Bolthole Index

Fauquier County, Virginia

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of The Plains, Virginia

Town of The Plains is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia. Town of The Plains adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits Town of The Plains’s rules apply, not the county’s. 4 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on November 12, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Fauquier County page.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of The Plains

Town of The Plains’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside the Town of The Plains (Fauquier County), which has its own zoning ordinance and zoning administrator

    • Official ordinance and maps are available by request from the town office; copies are $25.00 each
    • Architectural review board certificate of appropriateness may be required; historic district covers every property in town

    official ordinance copy fee: 25 USD

    “zoning ordinance & supportive documents: official zoning ordinance & zoning maps. please call, e-mail or write the town office for copies. offical copies are $25.00 each.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land inside the Town of The Plains

    • Subdivision ordinance is under review by the planning commission
    • Administrative approval of boundary line adjustments added in 2014

    subdivision ordinance copy fee: 10 USD

    “subdivision ordinance - added administrative approval of boundary line adjustments in 2014. copies may be ordered from the town clerk or zoning administrator. fee: $10.00 the current subdivision ordinance is under review by the planning commission.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Town zoning and sign permit inside the Town of The Plains (county building permit fees not covered)

    • Fee is for the town zoning and sign permit only
    • Architectural review board application has no fee

    zoning and sign permit fee: 50 USD

    “zoning and sign permit application - required before getting a building permit. fee: $50.00 architectural review board (arb) application - no fee.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building work inside the Town of The Plains: town zoning permit first, then Fauquier County building permit and inspections

    • Approved town zoning permit needed before applying to Fauquier County for a building permit
    • Improvements in the historic district need additional architectural review board review
    “fauquier county provides building inspections for the town of the plains. before applying for a building permit with fauquier county an approved zoning permit is needed.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside the Town of The Plains
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside the Town of The Plains
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside the Town of The Plains
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside the Town of The Plains
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside the Town of The Plains
21 more unanswered
  • Zoning districts
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 The Plains publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Fauquier County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Off-grid gear

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

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