Off-Grid Living in Clackamas County, Oregon

I've been digging into what it actually takes to live off-grid in Clackamas County, Oregon, and the short version is: it's doable, but the county wants paperwork proving your water and wastewater are handled properly, and there's no single "off-grid permit" that waves away the rest of the rules.

First, know where you are. Clackamas County runs its own Zoning and Development Ordinance (ZDO) for unincorporated land, that's the county's own authority, not the state's. But if your parcel sits inside Sandy, Molalla, Estacada, Canby, Oregon City, or another incorporated city, that city's code takes over instead. The county's cmap.clackamas.us tool lets you look up your parcel's zone before you assume anything.

On dwellings: this is where I'd slow down if I were you. RVs as a second dwelling are only allowed in certain zones (broadly, single-family zones either inside the Metro urban growth boundary or fully outside both the UGB and an urban reserve), and the county has historically prohibited using an RV as your primary residence except in narrow situations like temporary shelter while you build a permanent home. Also worth knowing: tiny homes on wheels don't qualify as an ADU under county rules. This is a county-level restriction, not a state one, so don't rely on general "Oregon allows tiny homes" talk.

Building permits are issued by the county's Building Codes Division under Oregon's statewide specialty codes. Good news for solar folks: the county explicitly allows solar as an "accessory use" in all zones as long as the system's output is sized to what the property actually consumes, and there's a dedicated renewable energy permit application for solar, wind, or geothermal installs.

Septic is county-administered, working under state DEQ authority. You'll need a site evaluation before most septic permits, essentially the modern replacement for the old perc test. The county's own rule of thumb is roughly one acre with public water or two acres on a well as a practical minimum lot size for a septic system, though I'd confirm current standards directly with the Septic and Onsite Wastewater Program. Composting toilets as a standalone, no-septic solution aren't clearly addressed in what I found, so ask the septic office directly if that's your plan.

Greywater and rainwater harvesting: I couldn't find county-specific ordinances on either, which suggests the state's baseline rules likely apply by default, but that's not confirmed, so check with the county before building a greywater system assuming it's automatically fine.

Wells and water rights fall to the state, specifically the Oregon Water Resources Department's District 20 Watermaster, who covers Clackamas County. Private wells aren't routinely tested by anyone but you. One notable wrinkle: a small area called "Petes Mountain" has special state well-construction standards, so if you're in that pocket of the county, that matters.

Bottom line on going fully off-grid: it's permitted in principle, but functionally the county leans hard on proof of approved water and wastewater systems, especially for RV or dwelling permits and any new land division. I didn't find an explicit county statement saying "yes, a fully utility-disconnected home is fine," so treat that as an open question to raise with Planning and Building before you commit.