith, New Hampshire

I'll say this up front: Meredith, New Hampshire is a zoned town, and it's been that way since 1971. If you're picturing raw, unregulated land where you can just set up a cabin and go quiet on the grid, Meredith isn't that. It's a Lakes Region community with an active Zoning Ordinance (last amended in March 2025), a Water Resources Conservation Overlay District, and its own building permit office. None of that means off-grid living is impossible here, but it means every layer, zoning, building, septic, and water, has a named authority you'll need to work with.

Zoning in Meredith runs on standard district-based rules, set by the town under state enabling authority (RSA 674:16, 674:21). There's also an overlay district around sensitive water resources, adopted by Town Meeting in 1997, that adds extra protections in certain areas. Minimum lot sizes come from the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations together, and can shift based on topography, so don't assume a lot is buildable without checking with the Community Development Department.

Dwellings, tiny homes, and RVs: I couldn't find a clear Meredith rule that lets you live full-time in an RV or tiny home as a permanent off-grid dwelling. The ordinance does mention temporary-use structures capped at a limited duration under a Certificate of Use, but whether that or an ADU pathway applies to an off-grid tiny home isn't confirmed. Call the Planning/Zoning office before you buy or build.

Building permits are required by the town, which enforces the state-adopted 2018 ICC code family (per RSA 155-A:2). You need a permit before construction (RSA 676:11) and a Certificate of Occupancy before you move in, per the town's own permit application language.

Septic is closely watched here because Meredith draws its public water from Lake Waukewan. A 2013 town health ordinance requires septic evaluations within a set distance of the lake for systems without an approved operational permit on file. Statewide, NH DES requires failed systems to be remedied within 90 days under RSA 128:5. Composting toilets aren't addressed in a town-specific ordinance that I found; that likely falls to state DHHS/DES guidance, so confirm directly.

Greywater and rainwater harvesting rules: I found nothing Meredith-specific on either. The town's sewer-use ordinance covers septic/sewer discharge but not household greywater reuse, and rainwater harvesting just seems to fall under the general adopted building code. Treat both as unconfirmed and ask the Building Department directly.

Wells are generally permitted and fall under the state Water Well Board's baseline rules, with extra scrutiny if you're inside the Water Resources Conservation Overlay.

Utility disconnection: there's no blanket ban on going off-grid, but the Certificate of Occupancy requirement and septic/water class designations in the overlay area mean the town does verify water and wastewater compliance before you can legally occupy a structure. That's a real practical limit on fully disconnecting for a permanent residence.

Bottom line: Meredith is workable for off-grid-style living, but it's permit-and-inspection-driven, not a legal gray zone.