Off-Grid Living in Custer County, South Dakota

I dug into Custer County, South Dakota for anyone hoping to homestead or live off-grid out here, and I have to flag something upfront: the county's own sources contradict each other. The Custer County FAQ page flatly says "there is no zoning or building codes in Custer County," but the county's Homeowner's Packet and Ordinance #2 describe an actual Zoning Resolution with districts, setbacks, and a permit process. I'm treating the Homeowner's Packet and Ordinance #2 as the operative rules here, since they're more detailed and specific, but I'd call Planning & Zoning before you buy land or build, because that FAQ contradiction is real and unresolved as far as I can tell from public documents.

Zoning: The county's packet describes zoning districts where farming, ranching, one residential dwelling, and accessory buildings are allowed "by right." Anything else needs a Special Use Permit or Planned Unit Development. This is set at the county level via Ordinance #2.

Dwellings: Factory-built homes are allowed if de-wheeled, blocked, leveled, and skirted, but homes built before 1977 aren't eligible for a permit. Setbacks scale with parcel size (bigger lots get more room from the property line). Tiny homes and RVs as full-time residences aren't specifically addressed in what I found, so that's a direct question for Planning & Zoning.

Building permits: No IBC-style building code has been adopted by the county, but you still need a Zoning Permit and Residential Building Permit, with plot plan, floor plan, and elevation drawing. State electrical, plumbing, and septic codes fill the gap where the county has no code of its own.

Septic: The county administers septic permits and layers local rules on top of the state's ARSD 74:53 minimum standards, things like a one-acre minimum lot size for a septic system, county site evaluations, and specific setback distances between tanks, absorption fields, and wells. Composting toilets aren't addressed in what I found, so ask directly whether one can substitute for a septic permit.

Greywater and rainwater: I couldn't find county rules addressing either one specifically. That means you're effectively working from South Dakota's general (and largely unclear) baseline, so check with Planning & Zoning or the state before you build a greywater or catchment system you're relying on.

Wells: Wells are governed by the state DANR water rights program, with a driller's license required and most domestic use exempt from a separate water right permit up to a daily/rate threshold. The county adds its own septic-to-well separation distances.

Off-grid living generally: You don't need to hook up to public utilities, but the county won't issue a building permit without proof of "a legally adequate and physically available water source" and an approved wastewater system, so a private well and septic can satisfy that, but you can't skip water and waste planning entirely.

Bottom line: Custer County is workable for off-grid living, but the zoning/no-zoning contradiction and the missing greywater/rainwater/composting-toilet guidance mean you should get specifics in writing from the Planning & Economic Development office before committing to a piece of land.