Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Washoe County, Nevada

At a glance

Building permit

Required unless Chapter 100 lists the work as exempt¹

Zoning

County zoning outside city limits; Reno has its own zoning²⁴

Septic permits

NNPH handles residential systems; the state handles commercial systems⁵⁷

Owner-builder exemption

Available for an owner-occupied home; affidavit and direct supervision required⁸

Minimum lot size

Varies by regulatory zone and parcel⁹

RV camping

Limited camping; longer occupancy is tied to an active home permit¹⁰

Domestic wells

Domestic-use appropriation permit generally exempt up to 2 acre-feet/year; public water availability can require a waiver¹¹

Median property tax bill

$2,297 a year¹²

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 Washoe County, Nevada?

Unincorporated Washoe County requires a building permit for construction and repairs unless Chapter 100 lists the work as exempt; the county FAQ describes an exception for structures smaller than 200 square feet.¹¹³ New submittals use the adopted 2024 ICC editions and 2023 NEC.¹⁴ Permitted work must remain accessible and exposed until inspections are approved.¹⁵ Occupancy requires a certificate of occupancy, and regulated utility connections require the building official’s release.¹⁶¹⁷ A residential temporary certificate may allow safe occupancy for up to 90 days with applicable agency permission, but requires a Special Inspection Permit for the final certificate.¹⁸ Inside Reno, the city issues building permits; residential septic approvals remain with Northern Nevada Public Health throughout Washoe County.³⁵

Who is the Washoe County building department, and how do you reach them?

The Washoe County Building Program provides plan review and inspections; reach the office at (775) 328-2020 or building@washoecounty.gov, at 1001 E Ninth Street, Reno, NV 89512.¹⁹ Submit building-permit applications through the online portal; a Permit Technician checks completeness and adds fees.²⁰ Initial building-permit fees depend on project size, with plan-review, fire, health and other charges potentially due at different stages.²¹ Building-permit renewal costs $45 plus 10% of the original building-permit fee and subfees, subject to stated exclusions; grading, fence and utility permit renewals cost 100% of their original fee and subfees.²² An owner-builder exemption covers contractor licensing for a personal-occupancy home, not building permits: submit the affidavit with the application, supervise directly and use licensed subcontractors.⁸ For zoning and land-use applications, contact Planning at 775.328.6100 or planning@washoecounty.gov, at 1001 E. Ninth Street, Building A, Second Floor, Reno, NV 89512.²³

Does Washoe County have zoning, and what are the lot, setback and height rules?

Washoe County administers zoning in unincorporated areas; Reno sets its own city zoning, while residential septic approvals stay with Northern Nevada Public Health countywide.²⁴⁵ The county’s general table lists minimum lots of 8 acres in low density rural (LDR), 4 acres in medium density rural (MDR), 2 acres in high density rural (HDR) and 35,000 square feet in low density suburban (LDS); Tahoe-area standards differ.²⁴ In LDR, the general standards list front, side and rear setbacks of 30, 50 and 30 feet, respectively, and a maximum building height of 35 feet.²⁵²⁶ These are general guides: ask Planning for the parcel’s regulatory zone and area-specific standards before designing.²⁷ Land divisions also fall under the Development Code’s subdivision regulations; ask Planning about a proposed split before assuming acreage alone makes another homesite possible.²⁸ We could not confirm a general site-built dwelling minimum size or lot-coverage limit; ask Planning for parcel-specific requirements.²³

How do septic permits work in Washoe County?

Northern Nevada Public Health Environmental Health Services administers residential sewage and wastewater disposal rules adopted by the Washoe County District Board of Health.⁵²⁹ Commercial septic systems instead go to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Water Pollution Control⁷. A new residential on-site sewage system requires a construction permit issued with the building-permit application³⁰. For building-permit work on a septic-served property, Northern Nevada Public Health evaluates the system and signs off on the building permit; the Building Program does not control the septic system⁶³¹. The first planning step for a new residential system is a test-trench inspection³². Reach Environmental Health Services at 775.328.2003 or healthehs@nnph.org, at 1001 E. 9th Street, Building B, Reno, NV 89512³². Only about 6.9% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so establish feasibility before fixing the homesite³³.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Washoe County?

An RV, travel trailer or fifth-wheel trailer generally cannot serve as a dwelling on private land in unincorporated Washoe County.³⁴ Guest camping is limited to 14 consecutive days per visit and 4 visits per calendar year, with written owner permission, no compensation and no water or sanitary-sewer connections to buildings.³⁵¹⁰ Construction occupancy requires a valid primary-residence building permit and ends within 18 months of the original permit or 29 days after the certificate of occupancy, whichever comes first; an extension cannot carry occupancy beyond 37 months.¹⁰ Tiny-home ADUs require administrative review in low, medium and high density rural and low density suburban zones, or a special use permit in medium density suburban zoning; dwelling-code standards apply, and an RV cannot be an ADU.³⁶ Manufactured homes are allowed as primary homes on residentially zoned parcels, typically at least 1,200 square feet and six years old or newer; secondary manufactured dwellings require administrative review and cannot exceed 50% of the main home or 1,500 square feet.³⁷³⁸ Septic capacity, expansion space and domestic-well rules can constrain added living space.³⁹

How do you build a home in Washoe County, step by step?

1. Ask Planning to confirm the regulatory zone, allowed dwelling type, lot size, setbacks and height for the parcel²³⁹⁴⁰.

1. If the home will use septic, arrange the test-trench inspection with Northern Nevada Public Health before fixing the building site³².

1. Resolve water service or a domestic well; Nevada generally allows domestic wells without an appropriation permit up to 2 acre-feet per year, but requires a waiver where qualifying public water service is available¹¹.

1. If acting as owner-builder, apply for the exemption, complete the affidavit and plan to supervise construction directly⁸.

1. Submit the building-permit application and plans online; a Permit Technician checks completeness and adds fees; upload corrections through the account and keep approved stamped plans on site during construction.⁴¹

1. Submit the new residential septic-system materials with the building-permit application so Northern Nevada Public Health can evaluate the system and sign off³⁰⁶.

1. Obtain an NDOT encroachment permit and approved traffic-control plan before driveway work in state highway right-of-way⁴².

1. Keep permitted work exposed until each required inspection is approved¹⁵.

1. Wait for the certificate of occupancy and the building official's utility release before occupying or connecting service¹⁶¹⁷.

What should you check before buying land in Washoe County?

Water comes first: Nevada generally does not require an appropriation permit for a domestic well using no more than 2 acre-feet per year, but a waiver is required before drilling where qualifying public water service is available¹¹. Septic feasibility is equally important because only about 6.9% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field³³. Ask for a test trench before relying on a building envelope³². Confirm the parcel's regulatory zone, lot size, setbacks and building height with Planning because standards vary by district⁴³²³. For driveway work in county right-of-way, obtain the county’s Encroachment/Excavation Permit before starting.⁴⁴ For access onto a state highway, budget for an NDOT permit whose fee varies by category; a site plan or traffic study may also be required⁴². Ask the county to review flood exposure because its Engineering and Capital Projects Division reviews development in FEMA special flood hazard areas⁴⁵. The median property-tax bill is about $2,297 per year¹².

Watch-outs

• LDR’s general standards include a 35-foot height limit, but Washoe County’s dimensional rules vary by regulatory zone and area; confirm the parcel’s standards with Planning.²⁶²⁷
• Temporary RV camping is limited to 14 consecutive days per visit and 4 visits per calendar year; construction occupancy has separate deadlines tied to a valid residential building permit¹⁰.
• New building-permit submittals use the 2024 ICC editions and 2023 NEC; permits submitted before January 1, 2026 under the 2018 codes remain under those codes.¹⁴
• We could not confirm a complete agricultural building exemption or rules for every off-grid sanitation method; ask the Building Program about a barn and Northern Nevada Public Health about wastewater disposal.¹⁹³²

Sources

1. What Requires a Permit?, quoted and re-checked
2. Codes & Regulations, quoted and re-checked
3. Reno: Building Permits (Washoe County), quoted and re-checked
4. Reno: Annexation and Land Development Code (Washoe County), quoted and re-checked
5. Septic Systems & Liquid Waste, quoted and re-checked
6. March 6, 2025 Washoe County Board of Adjustment Draft Meeting Minutes, quoted and re-checked
7. Septic Systems & Liquid Waste, quoted and re-checked
8. Owner Builder Affidavit of Exemption, quoted and re-checked
9. Codes & Regulations, quoted and re-checked
10. Land Use, Business License, and Nuisance Codes Common Complaints, quoted and re-checked
11. NAC Chapter 534 — Underground Water and Wells (Nevada statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
13. washoecounty.gov, quoted and re-checked
14. Washoe County Building Program, quoted and re-checked
15. Washoe County Code Chapter 100 — Buildings & Construction, quoted and re-checked
16. Washoe County Code Chapter 100 — Buildings & Construction, quoted and re-checked
17. Washoe County Code Chapter 100 — Buildings & Construction, quoted and re-checked
18. Residential Certificate of Occupancy Handout, quoted and re-checked
19. Washoe County Building Program (washoecounty.gov)
20. Submit for a Permit, quoted and re-checked
21. Estimating Project Costs, quoted and re-checked
22. Building Fees, quoted and re-checked
23. Washoe County Planning and Building Division, Planning Program (washoecounty.gov)
24. Regulatory Zone Development Standards, quoted and re-checked
25. Setbacks, quoted and re-checked
26. Regulatory Zone Development Standards, quoted and re-checked
27. Regulatory Zone Development Standards, quoted and re-checked
28. Washoe County Development Code (Chapter 110), quoted and re-checked
29. Single Family Dwelling - Washoe County, quoted and re-checked
30. washoecounty.gov, quoted and re-checked
31. March 6, 2025 Washoe County Board of Adjustment Draft Meeting Minutes, quoted and re-checked
32. Northern Nevada Public Health, Environmental Health Services (nnph.org)
33. 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
34. Land Use, Business License, and Nuisance Codes Common Complaints, quoted and re-checked
35. Land Use, Business License, and Nuisance Codes Common Complaints, quoted and re-checked
36. FAQs – Washoe Services, quoted and re-checked
37. washoecounty.gov, quoted and re-checked
38. washoecounty.gov, quoted and re-checked
39. FAQs, quoted and re-checked
40. Codes & Regulations, quoted and re-checked
41. Submit for a Permit, quoted and re-checked
42. Right-of-Way Occupancy Permits/Encroachments, quoted and re-checked
43. Codes & Regulations, quoted and re-checked
44. Washoe County Engineering and Capital Projects Division, Land Development Services (washoecounty.gov)
45. Washoe County Engineering and Capital Projects Division, Floodplain Review (washoecounty.gov)

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.