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

Town of Occoquan’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, demolition, regulated equipment work, and specified use changes inside Occoquan town.

  • Except as provided in § 107.1 of VUSBC, written application is required when a construction permit is required.
  • The listed work may not commence before the Building/Code Official issues the permit.

  “A permit shall be issued by the Building/Code Official before any of the following actions subject to the State Uniform Statewide Building Code”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings and structures inside Occoquan town.

  • The town Building Official enforces VUSBC, including the State Maintenance Code, as amended by the State Board of Housing and Community Development.
  • Compliance with zoning, health, safety, sanitation, and other code provisions is not precluded.

  “the Building Official for the town shall enforce the State Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC), being 13 VAC 5-63”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction subject to required VUSBC inspections inside Occoquan town.

  • The Building/Code Official may accept written certified reports by approved agencies or individuals under VUSBC § 113.2.1.

  “The Building/Code Official shall make all of the required inspections”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the incorporated Town of Occoquan.

  • Buildings and land uses must be among those permitted in the applicable zoning district and comply with Chapter 157.

  “No building shall be erected and no existing building shall be moved, altered, added to, or enlarged”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  The incorporated areas of Occoquan town.

  • District locations and boundaries are shown on the Zoning Map.

  districts: R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, B-1

  “R-1 District, limited residential, low-density; (2) R-2 District, general residential, medium-density; (3) R-3 District, general residential, high-density; (4) R-4 District, residential, high-density; and (5) B-1 District, generally business, with mixed-use components.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Town building-permit applications.

  • Application is under oath on the Building/Code Official or Town Clerk form.
  • Three copies of a site drainage or grading plan are required, subject to the stated discretionary waiver except for erection of or substantial addition to a commercial structure.
  • County Health Department authorization or a County Service Authority connection permit, zoning-compliance certificate, runoff-control evidence, and required fees are prerequisites.

  site drainage or grading plan copies: 3 copies (May be waived by the Building/Code Official, except for erection of or substantial addition to any commercial structure.)

  “No permit shall be issued by the Building/Code Official for the erection, alteration, demolition, or repair of or for the addition to any structure until the following conditions shall have first been satisfied.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Occoquan

Town of Occoquan 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 sizeSpecified

  A residential lot containing or intended to contain a detached single-family dwelling in the Town's R-1 District.

  minimum lot area: >= 10000 square feet

  “A residential lot containing or intended to contain a detached single-family dwelling shall have a minimum lot area of 10,000 square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings in the Town's R-1 District.

  • For a street right-of-way less than 50 feet wide, the measurement is from the centerline rather than from the right-of-way.

  setback from street right-of-way at least 50 feet wide: >= 35 feet · setback from centerline of street right-of-way under 50 feet wide: >= 60 feet

  “Buildings shall be located 35 feet or more from any street right-of-way that is 50 feet or more in width, or 60 feet or more from the centerline of any street right-of-way less than 50 feet in width.”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

  One accessory dwelling on a lot in the Town's R-1 District.

  • Limited to one unit per lot.
  • The use must comply with applicable Chapter 157 requirements.

  accessory dwelling units: 1 unit per lot

  “Uses permitted by right are as follows: (1) Detached single-family dwellings; (2) Schools; (3) Town parks; (4) Places of assembly with less than 25 seats, as an accessory to the principal use; (5) Home business occupations conducted by a resident and occupant, as an accessory use, subject to the issuance of a home occupation certificate in accordance with § 157.010; (6) Homestay, as an accessory use; (7) [Reserved]; (8) Temporary seasonal display, subject to the following conditions: display must be accessory to the principal use of the property; and display may not be present for more than 45 days; (9) Public utilities, including poles, lines, distribution transformers, pipes, meters, or other facilities necessary for the provision and maintenance of public utilities, including water and sewerage facilities; and (10) Accessory dwelling, one unit per lot.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Well and septic-system installation proposed inside Occoquan town.

  • Building-permit applicants must provide written County Health Department authorization for installation of a well and septic system.

  “written authorization from the County Health Department for the installation of a well and septic system”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation of a well and septic system for a building-permit applicant inside Occoquan town.

  • Written authorization from the County Health Department must be provided to the Building/Code Official before the Town permit is issued.
  • A County Service Authority water-and-sewer connection permit is an alternative to that authorization.

  “written authorization from the County Health Department for the installation of a well and septic system”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  A proposed well-and-septic system inside Occoquan town.

  • The building-permit applicant must provide written County Health Department authorization for a well and septic system.
  • A County Service Authority water-and-sewer connection permit is the stated alternative.

  “written authorization from the County Health Department for the installation of a well and septic system”

• Well permitRequired

  Installation of a well for a building-permit applicant inside Occoquan town.

  • Written County Health Department authorization for installation of a well and septic system must be submitted before issuance of the Town permit.

  “written authorization from the County Health Department for the installation of a well and septic system”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  A building-permit applicant inside Occoquan town electing connection to public systems instead of a well-and-septic authorization.

  • The applicant must provide a County Service Authority permit allowing connection to water and sewer systems.
  • The provision describes this permit as an alternative to County Health Department authorization for a well and septic system; it does not establish a distance or availability trigger.

  “a permit from the County Service Authority allowing connection by applicant to water and sewer systems”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Occoquan town.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of completed buildings inside Occoquan town.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Occoquan town.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Occoquan town.
• Building height — Buildings inside Occoquan 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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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