Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Campbell County, Virginia

Yes. Campbell County requires a written permit before construction, rehabilitation, enlargement, alteration, demolition, or another change regulated by the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code; the permit must be displayed at the site¹. The county provision does not apply inside a town that issues its own building permits, so a parcel inside town limits should ask the town's building office instead¹. Septic and well permits are separate and still come from the Health Department³. County examples include a swimming pool more than 24 inches deep and a storage building or detached garage larger than 256 square feet¹¹. Painting, residential re-roofing, certain replacement windows and doors, fences, and other listed work are exempt¹¹. Campbell County administers construction and inspections under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code¹². A qualifying non-residential farm building used primarily for farm purposes is exempt from that code, but floodplain rules still apply and a farm building operated as a licensed restaurant is not exempt¹³.

Campbell County Community Development is at 85 Carden Lane, Suite A, Rustburg, VA 24588, phone (434) 332-9596¹¹. Applications go through the county's online portal; complete applications may be issued while the applicant waits, while plan review may take several days¹¹. Permits are not written after 4:30 p.m. and remain valid for six months, with another six months added after each inspection¹¹. The county adds a 2% state levy to permit fees, and intensive site-plan review costs $200 unless a specific code provision sets a higher fee¹¹. Fees are due before issuance, and starting without the required permit or causing an additional inspection under the listed conditions adds $50¹⁴. Buildings remain subject to inspection until the county approves compliance, although the inspecting authority may waive inspection when construction costs less than $2,500¹.

Campbell County has agricultural, business, industrial, airport, and overlay zoning districts, each with its own uses and dimensional standards⁶. Most additions to property need a zoning permit, and signs, occupancy permits, or home occupations may need one even without construction². Residential lot minimums vary with zoning and utility service because lots using a well or septic generally require more land; A-1 generally requires at least 1.5 acres, subject to an immediate-family exception⁷. R-SF principal-building setbacks are 25 feet front, 20 feet rear, and 10 feet on each side; A-1 generally uses 50 feet front, 25 feet rear, and 15 feet side, subject to stated exceptions⁶. R-SF structures above 35 feet need prior written approval, while A-1 has no maximum except possible airport-district limits⁶. Call the Zoning Administrator at (434) 332-9615 to confirm the parcel's district and overlay before siting a structure².

The Virginia Department of Health handles Campbell County private septic and well permits through the Central Virginia Health District and Campbell County Health Department; the program also inspects completed sewage systems^3,15. Reach the Health Department at 116 Kabler Lane, Rustburg, VA 24588, phone 434.592.9550¹⁶. A written construction permit is required before a sewage system is constructed, expanded, or modified, and a written operation permit is required for covered systems⁴. The septic application fee is $225⁴. Unless the installation follows a design certified by a licensed engineer or onsite soil evaluator, no part may be covered or used until the local or district health department inspects and approves it⁵. About 55.6% of Campbell County soils have no severe limitation for a conventional drain field, but the individual homesite still needs evaluation¹⁷.

Campbell County allows one RV or recreational camper as a temporary residence while a primary home is being built on the same lot in R-MF, R-MH, or A-1 zoning, for no more than six months and only after the required building, water, septic, and temporary electrical permits and connections are in place⁶. Resort camping is limited to day-or-week occupancy and cannot become a permanent, year-round residence⁶. Campbell County has no separate tiny-home category that we could confirm; a tiny home is treated as a dwelling, and recreational vehicles and similar temporary habitation are excluded from the single-family-dwelling definition. A dwelling of 400 square feet or less may use Appendix AQ of the Virginia building code as an alternative path, but the zoning district must still allow a dwelling, and a building permit and septic and water approvals still apply⁹. We could not confirm a single minimum total floor area for a dwelling; Virginia's building standard requires each bedroom to contain at least 70 square feet and, when shared, at least 50 square feet per occupant⁸. Ask Community Development which district standards apply to a proposed tiny home². Campbell County allows accessory dwellings on qualifying single-family properties, subject to bedroom, size, setback, and septic conditions⁶.

1. Call the Zoning Administrator at (434) 332-9615 to identify the zoning district, overlays, setbacks, and allowed use before fixing the house location².
2. Confirm whether an approved water supply or connection to nearby public water or sewer will be required during site-plan review⁶.
3. Obtain the VDH septic and private-well permits needed for the site^3,15.
4. Submit the building-permit application through Campbell County's online portal with the required information and fees¹¹. An owner may qualify to build or supervise one primary residence for personal use during a 24-month period without a contractor license, but the building permit and code still apply¹⁰.
5. Display the written permit at the construction site and arrange required inspections before work is concealed¹.
6. Obtain a VDOT land-use permit if the entrance connects to a state-maintained highway¹⁸.
7. Complete final approvals before occupancy¹⁹.

Start with the official zoning map because district and overlay rules control uses, lot dimensions, setbacks, and height⁶. Campbell County regulates subdivisions through standards for access, streets, lot size, setbacks, plat review, and zoning-district criteria; minor and family divisions follow separate procedures and exceptions²⁰. For a tourist house, by-right use requires an Agricultural-zoned parcel of at least 25 acres and 250 feet of separation from adjoining parcels; otherwise a special-use permit is required in Agricultural and Residential districts²¹. Test the homesite rather than judging septic potential from acreage alone: about 55.6% of county soils have no severe limitation for a conventional drain field¹⁷. About 75.1% of county land has a slope of 15% or less and 66.8% is wooded, so clearing and grading affect the practical building area¹⁷.