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1. How do I know which categories my property is in?

In order to determine which water and sewer categories your property is in, you must review the latest water and sewer category maps located on the county's website. For additional information, call 301-883-5834.

2. Why is it important for me to know a property's water and sewer service category if I am going to build a house or develop a piece of land?

The water and sewer categories determine whether you can develop using public water and sewer or if you must use individual wells and septic systems. Category 6 allows for individual systems; category 4 or 3 is required before the submission and approval of a subdivision using public water and sewer, and category 3 is required for getting plumbing permits.

For more information, please call 301-952-3208.

3. Which school will my child attend?

Find program and school assignments for a particular address using the School Finder page.

4. What does the "school facilities surcharge" mean?

The school facilities surcharge is a fee collected at the time of the issuance of the building permit. It goes into a fund that supplements new school construction costs in the county.

In 2003 the Prince George’s County Council through a County Council bill, CB-31-2003, established a school facilities surcharge on new residential construction permits. The school facilities surcharge may be used for the construction of additional or expanded school facilities and renovations to existing school buildings or other systemic changes.

Section 10-192.01(b)(1)(B) of the Prince George’s County Code requires the surcharge to be adjusted for inflation. A Prince George’s County Council resolution, CR-051-2011, adjusted the surcharge for Fiscal Year 2012, beginning July1, 2011, to $8,565 for permits issued for buildings located between Interstate Highway 495 and the District of Columbia and for permits issued for buildings included within a basic plan or conceptual site plan that abuts an existing or planned mass transit rail station site operated by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and $14,682 for permits issued for all other buildings.

For more information, please call 301-952-3208.

5. When will a school be built in my neighborhood?

You can check the Prince George's County Public School's website to get the most up-to-date information concerning the school construction program. The information is updated each month. Visit the Prince George County Public Schools page.

6. What is the "sewer envelope"?

The sewer envelope is depicted on the category maps as a boundary beyond which no community water and sewer facilities will be approved. The sewer envelope boundary is based on topography, existing sewer service areas, and proposed development density according to the Area Master Plans. The Sewer Envelope boundary was first established in 1994. The County Council reaffirmed the envelope boundary by adopting it as the template for the Rural Tier boundary adopted in the Adopted 2002 Prince George’s County General Plan. Although there are minor mapping differences, the Rural Tier and Sewer Envelope boundaries generally run concurrent.

For more information, please call 301-952-3208.

7. What is meant by Adequate Public Facilities?

Before a new subdivision can be approved by the Planning Board, county regulations require that the Planning Board determine that transportation facilities in the vicinity of the subdivision will be adequate to serve it. The Planning Board determines adequacy on the basis of information submitted by the subdivider as well as agencies responsible for building the required facilities, such as the State Highway Administration and the County Department of Public Works and Transportation.

For more information, please call 301-952-3208.

8. When are the planned facilities on the Master Plan going to be built?

In general, most planned facilities in Prince George's county are built by private land developers at the time that adjacent property is developed and the facilities become necessary. All Master Plans are developed in order to determine facility needs at the time that full development potential is reached; therefore, there is no target year given for construction of transportation facilities. Some larger facilities may be needed to serve needs beyond those of adjacent property owners; these facilities will be constructed by State or local transportation agencies as priorities suggest they are needed and as money becomes available.

For more information, please call 301-952-3208.

9. How can I find projections for future population, dwelling unit, household, and employment growth for the county?

The Research Section prepares the Planning Department’s cooperative forecasts, which estimates the timing and location of population, household, dwelling unit, and employment growth in the county. For questions about the cooperative forecast, call 301-952-3065.