Off-Grid Living in Grantham, New Hampshire

I'll be upfront: Grantham, New Hampshire is a zoned town, not the kind of unregulated rural spot some off-grid seekers hope for. The Grantham Zoning Ordinance (last revised March 2024, with further updates in the works) is administered by the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment, and it sets real limits on how you build and use land here.

Zoning and land use. Grantham's ordinance caps building coverage at 20 percent of a lot and requires a minimum lot frontage of 200 feet on any street, with a 35-foot height limit on structures. Anything outside a standard single-family home, like a commercial off-grid homestead or an unusual structure, likely needs Planning Board site plan review or a ZBA special exception. I'd call the Planning Board office before assuming any use is allowed by right.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I could not find a specific Grantham provision addressing tiny houses on wheels or RVs as permanent dwellings. That's a gap in the town's public documents, not a green light. Treat this as "ask the Building Inspector and Planning Board directly" territory.

Building permits. Grantham runs its own building permit process and building code, separate from the state, with its own Building Inspector. As of recent reporting, the town noted mandatory inspections (required under New Hampshire state law) on all residential and commercial construction, totaling well over a hundred site visits in a year. Reach the Building Inspector, currently Greg Stender, to schedule anything.

Septic and toilets. Before installing, replacing, or expanding a septic system, you need written approval from the NH Department of Environmental Services (DES) Subsurface Systems Bureau, this is a state rule under RSA 485-A that towns can also layer local rules onto. Grantham's own ordinance adds a setback: no septic system within 75 feet of a water body or wetland, unless DES approves otherwise. Statewide, if a structure has running water, it must have an approved wastewater disposal system, either sewer or individual septic. Composting toilets aren't clearly addressed in town materials I found, so confirm with the Building Inspector or DES.

Greywater and rainwater. I found no Grantham-specific ordinance on either, and no dedicated statewide DES rule for residential greywater reuse. This is genuinely unclear territory, don't assume it's unregulated just because nothing showed up in my search.

Wells. Well construction is a state matter through the NH Water Well Board; I found no added Grantham-specific well ordinance.

Utility disconnection. There's no blanket rule I found forcing grid electrical hookup, but the septic-connection-to-plumbing rule above is the real limiting factor: running water triggers a wastewater system requirement.

Bottom line: Grantham is workable for off-grid-style living, but only within its zoning envelope, and several important details (tiny homes, greywater, composting toilets) simply aren't spelled out publicly, so a phone call before you commit is worth it.