Off-Grid Living in Roxbury, Vermont

I've been digging into Roxbury, Vermont for anyone thinking about buying land and going off-grid here, and the short version is: Roxbury has no zoning bylaw at all. The Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission's own town profile lists Roxbury as "Zoning None Enacted." That's unusual and it matters a lot for how you plan a build here.

Zoning and raw land. With no zoning ordinance, there's no town-wide use district telling you what you can or can't do with raw land, and no local setback rules to check against a zoning map. The town does have a non-binding Town Plan (2021) and separate flood/inundation hazard regulations, so if your parcel touches a floodplain, that's the one local rule you actually need to check. Above certain size/impact thresholds, the state's Act 250 review can still kick in regardless of local zoning.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I found no Roxbury-specific rule on minimum dwelling size, tiny homes, or RV living. That's not confirmed as "anything goes," though, it's just that no town ordinance addresses it. What is certain is that any structure meant for occupancy, including cabins, yurts, and yomes, triggers Vermont's state Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Permit if it needs its own water or wastewater system.

Building permits. I could not find a town building inspector or building-permit program on record for Roxbury. Vermont doesn't have a statewide residential building code (aside from energy standards), so in a town without local building permitting, there may genuinely be no structural permit step, but confirm this directly with the Town Clerk since flood-hazard permits may still apply.

Septic and greywater. This is where the state, not the town, runs the show. Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation has held universal statewide jurisdiction over wastewater and water supply permitting since 2007. Any new septic system, and most greywater setups, need a DEC permit. Roxbury has no separate local health officer or septic office to fall back on.

Rainwater and wells. I found no Roxbury rule against collecting rainwater, so this follows the normal state baseline of being allowed. Private wells fall under the same DEC potable water supply permitting program as septic systems, again with no added town layer.

Off-grid utility living. Nothing in the town's planning or ordinance record requires grid hookup, and going disconnected from electric or municipal water/sewer appears to be common and permitted here. I couldn't find an official Roxbury document stating this outright, so I'm relying on the absence of any contrary rule plus the state baseline.

Bottom line: in Roxbury, your real regulatory relationship is with the State of Vermont's DEC for water and waste, not with town zoning staff, because there isn't any. Still, call the Town Clerk before you buy or build, since flood hazard rules and any Selectboard ordinances are the one local wildcard.