Off-Grid Living in Exeter, New Hampshire

I've been digging into what off-grid living actually looks like in Exeter, New Hampshire, and the short version is: Exeter is a fully zoned town, not the kind of unregulated rural spot where you can just show up and build. That doesn't mean off-grid is impossible here, but you're working within town and state layers, and you should expect to talk to Town Hall before you commit to land.

Zoning. Exeter's Planning & Sustainability Department administers a 2016 Zoning Ordinance (amended since) built on New Hampshire's planning enabling law, RSA 672-677. There are multiple zoning districts with their own lot size, setback, and height rules, plus an Aquifer Protection Overlay District that adds stricter lot-area requirements in sensitive groundwater areas. If your land sits in that overlay, plan on tighter rules.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. This one is genuinely murky. I could not confirm an official Exeter ordinance addressing ADUs or minimum dwelling size, though there's non-official chatter that some Seacoast towns, possibly including Exeter, have strict minimum size rules. Don't take my word or the internet's word for it, call Planning directly and ask about current ADU and tiny-home provisions before you buy or build.

Building permits. These are required, full stop. The Exeter Building Department enforces the International Building Code as adopted by the town, and any residential or commercial construction needs a permit through that office.

Septic and composting toilets. Septic is regulated by New Hampshire DES at the state level (their Env-Wq 1000 rules), with local coordination through the town where needed. Plans have to come from a state-permitted septic designer, and you need both a Construction approval and an Operation approval from DES before use. Composting toilets aren't separately addressed on Exeter's own site, so conventional septic rules are your default assumption.

Greywater. No Exeter-specific ordinance turned up, and New Hampshire doesn't have a dedicated statewide DES rule for residential greywater reuse either. This is genuinely unclear territory, ask DES and the Building Department directly.

Rainwater harvesting. This looks fine. Exeter enforces the IBC as locally adopted, which allows rainwater harvesting for non-potable indoor use, and I didn't find any Exeter-specific restriction.

Wells. Private wells are licensed at the state level under the NH Water Well Board (RSA 482-B). Exeter's own septic and subdivision paperwork asks about well presence and radius as part of the application process.

Full utility disconnection. Not confirmed as prohibited, but also not confirmed as freely permitted. Exeter's Planning Department has forms tied to connecting to municipal water/sewer near existing lines, which suggests the town cares about proximity to infrastructure. If you're truly off-grid with no well or septic at all, that's a conversation to have directly with Building and Planning before you plan around it.

Bottom line: Exeter gives you real pathways for well water, septic, and rainwater collection, but zoning, dwelling-size rules, and full utility disconnection all need direct confirmation from town staff before you invest in land here.