Building permits, zoning and land rules in Mathews County, Virginia

Yes. Mathews County requires a building permit before a person or company erects, constructs, enlarges, alters, moves, converts, renovates, remodels, rehabilitates or demolishes a building or structure¹. Separate building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits are required when those trades are part of the work, and inspections are required for each phase of construction¹. The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code applies to new construction, additions, maintenance, repairs, renovations and changes of use in Mathews County¹². The published building schedule sets a $50 minimum permit fee and adds a 2% state education surcharge¹. Ordinary repairs and other code exceptions can differ from regulated construction, so describe the exact scope of work to the Building Department before starting^1,13. A certificate of occupancy is generally required before occupancy or a change of occupancy, with exceptions for an IRC accessory structure and certain additions¹¹.

The Mathews County Building Department accepts permit applications, reviews construction documents and plans, issues permits and performs inspections¹³. The department says the preferred application method is to complete the fillable forms on its Building Applications and Forms page and email them to Lgreve@mathewscountyva.gov¹³. The office is at 50 Brickbat Road, Suite 102, Mathews, Virginia, and its phone number is 804-725-7171¹³. The same department administers the county Floodplain Management Ordinance and maintains the FEMA flood maps¹³. Any work or development in a special flood hazard area needs a signed Flood Zone Development Permit, and an existing structure needs a substantial-improvement determination¹⁴. Mathews County reviews the permit application and construction documents before issuing a permit, and the issued permit must be posted before inspections proceed⁸.

Yes. Mathews County's Planning, Zoning & Wetlands office administers and enforces the Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Ordinance, Erosion and Sediment Ordinance and wetlands program^6,15. A parcel's zoning district controls which uses are allowed and its development density; changing the zoning-map designation can change both⁷. The office administers subdivision review, with fees of $100 plus $15 per lot for a minor subdivision and $500 plus $25 per lot for a major subdivision⁶. Major site-plan review costs $350, minor review costs $150, and the ordinance allows 60 days for site-plan review^16,17. A short-term vacation rental also requires a zoning permit and executed use agreement before renting¹⁸. We could not confirm one countywide numeric answer for minimum lot size, home size, setbacks, lot coverage or building height; ask Planning, Zoning & Wetlands for the parcel's district standards¹⁵.

The Virginia Department of Health's Three Rivers Health District handles onsite sewage permits in Mathews County³. A construction permit authorizes a septic system at a specified location, remains valid for 18 months and does not transfer when ownership changes³. After a new system is installed and inspected, the Health Department must issue an operation permit before the local building official can issue a certificate of occupancy³. The Mathews County Health Department's Environmental Health line is 804-725-7131 at 536 Church Street in Mathews¹⁹. A private well requires a construction permit before drilling, must be safely separated from contamination sources, and costs $300; approval for use follows a local Health Department inspection, the driller's construction report and satisfactory bacteriological results for a drinking well³. Only 8.7% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so settle septic feasibility before buying or siting a house²⁰.

In Mathews County's Rural district, a licensed travel trailer outside a travel-trailer park may be occupied for temporary habitation only with a temporary conditional-use permit from the Board of Supervisors and a written promise to remove it by the permit deadline⁹. In a floodplain district, an RV using the temporary option must stay fewer than 180 consecutive days, remain fully licensed and ready for highway use; otherwise it must meet the applicable manufactured-home requirements²¹. Virginia's residential code provides an alternative code path for a qualifying tiny house with no more than 400 square feet of floor area, but county zoning, septic and floodplain rules still apply^6,10. We could not confirm a county rule expressly authorizing residential occupancy of tiny homes. Ask Planning, Zoning & Wetlands about the parcel and proposal before buying¹⁵.

1. Ask Planning, Zoning & Wetlands to confirm the parcel's zoning district, permitted residential use and dimensional standards^6,15.

1. Obtain the VDH septic construction permit and private-well construction permit before installing either system³. If the project is in the sanitary sewer district, submit HRSD approval or verification⁸.

1. Obtain a signed Flood Zone Development Permit if the project lies in a special flood hazard area¹⁴.

1. If the driveway connects to a VDOT-maintained highway, obtain the required VDOT entrance permit before constructing or modifying it²².

1. Submit the building application and construction documents; separate trade permits may be required^1,8.

1. Post the permit and request inspections before covering each phase^1,8.

1. Secure septic operation and well approvals, then pass the final building inspection^3,11. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before using the home; a new dwelling requires approved water and sewage documentation, and a home in a special flood hazard area requires a compliant elevation certificate¹¹.

Confirm the parcel's zoning district, allowed use and subdivision history before relying on a listing description^6,7. Check flood status with the Building Department, because any work or development in a special flood hazard area requires a Flood Zone Development Permit^13,14. Confirm whether the parcel lies in the sanitary sewer district, where a building project must submit HRSD approval or verification; the available rule does not establish a universal connection requirement⁸. Settle septic feasibility before closing: only 8.7% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, and a septic construction permit expires after 18 months and does not transfer to a new owner^3,20. The landscape is mostly gentle, with 99.3% at a 15% slope or less, but that does not remove septic or flood constraints^14,20. Typical property tax is about 0.4% effectively, with a median annual bill near $1,475²⁰.