Bolthole Index

Jefferson County, West Virginia

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Shepherdstown, West Virginia

The Town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, in Jefferson County, has its own zoning, run by the town's Planning Commission and zoning officer for all land inside town limits1. Jefferson County's building-permit requirements do not apply inside Shepherdstown2, and we could not confirm the town's own building-permit steps, so call Town Hall first. Septic permits come from the Jefferson County Health Department3.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes. The town zones all land inside its limits under Title 91
Building permit
County permit rules do not apply in town; the town's own permit steps are unconfirmed, so ask Town Hall2
Septic
Jefferson County Health Department permit; in-town details unconfirmed34
Manufactured and mobile homes
New mobile and manufactured homes are prohibited in all town districts5
RV living
Not confirmed for private land inside town; flood-plain RV limit applies6
Short-term rental
Treated as a boardinghouse under the zoning code7
Owner-builder
Exempt from contractor licensing, not from permits8
Wells
Permit from the local health department before drilling9

Who to call

Zoning

Town of Shepherdstown Town Hall (Planning Commission and zoning)

Zoning, planning review and Title 9 questions inside Shepherdstown

(304) 876-2312

104 North King St

Septic permits

Jefferson County Health Department, Environmental Health

Septic (sewer system) permits and water-well permits for Jefferson County

(304) 728-8416

[email protected]

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does Shepherdstown, WV have zoning, and what does it mean for lots and setbacks?

Yes. The Town of Shepherdstown zones every parcel inside its corporate limits, and its Planning Commission and zoning officer administer Title 9 of the town code1. The town's districts are HD (historic), COS (conservation open space), PR (park-residential), R-1, R-2, RC (residential commercial), C (commercial) and PUD (planned unit development)10. Check your parcel's district on the official zoning map before you buy, because what you may build depends on it.

In the R-1 district, a single-family house needs a rear yard of at least 40 feet and one side yard of at least 12 feet, or 8 feet where the lot is reached from a public alley11. Houses and accessory buildings together may cover no more than 50% of the lot12. Single-family, two-family and town-house dwellings in the town's residential districts may not exceed 35 feet13.

The Jefferson County zoning ordinance explicitly excludes incorporated areas, so it does not govern land inside Shepherdstown14. Call the town's planning and zoning office at Town Hall15.

Do you need a building permit in Shepherdstown, and who issues it?

Jefferson County's building-permit requirements do not apply in Shepherdstown, Charles Town, Ranson, Harpers Ferry or Bolivar2. So the county's Office of Building Permits & Inspections is the wrong counter for a parcel inside Shepherdstown.

We could not confirm the town's own building-permit, inspection or occupancy-permit steps, so ask Town Hall which office issues building permits and what a new house needs15. What we did confirm is that the town adopted the International Property Maintenance Code for existing buildings and premises; that ordinance does not set construction codes for new buildings16.

If your parcel lies in the flood plain, the town requires a permit from its building permit officer before any development, new construction or placement of a structure, including a mobile home6. West Virginia's owner-builder rule exempts an owner who personally does the work from contractor licensing, but it does not waive any building permit or inspection8.

How do septic permits work inside Shepherdstown?

The Jefferson County Health Department says no onsite sewer system may be installed in Jefferson County without a permit from its office, and the owner must obtain that permit before construction or installation of a dwelling that needs a sewer system4. Septic permits for Shepherdstown parcels therefore start with the health department, not Town Hall17.

We could not confirm whether town parcels on public sewer have a separate connection requirement; the Shepherdstown Public Sewer and Water Authority is the body to ask about sewer and water hookups. If a lot is divided and not served by public sewer, the county health department also handles that subdivision application, and new subdivisions need a septic reserve area of 10,000 square feet18.

Wells also go through the health department: West Virginia requires a permit before drilling, modifying or abandoning a well, and a certified driller must do the work9. County soil data point the same way: about 24% of soils in Jefferson County rate as not limited for a conventional septic drain field, so many lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system19.

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home in Shepherdstown?

Manufactured and mobile homes are the clearest answer. Shepherdstown's zoning prohibits mobile homes in all districts and treats any manufactured home as a mobile home, with an exemption for those already in town on April 12, 19945. West Virginia law separately requires a municipality to apply its design standards and permit procedures uniformly to factory-built and other single-family homes20, so ask the town's zoning office how the two fit together before you plan on a factory-built home.

We could not confirm any rule for living in an RV, camping, or a tiny home on private land inside town, so ask Town Hall before you place one15. The one RV rule we did confirm applies in the flood plain, where an RV must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days or be fully licensed and ready for highway use6.

Short-term rentals, meaning leases of four months or less, are treated as a boardinghouse under the town's ordinances7. State law bars a West Virginia municipality from restricting at least one accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a single-family dwelling, capped at 1,000 square feet or 75 percent of the main house, whichever is less, under rules in effect on or after January 1, 202721.

Building a home in Shepherdstown: the steps, in order

  1. Ask Town Hall which zoning district the parcel is in and what the district allows15.
  2. Confirm the town's building-permit and occupancy steps with Town Hall; we could not confirm them15.
  3. Apply to the Jefferson County Health Department for a septic permit, or confirm a public sewer hookup with the Shepherdstown Public Sewer and Water Authority17.
  4. Get a well permit from the health department if the lot has no public water9.
  5. If the parcel touches the flood plain, get the town's flood-plain permit before any development6.
  6. If the driveway meets a state highway, get a West Virginia Division of Highways permit, which is free from any Division office22.
  7. If you split the lot, the town's subdivision rules in Chapter 14 apply, with a minor subdivision meaning up to two lots23.

What stays with Jefferson County, and what to check before you buy in Shepherdstown

The county keeps septic and well permits for the whole county, town parcels included3. For land outside town limits, use the Jefferson County page, where building permits, zoning and inspections work differently.

Before you buy, check the flood map, because both the town and the county regulate flood-plain development6. If you plan to subdivide, the town's minor-subdivision sketch plat review costs $250 plus $50 per proposed lot, and major subdivision review costs $1000 plus $100 per lot24. We did not find the town's building permit fees.

County figures give context: Jefferson County's effective property tax rate is 0.6%25, the median property tax bill is $1,796 a year26, and the typical home value is about $404,00027.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm the town's building permit, inspection or occupancy-permit process; ask Town Hall before you design or buy, rather than relying on Jefferson County's permit office, whose rules do not reach into town2.
  • Mobile and manufactured homes are prohibited in all town districts unless they were in town on April 12, 19945.
  • We could not confirm town rules for RVs, camping or tiny homes on private land, or whether the Shepherdstown Public Sewer and Water Authority requires you to connect; ask Town Hall and that authority15.
  • The town's official copy of Title 9 at Town Hall controls if the web copy differs1.

Sources

  1. Shepherdstown Code Title 9 Planning and Zoning (Chapter 9 PDF) (Town of Shepherdstown), quoted and re-checked
  2. Office of Building Permits & Inspections, quoted and re-checked
  3. Environmental Health & Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  4. Environmental Health & Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  5. Shepherdstown Code Title 9 Planning and Zoning (Chapter 9 PDF) (Town of Shepherdstown), quoted and re-checked
  6. Shepherdstown Code Title 9 Planning and Zoning (Chapter 9 PDF) (Town of Shepherdstown), quoted and re-checked
  7. Shepherdstown Code Title 9 Planning and Zoning (Chapter 9 PDF) (Town of Shepherdstown), quoted and re-checked
  8. West Virginia Code §30-42-6. Necessity for license; exemptions (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Environmental Health & Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  10. Shepherdstown Code Title 9 Planning and Zoning (Chapter 9 PDF) (Town of Shepherdstown), quoted and re-checked
  11. Shepherdstown Code Title 9 Planning and Zoning (Chapter 9 PDF) (Town of Shepherdstown), quoted and re-checked
  12. Shepherdstown Code Title 9 Planning and Zoning (Chapter 9 PDF) (Town of Shepherdstown), quoted and re-checked
  13. Shepherdstown Code Title 9 Planning and Zoning (Chapter 9 PDF) (Town of Shepherdstown), quoted and re-checked
  14. Jefferson County Zoning and Land Development Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  15. Town of Shepherdstown Town Hall (Planning Commission and zoning) (shepherdstown.gov)
  16. Shepherdstown Code Title 13 Chapter 1 - Adoption of International Property Maintenance Code (Town of Shepherdstown), quoted and re-checked
  17. Jefferson County Health Department, Environmental Health (jchdwv.org)
  18. Environmental Health & Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  19. 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
  20. West Virginia Code §8A-11-1. Standards for factory-built homes (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. West Virginia Code §8-42-1. Definitions (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Encroachment Permits (West Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. Shepherdstown Code Title 9 Planning and Zoning (Chapter 9 PDF) (Town of Shepherdstown), quoted and re-checked
  24. Shepherdstown Code Title 9 Planning and Zoning (Chapter 9 PDF) (Town of Shepherdstown), quoted and re-checked
  25. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  26. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  27. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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 Shepherdstown

Town of Shepherdstown’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedPartial

    Town-adopted property maintenance code for existing buildings and premises in Shepherdstown town. Building construction codes are not established by this ordinance.

    • The town adopted the International Property Maintenance Code under W.Va. Code 7-1-3n and 87 CSR 4, which permits adoption without the other national codes in the WV State Building Code.
    • The town's new-construction code status (WV State Building Code, enforcement by the state or county) was not opened in this research.
    “it is the intent of the corporation of shepherdstown to establish minimum property maintenance standards by adopting and putting into force and effect the international property maintenance code pursuant to west virginia code §7-1-3n and title 87, series 4 (87 csr 4).”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    All land inside the corporate limits of Shepherdstown town, administered by the Town's Planning Commission and zoning officer under Title 9

    • Zoning applies to every use in the town's districts (HD, COS, PR, R-1, R-2, RC, C, PUD); use is permitted only as allowed for the district in which the land lies.
    • Title 9 notes the official copy at Town Hall controls if the web copy differs.
    “section 9-202 jurisdiction the following chapters in this title will govern all lands within the corporate limits of shepherdstown.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Shepherdstown town limits

    • Districts are HD (historic), COS (conservation open space), PR (park-residential), R-1 (residential one), R-2 (residential two), RC (residential commercial), C (commercial), and PUD (planned unit development).
    • Public-use properties are shown as public use on the official zoning map.
    “(a) for the purposes of this title the following zoning districts are hereby established, and are delineated on the official zoning map.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Single-family dwelling in the R-1 (residential one) district inside Shepherdstown town

    • Front yard: no closer than the established building line on adjacent lots; if no buildings exist, no closer than a building within 200 feet on the same side of the street.
    • Side yard: one side yard of at least 12 feet, or a minimum of 8 feet where the lot is accessible from the rear via a public alley.
    • Rear yard: not less than 40 feet.

    front yard: no closer than established building line on adjacent lots (if no buildings exist, no closer than a building within 200 feet on the same side of the street) · side yard: >= 12 feet (8 feet if the lot is accessible from the rear via a public alley) · rear yard: >= 40 feet

    “one side yard of at least twelve (12) feet unless the lot is accessible from the rear via a public alley. if such access exists then the side yard may be a minimum of eight (8) feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Residential lots in Shepherdstown town's residential districts under section 9-508 (R-1 single-family dwellings named in the table)

    • Footprint of the house (primary structure) and any accessory buildings cannot exceed 50% of lot area.

    maximum building footprint (primary structure plus accessory buildings): <= 50 percent of lot area

    “footprint of house (primary structure) and any accessory buildings cannot exceed 50% of lot area.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Single-family, two-family, and town-house dwellings in Shepherdstown town's residential districts (section 9-506)

    • Multi-family dwellings may not exceed 3 stories or 45 feet in height (same section).
    • Chimneys, church steeples, monuments, tanks, water towers, spires, radio and television towers, and similar appurtenances are exempt from height limits (section 9-802(d) per the PDF text).

    maximum height, single-family, two-family, or town-house dwelling: <= 35 feet (and not more than 2.5 stories) · maximum height, multi-family dwelling: <= 45 feet (and not more than 3 stories)

    “no single, two-family or town-house dwelling shall exceed two and one-half (2 1/2) stories or thirty-five (35) feet. no multi-family dwelling shall exceed three (3) stories or fortyfive (45) feet in height.”
  • Manufactured homesProhibited

    New mobile homes and manufactured homes placed on land inside Shepherdstown town limits, in all zoning districts

    • Section 9-212 treats any manufactured home as a mobile home for this prohibition.
    • Mobile homes already in the corporate limits on or before April 12, 1994 are exempt; the town council issues an exemption permit to owners who had one on that date.
    • A grandfathered mobile home space is considered abandoned if not replaced by a mobile home of equal or better quality within two years of removal, and the permit is revoked.
    • Mobile home parks of six or more units are described in section 9-212 as existing uses; the park may not be extended beyond its configuration as of April 12, 1994.
    • Section 9-212 is marked amended April 12, 1994; no separate effective date is stated, so effective_at is null.
    “the following are prohibited in all districts: billboards, private or public rifle shooting ranges, junkyards—including those for storage and sale of scrap materials—and mobile homes.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Division of land inside Shepherdstown town limits under Chapter 14 (Subdivision and Development Ordinance)

    • Final plat approval requires forms, required fees, and at least three original plats with supporting documents from the Planning Commission staff, the WV Bureau of Health, WVDOH, Shepherdstown Public Sewer and Water Authority, and WVDEP as applicable.
    • The approved final plat must be filed with the Jefferson County clerk and the town clerk within 90 days of approval or the application is withdrawn.
    • Minor subdivision is up to two lots; major subdivision is three or more lots.
    “the application for final plat review and approval shall be on forms provided by the planning commission, accompanied by the required fees.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development, new construction, substantial improvement, or placement of structures, including manufactured or mobile homes, inside the flood plain area of Shepherdstown town

    • A permit from the building permit officer is required before any development in the flood plain area.
    • Where land is subdivided or developed for a manufactured or mobile home park, a site plan must be approved by the building permit officer before development.
    • Recreational vehicles in flood plain must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days and fully licensed and ready for highway use, or meet the chapter's other provisions.
    “it shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, business, or corporation to undertake, or cause to be undertaken, any development or the new construction, substantial improvement, the placement or relocation of any structure (including manufactured homes or mobile homes) within the flood plain area, unless a permit has been obtained from the building permit officer.”
  • Short-term rentalsLimited

    Short-term rental housing inside Shepherdstown town limits

    • Short-term rental housing is defined as day-to-day, week-to-week, and month-to-month leases; leases longer than four months are not short-term rental housing.
    • Short-term rental housing is treated as a boardinghouse under the ordinances, so its permission follows the boardinghouse rules for the district.
    • The boardinghouse district-use rules were not opened in this research.
    “short-term rental housing shall be considered a boardinghouse under these ordinances.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Subdivision and development review fees in Shepherdstown town (Chapter 14). Building permit fees were not located.

    • Minor subdivision sketch plat review: $250.00 plus $50.00 per proposed lot.
    • Major subdivision sketch plat review: $1000.00 plus $100.00 per proposed lot.
    • The fee schedule was adopted as an addendum to the subdivision ordinance on April 11, 2006 according to the PDF text.

    minor subdivision sketch plat review fee: 250 USD (plus $50.00 per proposed lot) · major subdivision sketch plat review fee: 1000 USD (plus $100.00 per proposed lot)

    “adopted by town council as addendum to subdivision ordinance on april 11, 2006 corporation of shepherdstown, west virginia development review fee schedule minor subdivision, sketch plat review….............. $250.00 plus $50.00 per proposed lot major subdivision, sketch plat review….............. $1000.00 plus $100.00 per proposed lot”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — New construction and alterations inside Shepherdstown town limits
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home inside Shepherdstown town limits
  • Inspections — Inspections for new construction inside Shepherdstown town limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy permit or certificate for new dwellings inside Shepherdstown town limits
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for a single-family home in R-1 inside Shepherdstown town limits
13 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Permit process

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 Shepherdstown publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Jefferson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Jefferson County: county rules, score and offices