Bolthole Index

Nottoway County, Virginia

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Town of Crewe, Virginia

The Town of Crewe, Virginia requires town zoning approval before county building permits for work that needs a building permit.1 Crewe administers its own zoning in Nottoway County; septic permits come through the Piedmont Health District, with separate town wastewater restrictions.234 Crewe requires town water and sewer connections where available, so an off-grid sanitation plan must account for utility availability.5

At a glance

Building permits
Town zoning approval first; county building permit for covered construction16
Zoning
Crewe administers town zoning2
Septic
VDH construction permit plus applicable town-manager permission; sewer availability can preclude septic745
RV living
Floodplain placement is conditional; general residential RV occupancy is unconfirmed8
Minimum lot size
R-1: 15,000 square feet; R-2 and R-3 depend on utilities91011
Owner-builder
State contractor-license exemption is conditional; building-code obligations remain12
Water
Town connections required where available; ask the health department about private-well permitting53

Who to call

Planning & zoning

Town of Crewe Town Office / Zoning Division

Town zoning questions and contact for the Town Manager/Zoning Administrator

434-645-9453

125 E Carolina Avenue Crewe VA 23930

Planning & zoning

Town of Crewe Zoning Permit Applications

Town zoning applications and plot-plan requirements

125 E Carolina Avenue, Crewe, VA 23930

Building permits

Nottoway County Building Permit Office

County building-permit applications following Crewe zoning approval; building inspections

434-645-8696

Septic permits

Nottoway County Health Department

Local contact for septic and private-well permitting

(434) 645-7595

207 West Courthouse Road Nottoway, VA 23955

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in the Town of Crewe, VA?

A new home in the Town of Crewe is subject to Virginia’s building-permit requirement for construction, with specific exemptions for certain other work.6 For a Crewe project needing a building permit, obtain the town’s zoning permit and submit the approval to Nottoway County for the building-permit application.1 The town’s adoption of the property-maintenance portion of the state code addresses existing structures; that provision alone does not describe the new-home application process.13 Virginia’s owner-builder contractor-license exemption applies conditionally to a primary residence owned by the builder for personal use, while building-code obligations still apply.12

Who handles building permits and zoning in the Town of Crewe?

Contact the Crewe Town Office/Zoning Division at 434-645-9453 for town zoning questions.14 Crewe accepts zoning applications by mail or in person at Town Office, 125 E Carolina Avenue, Crewe, VA 23930, and publishes an online zoning form.15 The published town zoning compliance permit fee is $25.00.15 For county building-permit questions after town zoning approval, call the Nottoway County Building Permit Office at 434-645-8696; building-permit cost depends on project type and size.1 Septic and private-well permitting remains with the Piedmont Health District, alongside Crewe’s own wastewater permission requirement.34

Does the Town of Crewe have zoning, minimum lot sizes and setbacks?

The Town of Crewe has its own zoning ordinance, administered by its designated zoning administrator.2 Crewe’s R-1 district requires a minimum lot area of 15,000 square feet for permitted uses, with a separate land-area exception for private schools.9 In R-2, a single permitted use with public water and sewerage has an 11,250-square-foot minimum; a single-family dwelling without those services needs at least 16,250 square feet and health-official approval, potentially with more land required.10 In R-3, the corresponding minimums are 7,500 and 15,000 square feet, respectively, with health-official approval for the unserved single-family dwelling.11 Crewe’s plot plan must show existing and proposed buildings, front, side and rear setbacks, and adjoining street names; ask the Town Manager/Zoning Administrator for the parcel’s required setback distances.15

How do septic permits and off-grid sanitation work in the Town of Crewe?

Crewe requires suitable town water and sewer connections for residences and business buildings where town connections are available.5 Crewe also prohibits maintaining a septic tank on premises adjoining a street or alley containing a town-owned sewer.5 Elsewhere, the town wastewater rule requires written town-manager permission for septic tanks and other disposal facilities, subject to the article’s exceptions, including systems existing when the article passed.4 A town permission does not replace the state construction permit for a new, modified, repaired or expanded onsite system through the Piedmont Health District.7 Contact the Nottoway County Health Department at (434) 645-7595 for onsite-system questions; resolve sewer availability with Crewe before paying for a septic design.165

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Town of Crewe?

We could not confirm a general rule allowing residential RV occupancy or tiny-home occupancy in Crewe; ask the Town Manager/Zoning Administrator about the proposed dwelling and parcel before arranging temporary accommodation. Crewe’s floodplain RV rule allows placement for fewer than 180 consecutive days when the RV is fully licensed and highway-ready, or requires compliance with manufactured-home permit, elevation and anchoring requirements.8 That floodplain provision does not establish general permission to live in an RV elsewhere in town.8 In Crewe mobile-home parks, a mobile home or accessory structure cannot be occupied until the zoning administrator issues a certificate of use and occupancy following the required agency approvals.17

Building a home in the Town of Crewe: what are the steps?

  1. Ask Crewe’s Town Manager/Zoning Administrator to confirm the parcel’s district, proposed use and setback requirements; prepare the town plot plan with existing and proposed buildings, setbacks and street names.215
  2. Resolve town water and sewer availability; if an onsite system is proposed, address town-manager permission and the Piedmont Health District’s construction-permit requirements.547
  3. Obtain Crewe zoning approval and submit the approval to the county for the building-permit application before covered construction begins.16
  4. Arrange the county building inspections; all county building permits require a final inspection.181
  5. Obtain the required certificate of occupancy before using a new building.19

What should you check before buying land in the Town of Crewe?

Ask the Crewe zoning administrator whether the parcel falls in a town floodplain district: uses, activities and development there require a zoning permit and compliance with the floodplain ordinance and applicable codes.20 If a driveway will connect to a VDOT-maintained highway, construction or qualifying modification of the entrance requires a VDOT land-use permit.21 We could not confirm Crewe’s general minimum dwelling floor area, tiny-home approval standards or temporary camping rules; request answers from the Town Manager/Zoning Administrator for the intended use. For land outside town limits, use the Nottoway County guide: the county handles zoning for county parcels, while Crewe handles zoning within town limits.22

Watch-outs

  • Town sewer availability can rule out a proposed septic tank even when the lot meets a residential district’s minimum area.510
  • Crewe’s floodplain RV placement rule is conditional and does not establish townwide residential RV permission.8
  • We could not confirm district setback distances or tiny-home occupancy rules; ask Crewe’s Town Manager/Zoning Administrator before buying.14
  • County building permits without inspections for 6 months are closed, and another building permit is needed to finish the project.18

Sources

  1. Nottoway County Building Permit Office (nottoway.org)
  2. Crewe Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Article 15—Definitions (Town of Crewe), quoted and re-checked
  3. Onsite Sewage & Water Program — Piedmont Health District, quoted and re-checked
  4. Crewe Code of Ordinances § 74-140—Wastewater disposal (Town of Crewe), quoted and re-checked
  5. Crewe Code of Ordinances § 74-1—Water and sewer connections required where available (Town of Crewe), quoted and re-checked
  6. 13VAC5-63-80. Section 108 Application for permit (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. Onsite Sewage & Water Program — Piedmont Health District, quoted and re-checked
  8. Crewe Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, § 16-10—General provisions (Town of Crewe), quoted and re-checked
  9. Crewe Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, R-1 area regulations (Town of Crewe), quoted and re-checked
  10. Crewe Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, R-2 area regulations (Town of Crewe), quoted and re-checked
  11. Crewe Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, R-3 area regulations (Town of Crewe), quoted and re-checked
  12. § 54.1-1101. Exemptions; failure to obtain certificate of occupancy; penalties (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Crewe Code of Ordinances § 18-2—Adoption and enforcement of part III of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (Town of Crewe), quoted and re-checked
  14. Town of Crewe Town Office / Zoning Division (townofcrewe.com)
  15. Town of Crewe Zoning Permit Applications (townofcrewe.com)
  16. Nottoway County Health Department (vdh.virginia.gov)
  17. Crewe Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Article 5—Residential District R-MH (Town of Crewe), quoted and re-checked
  18. Building Permit Checklist, quoted and re-checked
  19. 13VAC5-63-160. Section 116 Certificates of occupancy (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Crewe Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, § 16-10—General provisions (Town of Crewe), quoted and re-checked
  21. Land use permits (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Building Permit Checklist, quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Crewe

Town of Crewe’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedPartial

    Existing-structure property-maintenance regulation inside Crewe town limits.

    • The adoption is specifically Part III of the 2009 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code.
    • Future amendments by the State Board of Housing and Community Development take effect on the date prescribed by that board.
    “The town hereby adopts and incorporates part III of the 2009 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (state building code) as if set forth fully herein.”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Mobile homes and accessory structures in mobile-home parks inside Crewe town limits.

    • The zoning administrator must issue a certificate of use and occupancy.
    • The planning commission, director of public works, health officer, fire chief, and other concerned agencies must approve before issuance.
    “No mobile home or accessory structure shall be occupied in any mobile home park until after a certificate of use and occupancy shall have been issued by the zoning administrator to the effect that the mobile home park or the portion thereof for which such certificate is requested is in compliance with this ordinance.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Crewe town limits.

    • The town's zoning ordinance is administered by its designated administrator.
    “Administrator, the: The official charged with the enforcement of the zoning ordinance.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Mobile homes used as dwellings inside Crewe town limits.

    • The cited Article 5 rule concerns mobile-home parks.
    • A certificate of use and occupancy is required before occupancy in a park.
    “No mobile home or accessory structure shall be occupied in any mobile home park until after a certificate of use and occupancy shall have been issued by the zoning administrator to the effect that the mobile home park or the portion thereof for which such certificate is requested is in compliance with this ordinance.”
  • Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

    Construction or maintenance of wastewater-disposal facilities inside Crewe town limits.

    • Existing systems as of passage of the article are excepted.
    • The article's other provisions may also apply.
    “Except as provided in this article, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of wastewater, unless done so with the written permission of the town manager.”
  • Septic permitLimited

    New or maintained septic and other wastewater-disposal facilities inside Crewe town limits.

    • Written permission of the town manager is required unless another provision of the article applies.
    • Systems in existence as of passage of the article are excepted.
    “Except as provided in this article, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of wastewater, unless done so with the written permission of the town manager.”
  • Off-grid sanitationProhibited

    Privies, septic tanks, cesspools, and other wastewater-disposal facilities inside Crewe town limits.

    • Written permission from the town manager is an exception.
    • Facilities existing when the article passed are excepted.
    • Where town water and sewer connections are available, owners must connect.
    “Except as provided in this article, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of wastewater, unless done so with the written permission of the town manager.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Residences and business buildings inside Crewe town limits where town connections are available.

    • A septic tank, privy, sink, or surface closet may not be maintained on premises adjoining a street or alley containing a town-owned sewer.
    “The owner of any residence or building used for business purposes within the town shall make suitable and proper connections with the water and sewer lines of the town where available connections therewith are provided by the town. No privy, sink, surface closet or septic tank of any kind shall be maintained in the town upon premises which adjoin a street or alley in which there is a sewer owned by the town.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Crewe

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

  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single permitted uses in Crewe R-2 Residential District.

    • For a single-family dwelling without public water and sewerage, the minimum is 16,250 square feet, subject to health-official approval; the administrator may require more area if considered necessary by the health official.
    • All other permitted uses must have public water and sewerage systems.

    minimum lot area with public water and sewage: 11250 square feet (Add 2,000 square feet per additional dwelling unit.) · minimum lot area without public water and sewerage: 16250 square feet (Single-family dwelling; health-official approval and possibly greater area.)

    “For lots containing or intended to contain a single-family dwelling not served by public water and sewerage systems the minimum lot area shall be 16,250 square feet. The required area for any such use shall be approved by the health official.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Permitted uses in Crewe R-1 Residential District.
      “The minimum lot area for permitted uses shall be 15,000 square feet, except that private schools must conform to land area requirements of the state board of education.”
    • District specific (with conditions) — Single permitted uses in Crewe R-3 Residential District.
      “For lots containing or intended to contain a single-family dwelling not served by public water and sewerage systems the minimum lot area shall be 15,000 square feet. The required area for any such use shall be approved by the health official.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational vehicles placed on sites in Crewe floodplain districts.

    • The vehicle may remain fewer than 180 consecutive days and be fully licensed and highway-ready, or must meet the permit, elevation, and anchoring requirements for manufactured homes.

    temporary placement duration: < 180 consecutive days (Alternative compliance is available under the manufactured-home placement, elevation, and anchoring requirements.)

    “Recreational vehicles placed on sites shall either: (i) Be on the site for fewer than 180 consecutive days, be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or (ii) Meet the permit requirements for placement and the elevation and anchoring requirements for manufactured homes in paragraph 16-10.D above.”
  • Subdividing landLimited

    Proposed subdivision and development in Crewe's approximated floodplain district.

    • New subdivision proposals and developments exceeding 50 lots or five acres, whichever is less, must include base-flood-elevation data.
    • Applicant must delineate a floodway; no development there may increase the 100-year flood elevation.

    proposal threshold: 50 lots or five acres, whichever is lesser

    “All new subdivision proposals and other proposed developments (including proposals for manufactured home parks and subdivisions) greater than 50 lots or five acres, whichever is the lesser, include within such proposals base flood elevation data.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Uses, activities, and development in any Crewe floodplain district.

    • A zoning permit must issue before development.
    • Development must strictly comply with the ordinance and other applicable codes and ordinances, including the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and Town of Crewe Subdivision Regulations.
    • Applications must demonstrate compliance with applicable state and federal laws.
    “All uses, activities, and development occurring within any floodplain district shall be undertaken only upon the issuance of a zoning permit. Such development shall be undertaken only in strict compliance with the provisions of the Ordinance and with all other applicable codes and ordinances, such as the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and the Town of Crewe Subdivision Regulations.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — General residential construction inside Crewe town limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Crewe town limits.
  • Inspections — General residential construction inside Crewe town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Crewe town limits.
  • Lot coverage — Land inside Crewe town limits.
9 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Crewe publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Nottoway County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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