Off-grid site report
Gooding County, ID
42.9417, -114.7129 · 3,570 ft elevationRead this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Gooding 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 rulesGooding County, ID
Zoning & raw-land occupancy
RestrictedGooding County has adopted a countywide Zoning Ordinance (No. 104) under its Comprehensive Plan, with most unincorporated land in an Agricultural district. Raw-land use questions go through county Planning & Zoning's permit/special-use process. source
Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs
Unclear - verifyNo official Gooding County ordinance defining dwellings, tiny homes on wheels, or RV occupancy was found; the state applies the IRC (including Appendix Q) statewide. Confirm directly with county Planning & Zoning before relying on third-party claims. source
Building permits & codes
RestrictedGooding County requires a building permit for most construction, alteration, or occupancy changes, following the International Building/Residential Code; small residential accessory structures under a certain size are exempt. Larger or commercial buildings may also need Idaho Division of Building Safety approval. source
Septic & composting toilets
Generally allowedSeptic systems are permitted but administered by the South Central Public Health District, not the county, under Idaho DEQ's statewide subsurface sewage rules. Composting toilets are not separately addressed, so the state DEQ baseline applies. source
Greywater reuse
RestrictedNo Gooding-specific greywater ordinance was found; it falls under Idaho DEQ's Individual/Subsurface Sewage Disposal Rules, implemented locally by the South Central Public Health District. source
Rainwater harvesting
Unclear - verifyNo Gooding County or SCPHD page specifically addresses residential rainwater collection; this inherits the general state baseline, with larger-scale collection potentially touching Idaho water-rights law through IDWR.
Private wells & water rights
Generally allowedWells are permitted statewide through the Idaho Department of Water Resources; no separate Gooding County well ordinance was found, though the county's building permit process requires canal or water district sign-off. source
Living disconnected from utilities
Unclear - verifyNo standalone off-grid utility ordinance exists; the county's building permit packet requires sign-offs from Highway District, Fire District, and canal/water district as applicable, suggesting disconnection is handled case-by-case. source
Sun30-year normals
- Peak-sun hours, annual average
- 5.4 hrs/day
- Worst month (sizes an off-grid array)
- 3.0 hrs/day
- Yearly output per 1 kW of panels
- 1,550 kWh
JFMAMJJASOND
Weather1991-2020
- Precipitation
- 10 in/yr
- Heating degree days
- 5,806 (cold)
- Frost-free season
- May 5 to Sep 28
How far help isstraight-line
- Hospital
North Canyon Medical Center - Gooding - 1.4 mi
- Fire station
Gooding Fire Department - 1.1 mi
- Hardware store
Ace Hardware - 15.5 mi
- Grocery
Ridley's - 0.8 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 83330).
Size a solar systemHeat loss & insulationFirewood per winterRainwater harvestGarden sizePanel tilt
Looking at a specific parcel in Gooding 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 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.