Building permits, zoning and land rules in Queen Anne's County, Maryland

At a glance

Building permit

Required for new construction and for alteration, renovation or repair of residential or accessory structures¹

Zoning

County Planning & Zoning for unincorporated land; Centreville has its own zoning²⁴

Septic

Required for a new or altered onsite system; the county Health Department approves and inspects it⁸⁹¹⁰

Well permit

Required; a licensed well driller applies through the county Health Department¹¹⁶

Owner-builder

Conditional landowner affirmation for direct construction for personal use; no contracted builder or construction manager¹²

Accessory dwelling

One guest residence or apartment is allowed per single-family lot, subject to location, size, owner-occupancy and septic conditions¹³

RV occupancy

Only narrow rules are confirmed for a qualifying WVC fraternal use and for RVs in special flood hazard areas; ask Planning & Zoning about other parcels¹⁴¹⁵¹⁶

Floodplain

Construction or fill requires a floodplain permit; new structures must meet elevation requirements¹⁷

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Queen Anne's County, Maryland?

Unincorporated Queen Anne's County requires a building permit or zoning certificate for new construction and for alteration, renovation or repair of a residential or accessory structure; applicable plumbing, electrical, HVAC and septic permits must be in place before the building permit is issued¹⁸. Inside Centreville, the town's Zoning Administrator issues building permits; septic and well approvals remain with the Queen Anne's County Health Department³⁵⁶. Queen Anne's County enforces adopted residential, building, mechanical, energy, plumbing, electrical, life-safety, fire and related codes¹⁹.

Residential work proceeds through the inspections required for the particular permit, potentially including footing, foundation, framing, insulation, fire-code and final building-code inspections²⁰. The owner must ensure all applicable final inspections are approved, including a passing duct-tightness test certificate where required²¹. The owner must then obtain a Certificate of Occupancy from the Zoning Department before occupying the building⁷. Fire alarms, sprinkler systems, LP-gas work and certain fuel tanks require separate Fire Marshal permits²²²³.

Who is the Queen Anne's County building department, and how do you reach them?

The Permits, Licenses and Zoning Division, at 110 Vincit Street, Suite 104 in Centreville, is open weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; call 410-758-4088²⁴. Since October 21, 2024, permit applications can be submitted, paid for, and tracked online through the county's Citizen Self Service Portal, in addition to the in-person option²⁵²⁴. The Planning line at the same address, 410-758-1255, handles zoning, subdivision, critical area and forest conservation questions on weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.¹⁶.

Inspections themselves are not done by county staff: Queen Anne's County contracts building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC inspections to the Middle Department Inspection Agency (MDIA), reached at 410-822-8300²⁶. Fire-related permits and inspections, including for fire alarms, sprinklers and fuel tanks, go through the Office of the Fire Marshal instead; call 410-758-4500, extension 1144, at least three working days ahead to schedule²³.

Does Queen Anne's County have zoning?

County Planning & Zoning administers zoning, subdivision, Critical Area and forest conservation regulations for unincorporated Queen Anne's County; Centreville administers its own zoning, while septic and well approvals remain with the Queen Anne's County Health Department²⁴⁵⁶. County minor subdivisions create no more than 7 lots; major subdivisions exceed 7 and require Planning Commission approval, and administrative and sliding-scale subdivisions require stormwater planning for future development²⁷²⁸.

Minimum lot sizes depend on the district²⁹. The county's 2004 residential-lot ordinance states a 20-foot building-height limit below 2 acres and, above 2 but below 5 acres, the greater of 20 feet or the principal building's height; ask Planning which structures and current provisions govern your parcel³⁰¹⁶. One accessory guest residence or apartment per single-family lot may occupy the principal dwelling or an approved accessory structure, up to 1,500 square feet; the owner must reside onsite and obtain Health Department approval without public sewer¹³. We could not confirm a general setback schedule or minimum dwelling size; ask Planning & Zoning¹⁶.

How do septic and well permits work in Queen Anne's County?

The Queen Anne's County Health Department approves onsite sewage disposal and well construction under Maryland's delegated program⁵⁶. Sewage disposal requires an approved onsite permit, and new or altered systems cannot be covered or used before approval and inspection³¹⁸⁹. Environmental Health evaluates new and existing systems; call 410-758-2281 at 206 N. Commerce St., Centreville³²¹⁰. Any Maryland well requires a construction permit; a licensed Maryland driller applies to the county approving authority, submits a completion report, and obtains a Certificate of Potability before drinking-water use¹¹⁶.

Covered septic systems generally require pumping every 5 years or a licensed hauler's qualifying inspection certification; holding tanks and qualifying nutrient-removal systems under maintenance contracts are excepted³³. Privies, portable units, holding tanks and nonconventional sanitation require Health Department approval under limited conditions³⁴. The approving authority may require connection to adequate, economically available community sewerage; an interim individual system must connect when community sewer becomes available³⁵³⁶.

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

We could not confirm a general Queen Anne's County rule allowing an RV as a residence on an ordinary private lot; ask Planning & Zoning before buying or moving one onto a parcel¹⁶. A qualifying Waterfront Village Center fraternal use may host up to 15 RVs overnight for no more than 4 consecutive days per RV, while a Suburban Residential camping cooperative is seasonal and prohibits year-round residency¹⁴³⁷. In a special flood hazard area, an RV must meet manufactured-home requirements, be highway-ready, or remain onsite fewer than 180 consecutive days¹⁵.

Tiny-home occupancy also remains unconfirmed; ask Planning & Zoning how the proposed unit is classified in the parcel's district¹⁶. In the Agricultural district, a single-wide manufactured home is limited to replacing a legal existing mobile or single-wide home, providing temporary shelter, or serving as the primary residence on a farm under the applicable use rules³⁸. An accessory dwelling is another possible route on a single-family lot, subject to the county's location, size, owner-occupancy and septic conditions¹³.

Building a home in Queen Anne's County: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district, subdivision status and any critical area or forest conservation overlay with Planning before designing²⁷¹⁶.
2. Obtain onsite sewage and, if needed, well approval through Environmental Health⁸⁶¹⁰.
3. Check floodplain requirements and driveway access; paved-driveway review requires a site plan and zoning inspection, with a State Highway or County Roads entrance permit when applicable³⁹.
4. Submit the residential building-permit application after applicable trade and septic permits are in place¹⁸²⁴. The landowner affirmation requires direct construction solely for personal use without contracting a builder or construction manager; notify the building-permit office before later hiring one¹². Maryland also has a limited owner HVAC licensing exception for a single-family dwelling the owner occupies or is building to occupy; required county building and trade permits still apply⁴⁰.
5. Apply separately for Fire Marshal-regulated work²³.
6. Schedule the required building and trade inspections through MDIA²⁰²⁶.
7. Obtain the Certificate of Occupancy after final approvals and before moving in; allow 7–10 business days after requesting final building inspection unless Zoning is notified in advance⁴¹⁴².

What should you check before you buy land in Queen Anne's County?

Ask Environmental Health whether the parcel can support a septic system and whether it has an approved well site¹⁰. Confirm legal driveway access before closing: a paved driveway needs a site plan and county zoning inspection, and access may also require approval from State Highway or County Roads³⁹. Check the flood map because all construction or fill in a floodplain needs a permit, and check whether Critical Area lot-coverage limits apply¹⁷⁴³. Qualifying farm employee dwellings in Agricultural or Countryside districts with specified conservation protections may receive an impact-fee exemption; that exemption does not waive building, zoning or septic approvals⁴⁴.

Although 99.1% of the county's land has a slope of 15% or less, the NRCS rates 0% of its soils free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field; do not assume gentle ground will support a standard system⁴⁵⁴⁶. If rental income matters, short-term residential rentals require an annual zoning certificate and compliance with occupancy, inspection, parking and local-manager conditions⁴⁷. Also price the carrying costs: farmland averages $8,163 an acre, and the median property-tax bill is $3,503 a year⁴⁸⁴⁹.

Watch-outs

• Forest Conservation Act updates took effect July 1, 2026, and new applications filed after that date must meet the new standards; confirm which version applies to your project with Planning & Zoning¹⁶.
• Queen Anne's County contracts its building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC inspections to Middle Department Inspection Agency (MDIA) at 410-822-8300, not county staff, and fire-related permits and inspections go through a separate Fire Marshal's office at 410-758-4500 ext. 1144²⁶²³.
• Covered onsite septic systems generally need pump-out documentation every 5 years, but a licensed hauler's qualifying inspection certification may be used instead³³.
• The county's confirmed RV rules cover only a qualifying fraternal use in the Waterfront Village Center district and RVs in special flood hazard areas; neither rule establishes permission to live in an RV on an ordinary private lot¹⁴¹⁵.
• The landowner affirmation excludes contracts to erect, manage or supervise new-home construction; notify the building-permit office before later contracting a builder¹².
• We could not confirm a general setback schedule, minimum dwelling size or tiny-home occupancy rule; ask Planning & Zoning directly¹⁶.

Sources

1. Requirements for a Residential Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
2. Planning & Zoning | Queen Anne's County, MD - Official Website, quoted and re-checked
3. Town of Centreville: Forms & Permit Applications (Queen Anne's County), quoted and re-checked
4. Town of Centreville: Planning & Zoning (Queen Anne's County), quoted and re-checked
5. health.maryland.gov, quoted and re-checked
6. Water Well Construction, quoted and re-checked
7. Requirements for a Residential Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
8. .03 On-Site Sewage Disposal Permits, quoted and re-checked
9. regs.maryland.gov, quoted and re-checked
10. Queen Anne's County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (health.maryland.gov)
11. Well Construction Permit, quoted and re-checked
12. Affirmation of Landowner, quoted and re-checked
13. County Ordinance No. 04-22 — Accessory Apartments, quoted and re-checked
14. Article V: District Standards - Queen Anne's County, MD, quoted and re-checked
15. Queen Annes County, MD Requirements in All Flood Hazard Areas, quoted and re-checked
16. Queen Anne's County Department of Planning & Zoning (qac.org)
17. Building in a Flood Zone, quoted and re-checked
18. Residential Assistance Bulletin, quoted and re-checked
19. Current Adopted Codes, quoted and re-checked
20. Residential Building Code Inspections, quoted and re-checked
21. Residential Building Code Inspections Guidelines, quoted and re-checked
22. Fire Marshal's Inspection Information, quoted and re-checked
23. Queen Anne's County Emergency Services, Office of the Fire Marshal (qac.org)
24. Queen Anne's County Planning & Zoning: Permits, Licenses and Zoning Division (qac.org)
25. Planning and Zoning Citizen Self Service Portal, quoted and re-checked
26. Middle Department Inspection Agency (MDIA), the county's contracted building/electrical/plumbing/HVAC inspector (qac.org)
27. Planning & Zoning, quoted and re-checked
28. Planning & Zoning, quoted and re-checked
29. Queen Anne's County Housing Strategy, quoted and re-checked
30. COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 04-21, quoted and re-checked
31. State Groundwater Discharge Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
32. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
33. County Ordinance No. 08-09: Mandatory Pump-Out of On-Site Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
34. regs.maryland.gov, quoted and re-checked
35. regs.maryland.gov, quoted and re-checked
36. Sanitary Construction Application, quoted and re-checked
37. County Ordinance No. 24-02 — Camping Cooperative, quoted and re-checked
38. Queen Anne's County zoning code materials, quoted and re-checked
39. Application for Paved Driveway, quoted and re-checked
40. mgaleg.maryland.gov, quoted and re-checked
41. Residential Assistance Bulletin, quoted and re-checked
42. Residential Building Code Inspections Guidelines, quoted and re-checked
43. qac.org, quoted and re-checked
44. County Ordinance No. 24-14 — Impact Fee — Farm Employee Dwelling Exemption, quoted and re-checked
45. Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
46. 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
47. County Ordinance No. 24-09, quoted and re-checked
48. Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data
49. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

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.