Off-grid site report

Anne Arundel County, MD

39.1739, -76.7350 · 144 ft elevation

Read this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Anne Arundel County, MD, 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 rulesAnne Arundel County, MD

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

RestrictedAnne Arundel County (outside Annapolis) runs its own countywide zoning code through the Office of Planning and Zoning, with districts like R5 setting minimum lot size, coverage, and height limits. Annapolis has a separate city planning and zoning authority, so which government you deal with depends on exactly where the land sits.

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

RestrictedThe county's zoning code has no definition for a tiny house on wheels, so a THOW isn't recognized as a permanent dwelling on private land and can generally only be lived in full-time in an RV park, campground, or licensed mobile home park. A tiny house on a permanent foundation can potentially qualify as a dwelling or ADU under Maryland's new statewide ADU law, and the County Council (Bill 48-25) is moving toward allowing purpose-built tiny home communities, but living in an RV or THOW on your own raw land isn't confirmed as legal. source

Building permits & codes

RestrictedThe Department of Inspections and Permits requires standard permits and inspections for dwellings, additions, and most structures, now largely processed through its online Land Use Navigator system. Only small accessory structures under a certain size are permit-exempt, and I didn't find any blanket off-grid exemption from the building code, so check directly with this department for your specific build. source

Septic & composting toilets

RestrictedAny onsite sewage system needs a Septic Installation Permit from the county Health Department, which enforces the local Anne Arundel County Private Sewage Disposal Code on top of state MDE standards, including site inspections for well and septic setbacks. I didn't find a specific county allowance for composting toilets as a septic alternative, so that would need to be confirmed with the Health Department's Bureau of Environmental Health. source

Greywater reuse

RestrictedI found no Anne Arundel County-specific greywater ordinance, so the county appears to follow Maryland's state law, which only allows reuse of shower, bathtub, and bathroom sink water. Whether the county Health Department has any additional guidance beyond that is not confirmed, so it's worth asking the Bureau of Environmental Health directly.

Rainwater harvesting

Generally allowedThere's no county ordinance found restricting rainwater harvesting, and the county appears to follow Maryland's approved environmental site design practices under state stormwater regulations. Whether there's a separate county plumbing-code provision for using harvested rainwater as potable water is not confirmed.

Private wells & water rights

RestrictedWells must be drilled by a licensed Master Well Driller under a permit from the Anne Arundel County Department of Health, with detailed local setback rules (for example, distances from foundations, property lines, and septic systems) and a required Certificate of Potability before the well can be used. In some areas like the Mayo Peninsula, the county can require wells to be drilled and sealed deeper than the state minimum to protect the aquifer, so local siting rules can be stricter than the state baseline. source

Living disconnected from utilities

Unclear - verifyI didn't find a standalone county ordinance banning full disconnection from electric, water, or sewer utilities. In practice, though, a legally permitted new dwelling can't get a Certificate of Occupancy until the Health Department has approved and certified its water source and sewage disposal method, so full off-grid living on a new build effectively still has to clear those approvals; ask the Department of Inspections and Permits and the Health Department about your specific situation.

Open the full county page with sources →

Sun30-year normals

Peak-sun hours, annual average: 4.9 hrs/day
Worst month (sizes an off-grid array): 3.6 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels: 1,409 kWh

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Weather1991-2020

Precipitation: 42 in/yr
Snowfall: 20 in/yr
Heating degree days: 4,764 (moderate)
Frost-free season: Apr 12 to Oct 29

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital: none within range
Fire station Fire Station: 5.1 mi
Hardware store Clement Hardware: 11.9 mi
Grocery Food Lion: 5.4 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 21076).

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.