Off-Grid Living in Cache County, Utah

If you're eyeing off-grid land in Cache County, Utah, the first thing I have to tell you is that this county is a patchwork. There are 19 incorporated cities inside Cache County, each running its own zoning and building department, and Cache County's own rules (Title 17 for zoning) only apply out in the unincorporated pockets. So step one, always, is figuring out whether your parcel sits in a city or in unincorporated county land, because that determines who you're calling.

Zoning and raw land. For unincorporated parcels, the Cache County Planning and Zoning Division handles zoning clearance and can tell you what's allowed on a given parcel. I didn't find a countywide rule spelling out whether you can simply live in a tent, yurt, or RV on raw land long-term, so that's a direct question for that office rather than something I can confirm from published code.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. Cache County's zoning code does define and regulate manufactured/factory-built housing, so a manufactured home has a real legal pathway. But I could not confirm Cache County's specific rule on living in an RV or tiny-home-on-wheels as a residence. Neighboring Utah counties often require Planning Commission approval, utility/septic plans, and limits on how long you can occupy an RV as a home, which gives a sense of the pattern Utah counties tend to follow, but you'd need Cache County Planning & Zoning to confirm their exact approach.

Building permits. The county requires permits for new homes, additions, sheds over a certain size, shops, and garages, and requires an approved zoning clearance and site plan before a building permit is issued. New single-family dwellings need engineered plans. Notably, since January 2022, unincorporated Cache County has required a Pre-Occupancy Checklist signed off by Public Works and the Fire District before you get a Certificate of Occupancy. Incorporated cities run their own building departments, so if you're inside a city, this county process doesn't apply to you at all.

Septic and composting toilets. The Bear River Health Department, which covers Cache, Box Elder, and Rich counties, issues septic permits and requires a percolation test and site evaluation. I did not find anything specifically addressing composting toilets as an accepted alternative in Cache County, so that would fall back to the state's baseline health code, and I'd confirm directly with Bear River Health.

Greywater and rainwater. No Cache County-specific greywater ordinance turned up in my research, so this appears to default to the state rule administered through Bear River Health. Rainwater harvesting looks similarly unrestricted beyond the state's general allowance, with no added county permitting layer that I could find.

Wells and water rights. Well drilling and water rights filings go through the Utah Division of Water Rights (State Engineer), not the county. The Cache Water District exists for regional water planning and conservation, not for issuing individual well permits.

Utility disconnection. Cache County's Pre-Occupancy Checklist and Certificate of Occupancy process suggest some level of scrutiny before a home is cleared for use, but whether that requires grid utility hookup versus accepting an approved well and septic system instead is something I couldn't confirm from published sources. Ask the Building Department directly before you plan around going fully disconnected.