Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-08-08
6 of Vermont's 14 counties — 43% — require no residential building permit and have no county-wide zoning in their unincorporated areas. That is the 18th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Orleans County (87/100). Every entry below cites the county’s own official source.
Rules change, and cities inside these counties set their own — treat this as a verified starting point, not legal advice. All 623 counties nationwide → Vermont: no building codes → Vermont: no zoning → Full Vermont profile →
6 of 14 Vermont counties · sorted by Index score
Vermont has no statewide residential building code for most 1-2 family dwellings and no county building department; any building/zoning permit is administered at the town level,…
Vermont Division of Fire Safety - Building Code Permits ↗Vermont has no statewide residential building code and Windsor County has no county building department; where permits are required they are issued as municipal zoning/building …
24 V.S.A. Chapter 117 - Vermont municipal planning & zoning ↗Vermont has no statewide residential building code for owner-occupied single-family homes and Windham County has no county building department; the Vermont Fire & Building Safet…
Vermont Division of Fire Safety - Codes and Standards ↗Vermont has no statewide residential building code; the Division of Fire Safety code excludes owner-occupied single-family homes, and there is no county building department (tow…
Vermont Division of Fire Safety - Codes and Standards ↗Vermont has no statewide residential building code and Chittenden County has no county building department; where permits are required they are issued as municipal zoning permit…
24 V.S.A. 4414 - Vermont municipal zoning / permits ↗Vermont has no statewide residential building code and no county building department; any building/zoning permit for a single-family home is issued by the town's zoning administ…
Vermont ACCD - Planning Statutes and Rules (Title 24 Ch. 117) ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Vermont state page for all 14 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.
General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.
