Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Christiansburg, Virginia

Town of Christiansburg’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Christiansburg town limits

  • Chapter 42 Zoning is administered by a town-designated administrator

  “All uses, activities and development occurring within any floodplain district shall be undertaken only upon the issuance of a zoning permit.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Apartment units in the MU-1 Mixed Use district inside Christiansburg town; single-family minimums not found

  • Up to ten percent of units may be smaller

  minimum livable floor area per apartment: >= 600 sq ft (up to ten percent of units may have less)

  “each apartment dwelling unit shall contain at least 600 square feet of livable floor area, exclusive of garages, carports, cellars, basements, attics, open porches, patios or breezeways, except that up to ten percent of the units may be constructed with less floor area than this minimum.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1A Rural Residential District inside Christiansburg town

  • Area depends on public water and sewer availability
  • Agricultural District A minimum lot area not located

  public water and sewer: >= 15000 sq ft · public water, individual sewage disposal: >= 17000 sq ft · individual water and sewage disposal: >= 20000 sq ft

  “for lots containing, or intended to contain, a single permitted use served by public water and sewage disposal, 15,000 square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 Single-Family Residential District inside Christiansburg town

    “the minimum lot area for each permitted use shall be 10,000 square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-2 Two-Family Residential District inside Christiansburg town

  • Accessory structures 3 ft side and rear
  • Front yard 20 percent greenspace
  • R-1 yards not located

  rear yard, main structure: >= 25 ft · side yard, main structure: >= 10 ft (or side lot line easement width, whichever is greater)

  “each main structure shall have a rear yard of 25 feet or more.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Agricultural District A inside Christiansburg town

    “each main structure shall have a rear yard of 50 feet or more.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes inside Christiansburg town

  • Must bear HUD seal if built after June 15, 1976
  • Modular homes need a valid Virginia DHCD registration seal
  • Floodway placement prohibited except in existing parks or subdivisions

  earliest allowed manufacture date: > 1976-06-15

  “Manufactured homes constructed before June 15, 1976, shall not be allowed within the town.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in floodplain districts inside Christiansburg town

  • Floodway development limited to fully offset effects; engineer certification of no rise
  • Residential lowest floor at least one foot above base flood elevation
  • Manufactured home placement in floodway prohibited except in existing parks

  lowest floor above base flood elevation: >= 1 ft

  “All uses, activities and development occurring within any floodplain district shall be undertaken only upon the issuance of a zoning permit.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Homestay short-term rentals inside Christiansburg town

  • Registration and permit with the town; annual renewal
  • Must be host occupant's primary residence
  • No accessory structures for living accommodations
  • Minimum rental 24 hours; max two families or eight occupants
  • Safety inspection by building and fire departments before permit
  • Only where allowed as minor home occupation

  maximum occupants: <= 8 persons (or two families, whichever is greater)

  “A homestay use is permitted as a minor home occupation, where allowed, subject to the following regulations and restrictions:”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits inside Christiansburg town
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Christiansburg town
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Christiansburg town
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Christiansburg town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Christiansburg town

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.