Off-grid site report
Montgomery County, AR
34.7300, -93.5035 · 797 ft elevationRead this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Montgomery County, AR, 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 rulesMontgomery County, AR
Zoning & raw-land occupancy
Unclear - verifyI couldn't find an official Montgomery County, Arkansas planning or zoning ordinance, and Arkansas law makes county zoning optional, so it's likely this rural county has none countywide. But you need to confirm with the County Judge's office whether any zoning applies to your specific parcel, and check separately if it's near an incorporated town like Mount Ida, Norman, or Oden. source
Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs
Unclear - verifyNo official county ordinance on tiny homes, RV living, or minimum dwelling size turned up in my research. This likely falls to whatever an incorporated town has adopted, or is otherwise unregulated in the unincorporated county, but that's not confirmed, so ask the County Judge's office directly.
Building permits & codes
Varies locallyThe Arkansas Fire Prevention Code, adopted by the State Fire Marshal's Office, applies statewide including in rural counties like Montgomery. I could not confirm whether Montgomery County has its own building permit office or if enforcement runs through the state directly, so ask the State Fire Marshal's Office or the County Judge's office how permitting actually works locally. source
Septic & composting toilets
Generally allowedA permit is required statewide for new septic systems or major repairs, administered by the Arkansas Department of Health through the local county health unit in Mount Ida. There's a narrow exemption from the permit requirement (not from construction standards) for a single residence on ten or more acres where the system is over 200 feet from every property line; call the Onsite Environmental Specialist at the Montgomery County LHU to confirm how this applies to your land. source
Greywater reuse
RestrictedNo Montgomery County-specific greywater rule exists in official sources, so it falls back on the state baseline: greywater generally has to be managed through an ADH-approved system, typically a conventional septic tank and absorption field, through the same Onsite Wastewater program. source
Rainwater harvesting
Generally allowedI found no Montgomery County ordinance restricting rainwater catchment, and no clear state-level regulation of outdoor rainwater collection either, so this looks fine to do, though it's worth a quick check with the County Judge's office if you're doing anything large-scale.
Private wells & water rights
Generally allowedNo state permit is required to drill and use a private well in Arkansas, but the Arkansas Department of Health sets well construction standards, and I found no county-specific well ordinance for Montgomery County. Confirm any local specifics with the Montgomery County LHU's Onsite Environmental Specialist. source
Living disconnected from utilities
Unclear - verifyNo Montgomery County ordinance requiring hookup to electric, gas, or municipal water/sewer turned up in this research, and no statewide statute mandates it either, but your onsite sewage system still has to meet Arkansas Department of Health standards regardless of grid connection. This isn't fully confirmed at the county level, so I'd still run it by the County Judge's office before building.
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
- 1,335 kWh
JFMAMJJASOND
Weather1991-2020
- Precipitation
- 55 in/yr
- Heating degree days
- 3,293 (moderate)
- Frost-free season
- Apr 4 to Oct 31
How far help isstraight-line
- Hospital
Chambers Memorial Hospital - 23.4 mi
- Fire station
Sulphur Laverna Volunteer Fire Department Station 2 - 2.6 mi
- Hardware store
True Value - 14.0 mi
- Grocery
Bob's Food City - 14.2 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 71970).
Size a solar systemHeat loss & insulationFirewood per winterRainwater harvestGarden sizePanel tilt
Looking at a specific parcel in Montgomery County, AR?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.