Off-Grid Living in Farmington, New Hampshire

I've been digging into what off-grid living actually looks like in Farmington, New Hampshire, and the short version is: this is a zoned town, not a wide-open rural free-for-all. Here's what I found from official sources.

Zoning. Farmington has a formally adopted Zoning Ordinance (most recently amended in 2025), administered by a Planning Board and a Zoning Board of Adjustment. The ZBA exists because state law (RSA 674:1, IV) requires towns with zoning to have one, and it handles appeals, special exceptions, and variances. There's also an overlay zone for the Cocheco River Watershed that pulls in Planning Board site plan review. Bottom line: what you can do with raw land depends heavily on which zoning district you're in, so I'd start there before buying anything.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. The ordinance recognizes Accessory Dwelling Units, defined per state law (RSA 674:71-73) as a self-contained living unit within or attached to a single-family home. I didn't find anything in the town's published excerpts specifically addressing RVs or wheeled tiny homes as a primary, permanent residence, so that's genuinely unclear. Call the Planning & Community Development office before you park anything long-term.

Building permits. The town's Code Enforcement office issues building permits (major and commercial) through an online system, Cloudpermit. Footing certification can be required by the Building Inspector, and electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work each need their own inspections. Appointments need 48 hours' notice, worth knowing if you're used to walking in.

Septic and composting toilets. This is a state matter, run by NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) under the state's ISDS (subsurface sewage disposal) rules. If a structure has plumbed fixtures, it must have a way to discharge wastewater, either sewer or an approved septic system, regardless of your water source. Composting or incinerating toilets can handle human waste but can't replace a septic system if you've got plumbed fixtures elsewhere. The septic designer submits plans to the town for local sign-off before NHDES review.

Greywater and rainwater. I could not find a Farmington-specific ordinance on either. That means the state building and plumbing code baseline likely applies, but I'd confirm directly with the town and with NHDES rather than assume.

Wells. No town-specific well ordinance turned up. Wells fall under the state's Water Well Board framework (RSA 482-B) as the baseline.

Disconnecting from utilities. It's possible, but conditioned on the septic rule above: if there's any water supply to a structure, NHDES requires an ISDS. Only where no water is supplied at all does that requirement soften. No extra Farmington utility-hookup mandate showed up in what I reviewed.

Overall: Farmington isn't hostile to off-grid living, but it's not unregulated either, and several pieces (RVs as dwellings, greywater, rainwater) are genuinely open questions that only a call to the town will settle.