Off-grid site report

Randolph County, WV

38.4987, -80.0542 · 2,641 ft elevation

Read this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Randolph County, WV, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Rules change, and the deciding facts on any specific parcel (setbacks, perc results, overlay districts, deed restrictions, road frontage) live at the county or town office, not in any database. Before you buy land or build, confirm the current rules directly with the local zoning and health offices - the sources on this page tell you exactly who to call.

The local rulesRandolph County, WV

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

Varies locallyUnincorporated Randolph County has no countywide zoning, per the county's own economic development page, since West Virginia's Land Use Planning Act makes county zoning optional and Randolph County hasn't adopted it. But incorporated towns like Elkins have their own zoning and require a permit before any building or structure is built or altered, so it really depends on whether your land sits inside town limits. source

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

Unclear - verifyI couldn't confirm any Randolph County rule on tiny homes, minimum dwelling size, or RV occupancy for unincorporated land, which fits with there being no countywide zoning there. Inside Elkins, all new structures need a zoning permit, though I found no specific tiny-home or RV standard, so I'd call the Elkins building inspector to ask directly. source

Building permits & codes

Varies locallyWest Virginia's State Building Code applies where it's locally enforced, and WVU's land use project lists Randolph County among communities that have gotten help adopting building code ordinances, but I didn't find a standalone county building permit ordinance posted publicly. Inside Elkins, the building inspector enforces the International Building Code and related ICC codes, and a zoning permit is required before construction. source

Septic & composting toilets

Generally allowedSeptic systems statewide fall under Title 64, Series 47 of the Legislative Rules, which sets soil evaluation, design, and setback standards, and the Randolph-Elkins Health Department is the local office that issues septic permits and does inspections. Composting toilets aren't separately addressed in anything I found, so I'd ask that health department directly before installing one. source

Greywater reuse

RestrictedI didn't find a Randolph County specific greywater ordinance, so any greywater system would need to fit within the same statewide sewage design standards (64CSR47) that the Randolph-Elkins Health Department administers for septic permitting. Best move is to run your greywater plan by that health department before you build anything. source

Rainwater harvesting

Generally allowedNo Randolph County ordinance on rainwater collection turned up in my research, which suggests it just follows the general West Virginia default of no restriction on collecting rainwater for non-potable use. Nothing local confirms this either way, so treat it as the state baseline until told otherwise.

Private wells & water rights

Generally allowedPrivate wells are regulated statewide through the Water Well Certification Program, and locally the Randolph-Elkins Health Department handles well inspections, permits, and water sampling. I didn't find any additional county-specific well ordinance beyond that local permitting role. source

Living disconnected from utilities

Unclear - verifyI found no Randolph County ordinance that requires hooking up to public water, sewer, or electric service, and living off-grid seems to be governed indirectly through the septic and well permitting rules rather than any explicit mandate. Inside Elkins there's code enforcement and utility billing infrastructure, but no explicit 'must connect' requirement showed up in my research, so this one is genuinely unclear and worth confirming with the county commission or Elkins code enforcement directly. source

Open the full county page with sources →

Sun30-year normals

Peak-sun hours, annual average: 4.5 hrs/day
Worst month (sizes an off-grid array): 2.9 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels: 1,225 kWh

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Weather1991-2020

Precipitation: 62 in/yr
Heating degree days: 6,897 (cold)

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital Webster Memorial Hospital: 19.3 mi
Fire station BFD Fire & Rescue: 13.7 mi
Hardware store Hardware Store: 11.3 mi
Grocery Wildcat Grocery: 7.0 mi

From OpenStreetMap. Road miles will be longer, often much longer in hill country.

Plan this spot

These open with this location's real numbers already filled in (ZIP 26294).

Size a solar system Heat loss & insulation Firewood per winter Rainwater harvest Garden size Panel tilt

Sources: US Census Bureau geocoder; NLR PVWatts v8 (solar); NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 climate normals (nearest station) or Open-Meteo (ZIP-centroid) for weather; Open-Elevation; OpenStreetMap contributors. Public data retrieved Aug 22, 2026; agencies update their layers on their own schedules. Planning data, not a survey or legal advice.