Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Tazewell County, Virginia

Tazewell County requires a building permit for a new house, an addition to a house or attached garage, and other covered residential projects¹. Tazewell County enforces the 2021 edition of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code for covered buildings and structures¹. Local building-permit charges follow the locality's fee schedule, which may use square footage, cubic footage or estimated construction cost and may include an additional 2% code-academy levy⁸. Ask Building Inspections for the residential building-permit fee; the county's published final-plat fees apply to subdivision submissions⁷. An owner doing the work may use the contractor-licensing exemption for no more than one primary residence owned and used by that person in a 24-month period, but must file an affidavit and accept responsibility for the work¹. The owner-builder exemption concerns contractor licensing; a building permit is still required for covered work¹. A qualifying agricultural building is exempt from the Building Code unless operated as a licensed restaurant⁹.

Tazewell County's Building Inspections Department issues permits for construction in unincorporated Tazewell County and in Richlands, Pocahontas and Cedar Bluff; call 276-385-1215 or visit 173 Main Street, Tazewell, VA 24651¹. Bluefield issues its own building permits¹⁰. Septic and private-well approvals remain with VDH’s Cumberland Plateau Health District⁴. For construction in the Town of Tazewell, the county directs applicants to the town office¹. A complete application needs the County Tax Map Number plus plans, blueprints or detailed drawings, and plan review normally takes 3 to 10 business days; extensive plans can take longer¹. County permits last 6 months, with possible 90-day extensions while work continues¹. Call Building Inspections when an inspection is needed; the county requests 24-hour notice¹. For permitted demolition, the county inspects completion, debris removal and restored drainage grade¹. The Tazewell County Health Department at 253 Chamber Dr, phone 276-988-5585, handles local VDH septic and private-well permitting and inspections^3,11. The Engineering Department handles county floodplain administration at 276-385-1254¹².

Unincorporated Tazewell County has no comprehensive zoning ordinance, but statewide building-code requirements, VDH septic approval and county subdivision review still apply^1,2,4,7. We could not confirm county minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage or height limits; ask Building Inspections before designing a site¹.

Construction in Richlands, Cedar Bluff and Pocahontas requires a town zoning permit in addition to the county building permit¹. Bluefield administers its own zoning ordinance¹³. Septic permits in Bluefield remain with VDH’s Cumberland Plateau Health District¹⁴. For construction in the Town of Tazewell, the county directs applicants to the town office¹.

The Eastern District zoning document is a draft, and the Planning Commission scrapped the proposal; its listed districts and map do not establish current parcel zoning or setbacks^15,16.

For any address in the county, VDH administers onsite sewage and private-well permitting in Tazewell County through the Cumberland Plateau Health District⁴. VDH provides an application for a sewage-disposal system and/or private-well construction permit¹⁷. A VDH construction permit is required before installing, modifying or repairing a septic tank or dispersal drainfield⁴. During county building review, applicants using a private well and septic system must obtain Health Department approval for additions, renovations or repairs that may affect the system¹. Alternative onsite sewage systems require an annual inspection by a licensed operator, while VDH recommends inspecting conventional systems every 3 years⁴. Only about 5.4% of Tazewell County soils lack severe limits for a conventional drain field, and just 14.5% of county land is at 15% slope or less¹⁸. Get the site evaluated before settling on a house location or system budget.

Tazewell County allows motor homes and travel trailers to be occupied in a mobile home park only for stays of 30 days or more; that provision does not authorize RV housing on private land outside a park⁵. We could not confirm private-lot RV living, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy or accessory-dwelling rules in unincorporated Tazewell County; ask Building Inspections before buying land for those uses¹. A tiny home built as a house needs a building permit, and installing or modifying a septic system requires VDH approval^1,4.

New or replacement manufactured homes without public sewage need written Health Department approval of sewage disposal before siting¹⁹. Without public water, written approval of the well or another approved water source is also required before siting¹⁹. The manufactured-home checklist requires approval of the water source and sewage system, not necessarily new well or septic construction permits¹⁹. New manufactured homes not yet titled through DMV must meet the federal requirements identified in the county checklist before the county issues a certificate of occupancy¹⁹.

1. Identify the reviewing government: the county serves unincorporated land plus Richlands, Cedar Bluff and Pocahontas, while construction in Bluefield and the Town of Tazewell is routed to the respective town office¹.
2. For land inside a town, obtain the town's zoning answer; unincorporated Tazewell County has no comprehensive zoning ordinance².
3. Apply through the Cumberland Plateau Health District for required private-well and onsite-sewage approvals^3,4.
4. Submit the building application, County Tax Map Number and detailed plans; allow 3 to 10 business days for ordinary plan review¹.
5. File the affidavit if using the owner-builder exemption¹.
6. Obtain a VDOT land-use permit before work in a state-maintained road right-of-way⁶.
7. Coordinate required inspections with 24-hour notice when possible¹.
8. For a new manufactured home not yet titled through DMV, satisfy the checklist’s federal requirements before the county issues a certificate of occupancy¹⁹.

Confirm the reviewing government first: unincorporated Tazewell County, Richlands, Cedar Bluff and Pocahontas route building permits through the county, while construction in Bluefield and the Town of Tazewell is routed to the respective town office¹. Unincorporated land has no comprehensive county zoning ordinance, but municipal zoning requirements vary, and we could not confirm county setback or minimum home size rules, so ask Building Inspections^1,2. A proposed land division generally needs Planning Commission approval if it creates 3 or more lots, includes a lot under 5 acres or further divides an existing subdivision, unless an exemption applies⁷. The published final-plat submission fee is $100 per plat, plus $2 per lot for divisions of 5 or more lots or $3 per lot for smaller divisions⁷. Get a septic site evaluation early because only about 5.4% of county soils lack severe limits for a conventional drain field and only 14.5% of county land is at 15% slope or less¹⁸. Check mapped flood risk with Engineering and road access with VDOT before closing^6,12.