Off-Grid Living in Cabot, Vermont

I've been digging into what it would actually take to live off-grid in Cabot, Vermont, and the short version is: Cabot is zoned, Vermont has strong statewide wastewater rules, and the two layers stack on top of each other. Here's what I found.

Zoning. Cabot has its own Zoning Regulations, adopted and amended over the years (most recently 2023), administered by a local Zoning Administrator. These implement the town's Town Plan under Vermont's Planning and Development Act (24 VSA Chapter 117). That means before you build or start using land in a new way, you generally need a zoning permit from the town, not just from the state. I'd treat this as a hard requirement, not a formality.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I could not find a specific Cabot provision spelling out rules for tiny homes or living in an RV. The bylaw does address setbacks, height, and agricultural building exemptions, but nothing I found directly addresses non-traditional dwellings. This is a "call the Zoning Administrator" situation, not a guess-it-yourself one.

Building permits. Cabot requires a zoning permit application before construction, available through the Town Clerk's office or town website, issued by the Zoning Administrator. The town's own guidance suggests applying well ahead of your planned start date, since permits aren't valid until approved and until an appeal period has passed. I don't have a state-level structural building code confirmed for single-family homes here, so I'd ask the town directly what inspections or code compliance they expect.

Septic and composting toilets. Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation has had statewide jurisdiction over wastewater and potable water systems since 2007, this includes new construction, subdivision, and system repairs/replacements. Cabot also has its own local Wastewater Ordinance layered on top for the municipal system. Composting or incinerating toilets still fall under this state permitting umbrella.

Greywater. Same state program covers greywater as part of "wastewater systems," with no Cabot-specific exemption that I found. Assume you need a state permit for greywater disposal design.

Rainwater harvesting. I didn't find any Cabot ordinance restricting rainwater collection, and the state baseline generally allows non-potable use. This looks like the most straightforward dimension.

Wells and water rights. The state DEC Regional Office program permits private water supplies (that aren't public systems) alongside wastewater systems. Cabot village also runs its own municipal water system with a local Water Ordinance, so if you're near the village, check which system applies to your parcel.

Utility disconnection. Living off-grid, unhooked from utilities, is permitted, but it doesn't get you out of the local zoning permit or the state's wastewater/water supply permitting requirements. Off-grid doesn't mean off-paperwork in Vermont.

My honest read: Cabot's rules are fairly typical for rural Vermont, real but navigable, with the biggest gray area being tiny homes and RVs as dwellings. Call before you build.