Off-Grid Living in Fairfield, Vermont

I've been digging into Fairfield, Vermont for this guide, and the short version is: it's zoned, and most of the meaningful off-grid rules actually come from the State of Vermont rather than the town itself.

Zoning. Fairfield adopted its own Land Use and Development Regulations back in 2020, administered by the Planning Commission and a Zoning Board of Adjustment. The town is split into districts, Village, Agricultural/Rural Residential, Uplands, Pond & Swamp, plus overlays for flood hazard and the Chester A. Arthur Historic area. Most "land development" townwide needs a municipal land use permit from the Zoning Administrator, though the bylaw carves out an exemption for certain farm structures tied to agricultural use (notice only, per the state's 24 V.S.A. §4413(d)(3) framework the town references). Because rules vary by district, I'd call this restricted-and-district-dependent rather than a blanket yes or no.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. The bylaw defines "dwelling unit" and "family" in fairly standard ways, but I could not find specific language on tiny homes or living in an RV/camper long-term. This is genuinely unclear from the public text, so it's worth a direct call to the Zoning Administrator before you commit to a plan.

Building permits. Vermont has no statewide building code requirement for owner-occupied single-family homes, but that doesn't mean Fairfield is a free-for-all. The town's own municipal land use permit process, issued by the Zoning Administrator and recorded with the Town Clerk, is what governs here.

Septic and greywater. This one's squarely a state matter. Since 2007, Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation has held universal jurisdiction over wastewater systems and potable water supplies statewide, including new single-family homes. A licensed designer is required, homeowner self-design isn't accepted. Greywater falls under this same state Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply program; I didn't find any Fairfield-specific greywater rule layered on top.

Rainwater harvesting. I didn't find any Fairfield bylaw restricting rainwater collection, and Vermont's general baseline treats non-potable rainwater use as permitted. Still, always verify locally before building a system into your plans.

Wells. Same story as septic: the state DEC permit process covers new or modified potable water supplies, including wells, to protect against contamination or over-extraction. I found no additional Fairfield-specific well ordinance.

Off-grid utility disconnection. No Fairfield rule requires hookup to municipal utilities that I could find. But going off-grid doesn't get you out of paperwork: any structure with plumbing or sanitation still needs the municipal zoning permit and the state wastewater/water supply permit, grid or no grid.

Bottom line: Fairfield's town-level control centers on zoning and building permits, while the state controls water and waste. Confirm dwelling-type specifics with the Zoning Administrator directly since the public bylaw text doesn't spell it out.