Amherst County, Virginia Building Permit Guide

Amherst County Building Safety & Inspections, a division of Community Development, issues building permits for the whole county, including inside the Town of Amherst. You need an approved zoning permit first, then you apply on the County’s Citizen Portal. A new house costs $0.20 per square foot of finished area, one permit covers every trade, and residential applications are usually processed within 48 hours of a complete submittal.

What requires a permit in Amherst County?

The Citizen Portal describes the Building Permit Application as the one to use if you are going to build, demolish, renovate or repair a structure. The County’s Building Permits page lists common jobs that do not need one.

Zoning is wider than the building code here. The portal states that building any new structure needs a zoning permit: dwellings, decks and porches, sheds, carports, agricultural buildings, additions, pools, commercial structures and towers, and any change to their footprint. Changing the use of an existing building, or opening a storefront business, needs a zoning permit too.

Who issues building permits in Amherst County?

Building Safety & Inspections issues permits, reviews plans, inspects and enforces the building code. Nathan M. Young is the Building Official. Planning & Zoning, in the same building, issues County zoning permits and handles site plans and erosion control.

Town of Amherst. The county’s only incorporated town does not run a building department. The Town states that the Amherst County Building Official administers the building code in town, including issuing permits and inspecting. What the Town does issue is the zoning permit: the Town Manager is the Zoning Administrator at Town Hall, 174 S. Main Street (434-946-7885), and the County will not issue a building permit for substantial in-town construction without the Town’s zoning permit. Zoning certificates approved administratively by the Town Manager carry no fee.

Amherst County permit types and the Citizen Portal

Every application is filed on the County’s iWorQ Citizen Portal. The ones a building project is likely to need:

• Zoning Permit Request (New Construction), with any Health Department well, septic or Safe, Adequate and Proper documents uploaded.
• Zoning Permit Request (Change in Use), for an existing structure or property.
• Building Permit Application, with construction drawings and specifications uploaded for plan review.
• Land Disturbance Request, residential or commercial.
• Erosion and Sediment Control Plan, Site Plan Permit and Sign Permit.

Special exception, variance and rezoning applications are also in the portal, but each requires a pre-application meeting with Planning & Zoning (434-946-9303) before you file.

Forms published by Building Safety & Inspections include the Owner-Builder Statement, construction Cross Sections, the Residential Deck Construction guide and Deck Worksheet, the Asbestos Form for demolition and renovation, the HVAC System Compliance Certification, the Energy Efficiency Certificate and the Third-Party Inspection Policy.

Amherst County permit costs and fees

The County’s Permit Fee Schedule (updated September 2022) is the one posted on the Building Safety & Inspections page. New construction is priced by floor area and alterations by job cost.

A 2% state levy is added to every permit. For example, a new house with 2,000 sq ft of finished area is 2,000 × $0.20 = $400, plus $8 for the levy. The fee is collected when the permit is issued. Land disturbance and amusement device fees are available from the office on request.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits

Amherst County issues blanket permits and does not require a separate permit for each trade. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work on a building project is covered by the building permit; stand-alone trade work is applied for on the same Building Permit Application. The fee schedule prices these electrical jobs individually:

Utility-scale solar plan reviews and inspections, and elevator inspections, must be done by approved third-party inspectors at the owner’s expense. For new homes the mechanical contractor signs the County’s HVAC System Compliance Certification covering equipment sizing and duct testing.

Amherst County construction documents

For erosion control the County asks how much land you will disturb, excavate, grade or clear, counting the driveway and any clearing for the house and yard.

Most applications are processed with little delay, and residential submittals usually within 48 hours of a complete submission. If the application does not comply it is denied as submitted, and you can correct the problems or appeal.

How to apply: 6-step Amherst County process

Amherst County building inspections

To schedule an inspection, call Building Inspections on 434-946-9302 by 5:00 p.m. the day before you want it. Anything involving a sprinkler system needs 48 hours’ notice. The inspections your project needs are listed on a sheet issued with the permit, and the person responsible for the job has to request each one.

If work does not match the approved plans the inspector will tell you what to remedy, and a serious violation can bring a stop work order until it is resolved. The re-inspection fee is $50. Changes to the plans must go back to the code official for review in the same way as the original application.

Third-party inspections are allowed only when requested in writing at least five working days ahead and approved by the Building Official. The inspector must be a registered design professional or hold state inspector certification in that trade, and the written report is due within five working days of the inspection.

The inspector issues the Certificate of Occupancy once code compliance is confirmed.

Local Amherst County requirements

Land disturbance: a residential land disturbance permit is required when you disturb more than 10,000 sq ft, or when you build on land platted from 2004 onward. Homes can use an “agreement in lieu” of an engineered plan, but erosion controls still have to be in place before construction starts. Commercial projects over the threshold need an engineered erosion and sediment control plan and a bond.

Stormwater: Amherst County runs its own erosion and sediment control program but has left the Virginia Stormwater Management Program to the state Department of Environmental Quality. A builder may need DEQ stormwater permit coverage before the County issues the local land disturbance permit. For a single-family house in a common plan of development, the County posts a stormwater pollution prevention plan template, an agreement in lieu and a coverage letter to keep on site.

Owner-builders: to use the owner exemption you must appear before the Building Official in person, read and sign the Owner Builder Permit Disclosure Statement and sign the permit yourself. You then have to supervise the work directly on site.

Rezonings and exceptions: special exceptions, variances and rezonings each start with a required pre-application meeting.

Virginia building code

Every Virginia locality enforces the Uniform Statewide Building Code, 2021 edition, in effect since 18 January 2024. No Virginia locality can adopt its own building code or amendments, so what varies locally is zoning conditions, historic districts and flood plain rules. How Virginia’s statewide code works

Official Amherst County permit resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Virginia DHCD building code
• Amherst County Building Safety & Inspections
• Amherst County Citizen Portal (permit applications)
• Building Permit Process
• Building Permits (work that does not need a permit)
• Permit Fee Schedule (updated September 2022)
• Owner-Builder Statement
• Third-Party Inspection Policy
• Amherst County Planning & Zoning
• Erosion & Sediment Control / Stormwater
• Town of Amherst Planning and Zoning

Amherst County permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Amherst County?

New residential construction is $0.20 per square foot of finished area and $0.15 for unfinished area, with a $30 minimum and a 2% state levy. A 2,000 sq ft finished house is $400 plus $8. Alterations and repairs are charged at 0.75% of the job cost, and commercial renovations at 0.5%.

Do I need separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits?

No. The County issues blanket permits and does not require a separate permit per trade.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Amherst County?

A one-story detached accessory building under 256 sq ft with no trades does not need a building permit, but it still needs a zoning permit. Anything larger needs both.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof or siding?

Residential re-roofing and exterior siding are on the County’s list of work that does not need a building permit.

How long does a residential permit take?

The County says residential submittals are usually processed within 48 hours of a complete submission.

Who issues building permits in the Town of Amherst?

The Amherst County Building Official. The Town issues the zoning permit first, through the Town Manager at Town Hall (434-946-7885).

Can a homeowner pull a permit?

Yes, by signing the Owner Builder Permit Disclosure Statement in person before the Building Official and signing the permit.

When should I call for an inspection?

By 5:00 p.m. the day before, on 434-946-9302. Sprinkler system inspections need 48 hours’ notice.

Simplify Amherst County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Virginia. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Amherst County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.