Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Cheverly, Maryland

Town of Cheverly’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration and repair work inside Cheverly town that needs a Prince George's County permit, and all fences or walls

  • Town permit is in addition to the county permit; obtain the county permit (or a no-permit-needed determination) first
  • Work can only begin after the town permit is received
  • Fences or barriers need a town permit regardless of height; front yard fences are not permitted
  • Roof shingle replacement, exact window/door replacement and exterior painting or siding need no permit

  paving requiring town permit: > 150 sq ft (county permit also needed for paving over 500 sq ft)

  “as a rule: if you need a county permit, you need a town permit. (all walls/fences need a town permit)”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Accessory structures/decks and pools on residential lots inside Cheverly town

  • Main-building setbacks for R-55 and RSF-65 zones are set by the county zoning and building code, by plat, or by covenant (not quantified here)
  • Front yard fences are not permitted

  accessory structure distance from rear/side lines: >= 2 feet · pool distance from rear/side lines: >= 8 feet

  “they must be at least 2 feet from rear or side property lines.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Residential lots inside Cheverly town

  • Coverage counts buildings, accessory structures and parking areas

  maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent

  “only 30% of a lot may be covered by buildings, including accessory structures and parking areas.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveways and driveway aprons inside Cheverly town

  • Driveway aprons require a permit from the public works department and DPW site inspection before pouring
  • Gravel/stone is not permitted for paving

  driveway size requiring building permit: > 500 sq ft

  “driveways over 500 square feet require a building permit and driveway aprons need special approval and permit from the public works department.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Town of Cheverly building permit fee inside Cheverly town

  • County and WSSC fees are separate
  • Full fee schedule is linked on the town page

  first $1000 of project cost: 25 USD · each additional $1000 of project cost: per 5 USD

  “the price of the permit is $25 for the first $1000 and $5 per $1000 of the total project cost.”

• Permit processPublished

  Town building permit process inside Cheverly town

  • Contact the county DPIE first to see whether a county permit is required
  • Code Compliance verifies no conflict with Town Code Chapter 8
  • Fee is paid after approval; work begins only after the town permit is received

  “code compliance will verify the information and ensure no conflicts with the town code (chapter 8).”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Cheverly

Town of Cheverly does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• InspectionsRequired

  Inspections of work needing county building, electrical, mechanical or grading permits inside Cheverly town; rule-maker is Prince George's County DPIE

  • Plumbing and gasfitting permits are issued by WSSC Water
  • Town DPW inspects the site before driveway aprons are poured

  “please note that prince george's county's department of permits, inspection, and enforcement is responsible for inspections for all work that requires county building, electrical, and mechanical projects as well as grading permits.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Cheverly or Prince George's County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Cheverly town
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Cheverly town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Cheverly town
• Local zoning — Zoning authority inside Cheverly town
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Cheverly 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 Cheverly 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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