Off-grid site report

Olmsted County, MN

43.9972, -92.4645 · 1,037 ft elevation
Read this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Olmsted County, MN, 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 rulesOlmsted County, MN

Zoning & raw-land occupancy
Varies locallyThe Olmsted County Planning Department only administers zoning for Eyota, Marion, Oronoco, and Quincy townships; all other townships and cities run their own zoning, often through the Township Cooperative Planning Association. Confirm jurisdiction before assuming any rule applies. source
Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs
Unclear - verifyNo official county page defines tiny-home size thresholds or RV-as-permanent-dwelling rules. Tiny homes built to code are treated as conventional dwellings under the state building code; RV occupancy is a township-level zoning call, not confirmed countywide.
Building permits & codes
Varies locallyOlmsted County's Inspections Division enforces the Minnesota State Building Code only in Stewartville, Chatfield, Eyota, Byron, and the townships of Eyota, Marion, and Quincy. Rochester runs its own Building Safety Department; other areas need to be confirmed individually. source
Septic & composting toilets
RestrictedThe county's SSTS Ordinance (Chapter 3400) applies alongside Minnesota Rules 7080-7083, administered by the county's Inspections team for Eyota, Marion, Quincy townships and cities without their own SSTS program. Composting toilets aren't separately addressed, so state MPCA baseline rules likely apply. source
Greywater reuse
Unclear - verifyNo standalone county greywater ordinance was found; it's likely folded into SSTS design review under Chapter 3400. Ask the Planning Department/Inspections Division how greywater is handled for your parcel. source
Rainwater harvesting
Unclear - verifyNo county-specific rainwater harvesting ordinance was found. State plumbing code review would likely apply by default to any indoor-plumbed catchment system since the county hasn't published a superseding rule.
Private wells & water rights
RestrictedOlmsted County's Water Well and Water Supply Ordinance (Chapter 3200) regulates wells countywide on top of Minnesota Statutes Chapter 145A and 103I, including limits on how many dwellings a nonconforming well can serve and expiration periods for maintenance permits. source
Living disconnected from utilities
Unclear - verifyNo official Olmsted County page directly requires or bars disconnecting from the grid. It would be governed indirectly through whichever township or city's zoning and building/well/septic permitting applies to your parcel.

Open the full county page with sources →

Sun30-year normals

Peak-sun hours, annual average
4.6 hrs/day
Worst month (sizes an off-grid array)
2.9 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels
1,342 kWh
JFMAMJJASOND

Weather1991-2020

Precipitation
33 in/yr
Snowfall
52 in/yr
Heating degree days
7,720 (severe)
Frost-free season
Apr 28 to Oct 5

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital
Mayo Clinic Saint Marys Campus
1.7 mi
Fire station
Fire Station #3
2.7 mi
Hardware store
Brekke Fireplace Shoppe
0.2 mi
Grocery
Aldi
0.6 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 55902).

Size a solar systemHeat loss & insulationFirewood per winterRainwater harvestGarden sizePanel tilt

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.