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1. Are you sure you can use the property for the activities that you have in mind?

The Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance defines and implements land use and design standards such as permitted uses, lot sizes, setbacks, etc. It is important to know what Zoning District your property is in. Learn more about Zoning and Use of Land in Loudoun County.

2. Will your water supply and waste disposal system be a public or private system?

With the exception of Hillsboro, the incorporated towns in Loudoun County provide water and sewer service to residents of the towns and some outlying areas. Loudoun Water provides public water and sewer service for people who live outside incorporated towns within designated service areas. If you are not connected to public sewer and/or wastewater service, and this is true of most of rural Loudoun, you will need to know about private wells and onsite wastewater treatment systems. Find out more about water and sewer and other utilities here.

3. Do you know how to access your property and what easements on the property might affect you?

It's important to know how your property is accessed - is it through a private road or driveway? Also, there may be several easements on the property you are considering. These include drainage, utility, land conservation, and right-of-way. Covenants may exist that restrict development or use of a property. Find out more about access, boundaries and easements through the Loudoun County online mapping system.

4. What does it mean if your property is in an Overlay District?

An overlay district is used to establish alternative land development requirements within a specific area of the county. Some examples include the Airport Impact Overlay District, Floodplain Overlay District, Historic Districts and Limestone Overlay Districts.

5. Is your property within one of Loudoun's incorporated towns?

Loudoun County has seven incorporated towns, which have rules and regulations regarding property and land use. The towns are: Hamilton, Hillsboro, Leesburg (the county seat), Lovettsville, Middleburg, Purcellville, and Round Hill. Contact information for each of the towns is online here.

6. Are you familiar with the special considerations that should be given to living in a rural area?

There are both challenges and rewards associated with living in any of Loudoun County's beautiful rural areas. They range from living next door to livestock to having your septic system pumped.

7. Do you know whether your property could be impacted by a new major road or development?

There a variety of ways available to you to help find out about planned development in Loudoun County. They range from subscribing to the electronic newsletters of the elected members of the Board of Supervisors to researching information on the Loudoun Online Land Application System, which provides a user-friendly way to access information regarding legislative land development applications and provides a format for public input for active applications. 

8. Do you know whether your property is located within a flood zone or has wetlands on it?

Important information about the environmental features of your property,such as soil and rock characteristics, is available from several Loudoun County government agencies. The county can provide site-specific information and interpretation of soils, existing landscape features and associated problems. More information is online here.

9. Is the property located close to an existing or proposed major powerline?

Information about proposed powerlines that could impact Loudoun County and the surrounding area is available from the case information webpage of the State Corporation Commission. 

State Corporation Commission: Case Information