Off-Grid Living in Hampshire County, West Virginia

If you're looking at raw land in Hampshire County, West Virginia, with off-grid dreams, here's what I've found digging through the county's own records.

Zoning: Hampshire County has no comprehensive countywide zoning ordinance. The Hampshire County Planning Commission held public meetings on the idea, but attendance was thin and the county never adopted one. That means raw-land occupancy outside floodplains or platted subdivisions is largely unrestricted at the county level. But don't assume total freedom: incorporated towns like Romney may run their own permitting or zoning offices, so if your parcel sits inside town limits, check there first.

Building permits: This is the piece people miss. Even without zoning, Hampshire County has adopted its own minimum building code standards (the county cites a 2025 Planning Commission ordinance, PC 25-02, on minimum building codes) and the Planning Office, acting also as Floodplain Administrator, requires a permit for most new construction, additions, or manufactured home placement. The application packet includes a site plan, construction documents, and (per the county's own forms) proof of septic and well permits, or a public water/sewer availability letter if you're hooking into a Public Service District.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs: The county's forms address manufactured and modular homes specifically, but I found nothing addressing tiny homes or RVs as permanent residences. Treat this as unconfirmed and call the Planning Office before you commit to either.

Septic and wells: Both go through the Hampshire County Health Department, which administers permitting under state design standards (the state's on-site sewage program sits under the WV Bureau for Public Health, Office of Environmental Health Services). A septic permit starts with a licensed installer running a percolation test that the county sanitarian evaluates. Wells require a certified driller and a permit under West Virginia's 2008 well-construction legislation. I found no county-specific mention of composting toilets, so if that's your plan, ask the health department directly whether it satisfies their sewage disposal rules.

Greywater and rainwater: Neither has a Hampshire County-specific ordinance that I could find. Greywater likely falls under the same state sewage design standards the health department already applies to septic. Rainwater catchment for non-potable use doesn't appear restricted; if you want to use it as your primary drinking water supply, it may get pulled into the same well/water-supply permitting process the health department oversees for cisterns and springs.

Utilities: No countywide ordinance requires hookup to public power, water, or sewer. The building permit process only asks for a Public Service District letter of availability if you intend to use public water or sewer, which strongly implies private well and septic (i.e., going off-grid on utilities) is an accepted path, as long as those systems get their own permits.

Bottom line: Hampshire County is refreshingly light on zoning, but it is not a permit-free zone. Building, septic, and well permits are real requirements administered by real offices, and the town of Romney may add its own layer if you're inside its limits.