Off-Grid Living in Sullivan, New Hampshire

I've been digging through Sullivan, New Hampshire's town pages and state resources to figure out what off-grid living actually looks like here, and the short version is: Sullivan is a small, lightly-staffed town that leans hard on state code where it doesn't have its own rules, but it does still require permits for the basics.

Zoning. Sullivan is not unzoned, contrary to what people sometimes assume about small NH towns. The town is zoned as a single rural-residential district, per the Planning page. Some uses, like multifamily housing, lodging, or commercial operations, need a special exception from the Board of Adjustment. For a simple homestead-type off-grid setup, you're probably fine in the base district, but confirm with the Planning Board.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. New Hampshire state law requires towns to allow accessory dwelling units, and Sullivan has an ADU ordinance on the books. ADUs need permanent cooking and bathing facilities and still require a building permit. The town's own newsletter says a building permit is needed for anything over 400 square feet, even prefab structures, which would include a lot of tiny homes. I couldn't find anything specific to RV occupancy or tiny-homes-on-wheels on the town's official pages, so that's a call-and-ask situation.

Building permits. Sullivan doesn't have a dedicated building inspector or code enforcement officer. The Selectmen's office handles permit intake, and where Sullivan has no town-specific code, it defers to the State of New Hampshire's codes, pulling in a state inspector if something needs a closer look.

Septic. This one's a two-step process. Locally, septic plans go through the Selectmen, but they still need written approval from NH DES's Subsurface Systems Bureau at the state level before installation, replacement, or expansion. I did not find anything on composting toilets specifically at the town level, so that's unconfirmed and worth asking the Selectmen's office directly.

Greywater and rainwater. Neither is addressed in any Sullivan-specific ordinance I could find. That likely means you're operating under the state's general plumbing and residential code framework, but I'd call it unclear rather than assume permission.

Wells. No town-specific well ordinance turned up; this is a state-regulated area (well drilling, water rights) without added local rules found on Sullivan's site.

Utility disconnection. There's no outright ban on going off-grid that I found, but Sullivan's permit list, driveway/entrance permits, septic approval, building height rules, wetlands use, all apply regardless of whether you're hooked to the grid. So living off-grid here means clearing several separate local hurdles, not one big "off-grid permit."

Bottom line: Sullivan gives you more room than a lot of towns because it doesn't over-regulate the off-grid-specific stuff, but that also means less written guidance, so a phone call to the Selectmen's office will save you guesswork.