Building permits in Appomattox County are issued by the Inspections Division of the Department of Community Development, at 153A Morton Lane in Appomattox. Applications are filled in online, with paper copies available at the counter, and are typically looked at within 14 days. New stick-built homes cost $0.18 per square foot with a $150 minimum, plus a 2% state levy.
What requires a permit in Appomattox County?
The Inspections Division answers this directly in its Building FAQs.
Permit needed
- Building, moving, altering or demolishing a structure over 256 sq ft
- Changing the use of a building
- Adding or replacing a deck
- Replacing roof plywood or trusses
- Any roof work on a commercial structure
- Finishing all or part of an unfinished basement
- Replacing water or sewer lines
- A swimming pool more than 24 inches deep
- New electric service or an upgrade
- Any gas, electric or oil-burning heating system
- Changes to interior or exterior wall framing
No permit
- Painting
- Residential re-roofing
- Replacement windows and doors with no framing changes, except in fire-rated assemblies
- Repairs to interior walls and wall coverings
- Floor coverings and porch flooring
- Cabinet installation
- Repair or replacement of existing plumbing and electrical fixtures
- Replacement of common appliances
- Residential exterior siding
- Low-voltage lighting under 50 volts
A zoning permit is a separate matter and is needed for any new structure, whatever its size. Farm use structures need the construction and zoning applications too, but no fee is collected and no inspections are made.
Who issues building permits in Appomattox County?
Community Development has three divisions that work on the same file: Building Inspections, Planning and Zoning, and Erosion and Sediment Control. The Inspections Division enforces the statewide building and fire prevention codes.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Department of Community Development, 153A Morton Lane, Appomattox, VA 24522 (mail: P.O. Box 863) |
| Phone | 434-352-8183 |
| Inspection requests by email | inspections@appomattoxcountyva.gov |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed state holidays |
| Apply | Online forms on the Permit Applications page, or paper at the County Administration Building |
| Septic permits | Appomattox County Health Department (VDH), 434-352-2313 |
| Recorded plat | Clerk of the Circuit Court, 434-352-5275 |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Towns. The county has two incorporated towns:
- Town of Appomattox: the County Inspections Division issues the building permit for addresses in town; Town Code Sec. 8-2 states that the county enforces the building code in the town. The County’s “Before You Build” checklist sends in-town projects to the Town Office (210 Linden Street, 434-352-8268) for zoning and water requirements. The Town’s own Building Permit Checklist is a utilities review: a Utility Permit Application and the building plans go to Town Public Works. The County and Town share a Joint Board of Zoning Appeals.
- Pamplin City (the part in Appomattox County): the County and Pamplin share a Joint Planning Commission, comprehensive plan, and zoning and subdivision ordinances. Building permits for the Appomattox County part of Pamplin also come from the County Inspections Division: the town has about 150 residents and no building department, and Code of Virginia Sec. 36-105 has each county cover its own side of a small town that crosses a county line. The Pamplin Town Office is at 115 Main Street (434-248-6514, weekdays noon to 5:00 p.m.).
Appomattox County permit types and application forms
There is no permit portal with accounts. Each application is a fillable online form, grouped on the County’s Permit Applications page by project:
- New construction (single-family, modular or multi-family): Application for Construction Permit, Application for Zoning Permit and the Agreement in Lieu application.
- Manufactured home: Application for Manufactured Dwelling Permit, with the same zoning and Agreement in Lieu forms.
- Trades only: Application for Electric, Plumbing and/or Mechanical Permit.
- Accessory structure or pool: the Accessory Structure or Pool Permit application plus a zoning permit.
- Commercial: Application for Commercial Construction Permit plus a zoning permit.
- Addition or alteration: one application; the zoning permit is needed only for additions and residential solar.
- Signs: a Sign Permit application and a Sign Zoning Permit application.
- Other: Demolition, Change of Use, Farm Structure Exemption Affidavit, Modify Construction Permit and Permit Extension forms.
A Land Disturbing Permit application is added when an accessory, pool or commercial project disturbs 5,000 sq ft or more. On any application you can list yourself as the contractor for some or all of the work, or name a licensed contractor with licence number; staff check the licences listed.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Appomattox County permit costs and fees
The Inspections Fee Schedule prices most building work at $0.18 per square foot, with a minimum that depends on the permit type. Where no square-foot rate is shown, the minimum is the fee.
| Permit type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential stick-built construction | $0.18 per sq ft, $150 minimum |
| Modular home | $0.18 per sq ft, $100 minimum |
| Mobile home | $100 single wide, $150 double wide |
| Residential addition | $0.18 per sq ft, $100 minimum |
| Residential alterations | $0.18 per sq ft, $75 minimum |
| Accessory structure | $0.18 per sq ft, $75 minimum |
| Commercial construction, addition or alteration | $0.18 per sq ft, $150 minimum |
| Pool | $50 above ground, $100 in ground |
| Demolition | $50 |
| Chimney | $75 |
| Antennae and towers | $100 |
| Sprinkler; commercial range hood | $100 each |
| Utility-scale solar farm | $650 per MW |
| Farm use | No charge |
| Re-inspection | $25 |
| Modify an existing permit | $25 |
| Re-open a closed permit | $50 |
A 2% state levy is added to the total of every permit. For example, a 2,000 sq ft stick-built house is 2,000 × $0.18 = $360, which is above the $150 minimum, and the levy adds $7.20. A 300 sq ft shed works out at $54, so the $75 accessory minimum applies instead.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits
Work that involves only a trade goes on the Application for Electric, Plumbing and/or Mechanical Permit, and you are charged only for the trades actually being done:
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electric | $50 |
| Plumbing | $50 |
| Mechanical | $50 |
| Two trades combined | $75 |
| Three trades combined | $100 |
Residential solar is filed on the trade application together with a zoning permit application. Three power companies serve the county, and the County suggests checking the nearest pole to see which one serves your site. Electric service to a farm use structure is exempt from fees and inspection unless it is run from another structure, in which case an electrical permit is required.
Appomattox County construction documents
The “Before You Build” checklist (November 2023) sets out what to have in hand:
New dwelling
- Copy of the recorded plat, from the Clerk of the Circuit Court, for any new dwelling
- Health Department permit where a septic tank and drain field will be used; Community Development needs that approval before it can issue the building permit
- Zoning permit application with a sketch of proposed and existing buildings and the setback to each property line
- Tax map number, from your tax bill or the Commissioner of the Revenue (434-352-7450)
- Agreement in Lieu of an erosion and sediment control plan, or a Land Disturbance permit
- Floor plan of the dwelling (not required for single-wide or double-wide homes)
Any building of 256 sq ft or more
- Building permit application
- Detailed plans and specifications
- Zoning permit application
- VDOT approval where the project needs a road entrance
If the setbacks on the zoning sketch do not meet the requirements for the property’s zoning district, the application will not be approved. Applications are typically viewed within 14 days.
Rather not deal with the Appomattox County building department?
Get a free quote →How to apply: 6-step Appomattox County process
Confirm the property is recorded in Appomattox County and get a copy of the plat for a new dwelling.
Septic approval has to reach Community Development before the building permit can be issued. Inside the Town of Appomattox, ask the Town Office about water and zoning instead.
Sketch the buildings and give the setback to every property line, using your tax map number to look up the zoning.
Pick the form for your project on the Permit Applications page and attach the plans, floor plan and erosion control form.
Community Development reviews the file, and one of its checks is the licensing of the contractors you list.
Request each inspection by phone or email before 10 a.m. on the day you need it.
Appomattox County building inspections
Inspection requests received before 10:00 a.m. are done the same day if at all possible; later requests are scheduled for the next day. Call 434-352-8183 with the permit number and the type of inspection, or email the request. An emailed request counts only when you get a confirmation back. Voice mail takes requests outside office hours.
The inspections the County lists by building type:
- New construction: footing before concrete is poured, anchor bolts and drain tile, slab, framing rough-in, electric, plumbing and mechanical rough-in, insulation, meter base and final. The County prefers the rough-ins to be inspected at the same time.
- Modular: footing, foundation and sill plate before the home is set, plumbing, electric and meter base, and final.
- Manufactured home: footing, the block, anchor and strap “setup” inspection, plumbing, meter base and final.
A re-inspection costs $25. A permit becomes void if work has not started within six months of issue or is abandoned for six months. A closed permit is kept for three years and can be reopened for $50 plus the levy, but the work must then meet the code edition in force at re-issue.
Local Appomattox County requirements
Land disturbance: disturbing more than 5,000 sq ft needs a land disturbing permit and a named Responsible Land Disturber. Below that threshold an Agreement in Lieu of an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan is completed instead.
911 addresses: the address process starts automatically with a dwelling application, but the County does not assign the address until the project reaches the electric service stage. When that inspection is called in, the Inspections Division asks the 911 Coordinator to visit, and a postcard confirms the address.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Town of Appomattox utilities: the Town requires a tested backflow assembly on every new business and on all irrigation systems, grease traps for food businesses (at least a 100-pound interior unit or a 1,000-gallon exterior tank), plastic water lines with tracing wire from the meter to the building, and sewer lines at a minimum 2% slope.
Zoning appeals and plans: variances and appeals go to the Joint Board of Zoning Appeals; rezonings and conditional use permits are decided by the Board of Supervisors on the Planning Commission’s recommendation.
Before digging: the County’s checklist reminds applicants to arrange utility service and call Miss Utility (1-800-552-7001) to locate buried lines.
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 Appomattox 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 statewide permit rules
- Appomattox County Building Inspections
- Permit Applications (online forms)
- Inspections Fee Schedule
- Building Inspections FAQs
- Before You Build Checklist (November 2023)
- Appomattox County Community Development
- Erosion & Sediment Control Program
- Appomattox County Planning & Zoning
- Town of Appomattox utility permit and Building Permit Checklist
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Appomattox County permit FAQs
How much does a building permit cost in Appomattox County?
Most building work is $0.18 per square foot, with a $150 minimum for a stick-built house and $75 for an accessory structure or residential alteration. A 2% state levy is added. A 2,000 sq ft house is $360 plus $7.20.
Do I need a permit for a shed in Appomattox County?
A building permit is required at 256 sq ft or larger. Smaller sheds still need a zoning permit, because the County requires one for any new structure.
Is a permit needed to re-roof a house in Appomattox County?
No, residential re-roofing is exempt. Replacing the roof plywood or trusses needs a permit, and so does any roof work on a commercial building.
Can I do the work myself?
Yes. You can list yourself as any or all of the contractors on the application for your own primary residence, within the limits state law sets.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call 434-352-8183 or email inspections@appomattoxcountyva.gov. Requests made before 10:00 a.m. are inspected the same day if possible.
Will my permit expire?
Yes, if work does not start within six months of issue or stops for six months. It can be reopened within three years for $50 plus the levy.
How long does an application take?
The County says applications are typically viewed within 14 days.
Is a permit needed for a farm building?
Construction and zoning applications are required for a farm use structure, but no fee is charged and no inspections are performed.
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More Virginia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Appomattox County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.