Bolthole Index

Tazewell County, Virginia

Building permits, zoning and septic in the Town of Tazewell, Virginia

The Town of Tazewell, Virginia requires a written building permit before covered construction, subject to state building-code exemptions.1 The town administers zoning and building approvals inside its corporate limits in Tazewell County.2 Septic tanks need individual-lot health department approval, and the town restricts private wastewater facilities except as provided in its sewer-use article.34

At a glance

Building permits
Required for covered work; state-code exemptions apply1
Zoning
Town zoning districts and map apply inside town limits5
Septic
Health department lot approval plus town wastewater restrictions34
Agricultural district lot size
A-1: minimum 20,000 square feet for permitted uses6
Owner-builder
State contractor-license exemption for qualifying own-use primary residences; building code still applies7
Floodplain development
Town building permit required before uses, activities or development in a floodplain district8

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Tazewell Zoning, Building & Property Maintenance Official

Town building permits, zoning approval and property maintenance; start here for town floodplain review.

(276)988-2501

[email protected]

211 Central Avenue Tazewell, Virginia 24651

Septic permits

Tazewell County Health Department (Cumberland Plateau Health District)

Local health department contact for onsite sewage applications and approvals under Virginia’s statewide program.

276-988-5585

253 Chamber Dr Tazewell, VA 24651

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 Tazewell 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 Tazewell, VA?

The Town of Tazewell requires a written building permit and payment of the applicable fee before covered construction, alterations, additions or improvements to buildings, structures, driveways or access, except where the Uniform Statewide Building Code provides an exemption.1 Virginia’s statewide code governs construction and local building departments enforce it.9

A qualifying one-story detached storage shed no larger than 256 square feet can be exempt from the state building-permit requirement; that exemption has use and classification conditions.10 Ask the town official to confirm the building-permit exemption and the separate zoning approval for your proposed project.25

Who issues building permits in the Town of Tazewell?

The Town of Tazewell’s Zoning, Building & Property Maintenance Official is the town contact for zoning and building approvals.2 Contact Town Hall at (276)988-2501 or [email protected], or visit 211 Central Avenue Tazewell, Virginia 24651.2

The town lists zoning permits at $20 each and combination zoning/building permits at a $51 minimum; ask the office for the charge for your actual work.2 Virginia permits generally require an application describing the work and its location before construction begins.11 Septic applications and approvals involve the local health department under Virginia’s statewide sewage program, rather than being settled by the town building permit alone.123

Does the Town of Tazewell have zoning and minimum lot sizes?

The Town of Tazewell divides land inside its incorporated limits into zoning districts, with boundaries established by the zoning map.5 In the town’s Agricultural District A-1, the minimum lot area for a permitted use is 20,000 square feet; that is a district-specific standard, not a townwide minimum.6

Before choosing a house footprint, ask the town zoning official to identify the parcel’s district and applicable setbacks.52 Certain bona fide agricultural land divisions or family building sites are excluded from the town’s definition of subdivision, but that exclusion does not waive zoning, building or health requirements.13 A qualifying nonresidential farm building may separately qualify for a state building-code exemption, with floodplain and other stated exceptions.14

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Tazewell?

The Town of Tazewell requires health department approval of septic tanks on an individual-lot basis where sanitary sewers are not provided in the subdivision context.3 The town also prohibits private wastewater facilities, including septic tanks and privies, except as provided in its sewer-use article; do not treat health approval as an automatic town authorization.4

Virginia requires a written sewage-system construction permit before construction, expansion or modification.15 Start with the Tazewell County Health Department at 276-988-5585 and ask the town official whether the proposed wastewater arrangement fits the town’s sewer rules.164 Across Tazewell County, only 5.4% of soils are rated not limited for conventional septic drain fields; that countywide screening figure calls for a parcel evaluation and does not mean septic is impossible.17

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

We could not confirm a complete Town of Tazewell rule for residential RV occupancy, temporary camping on private land, tiny-home occupancy or minimum dwelling floor area; ask the town zoning official about the proposed use and address.2 Virginia’s campground rules concern campground operations and do not establish a general right to live in an RV on a private lot.18

The town’s requirements for new permanent mobile-home parks include a zoning permit, certificate of occupancy and town council special use permit; those park provisions do not settle an individual RV or tiny-home proposal.19 Any proposed off-grid sanitation arrangement must also satisfy the town’s private-wastewater restrictions and applicable health approvals.43

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

  1. Confirm the parcel lies inside town limits and ask the town official for its zoning district and development requirements; for land outside town limits, use the Tazewell County guide.52
  2. Resolve sewer or septic suitability with the town and health department before committing to a home design.34
  3. Submit the town building-permit application and pay the applicable fee before covered work starts.1
  4. Arrange required construction-stage inspections with the building official, including final inspection for permitted construction.20

Town floodplain districts require a building permit before any uses, activities or development, with the town manager acting as zoning administrator for application compliance.8 If an entrance connects to a VDOT-maintained highway, construction or modification also requires the applicable VDOT entrance approval.21

Watch-outs

  • Town of Tazewell zoning applies inside incorporated limits; the county’s lack of comprehensive countywide zoning does not remove town zoning.522
  • Virginia’s qualifying owner-builder exemption concerns contractor licensing, not exemption from the building code or building permits.7
  • We could not confirm a town public-water or sewer connection trigger or a private-well permit rule; ask the town official about utility requirements for the parcel.2

Sources

  1. Sec. 5-26. - Permit required (Town of Tazewell), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Tazewell Zoning, Building & Property Maintenance Official (townoftazewell.org)
  3. Sec. 24-21. - Septic tanks (Town of Tazewell), quoted and re-checked
  4. Sec. 22-103. - Wastewater disposal (Town of Tazewell), quoted and re-checked
  5. Sec. 23-2. - Districts (Town of Tazewell), quoted and re-checked
  6. Sec. 23-12. - Area requirements (Town of Tazewell), quoted and re-checked
  7. § 54.1-1101. Exemptions; failure to obtain certificate of occupancy; penalties (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Sec. 12-57. - Building permit (Town of Tazewell), quoted and re-checked
  9. Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. 13VAC5-63-80. Section 108 Application for permit (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. 13VAC5-63-80. Section 108 Application for permit (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. § 32.1-164. Powers and duties of Board; regulations; fees; onsite soil evaluators; letters in lieu of permits; inspections; civil penalty (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Chapter 24 - Subdivisions (Town of Tazewell), quoted and re-checked
  14. Code of Virginia § 36-99. Provisions of Code; modifications (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. 12VAC5-610-240. Permits; general (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Tazewell County Health Department (Cumberland Plateau Health District) (vdh.virginia.gov)
  17. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  18. Code of Virginia, Title 35.1 — Hotels, Restaurants, Summer Camps, and Campgrounds (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Sec. 23-84. - New permanent mobile home parks (Town of Tazewell), quoted and re-checked
  20. 13VAC5-63-130. Section 113 Inspections (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Land use permits (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. March 13TH, 2025 Planning Commission Minutes (2026 county census)

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 Tazewell

Town of Tazewell’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Dwelling, building, structure, driveway, or access construction, alteration, addition, improvement, or related work inside Tazewell town.

    • The requirement is subject to exemptions in the Uniform Statewide Building Code.
    • A written permit and applicable fee are required before the work.
    “within the town without first obtaining a written permit therefor as provided in this article, and paying the fee for such permit”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    New permanent mobile-home parks inside Tazewell town.

    • A zoning permit and certificate of occupancy are required in addition to a special use permit issued by the town council.
    “The location of mobile home parks shall require, in addition to the zoning permit and certificate of occupancy, a special use permit issued by the town council.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside the incorporated limits of Tazewell town.

    • The zoning map establishes the location and boundaries of the districts.
    “For the purpose of this chapter, the incorporated areas of the town are hereby divided into the following districts:”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Permitted uses in Agricultural District A-1 inside Tazewell town.

    minimum lot area: 20000 square feet

    “The minimum lot area for permitted use in Agricultural District A-1 shall be twenty thousand (20,000) square feet.”
  • Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

    Wastewater disposal and subdivision lots inside Tazewell town where sanitary sewers are not provided.

    • The town code prohibits private wastewater-disposal facilities except as provided in the sewer-use article.
    • The county health department supplies the written suitability statement and approves septic tanks on an individual-lot basis.
    “where septic tanks are to be installed, these shall be approved on an individual lot basis by the health department.”
  • Off-grid sanitationProhibited

    Privies, privy vaults, septic tanks, cesspools, and other wastewater-disposal facilities inside Tazewell town, except as provided in the sewer-use article.

    • The prohibition expressly contains the exception 'Except as provided in this article.'
    “Except as provided in this article, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool”
  • Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    Certain agricultural land divisions inside Tazewell town.

    • The exclusion applies only to a bona fide division or partition of agricultural land for agricultural purposes or for a building site for members of the family owning the agricultural land.
    • This is an exclusion from the chapter's definition of subdivision, not a general exemption from zoning, building, health, or other requirements.
    “The term "to subdivide" shall not include a bona fide division or partition of agricultural land for agricultural purposes”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    All uses, activities, and development within a floodplain district inside Tazewell town.

    • A building permit must be issued before development.
    • Development must comply with the floodplain chapter, other applicable codes and ordinances, the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, and the county subdivision ordinance.
    • Before permit issuance, the town manager, acting as zoning administrator, requires applications to include 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 building permit.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing or improving buildings inside Tazewell town.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Tazewell town.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Tazewell town, including R-1 and A-1 districts.
  • Lot coverage — Lots inside Tazewell town.
  • Building height — Buildings in Agricultural District A-1 inside Tazewell town.
8 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • 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 Tazewell publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Tazewell County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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