Off-grid site report

Iron County, UT

37.8012, -112.9363 · 6,001 ft elevation

Read this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Iron County, UT, 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 rulesIron County, UT

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

RestrictedIron County has its own Title 17 zoning code. Owners can camp on their own lot up to 16 days without a permit, per county planner Reed Erickson, with a separate 17-180 day seasonal use provision; some zones like R-1/2, subdivisions, and PUDs are excluded from this exemption. source

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

RestrictedThe county's Title 17 dwelling-type table separately regulates RVs/travel trailers (RVIA standards, not for year-round living) from tiny homes on wheels, park models, and foundation-based tiny homes (ANSI, HUD, or IRC standards), under the framework set by Ordinance 2021-1. source

Building permits & codes

RestrictedIron County's Building Department requires all permit applications to identify a culinary water source, which SWUPHD or Utah DEQ must review and approve before a permit is issued, including wells and springs. source

Septic & composting toilets

RestrictedSeptic permits are administered locally by the Southwest Utah Public Health Department under state design/percolation rules, plus an Iron County-specific requirement for prairie dog habitation clearance from the Division of Wildlife Resources. Composting toilets are not addressed in official sources found. source

Greywater reuse

RestrictedNo Iron County-specific greywater ordinance was found, so the state's permit-through-local-health-department framework applies, administered locally by SWUPHD. source

Rainwater harvesting

Generally allowedNo Iron County ordinance restricting rainwater harvesting was found, so Utah's statewide registration-exempt/registration rules under state water code apply as-is.

Private wells & water rights

RestrictedMost of populated Iron County sits in the Cedar Valley basin, where the Utah Division of Water Rights (State Engineer) has been developing a groundwater management plan due to over-appropriation and aquifer decline, making new well rights harder to obtain than the general statewide process. source

Living disconnected from utilities

Unclear - verifyNo blanket utility hookup mandate was found, but the county's building permit process functionally requires an approved water source before a permit issues; whether occupancy also requires septic or power hookups is not confirmed in available sources. source

Open the full county page with sources →

Sun30-year normals

Peak-sun hours, annual average: 6.0 hrs/day
Worst month (sizes an off-grid array): 4.4 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels: 1,718 kWh

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Weather1991-2020

Precipitation: 12 in/yr
Snowfall: 64 in/yr
Heating degree days: 6,550 (cold)
Frost-free season: May 26 to Sep 28

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital Cedar City Hospital: 10.0 mi
Fire station: none within range
Hardware store Ace Hardware: 11.1 mi
Grocery Parowan Market: 5.8 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 84772).

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.