Off-Grid Living in Granville, Vermont

I'll say upfront: Granville, Vermont is one of the more unusual towns I've researched, because it doesn't appear to have a general zoning bylaw at all. Based on what's posted officially, the only town-adopted land-use rule is a Flood Hazard Area Regulations bylaw and a separate Highway Ordinance covering driveway and logging access. The 2019 Town Plan even recommended the town adopt a subdivision bylaw going forward, which tells me one didn't exist as of that writing. I couldn't find a general zoning bylaw on the town's document pages either. That's a strong inference on my part, not an official "we are unzoned" statement, so if you're serious about land here, call the Town Clerk and confirm before you buy or build.

Because there's no general zoning bylaw I could find, dwelling type (tiny home, RV, owner-built cabin) doesn't seem to be addressed by the town outside the mapped flood hazard areas. Vermont also has no statewide structural code requirement for owner-built single-family homes, and I found no dedicated building inspector or zoning administrator listed for Granville. If your land falls in a mapped flood zone, though, the flood bylaw does require review, elevation compliance, and a certificate of occupancy for that zone specifically.

Where Granville has zero say is septic, greywater, and wells: Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) holds universal jurisdiction over wastewater and potable water systems statewide, including composting toilets (which are allowed under a permit and can even reduce required leachfield size). This runs through a DEC Regional Office, not the town. Greywater falls under the same statewide Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Rules. Wells are governed by the state's Water Supply Rule, Part II, for non-public water systems.

Rainwater harvesting isn't restricted by anything I found at the town level, but if you use it as your sole potable source for a dwelling, DEC water supply rules still get triggered. Living fully off municipal utilities isn't an issue here either, since Granville is small and rural and I found no ordinance demanding utility hookup, though whatever on-site water/wastewater system you install still needs state permitting.

Bottom line: at the town level, Granville looks refreshingly permissive, maybe even unregulated, for general land use and dwellings. But the state of Vermont still controls your septic, well, and wastewater systems no matter what the town does, and Act 250 could apply above certain development thresholds. Confirm the "no zoning bylaw" status directly with the Town Clerk before you rely on it for a purchase or build.