Off-grid site report

Lake County, MT

47.6722, -114.1978 · 2,897 ft elevation

Read this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Lake County, MT, 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 rulesLake County, MT

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

Varies locallyLake County Planning Department administers thirteen separate zoning districts, mostly around lakeshores, plus a joint City/County district with Polson; unmapped land is largely county-unzoned but still subject to Growth Policy and floodplain rules. source

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

Varies locallyPermitted dwelling types (including manufactured homes) are set per zoning district; the Upper West Shore district allows single-family and manufactured homes, but no countywide rule on tiny homes or RVs was found, so the state baseline likely applies outside mapped districts. source

Building permits & codes

Varies locallyMontana's Department of Labor & Industry runs the state building code program statewide, and Lake County separately requires a Zoning Conformance or Building Notification Permit from Lake County Planning before construction; ask Planning whether the county or state handles inspections for your parcel. source

Septic & composting toilets

RestrictedLake County Environmental Health requires an Installation Permit before any construction needing wastewater facilities begins, systems must be designed by a Montana-licensed engineer or sanitarian, and holding tanks are allowed only as a last resort per county Board of Health policy. source

Greywater reuse

Unclear - verifyNo separate county greywater ordinance was found; greywater systems appear to fall under the same wastewater treatment permitting rules enforced by Lake County Environmental Health under state ARM standards. source

Rainwater harvesting

Unclear - verifyNo Lake County ordinance on rooftop rainwater collection was found; this likely follows Montana's general state allowance for personal non-potable use, but that is not confirmed at the county level.

Private wells & water rights

Varies locallyWater rights and well approvals on the Flathead Indian Reservation portion of Lake County go through the Flathead Reservation Water Management Board, not the state; off-reservation land falls under Montana DNRC jurisdiction, and Lake County Environmental Health does not handle water rights at all. source

Living disconnected from utilities

Unclear - verifyNo standalone county rule requires grid or municipal utility hookup, but any habitable structure needing wastewater service will still be pulled into Lake County's septic/wastewater permitting process. source

Open the full county page with sources →

Sun30-year normals

Peak-sun hours, annual average: 4.1 hrs/day
Worst month (sizes an off-grid array): 1.5 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels: 1,172 kWh

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Weather1991-2020

Precipitation: 16 in/yr
Heating degree days: 7,173 (cold)
Frost-free season: May 11 to Oct 2

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center: 1.8 mi
Fire station Polson Fire Department Station No. 1: 2.3 mi
Hardware store Ace Hardware: 11.3 mi
Grocery Super One Foods: 2.8 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 59860).

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 21, 2026; agencies update their layers on their own schedules. Planning data, not a survey or legal advice.