Off-Grid Living in Andover, New Hampshire

Andover, New Hampshire is a genuinely rural town, but don't mistake "rural" for "unregulated." Andover has its own Zoning Ordinance (last revised in 2023), administered locally by a Zoning Administrator and enforced/appealed through the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA). If you're picturing an anonymous cabin in the woods with no paperwork, you'll want to recalibrate.

Zoning and land use. Andover's ordinance sets density limits (in Village and Rural/Residential zones the rule is roughly one building per acre of buildable lot area) and requires a 30-foot setback from street right-of-way lines in all districts. These are town rules, set by Andover's own ordinance, not the state.

Tiny homes and dwellings. Interestingly, Andover's 2023 ordinance actually names "tiny houses" as a defined, regulated use category, which tells me the town has thought about this more than most. Building height everywhere is capped at 2.5 stories or 35 feet. I didn't find detailed placement rules specific to tiny homes or RVs beyond that, so confirm district-by-district treatment with the Zoning Administrator before you commit to a plan.

Building permits. Andover requires building permits, issued by the Zoning Administrator's office (who also serves as Planning and Zoning Coordinator). The ordinance requires a Certificate of Completion and Certificate of Compliance before you're considered done.

Septic and composting toilets. This one's mostly a state matter. New Hampshire's Department of Environmental Services (DES), through its Subsurface Systems Bureau, must approve any septic system before installation, replacement, or expansion. State rule (RSA 485-A framework) also says any structure connected to a water supply must be connected to a wastewater disposal system of some kind, a well plus septic satisfies this. Towns can add their own local septic regulations under that same state law, but I didn't find an Andover-specific composting-toilet ordinance, so that piece is unconfirmed at the town level.

Greywater and rainwater. I found no Andover-specific rules for either, and no dedicated statewide DES greywater rule either. These fall into a gray zone, pun intended, governed loosely by whatever state building/plumbing code provisions apply generally. Treat this as unclear rather than "permitted."

Wells. Well construction is a state matter, licensed under New Hampshire's Water Well Board program. No separate Andover well bylaw turned up in my research.

Off-grid utility independence. Andover doesn't appear to have public sewer infrastructure referenced in its ordinance, so there's no forced hookup mandate that I found. The real constraint is the state DES rule tying any water supply to a wastewater system, which a private well and septic will satisfy.

Bottom line: Andover is workable for off-grid living, but it is a zoned town with real setback, density, and permitting requirements. Confirm the details before you build.