Off-Grid Living in Royalton, Vermont

Royalton, Vermont is one of a handful of Upper Valley towns that has never adopted a general zoning bylaw. I want to be clear about what that does and doesn't mean if you're eyeing off-grid land here.

Zoning: According to the Town of Royalton's own website, "the Town of Royalton does not currently have zoning, but some permits are still required." That means there's no local zoning district map, no minimum lot size, no use table telling you where a dwelling can or can't go. The big exception is flood hazard areas. Royalton has a Flood Hazard Area Zoning Bylaw (rewritten in 2007) that applies to construction or filling within FEMA-mapped flood zones, and as of 2025 the town was considering expanding that bylaw to cover state-designated river corridors too. If your land touches a mapped flood or river corridor zone, check with the Planning Commission before you build.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs: I found no Royalton ordinance specifically addressing tiny homes, minimum house size, or RV/mobile home living. Since there's no zoning, there's likely no zoning-based bar to unconventional dwellings, but that's not the same as a green light on everything, so confirm with the Town Administrator, since building or health-related permits could still apply.

Building permits: Even without zoning, the town says some permits are still required. That most likely lands in the flood-hazard-area category plus whatever state wastewater/water permits apply. Call the Town Administrator's office to find out what's actually required for your project.

Septic, wells, and greywater: This is where the State of Vermont, not the town, controls things. The Vermont DEC's Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply (WW) Program issues permits for septic systems handling under a stated daily flow threshold, private (non-public) water supplies, and municipal hookups. Vermont requires a Licensed Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply Designer to prepare your permit application. This applies whether you're building a conventional septic system, a composting toilet setup, a greywater system, or drilling a well. There's no separate Royalton rule layered on top that I could find, so the state process is the whole story here.

Rainwater harvesting: No Royalton ordinance restricts it. State guidance treats non-potable outdoor rainwater use as fine; if you want to pipe it indoors as potable water, that likely triggers the same DEC water-supply permit rules.

Living off-grid entirely: Because there's no zoning, there's no local occupancy permit tied to hooking up to the grid or not. But going off-grid doesn't exempt you from the state's wastewater and water supply permitting, that applies no matter how you power your home.

Bottom line: Royalton gives you unusual freedom on land use because it's unzoned, but Vermont's state-level water and wastewater rules still apply in full, and the town's flood bylaw is a real constraint if your parcel is in a mapped zone.