Prince William County, VA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Sec. 05 sets one baseline for every agricultural and residential district: 35 feet, measured for "all structures" unless another part of the chapter says otherwise. A narrow list of larger buildings gets a 60-foot ceiling instead, specifically a religious institution, a barn, a silo or other agricultural building, a library, a hospital, or a building owned by a public use, but only if every required yard and setback on the lot grows by one foot for each foot the building rises above 35 feet, so a taller building has to sit further from its neighbors.

The section then exempts a specific list of features from both caps altogether: flagpoles, chimneys, cupolas, bell towers and domes not used for human occupancy, skylights, solar collectors, and antenna-support structures serving a dwelling's residents, provided each is built no taller than necessary for its purpose and the Building Official signs off on it. Beyond that, the Board of County Supervisors can approve taller buildings as part of a proffered rezoning or a Special Use Permit, but only if the applicant proffers or conditions the specific height, the Board finds no substantial adverse impact on neighboring light and air, the County Fire Marshal certifies in writing that the building can be safely protected in a fire, and, where relevant, the FAA certifies the height poses no hazard to aerial navigation.

Accessory buildings are capped separately: they can never exceed the height of the principal building on the lot and are further limited by the accessory-structure standards in Sec. 03.