Off-Grid Living in Granby, Vermont

Granby, Vermont is about as small and rural as Vermont towns get (population 81 as of 2020), and it has a real, if thin, layer of local regulation on top of Vermont's statewide water and wastewater rules. Here's what I found digging into this one.

Zoning: Granby is NOT unzoned. The town adopted a Zoning Bylaw dated December 27, 2011, hosted on the Northeastern Vermont Development Association (NVDA) website, NVDA being Granby's regional planning commission. That means raw-land occupancy, dwelling types, and local permitting are, in theory, governed by this bylaw. I was not able to review the full bylaw text (only summary/table-of-contents material), so I can't tell you the specifics on lot sizes, setbacks, or districts. Confirm directly with the town.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs: Not confirmed. I found no specific language on tiny homes, RVs, or minimum dwelling size in what I could access of the 2011 bylaw. This needs a direct read of the full bylaw or a call to Granby's zoning administrator.

Building permits and codes: Vermont has no statewide residential structural building code as a baseline. Whether Granby's own bylaw layers on a local building permit requirement is not confirmed in what I found. Ask the town.

Septic and composting toilets: This is squarely state-regulated. Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) took universal jurisdiction over wastewater and potable water systems back in 2007, and a Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Permit is required for new construction needing a wastewater system, including single-family homes, mobile homes, yurts, yomes, and cabins. Granby falls under DEC's Essex/St. Johnsbury regional office.

Greywater: Same state program covers greywater and other non-conventional systems under 6,500 gallons per day. No Granby-specific greywater rule turned up.

Rainwater harvesting: Nothing in Vermont law or Granby's bylaw restricts this that I could find; it follows the general state baseline of being allowed for non-potable use.

Wells: New wells (potable water supplies) need that same state DEC permit. No added town-level well ordinance was found.

Off-grid utilities: Granby has no municipal water or sewer system, so there's no connection mandate to worry about locally. Interestingly, Granby (along with neighboring Victory) was one of the last two Vermont towns connected to the electric grid, in 1963, so this is a town with genuine off-grid history. State DEC permitting for septic/well still applies regardless of grid status.

Bottom line: Vermont's state DEC handles water and wastewater permitting uniformly, and that part is clear. What's murky is Granby's own 2011 bylaw. Given how small this town is, I'd guess the bylaw is simple, but "simple" isn't the same as "no rules," and I couldn't verify the details. Call the town before you buy land or start building.