Charlotte County, Virginia Building Permit Guide

The Charlotte County Building Official, based in the County Administration Office at 250 LeGrande Avenue, issues building permits and inspects construction in Charlotte County. A zoning permit has to be approved first, by the County or, inside Charlotte Court House, Drakes Branch, Keysville or Phenix, by the town. Under the fee schedule effective August 13, 2026, a new home costs $0.20 per square foot with a $100 minimum, each residential trade permit is $50, and the County zoning permit is free.

What needs a permit in Charlotte County?

Charlotte County spells out its permit triggers on its Permits page, separately for zoning and for building.

Work cannot begin until the building permit application is completed and approved, and a building cannot be occupied until the Building Official issues a certificate of occupancy. The County refers questions about exemptions to the Building Official.

Who issues building permits in Charlotte County?

One office does it. The Building Official issues building permits and land disturbance permits, carries out building and erosion control inspections, and administers the building code and the County’s land use regulations. John Hess is the Building Official. Zoning applications go to the County Administration Office in the same building, where the permit technician also takes building applications.

The four towns: Charlotte Court House, Drakes Branch, Keysville and Phenix are all inside the county. The County’s rule for every one of them is the same: the owner gets a town zoning permit from the town office, and the County building permit follows.

• Charlotte Court House (town office 434-542-5781) publishes its own Zoning Permit Application, zoning fees and Historic District Design Guidelines.
• Keysville (town office 434-736-9551).
• Phenix (town office 434-542-4123).
• Drakes Branch (town office 434-568-3091) takes building, zoning, sign, demolition and utility connection requests through a form on its website, and staff follow up on fees and inspection steps.

Charlotte County applications

There is no permit portal. Charlotte County uses two short forms, both of which can be returned to the County Administration Office or emailed to its permit technician.

• Zoning Permit Application: a one-page fillable form, signed by the property owner, with a sketch showing the proposed structure, roads, property lines and existing structures and the distances between them. It records the water supply and sewage disposal as existing, new or public.
• Building Permit Application: one page for residential or commercial work. It covers new construction, additions, renovations, demolition, stick-built and modular dwellings, singlewide and doublewide mobile homes, accessory dwellings, decks and porches, garages and shops, and electric, plumbing, propane and generator work. Each trade contractor is listed with a licence number.
• Conditional Use Permit Application, for uses the zoning ordinance does not allow by right.

The zoning ordinance gives the zoning administrator seven days to issue the zoning permit once the project is found to comply, and the permit is valid for one year.

Permit costs and fees in Charlotte County

These figures are from the Charlotte County Building & Zoning Fee Schedule, effective August 13, 2026. A 2% state surcharge is added to all building permit fees, and the schedule says fees are non-refundable.

For example, a new 2,000 sq ft house is $400 for the square footage, plus $50 each for the electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits, a subtotal of $550. The 2% surcharge adds $11, for a total of $561.

Payment is by check, cash or credit card. The application warns that it is unlawful to knowingly underestimate the cost of the work, and that an adjustment will be made before the final inspection if one is needed.

Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and propane permits

The Building Official issues trade permits on the same application as the building permit, and the form totals a separate trades fee. The schedule notes that trade permits may be required in addition to a building permit.

Solar installations are charged on the electrical schedule, and any building structure that goes with them uses the building fee schedule. Having power turned back on after more than 30 days disconnected also needs a building permit.

What to bring for a Charlotte County building permit

The County lists what it needs before it will approve a building permit:

• An approved zoning permit application, where one applies
• A septic tank and well permit from the Charlotte County Health Department, if a new septic system or well is being installed
• A Health Department septic system review, if new construction will connect to an existing system or bedrooms or bathrooms are being added
• The title for a singlewide, as proof of its date of manufacture
• The contractor’s name, phone number and licence number
• The estimated job cost
• The size of the project: measurements or square footage of the main structure, additions, porches and decks
• A copy of the building plans for new construction
• Payment

The application adds a plot plat showing the lot dimensions, the building’s location on the lot and its dimensions, together with all Health Department permits, and it asks for the mechanics’ lien agent and the contract price.

How to apply: 6-step Charlotte County process

Charlotte County inspections

To request an inspection, call the Building Official at 434-542-5404 or email him. The office asks for 24 hours’ notice if at all possible.

Re-inspection fees: a residential job is charged $50 once two inspections have failed. A commercial job is charged $100 after the first failed inspection.

Third-party inspections: the County treats these as the exception, and each must be pre-approved by the Building Official. They are allowed when the Building Official cannot inspect within 2 business days of the request, when timing is critical to the work, for instance because of weather, or in other unusual conditions he approves. The inspector must be certified by the state housing department or the International Code Council, be a Virginia registered design professional, or show equivalent trade experience, and must file a Third Party Inspection Statement Form within 2 business days.

Local Charlotte County details that matter

Ceiling insulation: the Building Department has announced that it will not enforce the R-60 ceiling insulation figure in the 2021 Virginia code and will apply R-49 instead.

Land disturbance: the Building Official also issues land disturbance permits and inspects erosion and sediment controls. Commercial projects prepay monthly inspection fees through their stated completion date: $200 a month for 25 acres or less, $250 for more than 25 but less than 100 acres, and $400 above 100 acres.

Floodplain: the County’s floodplain rules are in Chapter 42, Environment, of the County Code, amended August 13, 2025, and posted on the Planning & Zoning page with the zoning map.

Solar: a utility-scale solar project needs a conditional use permit with a $5,000 application fee, and the County keeps a Solar Development page for those cases. Other conditional use permits and rezonings are $400, plus the cost of any third-party review.

Subdivisions: minor subdivision plat review is free and major subdivision plat review is $300. The Planning Commission meets on the third Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m.

Digging: the County’s Permits page opens with a reminder to call Miss Utility at 811 before any excavation.

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 Charlotte 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
• Charlotte County Building Inspection
• Charlotte County permits: zoning, building and the 2026 fee schedule
• Charlotte County Building Permit Application
• Charlotte County inspections and third-party inspection policy
• Charlotte County Planning & Zoning
• Charlotte County ordinances
• Town of Charlotte Court House zoning forms

Charlotte County permit FAQs

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

From August 13, 2026, new residential construction is $0.20 per square foot with a $100 minimum, residential trade permits are $50 each, and a 2% state surcharge is added. Commercial construction is $0.15 per square foot with a $150 minimum.

Do I need a zoning permit before a building permit?

Yes. The County requires an approved zoning permit before a building permit can be obtained. The County’s standard zoning permit has no fee.

Do I need a permit for a deck or porch?

Yes. Decks and porches need a zoning permit as additions, and the residential building fee is $0.20 per square foot.

Who do I contact for a project inside Keysville, Drakes Branch, Phenix or Charlotte Court House?

Start at the town office, which issues the town zoning permit. The County Building Official then handles the building permit.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call the Building Official at 434-542-5404, with 24 hours’ notice if possible.

Who issues septic and well permits?

The Charlotte County Health Department, 270 David Bruce Avenue, Charlotte Court House, 434-542-5251.

Can I email my application?

Yes. The County accepts both the zoning application and the building permit application by email to its permit technician, and the zoning form must be complete and signed by the property owner.

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