Off-grid site report

Orleans County, NY

43.3395, -78.3883 · 335 ft elevation

Read this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Orleans County, NY, 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 rulesOrleans County, NY

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

Varies locallyOrleans County has no countywide zoning ordinance; each of the ten towns (Albion, Barre, Carlton, Clarendon, Gaines, Kendall, Murray, Ridgeway, Shelby, Yates) sets its own zoning. The county Planning Department only reviews town zoning amendments. source

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

Unclear - verifyNo county-wide rule on tiny homes or RVs as dwellings was found; this is set by individual town zoning codes. The Town of Orleans confirms zoning and building permits are required before building, but specifics vary by town, so confirm with your town's code enforcement officer.

Building permits & codes

RestrictedBuilding permits are issued and enforced by individual town code enforcement officers implementing the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, not by a single county building department. source

Septic & composting toilets

RestrictedNew construction requires septic approval from the Genesee-Orleans County Health Department (GOHealthNY) under New York State sanitary code standards; this is confirmed in town zoning code cross-references such as the Town of Albion's. source

Greywater reuse

Unclear - verifyNo Orleans County or town-specific greywater ordinance was found; this likely defaults to the New York State baseline. Confirm any planned reuse system with the county's Environmental Health office.

Rainwater harvesting

Unclear - verifyNo Orleans County or town ordinance addressing rainwater harvesting was found; this appears to inherit the general New York State baseline allowing non-potable collection and storage.

Private wells & water rights

Generally allowedNo distinct Orleans County well-permitting ordinance was found beyond standard New York State driller registration and health department oversight of water quality complaints and testing. source

Living disconnected from utilities

Varies locallyThere is no countywide rule requiring a grid connection; this is governed, if at all, by each town's own zoning and building code, and was not confirmed uniformly across all ten Orleans County towns.

Open the full county page with sources →

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: 1,249 kWh

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Weather1991-2020

Precipitation: 40 in/yr
Snowfall: 48 in/yr
Heating degree days: 6,441 (cold)
Frost-free season: Apr 11 to Nov 17
Design low: 4 °F

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital Medina Memorial Hospital: 8.0 mi
Fire station Medina Fire Department: 8.3 mi
Hardware store Ace Hardware: 8.3 mi
Grocery Aldi: 9.2 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 14098).

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.