Off-grid site report

Steele County, MN

43.9894, -93.2262 · 1,250 ft elevation

Read this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Steele 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 rulesSteele County, MN

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

RestrictedSteele County has an active, countywide Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Ordinance administered by the Planning & Zoning Department, including minimum lot size/dimensional requirements and a Board of Adjustment for variances.

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

Unclear - verifyThe county's building page defers to Minnesota DLI's statewide tiny-house guidance rather than publishing its own rules; whether an RV or tiny house can be a permanent dwelling depends on zoning district and is not confirmed without calling Planning & Zoning.

Building permits & codes

Generally allowedBuilding permits are required and administered by Steele County Building Inspection under Planning & Zoning, using the statewide Minnesota DLI construction code as the technical standard. source

Septic & composting toilets

Generally allowedSteele County Environmental Services runs its own SSTS (septic) permitting program, built on Minnesota Pollution Control Agency rules that all counties must adopt at minimum; composting toilets are not separately addressed and fall under this state-derived framework. source

Greywater reuse

Unclear - verifyNo standalone Steele County greywater policy was found; it would likely be embedded in the full county SSTS ordinance text, so this needs direct confirmation from Environmental Services.

Rainwater harvesting

Unclear - verifyNo Steele County ordinance on rainwater harvesting was found; outdoor rain barrels appear unregulated while indoor plumbed catchment would fall under state DLI plumbing review.

Private wells & water rights

Generally allowedPrivate wells are licensed and regulated by the State of Minnesota (Minnesota Department of Health) under the statewide Well Code, not the county; Steele County Public Health offers well-water testing support to residents.

Living disconnected from utilities

Unclear - verifyNo Steele County ordinance explicitly requiring or barring grid disconnection was found; this likely ties to occupancy requirements around water and sewage handled by Planning & Zoning/Building Inspection, and needs direct confirmation.

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): 2.8 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels: 1,332 kWh

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Weather1991-2020

Precipitation: 34 in/yr
Snowfall: 42 in/yr
Heating degree days: 7,980 (severe)
Frost-free season: May 3 to Oct 2

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital Owatonna Hospital: 8.6 mi
Fire station Owatonna Fire Department: 6.5 mi
Hardware store Lowe's: 7.6 mi
Grocery Hy-Vee: 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 56046).

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.