Off-Grid Living in Pembroke, New Hampshire

Pembroke, New Hampshire is a zoned town, not a rural free-for-all, so if you're eyeing land here for an off-grid setup, you're working within the town's Zoning Ordinance (most recently the 2026 update, originally adopted back in 1975) alongside New Hampshire state law. Here's what I found digging through the town's own documents and the state's environmental rules.

Zoning: The Pembroke Planning Board adopts and amends the town's Master Plan and zoning ordinance, and the Zoning Board of Adjustment handles variances and appeals. Raw land use falls under district-specific tables in the ordinance that I couldn't fully verify from the excerpts I had, so if you're buying a parcel with off-grid plans, call the Planning and Building Department before you assume anything is allowed by right.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs: The ordinance does define "motor home or van" as a portable, temporary dwelling, and it references pre-site built housing under state law RSA 674:31-a as distinct from manufactured housing. But I couldn't find clear rules on whether a tiny home or RV can be a permanent, year-round residence in Pembroke. This one needs a direct call to the town.

Building permits: Pembroke's Planning and Building Department issues permits and enforces building and fire codes locally through a Code Enforcement Officer. There's even a specific process noted for building on Class VI (unmaintained) roads, though those permits still require compliance with all the same zoning and building code standards.

Septic and composting toilets: This is a state matter first. The NH Department of Environmental Services' Subsurface Systems Bureau must approve any septic system before installation, replacement, or expansion, and the town can weigh in locally under RSA 485-A. Importantly, state policy says any structure connected to a water supply must also connect to a wastewater disposal system, which complicates plans for a composting-toilet-only cabin with running water. I found no Pembroke-specific composting toilet rule, so ask DES and the town both.

Greywater: I couldn't confirm any Pembroke-specific greywater ordinance, and there's no clear statewide DES residential greywater rule either. Treat this as unsettled and ask the town directly.

Rainwater harvesting: I didn't find any town restriction on collecting rainwater, so this appears to be permitted under the general state baseline.

Wells: Well construction is a state matter under the NH Water Well Board, and I found no added Pembroke restriction. The town may still want well details as part of a building or septic application.

Off-grid / utility disconnection: This is the trickiest piece. The state's rule tying water supply to required wastewater disposal means a fully "off-grid" home with plumbing likely can't skip a septic system or sewer connection. I found no separate Pembroke ordinance forcing utility hookups beyond that state baseline, but it's worth confirming locally.

Bottom line: Pembroke isn't hostile to off-grid living, but it's not a rules-free zone either. Septic and building permitting are the two things I'd nail down first with real phone calls before buying land or setting up a dwelling.