Off-Grid Living in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania

I'll level with you up front: Clearfield County, Pennsylvania is one of those places where the county itself sets almost none of the rules that matter for off-grid living. There's no countywide zoning ordinance, and there's no Clearfield County Health Department (Pennsylvania only has county health departments in a handful of counties like Philadelphia, Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Montgomery, and Erie). So the real answers to "can I do this here" live at the township or borough level, not the county courthouse.

Zoning. The Clearfield County Planning Commission reviews subdivisions and land developments for 31 of the county's 50 municipalities, and 19 of those maintain their own Subdivision and Land Development Ordinances. But there's no unified zoning code across the county. Some townships have zoning, some don't. Before you buy raw land planning to live off-grid, I'd pull up the specific township or borough's ordinance (many are on eCode360 or Municode) or just call them directly.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I couldn't find a county standard here either. This is entirely a municipal call, tied to whichever local zoning and building code adoption applies. Decatur Township, for example, exempts certain small accessory structures under 1,000 square feet from the Uniform Construction Code, but that's an accessory-structure exemption, not a green light for tiny-home living. Don't assume it applies elsewhere.

Building permits. Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code (UCC) applies statewide, but per the Pennsylvania Housing Research Center, over 90% of municipalities administer and enforce it locally themselves. Clearfield Borough, for instance, has adopted the UCC and enforces it at the borough level. If a municipality has opted out, the state Department of Labor & Industry steps in for commercial enforcement. Confirm with your township or borough code office which agency actually issues residential permits.

Septic. This is state-driven under Pennsylvania's Sewage Facilities Act (Act 537), which requires a "local agency" to administer on-lot sewage permitting, and in Clearfield County that agency is your township or borough, each with its own certified Sewage Enforcement Officer (SEO). Some municipalities pool resources through the Clearfield County Sewage Committee. Composting toilets and greywater systems still fall under this same Act 537 / Chapter 73 framework at the state level; I found nothing suggesting Clearfield County or its municipalities have carved out exceptions.

Rainwater and wells. Both inherit the state baseline: rainwater harvesting is fine for non-potable use, and private wells are governed by state driller licensing, not a county permit. Your SEO will likely look at well placement relative to your septic system during the permitting process.

Utility disconnection. No county mandate requiring hookups. Whether a municipality conditions occupancy on utility connections is, again, a local ordinance question.

Bottom line: treat Clearfield County as a patchwork. Your township or borough is where the actual rules live.