Off-Grid Living in Sandwich, New Hampshire

I've been digging into what it actually takes to live off-grid in Sandwich, New Hampshire, and the short version is: this is a zoned town, not a rural free-for-all, and there's an old but active building permit ordinance that touches almost everything you'd want to do off-grid, from a well to a septic system to the house itself.

Zoning. Sandwich has a codified Zoning Ordinance administered by the Planning Board, with a Zoning Board of Adjustment that hears variance requests, including for wetland and shoreland buffer setbacks. I've seen ZBA cases involving expansion into wetland buffers, so this is a town that does enforce its lines. If your land sits near a wetland or shoreline, expect scrutiny.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. The zoning ordinance defines dwelling units and even has a provision for Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (capped around 1,000 square feet, title tied to the primary home), but I did not find a specific rule on tiny homes on wheels or long-term RV living. That's a call to make directly to the Planning Board before you commit to that route.

Building permits. Sandwich adopted a Building Permit Ordinance back in 1981 at Town Meeting, and it's broad: any alteration, construction, reconstruction, or renovation of a structure, septic system, or well requires a permit through the Selectmen's Office. The town's Compliance Officer reviews these and does site visits, but doesn't inspect for code compliance, that responsibility falls on the property owner or contractor under state law (RSA 674:51 and 155-A:2).

Septic. This is dual-permitted: the town ordinance above covers septic work, and separately, New Hampshire DES requires an Approval for Construction and an Approval for Operation before you can use a system, with plans prepared by a state-licensed septic designer. I did not find a Sandwich-specific rule on composting toilets, so ask the Compliance Officer directly.

Greywater and rainwater. I could not find town-specific rules on either. That leaves the state's general plumbing and environmental framework as the practical baseline, but I'd call DES or the town before building a greywater or catchment system, since "not addressed locally" isn't the same as "no rules apply."

Wells. Same dual-track story as septic: the town's 1981 ordinance requires a building permit for well work, and state well construction rules under RSA 482-B apply independently through the NH Water Well Board.

Utilities. I did not find any Sandwich ordinance requiring you to hook up to grid power or municipal water. Off-grid living looks administratively possible here, but every structural piece (dwelling, well, septic) still runs through the town permit process, so "off-grid" doesn't mean "off-permit."

Bottom line: Sandwich is a real zoning town with a genuinely old-school but still-enforced permit ordinance. Nothing I found bans off-grid living outright, but nearly every physical system you'd build touches either the Selectmen's Office, the Planning Board, or NH DES.