Bolthole Index

Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-10-07

Vermont Counties With No Zoning

9 of Vermont's 14 counties — 64% — have no county-wide zoning. That is the 26th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Orleans County (90/100). 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 1042 counties nationwide → Vermont: no building codes → Vermont: no codes, no zoning → Vermont: owner-builder → Full Vermont profile →

From the Vermont guide

Which Vermont counties have no zoning?

The county listings identify 9 areas without countywide zoning and 5 with zoning, but Vermont law gives zoning authority to municipalities rather than counties.31810 That distinction matters: municipal district maps determine permitted uses and dimensional standards, including overlays for hazards and other protected areas.12 The highest-scoring entries on the no-countywide-zoning list are Orleans County, Windsor County, Addison County, Caledonia County, Lamoille County, Windham County, Rutland County and Chittenden County.3 Browse the no-zoning list and combined building-permit and zoning list, then request the parcel's district map and bylaws from the municipal administrative officer.31116

Read the full Vermont guide →

Sources

  1. Bolthole Index county rulebook, 14 Vermont counties, as of October 7, 2026: Vermont counties with no county-wide zoning
  2. Vermont: legislature.vermont.gov, quoted and re-checked
  3. Bolthole Index county rulebook, 14 Vermont counties, as of October 7, 2026: Vermont counties with neither a residential building permit nor county-wide zoning
  4. Vermont: 24 V.S.A. § 4411 — Zoning bylaws, quoted and re-checked
  5. Vermont: 24 V.S.A. § 4449 — Zoning permit, certificate of occupancy, and municipal land use permit, quoted and re-checked
  6. Bolthole Index county rulebook, 14 Vermont counties, as of October 7, 2026: Vermont counties with county zoning

From the Vermont guide, written from the cited official sources and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: confirm with the office before you buy or build.

9 of 14 Vermont counties · sorted by Index score

Keep exploring

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.

Off-grid gear

Building on land in one of these Vermont counties? The kit we'd start with:

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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.