Off-Grid Living in Somerset County, New Jersey

I've been digging into what off-grid living actually looks like in Somerset County, New Jersey, and the short version is: there's no countywide zoning code here, so almost everything comes down to which of the 21 municipalities your land sits in. Somerset County government itself mostly steps in for land development that touches county facilities or roads (that's the Somerset County Planning Board's job under the County Planning Act), but zoning maps, building permits, and even septic administration are largely local matters layered on top of New Jersey's statewide rules.

Zoning and raw land. There's no county zoning ordinance to check. You have to go to the specific township or borough, whether that's Franklin Township, Bernards Township, or any of the other 19, and pull their zoning map and code. What's allowed on a rural parcel in one town can be totally different a few miles away in the next.

Tiny homes, RVs, alternative dwellings. I couldn't find a Somerset County page that treats tiny homes or RV living as its own category. That means it falls back to each municipality's zoning and to New Jersey's statewide Uniform Construction Code (UCC), which is the baseline every town builds on.

Building permits. These are issued locally, not by the county. Franklin Township's Construction Office is a good example of how a municipal office runs (set hours for permits and inspections, a direct phone line), but you'll need to call whichever town you're in for their own process.

Septic and toilets. New Jersey's Standards for Individual Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems (N.J.A.C. 7:9A) set the statewide rules, and local health departments handle permitting for typical residential-size systems. In Somerset County, the municipalities themselves are responsible for septic review and permitting, feeding into a Countywide Septic Management Plan made up of individual town chapters. The Somerset County Department of Health acts as the local health authority for a number of (not all) municipalities and has septic permit and interim permit forms available. One important note: pit toilets, cesspools, privies, and outhouses aren't just casually allowed, state rule restricts their construction and use, so if you're picturing a simple composting or pit toilet setup, you need to run it past the standards first.

Greywater and rainwater. I found nothing at the county or municipal level specifically addressing residential greywater reuse or rain barrel/cistern use. These fall back to the state baseline, which doesn't appear to require a permit for ordinary residential rainwater collection, but greywater reuse rules are genuinely murky here.

Wells. Private wells are permitted, but Somerset is one of the counties where New Jersey's Private Well Testing Act requires an extra uranium test beyond the standard panel. The County Health Department actively promotes well testing, especially around Groundwater Awareness Week, and can point you to a coordinator for questions. New construction with a private well typically needs testing before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued.

Utility disconnection. No standalone county rule requiring hookup to public utilities that I could find. It comes down to each municipality's Certificate of Occupancy requirements, which under the state UCC generally expect an approved water source and sewage disposal method, well and septic count, before they'll sign off on occupancy.

Bottom line: treat Somerset County as a patchwork of 21 small jurisdictions sitting on top of one state code. Always confirm with your specific town.