Navajo County, Arizona comes up often in conversations about affordable rural land, off-grid living, and homesteading. It has large rural areas, relatively inexpensive land in some locations, and an established population of people living outside the larger towns and utility systems.
I have lived off grid for about six years, so I have also had the opportunity to see some of this firsthand, hear what other people living here have experienced, and work through parts of the county process myself.
At the same time, Navajo County is not a no-rules county. Building permits, zoning, wastewater, access, inspections, and other requirements can all matter depending on the property and what you want to build.
This page brings together three different kinds of information: my own experience living off grid in Navajo County, things I commonly hear from other people in the area, and direct responses from Navajo County officials themselves.
The goal is not to tell you whether Navajo County is right for you. It is to give you useful context and help you know what questions to research before buying land.
This video gives a more complete look at off-grid living in Navajo County. I begin by sharing my own perspective after living here off grid for about six years and discussing some of the things I commonly hear about the county. The video then includes responses from Navajo County officials to five questions I asked them directly.
My experience and the experiences of other residents can provide useful context, but they should never replace checking the current requirements for your particular property and plans.
I Asked Navajo County Directly
There is a lot of information online about what you supposedly can or cannot do in rural Arizona.
Some of it is useful. Some of it is outdated. Some of it applies to one person's property but may not apply to yours. And some of it is simply somebody's opinion.
That is why I wanted Navajo County to have an opportunity to speak for themselves.
I asked county officials five questions related to off-grid and rural living, and their responses are included directly in the video above.
I think that distinction is important.
I can tell you what I have experienced. Other residents can tell you what they have experienced. But when you are trying to understand current county processes, permits, zoning, wastewater requirements, or what may be allowed on a particular parcel, the county itself should be one of your primary sources.
The purpose of including the county interview is not to suggest that every off-grid project will be approved. It is to help people get away from rumors and toward better questions and more reliable information.
The General Reputation
Navajo County appears to be a realistic county to investigate for off-grid and rural living, especially for people who are comfortable working through a normal permitting process rather than looking for a place with no building oversight.
There are large rural areas throughout the county where people live with wells, hauled water, solar power, septic systems, manufactured homes, owner-built homes, and other rural systems.
The important distinction is that being off grid does not remove the normal county requirements.
Navajo County has an established Planning and Development Services Department that handles zoning, construction, inspections, manufactured homes, wastewater systems, code compliance, and other parts of the development process.
For someone seriously considering land here, I think the better question is not, "Can I live off grid in Navajo County?"
The better question is, "Can I legally and practically build the particular off-grid life I want on this particular property?"
What I Commonly Hear and What I Have Learned
1. There is still relatively affordable rural land
One of the reasons people look at Navajo County is the availability of rural land at prices that can be considerably lower than many more developed parts of Arizona.
As with any inexpensive rural land, price should only be the beginning of the research.
A parcel may have difficult access, limited services, no nearby utilities, seasonal roads, washes, flood concerns, unclear easements, or other conditions that make a seemingly inexpensive property much harder to use.
Before buying, check the zoning, legal access, road conditions, parcel boundaries, water options, wastewater requirements, and whether the land actually fits the life you are trying to build.
2. Roads and access can make a big difference
Navajo County covers a large amount of rural land, and conditions can vary substantially from one area to another.
A road that looks perfectly reasonable on a map may be very different after rain, snow, or extended periods of dry weather and washboarding.
If possible, visit the property yourself and pay attention not only to the final road leading to the parcel, but also the entire route between the property and maintained roads.
Legal access and practical access are not always the same thing.
3. Water should be researched before buying
Water is one of the most important systems to understand before purchasing rural land in northeastern Arizona.
Depending on the location, people may use wells, hauled water, stored water, rainwater collection, or a combination of systems.
Before buying land, find out what people in that particular area actually do for water. Research nearby wells, hauling locations, storage requirements, delivery access, and the amount of water your own plans are likely to require.
A water system does not necessarily need to be complicated, but it does need to be realistic.
4. Off-grid living does not mean building without permits
Navajo County has an established building permit and inspection process.
Different parts of a project may require different approvals depending on what you are building, where the property is located, and how the systems are designed.
This does not mean off-grid construction is impossible. It means the project needs to be planned around the rules that apply to the property.
Before buying land, contact Navajo County and explain what you actually want to do. Ask about the structure, electrical system, wastewater plan, temporary living arrangements, setbacks, zoning, and the process for eventually receiving legal occupancy if that is your goal.
5. Navajo County appears familiar with owner-builders
One thing I found particularly interesting is that Navajo County has a program called A Home of My Own.
Through that program, the county provides several single-family house plans that can be used within Navajo County at no cost.
That does not mean every project is simple or automatically approved, but it does suggest that the county has experience working with people who want to build their own homes rather than only using large conventional builders.
6. Wastewater needs to be understood early
Wastewater is one of the subjects that should be researched before you commit to a property or building plan.
Conventional septic systems are common, but people interested in alternative systems should not assume that something is automatically permitted simply because it works technically or because somebody else has used it elsewhere.
If you are interested in composting toilets, alternative privies, gray water systems, or another nonstandard setup, ask the county specifically whether that system can be permitted for your project and what supporting documentation would be required.
7. Alternative does not necessarily mean impossible
One of the mistakes people sometimes make when researching rural counties is assuming that anything outside conventional suburban construction must automatically be illegal.
That is not necessarily the right way to think about it.
The better question is whether there is a legal pathway for the particular system or building method you want to use.
That is why talking directly with the county before buying is so important.
Online comments can tell you what another person experienced, but they cannot tell you exactly what will apply to your particular parcel, your particular project, or the rules in effect when you are ready to build.
My Practical View After Living Here Off Grid
After about six years of living off grid in Navajo County, my view is that it is a realistic place to investigate if you want to live off grid in Arizona and are willing to work through a normal county process.
I would not approach it with the assumption that you can simply buy cheap land and do anything you want.
I also would not automatically assume that having building rules means you cannot build an unconventional or off-grid life.
I would approach Navajo County the same way I recommend approaching any county.
Start with the county. Understand what is allowed. Find land that fits those rules. Verify the property before buying it. Then build your systems in an order that makes sense.
That means thinking about shelter, water, food, power, and income together instead of treating the land purchase as the finish line.
For me, that is one of the biggest lessons from living off grid long term. The cheapest parcel is not automatically the best parcel, and the easiest decision today is not always the decision that creates the easiest life later.
Questions to Ask Before Buying Land in Navajo County
If you are seriously considering a parcel, these are some of the questions I would want answered before buying:
- What zoning applies to this parcel?
- Is the parcel legally accessible?
- Who owns and maintains the roads?
- Can the property be reached during rain or snow?
- What building permits will be required for the structure I want?
- Can I build the home myself?
- What are the setback requirements?
- What temporary living options are allowed while I build?
- Can an RV be used on the property, and under what conditions?
- What wastewater system will be required?
- Are any alternative wastewater or privy systems permitted for my plans?
- What permits or inspections apply to an off-grid solar system?
- Is hauling water realistic in this location?
- What are nearby well depths and water conditions?
- Are there washes or flood concerns on the parcel?
- Are there easements or access issues that need to be verified?
- How far is the property from groceries, fuel, building supplies, healthcare, and emergency services?
- Does this property actually fit the life I am trying to build?
Use Opinions for Context, but Verify With the Source
I think personal experience is valuable. That is why I made the video and why I share what I have learned from living here.
But there is an important difference between using somebody's experience to understand what questions you should ask and using that person's experience as proof that your project will be allowed.
If somebody tells you they built a particular system five years ago, that does not automatically mean the same thing applies to your parcel today.
If somebody online says Navajo County is easy, difficult, restrictive, or completely hands-off, that description may be based on one interaction, one property, or one type of project.
Use those experiences as context.
Then go to the county, look at the official information, explain what you are actually trying to build, and get answers that apply to your plans.
Final Thought
Navajo County appears to be a realistic place to investigate for off-grid living, but that does not mean every parcel or every building plan will work.
The most useful thing you can do before buying land is understand what you actually want to build and then contact the county with specific questions.
Do not rely only on land listings, social media comments, YouTube videos, or what another person was able to do several years ago.
That includes me.
My experience can help you understand the process and know what questions to ask. The interview in the video can help you hear directly from Navajo County. But your final decisions should still be based on the current rules and the specific property you are considering.
Verify the zoning. Verify access. Understand the water situation. Understand wastewater. Understand the building process. Then decide whether the land fits the plan.
Cheap land is only useful when you can actually build the life you want on it.
Where This Fits in the Four-Step Off-Grid Land System
Researching Navajo County is part of Step 1 of my larger four-step system. The goal is to understand the county first, before you become emotionally or financially committed to a particular piece of land.
- Step 1: Research county rules with the Frugal Off-Grid County Directory
- Step 2: Search for land with the Frugal Off-Grid Land Locator
- Step 3: Verify a promising property with the Land Selection Checklist
- Step 4: Build Your Frugal Homestead
The process is intentionally simple:
Choose the county. Find the land. Verify the property. Build the systems.
The purpose is not to remove every uncertainty before you begin. It is to reduce avoidable uncertainty before you make expensive decisions that are difficult to reverse.