Off-Grid Living in Sandgate, Vermont

I've been digging into what it actually takes to live off-grid in Sandgate, Vermont, and here's where things stand based on the town's own documents and the state rules that layer on top.

Zoning: Sandgate is zoned, unlike many small Vermont towns. The town adopted its own Zoning Bylaws (last full rewrite by vote in February 2013, with an updated "Zoning Bylaws & Subdivision Regulations" document dated May 2024, and a proposed Land Use & Development Bylaw that was in public hearing in January 2024). That means most land use activity, including new construction, needs a zoning permit from the town's Zoning Administrator. A couple of carve-outs I found in the bylaws: satellite dishes, windmills, and solar collectors accessory to a permitted use don't need a permit as long as they stay under 50 feet, and agricultural buildings skip the municipal permit process but still require written notice to the town. I'd confirm current district requirements with the Zoning Administrator before assuming anything.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs: This one's genuinely unclear to me. The zoning permit application implies all new dwellings need a permit, but I couldn't pin down specific language on tiny homes, minimum size, or living in an RV/camper long-term. The 2024 proposed bylaw draft may address this more directly, but I haven't confirmed it's been adopted as final. Ask the Zoning Administrator directly before you plan around any assumption here.

Building permits: Sandgate runs this through its zoning permit process (there's an application form and fee schedule referenced on the town site). Vermont doesn't have a statewide structural building code for single-family owner-occupied homes, so in Sandgate's case the zoning permit appears to be the main gatekeeper rather than a separate town building inspector.

Septic and wells: This is state territory, not town. Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation took over universal jurisdiction of wastewater and potable water supply permitting statewide back in 2007, covering new septic systems and wells for any new residence. Sandgate doesn't appear to run its own septic program on top of that, so any system you install needs to go through the state's Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Rules.

Greywater and rainwater: I didn't find any Sandgate-specific rule on either. Greywater falls under that same state wastewater program. Rainwater harvesting for non-potable use doesn't appear restricted by the town or the state baseline, but there's no dedicated town-level blessing either, it's just not addressed.

Off-grid utilities: Sandgate has no municipal water or sewer system that I could find evidence of, and no ordinance requiring you to hook into one. Whatever system you build (well, septic, solar) still has to satisfy the applicable state permitting rules.

Bottom line: the town controls zoning and building permitting, the state controls water and waste. Both matter, and Sandgate's own rules are worth double-checking since the bylaws were recently updated.