Off-Grid Living in Poultney, Vermont

I've been digging into what off-grid living actually looks like in Poultney, Vermont, and the short version is: this is a zoned town, and the state backstops a lot of what the town doesn't spell out. Here's how I'd break it down.

Zoning. Poultney is fully zoned under its Unified Bylaws, adopted by the town (most recently updated December 16, 2024) under Vermont's Planning and Development Act. The whole town is covered, split into districts like Village Residential, Village Commercial, and Rural Residential 1-, 2-, and 5-Acre districts, each with its own dimensional rules. What you can do with raw land depends heavily on which district it sits in, so I'd call the Zoning Administrator before assuming anything.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. The 2024 bylaw revision specifically added language supporting tiny homes and things like tiny home parks and reduced density in growth areas, which is a good sign for smaller off-grid-style builds. RVs as year-round dwellings are murkier, the bylaws address it but the specifics vary by district, so again this is a call-the-town question.

Building permits. Vermont doesn't have a statewide residential building code for single-family owner-occupied homes, so the town's zoning permit process (administered by Poultney's Zoning Administrator) is really the main gate you'll go through locally.

Septic and greywater. This one's state-level, not town-level. Poultney falls under Vermont DEC's Rutland Regional Office, and any new wastewater system, including greywater setups tied to a dwelling, needs a state Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Permit. There's no separate Poultney ordinance layered on top that I found.

Rainwater harvesting. I didn't find any town bylaw restricting rainwater catchment for non-potable uses, so this appears permitted under the general state baseline, but I'd still confirm nothing's changed with the town.

Wells. Private well construction and non-public water supplies are handled by the same state Regional Office Program (Rutland North), not by a separate Poultney ordinance.

Utility disconnection. Nothing in the Unified Bylaws requires hooking up to municipal electric, water, or sewer. Off-grid living itself isn't prohibited, but you'll still need a zoning permit for the structure and, where relevant, a state wastewater/water permit.

Bottom line: Poultney's town government controls zoning and building permits, while Vermont's DEC controls septic, greywater, and wells through the Rutland Regional Office. Confirm district-specific rules with the Zoning Administrator before you commit to a piece of land.