Off-Grid Living in Summit County, Utah

Summit County, Utah is a genuinely split jurisdiction when it comes to off-grid living, and that's the first thing I want you to understand before anything else. There's no single countywide zoning code. Unincorporated land is governed by two separate development codes: the Snyderville Basin Development Code (Title 10) for the Park City area, and the Eastern Summit County Development Code (Title 11) for the rural east side around Coalville, Kamas, Oakley, Francis, and Henefer. If you're inside any incorporated town (Park City, Coalville, Kamas, Oakley, Francis, Henefer), that town's own code takes over and I haven't researched those separately, so check with the town directly.

On zoning, both county codes set up their own districts, density rules, and allowed uses, but I could not confirm from available pages whether raw-land occupancy (living in a tent, yurt, or similar as a permanent residence) is allowed outright in either code. Treat that as unresolved and ask the county Planning & Zoning Department.

For dwellings, the county's development code does allow Accessory Dwelling Units in most residential zones, administered mostly through the building permit process now rather than a separate planning pre-approval. But I found nothing confirming that an RV or wheeled tiny home can serve as a legal permanent primary dwelling in Summit County, so I'd default to the general state-level skepticism toward that setup until the Building Department tells you otherwise.

Building permits are mandatory and enforced by the county's own Building Department, applying the statewide construction code. The Snyderville Basin code is explicit that building permits and certificates of occupancy exist to protect structural safety, fire resistance, and sanitation, and depending on your zone you may need a planning-level approval (like a conditional use permit or site plan) before the county will even issue the building permit.

Septic systems fall under the Summit County Health Department, which administers the state's Utah Onsite Wastewater Rule (R317-4). They require a soil evaluation and percolation test before approving a system. Composting toilets aren't addressed on any page I found, so whether one can substitute for a septic system is not confirmed, ask the Health Department directly.

Greywater reuse presumably follows the state rule (R317-401) administered locally, but I couldn't confirm a Summit County-specific greywater permit process. Rainwater harvesting looks fine, following the state's general allowance, with no added county restriction found.

Wells are licensed through the state Division of Water Rights, but in parts of the Snyderville Basin/Silver Creek area, a local water service area adds its own conditions, including capped water-right allotments and a requirement for a totalizing meter. If your water use needs exceed that allotment, the local service area may require you to dedicate additional water rights.

Finally, whether the county will issue a certificate of occupancy for a home with no grid power and no public water/sewer connection, running purely on well, septic, and solar, is not confirmed anywhere I found. That's a direct-call question for the Building Department.