Off-Grid Living in Hooksett, New Hampshire

I've been digging into what off-grid living actually looks like in Hooksett, New Hampshire, and the short version is: Hooksett is a zoned town, so where and how you can live off-grid depends heavily on your specific parcel's zoning district, plus a layer of state rules on top.

Zoning. Hooksett is not unzoned land. The Community Development Department and Planning Board administer a full Zoning Ordinance and Development Regulations. If what you want to do isn't a listed permitted use in your district, you'd need a Special Exception or Variance from the Zoning Board of Adjustment. I'd start by pulling up the zoning map and ordinance text for your specific lot before assuming anything is allowed.

Dwellings, tiny homes, and RVs. I couldn't find a Hooksett-specific ordinance addressing tiny houses on wheels or living in an RV full-time. That likely means these fall under general dwelling-unit definitions and building code occupancy rules, but I'd call Code Enforcement directly to ask before you buy or move a structure onto land here.

Building permits. Hooksett enforces its own Building Code (currently based on IBC 2021) through the Code Enforcement Officer, layered on top of the state's adopted building codes. You'll need permits and a Certificate of Occupancy, and the town has an online portal for permit applications including septic permits.

Septic and composting toilets. This is a two-layer system: the state's Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) approves septic system construction and operation statewide, and your design has to come from a licensed NH septic designer. Hooksett also routes septic permits through its own Code Enforcement office. I found no town-specific rule permitting or restricting composting toilets, so you're working off the state baseline; ask NHDES directly for specifics.

Greywater. No Hooksett ordinance on greywater reuse turned up in my research, and New Hampshire doesn't appear to have a dedicated statewide residential greywater rule either. This one is genuinely unclear, so confirm with NHDES or the Code Enforcement office before setting up any greywater system.

Rainwater harvesting. I found nothing in Hooksett's code restricting rainwater collection, so this appears to be permitted under the general state-adopted building and plumbing codes the town enforces.

Wells. No town-specific well ordinance beyond the usual building/septic permit coordination. Private wells fall under the state's Water Well Board rules for siting and record-keeping.

Utility disconnection. I didn't find a blanket rule forcing every home in Hooksett to connect to public water or sewer. The Development Regulations do talk about how the Planning Board marks the boundary between the town's public utility system and a homeowners' association's private system in developments, which suggests private systems are anticipated in some situations, but that's not the same as confirming you can build fully off-grid anywhere in town. Confirm this with Community Development before committing.

Bottom line: nothing I found makes off-grid living in Hooksett flatly illegal, but a lot of the specifics (tiny homes, greywater, blanket utility rules) just aren't spelled out in what I could locate, so a phone call to the town offices below is worth the time.