There are two kinds of subdivision in Augusta County, a minor subdivision and a major subdivision.  A minor subdivision is a division of a piece of property into no more than two lots.  Any subdivision that creates more than two lots is a major subdivision.  A family member exception lot is a type of minor subdivision lot with which property owners can create lots without the required road frontage.

Minor Subdivision:
A minor subdivision is a division of a piece of property in which one parcel of land is made into two parcels.  This type of subdivision is mainly performed in the General Agriculture zoning district and can be accomplished by following the below steps:

• Have a surveyor plat out your desired lot
• Eight copies of the plat must be submitted to Community Development, with a $150 fee, VDOT approval for an entrance, and Health Department approval for a drainfield location
• The plat is normally reviewed within ten working days and either approved or denied
• If approved, it is the property owner’s responsibility to take the plat to the Augusta County Circuit Courthouse and record it
• If denied, the plat is returned to the surveyor for necessary changes

If you have any questions about this process, please contact the Community Development Department.

Family Member Exception:
A family member exception lot is an exception to the normal minor subdivision regulations allowing property owners to create lots that have no road frontage.  The Augusta County Zoning Ordinance requires that lots have at least 50 feet of road frontage on a public street.  If the 50 foot requirement cannot be met, you can create a lot and convey it to an immediate family member.  According to the Zoning Ordinance, a family member can be:

• Spouse
• Sibling
• Children
• Grandchild 
• Grandparent 
• Stepchild

Effective January 1, 2007 the family member lot must be held for a period of no less than three years.

Major Subdivision:
Major subdivisions allow the creation of multiple new lots at one time while requiring more steps than the minor subdivision process.  In order to complete a major subdivision, the following steps must be taken:

• Submit a preliminary plat showing proposed lots and public improvements for approval
• Public or private water and sewer must be available to serve the number of lots you wish to create
• Submit construction plans for all public improvements (streets, water, sewer, storm sewer, monuments, etc.)
• An engineer’s estimate is also required in order to make these infrastructure improvements
• You must prepare legal documents and post a bond before the final subdivision plat can be signed
• In addition to review by the Department of Community Development, the preliminary plat, construction plans and final plat will be reviewed by the County Attorney, Augusta County Fire-Rescue, the Augusta County Service Authority, the Virginia Department of Transportation, and the Virginia Department of Health as applicable

A checklist of steps to complete in the major subdivision process can be found here.  Associated fees are found in  the Augusta County Code under Chapter 19, Fees.

The Subdivision Ordinance contains more detailed information on the major and minor subdivision processes. If you have any questions, please contact the Community Development Department.