Off-Grid Living in Unity, New Hampshire

I've been digging into what off-grid living actually looks like in Unity, New Hampshire, and the short version is: Unity is a zoned town, not one of those wide-open unzoned New England spots people sometimes hope for. The town adopted its own Land Use Ordinance back in 2017 under the state's RSA 674 authority, and it's administered by the Planning Board. So anything you build or occupy here answers to both state rules and Unity's local ordinance.

Zoning and dwellings. Unity's ordinance covers accessory dwelling units through a Conditional Use Permit process, and the Planning Board has thirty days to act on a certificate of compliance once you apply. Non-residential or multi-family projects also trigger site plan review under state law (RSA 674:43 and 44). On dwelling size, I've seen a secondhand reference to a 750-square-foot minimum floated by a commercial permit-guide site, but I could not confirm that figure directly in the ordinance text itself. If you're planning a tiny home or thinking about living in an RV, don't take my word or that source's word for it, call the Building Inspector or Planning Board and get the current minimum in writing.

Building permits. Unity requires a local building permit for construction, alteration, or occupancy changes to a single-family dwelling. Once issued, a permit becomes void if work doesn't start within six months, and you need to pick it up within 30 days. The Building Inspector, Paul Moeller, has authority to inspect permitted buildings, and violations are enforceable under the state's RSA 676:17.

Septic. This is a two-layer system. The state, through NH DES's Subsurface Systems Bureau, has to approve any septic system before it's installed, replaced, or expanded, and you certify compliance with local requirements as part of that. Unity's own building permit form asks for your septic designer's name, NH license number, and state approval number. Composting toilets aren't mentioned anywhere I found in Unity's ordinance, so that's genuinely unclear at the local level.

Greywater and rainwater. I found no Unity-specific language on either. Greywater sits in the same unclear bucket the state leaves it in, so ask before you build a reuse system. Rainwater harvesting appears to be fine by default, since nothing in the local ordinance restricts it and the state plumbing code baseline applies.

Wells. Standard state licensing under RSA 482-B governs private wells, and Unity's permit form just wants your well/water contractor info. No town-specific well ordinance beyond that.

Utilities. I did not find a blanket rule forcing homes to connect to municipal water or sewer. You do need a Certificate of Occupancy before moving in, tied to septic approval, but going off-grid on utilities specifically isn't addressed head-on in what I reviewed.

Bottom line: Unity isn't hostile to off-grid living, but it's not a rule-free zone either. Confirm the specifics with the town before you commit to a plan.