Off-Grid Living in Daggett County, Utah

I've spent a while digging through Daggett County, Utah's ordinances and Tri-County Health Department pages, and here's my honest read on going off-grid there. Big caveat up front: this covers unincorporated Daggett County. The Town of Manila has its own zoning, and the Dutch John Planning District has separate, stricter rules I'll flag below.

Zoning. Daggett County isn't one of those rare Utah counties with no zoning at all. The county's Planning & Zoning Commission administers a countywide ordinance (Title 8, Land Use Regulations), and raw-land camping in a tent or yurt as a permanent residence isn't an established allowed use. Any occupied structure needs a certificate of occupancy, per the county.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. The county's accessory-building ordinance actually defines "habitation" and restricts habitation in agricultural accessory buildings. RVs and mobile homes need a building permit before setup. I've seen claims on unofficial "off-grid guide" sites that tiny homes need to sit on lots meeting utility standards, but I couldn't confirm that against the ordinance text itself, so treat it as unconfirmed and ask the Planning & Zoning office directly.

Building permits. The county is explicit here: per county code section 8-3-4, you need a permit before constructing, altering, or setting up almost any structure, with a small exemption for agricultural buildings and detached accessory buildings under 200 square feet. Occupying a structure without a certificate of occupancy is a misdemeanor, enforced per day of violation. Residential permit applications require septic and/or well approval letters from Tri-County Health Department as part of the packet.

Septic. Tri-County Health Department, not the county itself, permits septic (OWTS) installation, repair, and use. New or alternative wastewater tech has to first clear the Utah Department of Environmental Quality before local health departments can even permit it, which limits your options if you're hoping for something unconventional. I found a secondary mention that many local lots run roughly 100 by 100 feet, squeezing well/septic placement, but that came from a meeting summary, not codified rule, so don't treat it as gospel.

Composting toilets & greywater. I couldn't find a Daggett-specific or Tri-County page addressing composting toilets as a septic substitute, or a local greywater ordinance. Both default to Utah's statewide framework (greywater permitted through the local health department under state rule R317-401).

Rainwater. No county-specific restriction turned up in my research; Utah's statewide rainwater harvesting law appears to be what applies here.

Wells. Same as septic: state Division of Water Rights handles the legal water right and drilling process, but Daggett folds a "well water approval" letter from Tri-County Health into the building permit checklist.

Utilities/off-grid living. In unincorporated Daggett County generally, an approved private well and septic can substitute for utility hookups, but a certificate of occupancy is still required. In the Dutch John Planning District specifically, hooking up to municipal culinary water and sewer is mandatory, so full off-grid disconnection isn't allowed there at all.

Bottom line: Daggett gives you more room than Dutch John, but it's not a free-for-all. Call the county before you buy land.