Off-Grid Living in Vernon, Vermont

I'll be upfront: Vernon, Vermont is an unusual case in my research because the town has no zoning at all. That's not me being loose with the term, it's the town's own clerk's office saying it plainly: "Vernon does not issue zoning permits because it does not have zoning." So a lot of what governs off-grid living here isn't a town rulebook, it's the State of Vermont stepping into the gap.

Land use and dwellings. With no zoning bylaw, Vernon's Planning & Economic Development Commission administers only a free-standing bylaw dealing with flood-hazard and river-corridor areas, not general land use. That means there's no town-level permit process for where you can put a home, what type it is (tiny house, RV, cabin), or how you occupy raw land, at least none I could find on the town's own materials. I couldn't independently confirm there's zero restriction on RVs or tiny homes as full-time dwellings though, so I'd still call the Town Clerk's office before assuming anything goes.

Building permits. Vernon itself doesn't issue building permits either. The Town Clerk's office says septic, driveway, and stormwater permits are all handled by the State of Vermont. The one thing the town does control locally is a driveway permit for connecting to a town road, issued by the Road Commissioner.

Septic and greywater. This is where the state really takes over. Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation has had, since 2007, "universal jurisdiction over the design, permitting, and installation of all new wastewater systems and potable water supplies," which covers new construction, subdivisions, and system repairs or replacements. There's a narrow exemption for a primitive camp used no more than 60 days a year with minimal sink-water disposal, but a full-time off-grid home would need a state Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply (WW) permit. I did not find a separate Vernon septic ordinance layered on top of this.

Rainwater harvesting. I found no Vernon-specific rule against it, and nothing at the state level in my notes prohibiting it either. Treat this as generally workable, but it's not something the town has spoken to directly, so I'd confirm with the DEC's WW program if your setup ties into potable water use.

Wells. Private wells fall under the same DEC WW program, covering siting, construction, and testing requirements. There's also a Vermont law about testing private water supplies at time of property sale, worth knowing if you're buying land with an existing well.

Utilities. I found nothing requiring hookup to municipal electric, water, or sewer in Vernon, and the town's own materials point residents to the state for wastewater and water permitting rather than describing any municipal utility mandate. Living off-grid utility-wise appears workable, provided your septic/well setup clears the state permit process.

Bottom line: in Vernon, your paperwork trail runs through the State of Vermont's DEC far more than through town hall.