Off-grid site report
Door County, WI
44.8134, -87.4933 · 673 ft elevationRead this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Door County, WI, 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 rulesDoor County, WI
Zoning & raw-land occupancy
RestrictedDoor County has countywide zoning administered by Land Use Services under state authority (Wis. Stats. 59.69, 59.692), unlike unzoned areas elsewhere in Wisconsin; some towns/villages run their own land division rules on top. source
Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs
RestrictedA minimum dwelling size that would block small permanent tiny homes is claimed by commercial sites but not confirmed in the county's own ordinance text; RVs/camping units are exempt from the state UDC only while they retain wheels and hitch. source
Building permits & codes
Varies locallyThe state Uniform Dwelling Code applies, but enforcement is handled by each municipality's building inspector, not by the county directly, so requirements can vary by town or village. source
Septic & composting toilets
RestrictedDoor County requires a county sanitary permit for any non-water-carried sanitation system including composting toilets, separate from the state POWTS permit process for standard septic systems; full installs are multi-step and can take a while. source
Greywater reuse
Unclear - verifyNo Door County-specific greywater ordinance was found; it appears to default to the state DSPS plumbing code baseline, not confirmed further locally.
Rainwater harvesting
Unclear - verifyNo county rule on rainwater harvesting was located; outdoor use is generally unrestricted under the state baseline while indoor/potable use is more regulated, but this is not confirmed specifically for Door County.
Private wells & water rights
Generally allowedPrivate wells are regulated by the Wisconsin DNR's Private Water Supply Program under NR 812, with Door County Public Health offering supplemental testing support like the WellTAP program. source
Living disconnected from utilities
Unclear - verifyNo Door County or state source directly addresses fully disconnecting a legal dwelling from utility service; this needs a direct call to Land Use Services and your municipal building inspector.
Sun30-year normals
- Peak-sun hours, annual average
- 4.5 hrs/day
- Worst month (sizes an off-grid array)
- 2.3 hrs/day
- Yearly output per 1 kW of panels
- 1,341 kWh
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Weather1991-2020
- Precipitation
- 31 in/yr
- Heating degree days
- 7,965 (severe)
How far help isstraight-line
- Hospital
Door County Medical Center - 7.0 mi
- Fire station
West Side Fire Station - 5.7 mi
- Hardware store
Walters Do it Best Hardware - 14.4 mi
- Grocery
Tadych's Marketplace Foods - 7.0 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 54226).
Size a solar systemHeat loss & insulationFirewood per winterRainwater harvestGarden sizePanel tilt
Looking at a specific parcel in Door County, WI?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.