Off-grid site report
Floyd County, VA
36.9112, -80.3201 · 2,484 ft elevationRead this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Floyd County, VA, 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 rulesFloyd County, VA
Zoning & raw-land occupancy
Varies locallyFloyd County has countywide zoning dominated by agricultural districts, administered by the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors; the Town of Floyd has its own separate zoning ordinance for in-town parcels. Whether raw-land primitive occupancy is restricted beyond building/sewage rules is not confirmed. source
Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs
Varies locallyFoundation-built tiny homes are permitted statewide under USBC Appendix Q (400 sq ft max), which Floyd County follows; tiny houses on wheels are treated as RVs statewide and no Floyd-specific exception is confirmed.
Building permits & codes
Generally allowedThe Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code governs construction, administered by Floyd County's building official for county parcels and the Town's Building Inspector for in-town parcels. source
Septic & composting toilets
Generally allowedFloyd County falls under the New River Health District of VDH, which requires a permit and site evaluation for septic systems before the county issues a building permit; a Floyd-specific fee schedule is published by VDH. source
Greywater reuse
Generally allowedNo Floyd County-specific greywater ordinance was found; the county defers to statewide VDH greywater regulations administered through the local health department. source
Rainwater harvesting
Generally allowedNo Floyd County ordinance modifying the state rainwater harvesting framework was found; treat the state VDH baseline as controlling until confirmed otherwise.
Private wells & water rights
Generally allowedVDH permits private wells (except monitoring wells) and sets construction and setback requirements; Floyd County-specific fees are published by the New River Health District. source
Living disconnected from utilities
Unclear - verifyNo Floyd County ordinance mandating grid-electric connection was found; the binding constraints appear to be building code occupancy rules and VDH septic/well approval, but zoning enforcement practice on off-grid solar-only cabins is not confirmed.
Sun30-year normals
- Peak-sun hours, annual average
- 5.0 hrs/day
- Worst month (sizes an off-grid array)
- 3.8 hrs/day
- Yearly output per 1 kW of panels
- 1,370 kWh
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Weather1991-2020
- Precipitation
- 41 in/yr
- Snowfall
- 23 in/yr
- Heating degree days
- 4,987 (moderate)
- Frost-free season
- Apr 18 to Oct 22
How far help isstraight-line
- Hospital
Carilion New River Valley Medical Center - 15.9 mi
- Fire station
Floyd County Volunteer Fire Department 1 - 0.2 mi
- Hardware store
Frontier Farm & Home Center - 13.0 mi
- Grocery
Food Lion - 0.2 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 24091).
Size a solar systemHeat loss & insulationFirewood per winterRainwater harvestGarden sizePanel tilt
Looking at a specific parcel in Floyd County, VA?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.