Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Prince George's County, Maryland

At a glance

Building permit

Required for nearly all construction, alteration, demolition or occupancy change; issued by DPIE⁷¹

Zoning

Yes; the county administers zoning except in the City of Laurel, which has its own zoning authority⁸²³

Septic permit

Required through the county Health Department where an individual sewage system serves property without public sewer⁹⁵

Owner-builder exemption

Available via a Homeowner Waiver, but the owner must agree not to sell or rent the property for at least 5 years¹⁰¹¹

RV or temporary camping

Private-lot RV living is unconfirmed; habitation in an RV on a public right-of-way is prohibited¹²

Manufactured home

Allowed only where zoning permits it, generally through special-exception standards¹³

Accessory dwelling

Conversion may add no more than 2 units and requires a use-and-occupancy permit where zoning allows it¹⁴

Private well

The well driller must apply for a county well permit¹⁵

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 10, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Prince George's County, Maryland?

Yes. Prince George's County requires the owner or authorized agent to obtain the necessary permit before construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, movement, demolition, an occupancy change, or regulated electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing work begins¹. Limited exemptions include painting, exterior siding, roof-shingle replacement without structural repair, exact window or door replacement without structural alteration, and certain small projects identified by the county¹. Prince George's County adopted a current list of building codes and standards effective March 1, 2026, with additional codes potentially applying to the scope of work¹⁶. A project that needs a commercial building, site-road development or homeowner permit also needs an inspection¹⁷.

Who issues building permits in Prince George's County, and how do you reach them?

The Prince George's County Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE) is the building-permit office; call 301-636-2000 or visit 9400 Peppercorn Place, Largo, MD 20774¹⁸. Building Plan Review is available at 301-636-2070, Inspections at 301-636-2080, and Enforcement at 301-883-6168¹⁸. The Prince George's County Planning Department handles zoning, use, subdivision and site-plan approvals that must precede a building or site permit; call 240-545-8976¹⁹²⁰. For zoning enforcement on existing private property, call the Zoning Compliance / Enforcement Division at 301-636-2090²¹. A business outside the City of Laurel also needs a Use and Occupancy Certificate before operations begin, and that certificate does not itself authorize construction²².

Does Prince George's County have zoning?

Yes. Prince George's County has a zoning ordinance, while the City of Laurel has its own zoning authority²³. The Planning Department reviews zoning, use, subdivision, site plans and plats before DPIE issues building or site permits, while the Zoning Compliance / Enforcement Division handles compliance on developed property¹⁹²¹. Parcel zoning matters for unconventional housing: manufactured homes are prohibited in many zones and generally require special-exception review where allowed¹³. We could not confirm a countywide minimum dwelling size; ask the Planning Department about the parcel's exact district²⁰. In an RR conservation subdivision, the minimum net lot area is 10,000 square feet, at least 50% of the gross tract must remain conservation area, and the basic main-building yards are 20 feet in front, 5 feet at the side and 20 feet at the rear²³²⁴. RR conservation-subdivision lots from 10,000 through 19,999 square feet may cover no more than 30% of net lot area; larger lots are generally capped at 25%²⁵. Road edges and adjoining agricultural conservation land can trigger much deeper yards, so verify the recorded plat before siting a house²⁴.

How do septic permits work in Prince George's County?

The Prince George's County Health Department or DPIE Health approves and administers on-site sewage disposal systems⁴. When public sewer is unavailable, a new residence or commercial building must start with a percolation-test application; satisfactory results are followed by a sewage-disposal-permit application, and the building permit waits for the septic permit and any applicable well permit⁵. Some soils can be tested only during the wet season from February 1 through April 30, with dates subject to rainfall²⁶. The completed sewage disposal system must be inspected before it is covered, and a satisfactory inspection produces a Certificate of Compliance⁶. The county also issues permits for replacement of failing septic systems and conventional systems for new construction²⁷. County-permitted individual sewage disposal is the documented off-grid sanitation option where public sewer is unavailable²⁸. Only about 1.9% of county soils lack severe limits for a conventional drain field, so make the site evaluation a purchase contingency²⁹.

The service path depends on the parcel: projects inside the water and sewer envelope need Category 3 to advance toward public service and WSSC permits for new lines; projects outside need Category 6 plus DPIE well and septic permits³⁰.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Prince George's County?

We could not confirm that Prince George's County allows long-term RV living or a tiny home as a distinct use on an individual private lot; ask the Planning Department about the parcel and proposed dwelling classification²⁰. Habitation in an RV, camper, mobile home or trailer on public property or a public right-of-way is prohibited unless the location is a designated public campground, recreational park or licensed mobile-home park¹². That public-space rule does not answer whether an RV may be occupied on a private lot. Temporary trailer camping is separately addressed in county-regulated recreational campgrounds: the campground needs special-exception approval, at least 5 acres and designated campsites, and a trailer may be occupied for no more than 3 months in any 12-month period³¹. A manufactured home used as a detached house is allowed only where the zoning table permits it and must meet siting, anchoring and appearance standards¹³.

Building a home in Prince George's County: the steps, in order

1. Ask the Planning Department to confirm zoning, proposed use and whether subdivision or a recorded plat must be approved before construction³²²⁰.
2. Determine the parcel's water and sewer category: public service inside the envelope follows the Category 3 and WSSC path, while well and septic outside it require Category 6 and DPIE permits³⁰.
3. If public sewer is unavailable, complete percolation testing and obtain the county sewage-disposal permit⁵.
4. If public water is unavailable, have the well driller apply for the well permit; the county also performs construction checks and requires satisfactory water samples before issuing a Certificate of Potability³³.
5. Apply to DPIE for the building permit and budget for applicable building, grading, planning and technology fees³⁴¹⁸.
6. An owner acting as contractor must obtain the Homeowner Waiver and accept its deed, work and occupancy conditions¹¹.
7. Schedule building inspections and have the completed septic system inspected before it is covered¹⁷⁶.

What to check before you buy land in Prince George's County

Confirm the water and sewer category before buying: projects inside the service envelope need Category 3 to advance toward public water and sewer, while projects outside need Category 6 and county well and septic permits³⁰³⁵. Make septic feasibility a purchase contingency because only about 1.9% of county soils lack severe limits for a conventional drain field²⁹. Confirm that the parcel is a recorded buildable lot; a landowner or developer generally needs an approved subdivision plan and compliant record plat before construction³². Check floodplain status and whether construction affects wetlands or waterways, because floodplain development and some wetland work require additional permits³⁶³⁷. A new or modified driveway within a state right-of-way needs an MDOT State Highway Administration permit³⁸. A farm building on farm property used only for agriculture may be exempt from the building permit, but electrical and mechanical trade permits and other land approvals can still apply³⁹.

Watch-outs

• Long-term RV occupancy, tiny homes as a distinct use and minimum dwelling size remain unconfirmed; ask the Planning Department before relying on a parcel for any of them²⁰.
• A campground rule does not establish permission to camp temporarily on an ordinary private lot; ask Zoning Compliance about a non-campground parcel³¹²¹.
• The City of Laurel has its own zoning authority; if your parcel is in or near Laurel, confirm which zoning rules apply before relying on the county standards in this guide³.
• The septic-soils figure (1.9%) is a countywide average; get a site-specific percolation test from the Health Department rather than assuming every lot needs the same system design²⁹.

Sources

1. Inspection FAQs, quoted and re-checked
2. Guide to Zoning Categories, quoted and re-checked
3. Planning, Zoning, and Development Review in Prince George’s County, quoted and re-checked
4. Information about the Permit Process, quoted and re-checked
5. Health Approval of Building Permit — Individual Water-Sewer, quoted and re-checked
6. Health Approval of Building Permit — Individual Water-Sewer, quoted and re-checked
7. Inspection FAQs (2026 county census)
8. Guide to Zoning Categories (2026 county census)
9. Information about the Permit Process (2026 county census)
10. Building Contractor License (2026 county census)
11. Building Contractor License, quoted and re-checked
12. Sec. 26-127.06. Habitation in vehicles parked in public right-of-way, quoted and re-checked
13. Prince George’s County Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, & Landscape Manual, quoted and re-checked
14. Prince George’s County Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, & Landscape Manual, quoted and re-checked
15. Health Approval of Building Permit — Individual Water-Sewer, quoted and re-checked
16. Building Codes & Bulletins | Prince George's County, quoted and re-checked
17. When Is a Permit Required?, quoted and re-checked
18. Prince George's County Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE) (princegeorgescountymd.gov)
19. princegeorgescountymd.gov, quoted and re-checked
20. Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Prince George's County Planning Department (pgplanning.org)
21. Prince George's County Code Compliance, Zoning Compliance / Enforcement Division (princegeorgescountymd.gov)
22. Use & Occupancy Inspections, quoted and re-checked
23. Prince George's County, MD Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, & Landscape Manual (Effective 4/1/2022), quoted and re-checked
24. Prince George's County, MD Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, & Landscape Manual (Effective 4/1/2022), quoted and re-checked
25. Prince George's County, MD Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, & Landscape Manual (Effective 4/1/2022), quoted and re-checked
26. Prince George's County Health Department, Environmental Engineering Program (web.archive.org)
27. Wells and Septic Systems on Private Property, quoted and re-checked
28. Health Approval of Building Permit — Individual Water-Sewer, quoted and re-checked
29. 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
30. Water and Sewer Planning, quoted and re-checked
31. Prince George’s County Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, & Landscape Manual, quoted and re-checked
32. princegeorgescountymd.gov, quoted and re-checked
33. Health Approval of Building Permit — Individual Water-Sewer, quoted and re-checked
34. DPIE Fee Schedule, quoted and re-checked
35. Water and Sewer Planning, quoted and re-checked
36. Floodplain Permitting in Maryland (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
37. Nontidal Wetland and Waterway Permits, Approvals and Certifications (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
38. Access Management/Permits - MDOT SHA (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
39. When Is a Permit Required?, quoted and re-checked

Written October 10, 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.