What are the implications of building a private airfield in the United States? I've always wondered what it would take to build my own airfield.  I live close enough to an area where this would likely be possible (50 NM radius around Front Royal, Virginia, obviously outside the DC SFRA) and there are a number of private strips in the valleys adjoining mountain range I live near:



Here are the parameters I would consider, which would allow operation of one or more small general aviation aircraft:


Runway width - 50-75 feet
Runway length - 2200-2500 feet.
Runway surface - grass
Buildings - Space for a hangar (converted barn?) and a moderately sized house.


Answered Questions:


What are the legal implications in the United States?  Do you have to get permission from the government to do this?  Is this airspace dependent?  Answered in linked post and this post.
What about permission from neighbors?  I'm going to guess this will be harder to answer, since it likely depends on jurisdiction.  However, if anyone has done this, perhaps they can share their experience in this area.  Somewhat answered in revised post.  Still interested in additional experiences.


Outstanding Questions:


What would it cost to maintain this installation, above and beyond the cost of maintaining any piece of property of this size?  What's included in these costs?
Are you required to pay to have an airfield listed on charts?
Do the parameters I've listed seem reasonable for the requirements I've mentioned?
This has been somewhat covered in other questions here. You can find the legal requirements in the answer to this question (somewhat of a dupe to this question). There are some notes on security in this question.


  What would it cost to maintain this installation, above and beyond the
  cost of maintaining any piece of property of this size? What's
  included in these costs?


For a grass strip you will need a good ride on mower and possibly something to level/press the ground. Maybe some filler if there are any divots etc. But all in all the cost to maintain a strip of grass is pretty cheap. 


  Are you required to pay to have an airfield listed on charts?


Im not sure of this one but there may be some requirements you need to meet which could cost you money. 


  Do the parameters I've listed seem reasonable for the requirements
  I've mentioned?


Yes, 22-2500 is more than common, FWIW a bit on the short side but you should have no problem getting your common GA planes in and out of there. Keep in mind that with trees at the end and on either side this could get tight. In reality runways (at least nice paved ones) have a lot of clear space around the immediate area.