Bolthole Index

Somerset County, Maryland

Building permits, zoning and septic in the Town of Princess Anne, Maryland

The Town of Princess Anne, Maryland requires a building permit from the Town Code Enforcement Officer before construction, reconstruction, nonexempt repairs or removal of a building or structure.1 Princess Anne has its own zoning districts; private septic systems and wells remain with Somerset County Health Department.23 We could not confirm town rules for living in an RV or tiny home; ask town Code Enforcement before buying for either use.4

At a glance

Building permits
Required from the Town Code Enforcement Officer; qualifying ordinary repairs are exempt1
Zoning
Town zoning applies inside corporate limits; confirm the parcel’s district with the town24
Septic permits
Somerset County Health Department handles private septic construction permits and site evaluations56
RV living
Town occupancy rules unconfirmed; ask town Code Enforcement4
Tiny homes
Town occupancy and minimum dwelling size unconfirmed; ask town Code Enforcement4
Private wells
Maryland requires a well construction permit; apply through Somerset County Health Department75
Owner-builder
Maryland’s owner-performed home-improvement exception concerns contractor-license information, not a general building-permit exemption8

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Princess Anne — Planning and Zoning / Code Enforcement

Town building-permit applications, zoning questions and coordination of plan reviews and inspections

410-651-1818

[email protected]

30489 Broad St., Princess Anne, MD 21853

Septic permits

Somerset County Health Department - Environmental Health

Perc tests, lot evaluations, septic and private-well permits, system design requirements, inspections and well-water testing

443-523-1700

8928 Sign Post Road, Suite 2, Westover, MD 21871

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Princess Anne means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in the Town of Princess Anne, MD?

Princess Anne requires advance approval from the Town Code Enforcement Officer to erect, reconstruct, repair or remove a building or structure.1 Ordinary repairs can be exempt, but the exemption does not cover work affecting structural strength, stability, required exits or essential service equipment affecting health and safety.1

The Princess Anne Building Code incorporates the Maryland Building Performance Standards as amended, rather than fixing every project to an old code edition.9 For an owner performing a home improvement, Maryland provides an exception to the contractor-license-number requirement on the permit; that exception does not waive the building permit itself.8

Who issues building permits in the Town of Princess Anne?

The Town Code Enforcement Officer is the building-permit authority inside Princess Anne’s corporate limits.1 Send application questions to [email protected] or call 410-651-1818; the town’s planning and zoning page links its residential building-permit application and fee schedule.4

Princess Anne routes plan reviews and inspections through First State Inspection Agency, with Davis, Bowen and Friedel also used depending on the scope of work.4 Ask the town which reviewer will handle your project and how to schedule inspections before starting construction.4 Private septic and well construction permits are a separate responsibility of Somerset County Health Department’s Environmental Health program.5

Does the Town of Princess Anne have zoning, lot-size and setback rules?

Princess Anne has residential, commercial and industrial zoning districts within its incorporated territory.2 The town’s R-1 district permits single-family and two-family dwellings; R-2 allows a wider variety of dwelling types at higher densities.2 Ask town Code Enforcement to identify the parcel’s district and provide the applicable lot-size and setback standards before commissioning a house design.4

For multifamily structures with three or more living units in R-2, structures including accessory buildings may cover no more than 40% of the lot; that particular limit is not a general standard for every single-family parcel.10 The town asks applicants for a property sketch showing new construction and setback dimensions, so bring a layout that shows where the proposed building sits on the lot.4

How do septic and well permits work inside the Town of Princess Anne?

For a Princess Anne property using private septic or a private well, Somerset County Health Department reviews the site, sets septic design requirements, issues construction permits and performs inspections.5 Maryland requires approval before constructing an onsite sewage disposal system and also regulates alterations and increased wastewater flow.6 A private well requires a Maryland well construction permit.7

A perc test is part of the health department’s lot evaluation, and most Somerset County evaluations must occur when the highest water table can be expected; call Environmental Health at 443-523-1700 before arranging testing.5 For a serviced town lot, ask Princess Anne to confirm public water and sewer availability and any connection requirements; its application checklist asks whether the property is served by both utilities.4

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home in Princess Anne?

We could not confirm Princess Anne’s rules for residential RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy or minimum dwelling size; ask town Code Enforcement about the exact proposed use and parcel.4 Request separate answers for parking a vehicle, sleeping in it during construction and establishing a permanent dwelling.4

Maryland protects placement of qualifying new manufactured homes in zones allowing single-family residential uses, subject to statutory requirements including conversion to real property; local zoning, utility, site-preparation and required-permit rules still apply.11 That protection does not require Princess Anne to allow a mobile home on wheels or a temporary foundation.12 Ask the town to review the home type, foundation and proposed location before purchase.4

What are the steps to build a home in the Town of Princess Anne?

  1. Ask town Code Enforcement to confirm the parcel’s zoning district and whether the proposed dwelling use fits that district.24
  2. Establish the water and wastewater arrangement with the town; contact Somerset County Health Department for private septic or well approval where applicable.45
  3. Prepare the written town building-permit application, scaled plans, specifications and fee; confirm the required copy count because the code calls for triplicate copies while the town’s online checklist asks for 2 copies of building plans.134
  4. Obtain the building permit before work and post it on the premises during construction.113
  5. Arrange required inspections and ask the town which use and occupancy certificates apply before moving in; Maryland requires inspection of permitted work and issuance of appropriate occupancy certificates through local enforcement.14154

What should you check before buying land in Princess Anne?

Confirm town limits before selecting the building-permit office: Princess Anne’s own building code governs buildings inside its corporate limits.9 For a parcel outside town, consult the Somerset County guide for the county’s building-permit and zoning answers.1617

Ask the town about the parcel’s floodplain status and local development review; Maryland’s floodplain permitting requirements extend to grading, filling and other development, not only house construction.184 A residential driveway built or modified within state highway right-of-way requires coordination for a permit with the applicable MDOT State Highway Administration district office.19 Ask town Code Enforcement about local-street access, subdivision and utility-connection requirements, which we could not confirm for town parcels.4

Watch-outs

  • The town code specifies triplicate application plans, while the town’s online checklist requests 2 copies of building plans; confirm the submission format with Princess Anne before filing.134
  • We could not confirm town permission for RV living, tiny-home occupancy or off-grid sanitation; ask Princess Anne Code Enforcement and Somerset County Health Department before buying for those uses.45
  • Most Somerset County septic lot evaluations depend on seasonal high-water-table conditions; ask Environmental Health about the testing window before setting a construction schedule.5

Sources

  1. Chapter 52: Building Construction - Town of Princess Anne, MD (Town of Princess Anne), quoted and re-checked
  2. Article VIII: Zoning Districts - Town of Princess Anne, MD (Town of Princess Anne), quoted and re-checked
  3. Wells & Septics, quoted and re-checked
  4. Town of Princess Anne — Planning and Zoning / Code Enforcement (townofprincessanne.org)
  5. Somerset County Health Department - Environmental Health (somersethealth.org)
  6. COMAR 26.04.02.03 On-Site Sewage Disposal Permits (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. Well Construction Permit Applications and Forms (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Maryland Business Regulation Article § 8-504 (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 52: Building Construction - Town of Princess Anne, MD (Town of Princess Anne), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article XI: Height, Area and Bulk Standards - Town of Princess Anne, MD (Town of Princess Anne), quoted and re-checked
  11. Maryland Land Use Article § 4-104 (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. mgaleg.maryland.gov (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Chapter 52: Building Construction - Town of Princess Anne, MD (Town of Princess Anne), quoted and re-checked
  14. Maryland Public Safety Article § 12-505 (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Maryland Public Safety Article § 12-505 (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Maryland Public Safety Article § 12-505, quoted and re-checked
  17. Planning and Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  18. Floodplain Permitting in Maryland (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Access Management/Permits - MDOT SHA (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Princess Anne

Town of Princess Anne’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erecting, reconstructing, repairing, or removing a building or structure inside Princess Anne town.

    • A permit must be obtained in advance from the Town Code Enforcement Officer.
    • Ordinary repairs may be made without a permit, but not if they affect structural strength or stability, required means of egress, or essential service equipment affecting health and safety.
    “It shall be unlawful for any person to erect, reconstruct, repair or remove any building or structure within the Town except in compliance with this Code and without obtaining in advance a building permit from the Town Code Enforcement Officer authorizing such action, which permit shall be issued only after a finding that the proposed work will meet the requirements of this Code.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    All buildings within the corporate limits of Princess Anne town.

    • The Maryland Building Performance Standards are incorporated as amended from time to time, including only model codes and standards incorporated into those standards.
    • The 2009 International Residential Code, Appendix G, is separately adopted for swimming pools, hot tubs and spas.
    “All those provisions set forth in the Maryland Building Performance Standards, as amended from time to time, including the model codes and standards are incorporated therein by reference, only to the extent to which such model codes and standards are incorporated into the Maryland Building Performance Standards, are hereby adopted by reference and shall be cited as the “Princess Anne Building Code.” All of the provisions of said Maryland Building Performance Standards are hereby adopted and incorporated as if set out at length herein; and from the date on which this chapter takes effect, the provisions thereof shall be controlling for all buildings within the corporate limits of the Town of Princess Anne, Maryland.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    The incorporated territory of Princess Anne town.

    • The code designates R-1, R-2, C-1, C-2, I-1, and I-P districts.
    • R-1 permits single-family and two-family dwellings; R-2 permits a wider variety of dwelling types with higher density levels.
    “incorporated territory of the Town of Princess Anne”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Multifamily residential structures of three or more living units in the R-2 District.

    • Not more than 40% of the lot may be covered by structures, including accessory structures.
    • The quoted standard is for structures of three or more living units in R-2, not all single-family lots.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 40 percent (R-2 structures of three or more living units)

    “Not more than 40% of the area of the lot may be covered by structures, including accessory structures.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Town building-permit applications inside Princess Anne town.

    • Applications must be written on forms furnished by the Town Code Enforcement Officer.
    • Applicants must provide triplicate specifications and plans drawn to scale with sufficient clarity and detailed dimensions showing the nature and character of the work.
    • The permit fee must accompany the application.
    • The officer may waive plans for work of a minor nature.
    • The permit must be posted on the premises while work is being done.
    “Each applicant for a permit from the Town Code Enforcement Officer shall make application therefor, in writing, upon forms to be furnished by the Town Code Enforcement Officer, accompanied by triplicate copies of the specifications and the plans drawn to scale with sufficient clarity and detailed dimensions as to show the nature and character of the work to be performed, together with the fee for issuance of the permit as herein provided. The Town Code Enforcement Officer may waive the requirements for filing plans if the work involved is of a minor nature.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Princess Anne or Somerset County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders performing construction inside Princess Anne town.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate-of-occupancy requirements for buildings inside Princess Anne town.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Princess Anne town.
  • Living in an RV — Residential or long-term occupancy of recreational vehicles inside Princess Anne town.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Princess Anne town.
14 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Princess Anne publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Somerset County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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