Bolthole Index

Queen Anne's County, Maryland

Building permits, zoning and septic in the Town of Centreville, MD

The Town of Centreville, Maryland requires a permit from the town’s Zoning Administrator for buildings, structural alterations and changes in land use.1 Centreville administers its own zoning; Queen Anne’s County Health Department remains the approving authority for septic and private wells.23 Inside town limits, start with town Planning & Zoning for building approval and the health department for an onsite sewage system.14

At a glance

Building permits
Required for buildings, structural alterations and land-use changes; issued by the town Zoning Administrator.1
Zoning
Town zoning and subdivision regulations apply inside Centreville limits.25
Septic permits
County health approval required before constructing or altering an onsite system.43
Private wells
Well construction requires approval; a licensed well driller submits the application to the county approving authority.6
Building permit fees
Town fee schedule is published; ask Planning & Zoning for the charge for your project.7
Owner improvements
Maryland’s owner-performed home-improvement exception concerns the contractor license number, not an exemption from building permits.8

Who to call

Zoning

Town of Centreville Department of Planning and Zoning

Town zoning and subdivision administration; contact for parcel zoning and development questions.

410-758-1180

Town Hall 101 Lawyer’s Row Centreville MD 21617

Building permits

Town of Centreville Zoning Administrator — Building Permit Applications

Town building permit applications, building detail sheets and published fee schedule.

410-758-1180

Town Hall 101 Lawyer’s Row Centreville MD 21617

Septic permits

Queen Anne's County Health Department, Environmental Health Division

County health review of septic systems and private wells, including town properties using those systems.

410-758-2281

206 N. Commerce St., Centreville, MD

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 Centreville 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 Centreville, MD?

Centreville requires a permit from the Zoning Administrator before erecting, moving, adding to or structurally altering a building or other structure, or changing the use of land.1 Centreville’s building permit must conform to town zoning unless the Board of Appeals issues a written order.1 A building proposal therefore needs both a zoning fit and the town building approval; ownership of the parcel does not resolve either question.21 Maryland’s exception for owner-performed home improvements concerns inclusion of a contractor license number on the permit, rather than permission to build without a permit.8

Who issues building permits in the Town of Centreville?

The Town of Centreville Zoning Administrator issues the town building permit, and the town’s Forms & Permit Applications page provides a Building Permit Application Form and Building Detail Sheet.19 Contact town Planning & Zoning at 410-758-1180 for the zoning and application questions for your address.10 Centreville publishes a fee schedule, but we could not confirm the individual project charges; ask the town for the applicable building permit fee before budgeting.7 For land outside town limits, use the Queen Anne’s County guide for the county building-permit answer rather than treating Centreville’s town approval as approval for unincorporated land.1

Does the Town of Centreville have zoning and setback rules?

The Town of Centreville administers its own Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations inside town limits.25 Centreville’s published zoning information includes district regulations; a parcel’s district is the starting point for evaluating a proposed home or land use.11 Ask town Planning & Zoning to identify the parcel’s district and the applicable lot size, setbacks and permitted uses before choosing a building footprint.10 We could not confirm a district-specific minimum dwelling size or dimensional thresholds for this guide; request those requirements directly from town Planning & Zoning rather than assuming a single standard applies throughout Centreville.10

How do septic permits and wells work inside the Town of Centreville?

Queen Anne’s County Health Department is the local approving authority for onsite sewage disposal and related water-system permitting, including Centreville properties using private systems.3 Construction or alteration of a septic system requires prior approval, and increased flow or changed wastewater character also requires permission.4 Maryland requires an onsite system to be inspected and approved before any part is covered or used.12 A licensed well driller submits a well construction application to the county approving authority; potable use requires a Certificate of Potability before the well enters service.6 For an existing property, contact Environmental Health at 410-758-2281 about septic and well records and the proposed work.13

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

We could not confirm an allowance for living in an RV, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy on private land inside Centreville; ask town Planning & Zoning about the intended dwelling and duration before buying for that purpose.10 Centreville’s permit requirement covers changes in land use as well as building work, so a proposal involving little construction still needs a town land-use answer.1 Maryland protects placement of qualifying new manufactured homes in zones allowing single-family residential uses, subject to the statutory conditions and local zoning, utility, site-preparation and permit requirements.14 That manufactured-home protection does not establish permission for RV or tiny-home living on every Centreville parcel.14

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

  1. Ask town Planning & Zoning to identify the parcel’s zoning district and review the proposed use; the town administers zoning and subdivision regulations.10
  2. Resolve water and sewage arrangements before construction: county health approval applies to covered work on private systems, while a community sewer connection may be required where the system is adequate and economically available.415
  3. Use the town’s building permit application and detail sheet, and request the applicable town fee.97
  4. Ask town Planning & Zoning how to arrange inspections and the applicable occupancy certificate; Maryland’s enforcement mandate includes inspection of permitted work and appropriate use and occupancy certificates, but we could not confirm Centreville’s local scheduling procedure.101617

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Centreville’s town-wide public water and sewer connection requirements for new homes; ask town Planning & Zoning to identify the utility review needed for your parcel.10
  • A new private septic system generally cannot serve property already connected to community sewerage unless the Department authorizes it.15
  • Floodplain development can require local and state approvals; ask Centreville’s town permit office about the local requirements before grading or building on a mapped floodplain parcel.18
  • Maryland required local accessory-dwelling authorization laws by October 1, 2026, for land with a primary single-family detached dwelling; ask Centreville Planning & Zoning for the town’s current implementing law and project standards.1910

Sources

  1. Forms & Permit Applications (Town of Centreville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Planning & Zoning (Town of Centreville), quoted and re-checked
  3. health.maryland.gov, quoted and re-checked
  4. .03 On-Site Sewage Disposal Permits, quoted and re-checked
  5. Planning & Zoning (Town of Centreville), quoted and re-checked
  6. Water Well Construction, quoted and re-checked
  7. Forms & Permit Applications (Town of Centreville), quoted and re-checked
  8. Maryland Business Regulation Article § 8-504 (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Town of Centreville Zoning Administrator — Building Permit Applications (townofcentreville.org)
  10. Town of Centreville Department of Planning and Zoning (townofcentreville.org)
  11. Chapter 170 - Zoning (Town of Centreville), quoted and re-checked
  12. COMAR 26.04.02.02 General Provisions (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Queen Anne's County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (health.maryland.gov)
  14. Maryland Land Use Article § 4-104 (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. COMAR 26.04.02 Sewage Disposal and Certain Water Systems for Homes and Other Establishments in the Counties of Maryland Where a Public Sewage System Is Not Available (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Maryland Public Safety Article § 12-505 (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Maryland Public Safety Article § 12-505 (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Floodplain Permitting in Maryland (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Maryland Land Use Article §4-502 (Maryland statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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 Centreville

Town of Centreville’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erection, movement, addition to, structural alteration of a building or other structure, and changes in land use within Centreville town limits.

    • A permit is issued by the Zoning Administrator.
    • A building permit may be issued only in conformity with Chapter 170, except upon written order from the Board of Appeals.
    “According to Chapter 170-53: No building or other structure shall be erected, moved, added to, or structurally altered, or use of the land be changed without a permit therefore issued by the Zoning Administrator. No building permit shall be issued except in conformity with the provisions of this chapter, except upon written order from the Board of Appeals.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Required — Buildings, structures, structural alterations, and changes in land use inside Centreville town limits.
      “No building or other structure shall be erected [...] without a permit therefore issued by the Zoning Administrator.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land within Centreville town limits.

    • Chapter 170 includes district regulations, administration, appeals, fees, amendments, and enforcement.
    “Chapter 170 of the Code of the Town of Centreville establishes the provisions for zoning, which includes: general provisions; nonconforming lots, uses and structures; district regulations; critical areas; supplemental zone regulations; administration; appeals; fees and amendments; enforcement; and definitions.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Present — Land inside the Town of Centreville limits.
      “administration of the Centreville Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, and associated codes.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts within Centreville town limits.

    • Chapter 170 includes district regulations.
    “Chapter 170 of the Code of the Town of Centreville establishes the provisions for zoning, which includes: general provisions; nonconforming lots, uses and structures; district regulations; critical areas; supplemental zone regulations; administration; appeals; fees and amendments; enforcement; and definitions.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Published — Zoning districts inside Centreville town limits.
      “establishes the provisions for zoning, which includes: [...] district regulations;”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land within Centreville town limits.

    • The Town Planning and Zoning Department administers the Centreville Subdivision Regulations.
    “The Department of Planning and Zoning is responsible for planning and managing the physical growth and development of the Town of Centreville, including the administration of the Centreville Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, and associated codes.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Regulated (with conditions) — Subdivision and development inside Centreville town limits.
      “administration of the Centreville Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision Regulations, and associated codes.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Town building, site-review, zoning, and related permits within Centreville town limits.

    • The schedule states that associated costs may include attorney fees, consultant fees, staff time, advertising, and file archiving and are the applicant's responsibility.
    • The opened schedule identifies Resolution 08-2024 as effective March 21, 2024.

    preliminary review fee: 150 USD (for 3 hours, plan or on-site) · curb/sidewalk/driveway review fee: 50 USD (plus associated costs) · street cutting permit fee: 200 USD (plus associated costs)

    “TOWN OF CENTREVILLE FEE SCHEDULE BUILDING PERMIT FEES Preliminary Review - $150 for 3 hours - plan or on-site New Single Family Dwelling Critical Area Review - $50 PLUS Associated Costs Curb/Sidewalk/Driveway - $50 PLUS Associated Costs Street Cutting Permits - $200 PLUS Associated Costs.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Published (with conditions) — Town permit applications inside Centreville town limits.
      “Fee Schedule New Fees Effective 03 21 2024”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building and land-use applications within Centreville town limits.

    • The Town provides a building-permit application, building-detail sheet, planning-commission site-plan application, and other listed forms.
    • A permit is issued by the Zoning Administrator and must conform with Chapter 170 unless the Board of Appeals issues a written order.
    “Supporting Documents Building Permit Application Form Building Detail Sheet Business Occupancy Application Form Business Occupancy Checklist Home Occupation Application Form Planning Commission Site Plan Application”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Centreville or Queen Anne's County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Centreville town limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption inside Centreville town limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Centreville town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Centreville town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in Centreville zoning districts.
19 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 Centreville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Queen Anne's County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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