Carroll County, Virginia Building Permit Guide

Carroll County building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas permits are issued by the Building Official’s office at 605-1 Pine Street in Hillsville, which also runs the County’s erosion and sediment control program. Its applications are fillable forms that can be emailed in with the plans. Residential construction costs $0.20 per square foot with a $60 minimum, and each trade permit starts at $60. Inside the Town of Hillsville, the Town issues its own building permits.

What needs a permit in Carroll County?

Section 95-2 of the County Code and the Building Department’s fee schedule name the work that is permitted and priced in Carroll County.

A farm building can be claimed as exempt with the County’s Farm Structure Exemption Statement Form, which sets out the uses that qualify.

Who issues building permits in Carroll County?

The Building Official’s office, which County forms also call the Department of Inspections, handles permitting and inspections. Gary Bergeron is the Building Official and the Erosion & Sediment Control Program Administrator, working with a residential building inspector, who also inspects erosion controls, and a permit technician. The office sits in the C wing of the Carroll County Governmental Complex.

Town of Hillsville: Hillsville, the county seat, is the only incorporated town in Carroll County, and it does its own permitting. The Town employs a Building Code Official who is also its engineer and zoning administrator, publishes a Town of Hillsville Building Permit Application, and takes it at Town Hall, 410 North Main Street (276-728-2128, ext. 307). Erosion and sediment control inside the town is the exception: the Town Code places it under the Carroll County Erosion and Sediment Control Department.

Carroll County applications and online forms

The office posts its applications on the Construction Permit Applications & Fee Schedule page. They are fillable, and the County says they can be emailed to the department together with all required plan documents.

• Stick Built Application Packet: the cover sheet, the Building Application and the Residential Plan Check List for a new site-built home.
• Manufactured Home Permit Application Packet, used with the County’s Manufactured Home Set Up guide and Installer Certification form.
• Miscellaneous Building Permit Application, an online form for work that is not a new dwelling.
• Electrical, Plumbing and Fuel Gas applications, each a separate online form.
• Flood Development Permit Application, for any development in a Special Flood Hazard Area.
• Sign Permit Application.

The Building Application asks which permits are needed (building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas) with an estimated cost for each, the number of HVAC units, bedrooms and bathrooms, and the AEP work order numbers for temporary and permanent power. The contractor for each trade lists a Virginia licence number and class, or the owner signs the owner-builder statement on the form.

Permit costs and fees in Carroll County

The Carroll County Building Department Fee Schedule repeats the rates in section 95-2 of the County Code, last amended June 10, 2019. The Code adds a 2% state assessment to the cost of building permits, and no permit is issued until the fees are paid.

For example, a new 2,000 sq ft house is 2,000 × $0.20 = $400 for the building permit, and the 2% assessment brings that to $408. The electrical, plumbing, mechanical and land-disturbing fees are charged on top.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas permits

The Building Official issues all four trade permits, for homes and commercial buildings alike, at flat rates.

Before applying for electrical service, the County’s cover sheet tells applicants to contact AEP (1-800-956-4237) about the temporary or permanent hookup.

Documents for a Carroll County building application

The County’s cover sheet for a new dwelling is direct about the order of work: where another agency is involved, evidence of its approval is required before any building permit can be issued.

The checklist notes that plans for a one- or two-family home of less than three stories are typically exempt from needing an architect’s or engineer’s seal, but they must carry the author’s name, signature, address and occupation, and the Building Official may still require a sealed design.

How to apply: 6-step Carroll County process

Carroll County inspections

Building inspections are carried out by the Building Official’s office, reached at 276-730-3016 or building.official@carrollcountyva.gov. It publishes the test and inspection forms used on a new home: the Blower Door Test Report, the Duct Blaster Test Results Form, the Insulation, Air Barrier and Air Sealing Inspection Checklist and the Energy Specification Certificate.

Third-party inspections: a third-party inspector must be approved by the Building Official before any report is accepted. The inspector files the County’s qualification form, and approved inspectors must send in each report within 10 business days of the inspection.

Manufactured homes: the County’s inspection list covers the data plate, site drainage, a 6-mil ground moisture barrier, piers and footers, anchors and straps, marriage wall connections, clearance under the beam, heating and air equipment, skirting and the access opening.

Erosion control: sites with an approved plan are inspected at least every 2 weeks. A home site under an agreement in lieu may be inspected every 30 days when no state waters are nearby.

The office keeps a searchable list of issued building permits, linked from its Issued Permits page, where a permit can be found by name, 911 address or permit type.

Local Carroll County details that matter

No general zoning chapter: the County Code has chapters on airport zoning, flood hazard reduction, subdivision of land and manufactured home parks, but no countywide zoning ordinance. Land division goes through Land Use & Planning, and plats for the Planning Commission are due 14 days before its meeting.

Land disturbance: anyone exposing 10,000 sq ft or more of soil must have an erosion and sediment control plan approved first. For a single-family home the County may accept an agreement in lieu of a plan, with no surety required. Disturbing land without the required permit can bring civil penalties of up to $10,000. Projects of 1 acre or more also answer to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, which administers stormwater management for Carroll County (276-676-4800).

Ceiling insulation: a standing countywide code modification dated January 21, 2025 lets any home built under the 2021 Virginia Residential Code use ceiling insulation of R-49 compressed or R-38 uncompressed. No individual request is needed.

Floodplain: development in a Special Flood Hazard Area needs the Floodplain Development Permit ($60), and the application states that all other federal, state and local permits must be in hand before it is issued.

Septic and wells: the Carroll County Health Department is at 605-15 Pine Street, Hillsville, in the same complex as the Building Official.

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 Carroll County permit resources

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

• Carroll County Building Official: Permitting and Inspections
• Carroll County construction permit applications and fee schedule
• Carroll County Building Department Fee Schedule
• Carroll County: what you need to obtain a new dwelling permit
• Carroll County Residential Plan Check List
• Carroll County construction guides and inspection forms
• Carroll County Erosion and Sediment Control
• Carroll County Code, Chapter 95, Building Construction
• Town of Hillsville forms, including its Building Permit Application
• Carroll County government website

Carroll County permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Carroll County, VA?

Residential work is $0.20 per square foot with a $60 minimum, and commercial work is $0.25 per square foot with an $80 minimum. A 2% state assessment is added, and electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas permits are charged separately from $60.

Do I need a permit for a shed or storage building?

The County’s fee schedule lists detached single-story storage buildings exceeding 256 sq ft as permit work, at $0.20 per square foot with a $60 minimum.

Does Carroll County issue permits inside Hillsville?

No. The Town of Hillsville has its own Building Code Official and its own building permit application, filed at Town Hall, 410 North Main Street (276-728-2128, ext. 307).

Can I email my permit application?

Yes. The County’s applications are fillable forms that can be emailed with the plan documents to building.official@carrollcountyva.gov.

Does Carroll County have zoning?

The County Code contains no general zoning ordinance. It does regulate airport zoning, flood hazard areas, subdivisions and manufactured home parks.

Who approves a septic system?

The Virginia Department of Health, through the Carroll County Health Department (276-730-3180). Its construction permit or Safe, Adequate and Proper letter must be shown before a building permit is issued.

Do churches pay a building permit fee?

No. The County Code sets no fee for construction, addition or alteration of a place of religious worship.

Simplify Carroll 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 Carroll County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.