Off-grid site report
Shoshone County, ID
47.5083, -115.8679 · 3,363 ft elevationRead this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Shoshone County, ID, 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 rulesShoshone County, ID
Zoning & raw-land occupancy
Varies locallyShoshone County Planning & Zoning administers fourteen zone districts (plus two overlays) outside the seven incorporated cities; allowed uses depend on the district and conditional use permits or variances may be required. The seven cities are excluded from county jurisdiction and set their own rules. source
Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs
RestrictedThe county follows the 2012 International Residential Code (Idaho's statewide baseline), allowing small foundation homes under Appendix Q and requiring a separate Setting Permit for manufactured/mobile homes; using an RV as a permanent residence on an ordinary lot is not confirmed as permitted and should be checked with Planning & Zoning. source
Building permits & codes
RestrictedShoshone County requires building permits for most construction, but structures on Ag-Exempt land (per the Assessor's Office) are exempt from the building code while still subject to zoning and floodplain rules; electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits are issued by the State of Idaho, not the county. source
Septic & composting toilets
Generally allowedSeptic permitting countywide is delegated to Panhandle Health District, a regional agency covering five northern Idaho counties, which applies state IDAPA and DEQ subsurface sewage disposal standards rather than a county health department. source
Greywater reuse
RestrictedNo Shoshone County-specific greywater ordinance was found; greywater appears to fall under the same Panhandle Health District/DEQ sewage disposal permitting as septic, but a distinct greywater standard is not confirmed, so ask PHD directly. source
Rainwater harvesting
Unclear - verifyNo official Shoshone County or Panhandle Health District page on residential rainwater collection was found; this inherits the state-level uncertainty and is not confirmed either way.
Private wells & water rights
Generally allowedPrivate well drilling and water rights fall under Idaho state jurisdiction (IDWR) rather than a county well ordinance; Panhandle Health District separately provides well water testing for real-estate/mortgage transactions. source
Living disconnected from utilities
Unclear - verifyNo standalone Shoshone County ordinance addresses full utility disconnection directly; it's shaped indirectly by zoning, building and septic permitting, and a subdivision rule requiring sewer hookup only where a public system offers a 'will serve' letter, which is uncommon on rural off-grid parcels. source
Sun30-year normals
- Peak-sun hours, annual average
- 4.3 hrs/day
- Worst month (sizes an off-grid array)
- 1.8 hrs/day
- Yearly output per 1 kW of panels
- 1,180 kWh
JFMAMJJASOND
Weather1991-2020
- Precipitation
- 38 in/yr
- Snowfall
- 114 in/yr
- Heating degree days
- 7,340 (cold)
How far help isstraight-line
- Hospital
Shoshone Medical Center - 12.5 mi
- Fire station
Shoshone Fire Protection Dist. 1 - 3.5 mi
- Hardware store
Ace Hardware - 3.6 mi
- Grocery
Harvest Foods - 3.5 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 83846).
Size a solar systemHeat loss & insulationFirewood per winterRainwater harvestGarden sizePanel tilt
Looking at a specific parcel in Shoshone County, ID?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 21, 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.