Off-grid site report
Graham County, AZ
32.4696, -109.9324 · 4,393 ft elevationRead this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Graham County, AZ, 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 rulesGraham County, AZ
Zoning & raw-land occupancy
RestrictedGraham County has adopted countywide zoning under state authority (A.R.S. 11-802), regulating land use outside Safford, Thatcher, and Pima. Check your parcel against the county's zoning map before assuming any use is allowed. source
Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs
RestrictedThe county says you cannot freely live in an RV on vacant land; you need a temporary RV permit plus a building permit if living onsite during construction. Manufactured homes need a state-licensed installer and can't be older than June 1976. Stand-alone tiny homes aren't addressed in any county ordinance found, so that's not confirmed, ask Planning & Zoning. source
Building permits & codes
RestrictedGraham County requires a building permit under its Planning and Zoning Ordinance Section 5.6.2, and after-the-fact permits can cost up to five times the normal fee. Standard setbacks apply unless CC&Rs specify otherwise. source
Septic & composting toilets
Generally allowedThe county Health Department's Environmental Health Services issues septic permits and inspects installation, operating under state-delegated authority. Composting or alternative toilets are not addressed on the county's site, so that's not confirmed, call the Health Department directly. source
Greywater reuse
Generally allowedNo distinct Graham County greywater ordinance was found; the county's own wastewater page links to Arizona ADEQ's greywater guidance, so the state's tiered-permit baseline applies. source
Rainwater harvesting
Unclear - verifyNo Graham County-specific rainwater harvesting rule was found. Arizona's state baseline generally permits residential roof catchment without a permit, but confirm with the county if you plan anything larger scale.
Private wells & water rights
Unclear - verifyGraham County is explicit that it does not regulate water wells, deferring entirely to the Arizona Department of Water Resources for drilling and groundwater rights. source
Living disconnected from utilities
Unclear - verifyNo countywide mandate requiring connection to electric or water utilities was found, but any permanent dwelling, grid-tied or not, still must go through the standard building permit process. source
Sun30-year normals
- Peak-sun hours, annual average
- 6.7 hrs/day
- Worst month (sizes an off-grid array)
- 5.4 hrs/day
- Yearly output per 1 kW of panels
- 1,848 kWh
JFMAMJJASOND
Weather1991-2020
- Precipitation
- 9 in/yr
- Snowfall
- 2 in/yr
- Heating degree days
- 2,603 (mild)
- Frost-free season
- Mar 10 to Nov 27
- Design low
- 25 °F
How far help isstraight-line
- Hospital
Northern Cochise Community Hospital - 15.2 mi
- Fire station
City of Willcox Fire Department Station #2 - 15.4 mi
- Hardware store
Ace Hardware - 15.2 mi
- Grocery
Safeway - 15.2 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 85643).
Size a solar systemHeat loss & insulationFirewood per winterRainwater harvestGarden sizePanel tilt
Looking at a specific parcel in Graham County, AZ?The rules above are the jurisdiction. The land check runs the parcel itself: flood zone, soils and septic suitability, wetlands, slope, access, climate, and these verdicts, from a parcel number or coordinates.
Check a parcel →Share or save this report:New report
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.
New here, or not sure where this fits? Start here walks through the whole thing in order.