Off-Grid Living in Rich County, Utah

I've been digging through what Rich County, Utah actually publishes online about off-grid living, and I want to be upfront: this is one of those counties where a lot of the real rules live in a Development Code that isn't posted in full online. You have to call the Planning & Zoning Administrator to get the actual text. So take what follows as my best synthesis of what's confirmed versus what I couldn't pin down, not a substitute for that call.

Zoning is countywide, run by the Rich County Planning & Zoning Department. The county's own "Code of the West" advisory page is blunt about its philosophy: build the subdivision first, then the homes. That means if you're eyeing raw rural land, don't assume you can just plunk a place down, infrastructure and subdivision approval generally come before a building permit. But the full zoning ordinance text isn't published, so specifics on your parcel need a direct call to Planning & Zoning.

Dwellings, tiny homes, and RVs are where I'd be most cautious. A secondary source (not an official county page) claims Rich County is stricter than most Utah counties, allowing tiny homes on wheels only as RVs, not as permanent living quarters. I could not confirm this on any official county document, so treat it as a rumor worth verifying, not a fact to build a plan around.

Building permits are required for most construction, administered locally under the statewide IRC/IBC code, per the county's Building Department. Depending on your site, you might also need conditional use, zone change, or subdivision approval stacked on top.

Septic systems go through the Bear River Health Department (serving Box Elder, Cache, and Rich Counties), not the county itself. Because sewer isn't available in much of Rich County, you'll need BRHD to evaluate whether your land can even support a septic system before you buy. Composting toilets aren't addressed anywhere I could find, official or otherwise.

Greywater reuse isn't mentioned in any Rich County document I found, so I'm treating it as governed by the state rule (Utah Admin. Code R317-401), administered locally by Bear River Health Department, the same office that handles septic. Confirm directly with them.

Rainwater harvesting follows the statewide rule: collection up to 200 gallons is unregistered, up to 2,500 gallons is allowed with free state registration. I found no Rich County-specific restriction.

Wells and water rights are entirely a state matter here. Rich County's own guidance says so plainly, directing residents to the Utah Division of Water Rights, and warns that you may need to buy an existing water right before you can even use water from an existing well.

Utility disconnection: the county doesn't have a standalone off-grid ordinance, but its advisory materials note electrical service isn't guaranteed everywhere, and remote parcels can carry wildfire or access risks. Whether a certificate of occupancy can be issued on well/septic/solar alone, without grid power, isn't confirmed anywhere I could find. That's a direct question for the Building Department when you apply.

Bottom line: Rich County is workable for off-grid living, but it's a place where you'll do more phone calls than web searching to get real answers.