Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Funkstown, Maryland

Town of Funkstown’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Funkstown town limits: the Town of Funkstown administers its own zoning ordinance and zoning maps

  • The town site lists a Zoning Ordinance, zoning maps and subdivision regulations as official town documents for properties within the town.
  • The ordinance text itself was not opened in this research pass; district-level rules are unresolved (see followups).

  “use the documents below to review zoning requirements, zoning maps, land use regulations, and subdivision standards for properties within the town of funkstown.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Funkstown town limits

  • Subdivision applications, plats and improvements follow the town's subdivision regulations as listed on the town site; the regulations text was not opened in this pass.

  “subdivision regulations review requirements and procedures for subdivision applications, plats, design standards, required improvements, and related regulations.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Funkstown

Town of Funkstown does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building permitRequired

  Building permits for construction on properties inside Funkstown town limits (county permitting department, after Funkstown town approval)

  • Inside town limits, town approval/zoning approval must be obtained before the application is submitted to the county permitting department (Funkstown contact listed as 301.791.0948).
  • Geography is recorded as countywide because the schema does not allow county authority with municipality-specific geography; the sentence applies to Funkstown by naming it in the list of incorporated towns.

  “incorporated towns permits for properties located within town limits must receive town approval/zoning approval prior to the application being submitted to the permitting department.”

• Owner-builder exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Owner-builder permit applications for in-town Funkstown properties through Washington County permitting

  • Owner-builder route is conditioned on signing the owner-builder declaration or affirmation of landowner.
  • A Maryland home improvement license (MHIC) or home builders registration (HB) is required when a contractor does the work.

  “owners may apply as the general contractor by signing an owner-builder declaration form or affirmation of landowner, whichever applies.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building and trade permit fees for in-town Funkstown properties processed by Washington County

  • Brochure says to contact the town for Funkstown fees and requirements; Funkstown's own fee schedule was not located.
  • Fees are non-refundable excluding excise tax and driveway bond, with a $250 minimum payment at application per the brochure.

  minimum payment at application: >= 250 USD (if the building permit cost is less than the minimum, the total amount is paid at application)

  “a fee schedule for building and trade permits is available online at www.washco-md.net/permits and in our office.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building code adopted — Building code applied to construction inside Funkstown town limits
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Funkstown town limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Funkstown town limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in Funkstown town limits, main single-family district
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size, main single-family residential district inside Funkstown town limits

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.