Off-Grid Living in Fair Haven, Vermont

I've been digging into what off-grid living actually looks like in Fair Haven, Vermont, and the short version is: this is a zoned town, so you can't just buy raw land and do whatever you want with it. Here's what I found, broken down piece by piece.

Zoning. Fair Haven adopted its own zoning bylaws (originally 1998, with updates including a 2023 modernization and an October 2025 draft amendment), and the town's Zoning Administrator and Zoning Board of Adjustment enforce them. Land use, including raw land, is governed by district (commercial, residential, rural, etc.), so what you can do with a parcel depends on where it sits on the map. Check with the Zoning Administrator before assuming anything.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. The bylaws define "Dwelling, Single-Family" and address mobile homes (there's an established mobile home park in town), and every structure needs a Zoning Permit. But I couldn't find specifics on whether an RV or tiny home can serve as a full-time residence outside a mobile home park. That's a call for the Zoning Administrator, not something I'll guess at.

Building permits. Vermont has no statewide structural code for owner-built single-family homes, so it's Fair Haven's own permitting process (Article XII of the bylaws) that controls construction, plus additional rules if you're in a Flood Hazard Area. The town issues numbered Zoning Permits for projects.

Septic and composting toilets. This is a state matter. Vermont's DEC regulates wastewater and potable water systems, and Fair Haven directs residents to DEC's Permit Navigator Tool to figure out what's needed. The Rutland North Regional Office covers Fair Haven for this.

Greywater. I didn't find a Fair Haven-specific greywater rule. It falls under the same state Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Rules as septic, administered by DEC.

Rainwater harvesting. No town-specific restriction turned up in my research, and state guidance generally permits non-potable rainwater use. Worth double-checking with Zoning if you're installing a large cistern, since siting/setback rules could apply to the structure itself.

Private wells. Handled at the state level through DEC's Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Program (Rutland North Regional Office for this area), plus the Vermont Department of Health's private well resources. I didn't find a town-specific well ordinance.

Living off-grid/disconnected from utilities. Nothing in the zoning bylaws I reviewed forces every property to hook into municipal water and sewer. The town's draft bylaw language on areas "served by municipal water and sewer" implies that properties outside those service areas can rely on private systems, as long as they meet state DEC permitting for wastewater and water supply.

Bottom line: Fair Haven isn't hostile to off-grid living, but it is a zoned town layering its own permit requirements on top of Vermont's state wastewater/water rules. Call before you build.