Off-Grid Living in Groton, Vermont

I've been digging into what off-grid living actually looks like in Groton, Vermont, and the short version is: Groton is a zoned town, so land use here runs through both the Town's zoning bylaw and Vermont state permitting programs. Don't assume "rural Vermont" means unregulated. It doesn't.

Zoning. Groton adopted its Zoning Bylaw (most recently amended May 3, 2023) under the authority of state law (24 V.S.A. Chapter 117), and the Town Clerk's office holds the official zoning map that governs what you can do on any given parcel. The bylaw is explicit that no structure can be built, moved, or altered, and no land excavated, without complying with it. So before you buy raw land here thinking you can just set up camp, check the parcel's district and talk to the Zoning Administrator.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I looked through the bylaw text and didn't find specific minimum size rules for dwellings or standalone provisions for tiny homes or RVs used as residences. The bylaw does regulate campgrounds as a distinct, more heavily conditioned use (with acreage and site requirements), but that's not the same as a single RV or tiny home on your own lot. This is genuinely a "call and ask" situation rather than something I can confirm from the bylaw as written.

Building permits. Groton requires a zoning permit from the Administrative Officer before land development begins, following the notice and posting process laid out in state statute (24 V.S.A. § 4442(c)). On top of that, the town's own zoning administrator page flags that state permits often apply too, so a Groton permit doesn't necessarily mean you're fully covered statewide.

Septic, greywater, wells. These are handled almost entirely at the state level, not by Groton itself. Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation, through its Regional Office Program (Groton would fall under a DEC regional office, likely the St. Johnsbury office given the county), issues Water/Wastewater permits for septic systems, private water supplies, and related infrastructure. I didn't find any Groton-specific bylaw language layering additional rules on top of the state program for greywater or wells, but that doesn't mean there's no local wrinkle, so confirm before you build.

Rainwater harvesting. Nothing in the Groton bylaw excerpts addresses rainwater catchment one way or another, and I didn't find a state-level barrier either. This looks unregulated locally, but "not addressed" isn't the same as "guaranteed permitted."

Utilities. There's no town rule requiring hookup to any utility that I found. Living off-grid, unconnected to municipal power, water, or sewer, appears permitted as long as your septic/water systems get their required state permits and your structures get a local zoning permit.

Bottom line: Groton isn't going to stop you from going off-grid, but it also isn't a free-for-all. The town controls land use and building permits; the state controls water, wastewater, and wells. Confirm the gray areas, tiny homes and RVs especially, directly with the Zoning Administrator before you commit money to a plan.