Permits for property in Greensville County are issued by the County’s Building Inspections Department at 1781 Greensville County Circle, on one combined Building & Zoning Permit Application handed in at the counter or mailed. A new house is charged a $75 base fee plus $0.16 per finished square foot, with $0.06 per square foot for each trade, and the County allows up to 5 working days to review a typical residential plan.
When a Greensville County permit is needed
The County requires a building permit to construct, reconstruct, alter or demolish a structure, to change a structure’s use, to remove or disturb asbestos-containing materials, and to move a lot line where that affects an existing structure’s compliance. Manufactured and modular homes need a permit too. The Building Inspections page then lists what is exempt:
Exempt structures
- Detached residential tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar buildings under 200 sq ft
- Fences that are not part of a swimming pool barrier
- Retaining walls 4 ft or less in height
- Pools of 150 sq ft or less in surface area that hold 5,000 gallons or less and are 24 inches deep or less
- Tents and air-supported structures covering 900 sq ft or less with 50 or fewer occupants
- Bolt-together metal carports without a permanent foundation
- Private swing sets, climbing bars and skateboard ramps
- Farm buildings not used as residences
Exempt repairs
- Replacing roof coverings, and installing or replacing siding, on residential structures
- Replacing windows, doors, switches, outlets, light fixtures and ceiling fans in dwellings
- Replacing floor coverings and porch flooring
- Painting, plaster repair and interior tile or wall coverings
- Replacing mechanical and plumbing equipment in most dwellings, unless it is gas or oil fired or needs new wiring or plumbing
- Wiring under 50 volts that does not pass through a fire-rated assembly
- Parking lots and sidewalks that are not part of an accessible route
The fee schedule also lists decks and stoops under 25 sq ft on the ground story as exempt.
Who issues permits in Greensville County?
The Building Inspections Department enforces the Virginia Construction Code, Existing Building Code, Maintenance Code and Statewide Fire Prevention Code in Greensville County. James Kevin Canfield is the Building/Fire Code Administrator. The Zoning Administrator examines each application alongside the Building Official.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Greensville County Government Building, 1781 Greensville County Circle, Emporia, VA 23847 |
| Building Inspections | 434-348-4205, ext. 1300; building@greensvillecountyva.gov |
| Permit counter | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (office open until 5:00 p.m.) |
| Inspection notice line on the application | 434-348-4232 |
| Planning and zoning | 434-348-4205, ext. 2500 |
| Water & Sewer Authority | 434-348-4213 |
| Health Department (septic and wells) | 434-348-4210 |
City of Emporia: the County offices have an Emporia mailing address, but Emporia is an independent city and is not part of Greensville County. Work inside the city limits is permitted by the City of Emporia, not at the County counter.
Town of Jarratt: Jarratt, which lies partly in Greensville County and partly in Sussex County, is the county’s only incorporated town. The Town issues its own zoning permit at Town Hall, 108 S. Braxton Avenue (434-535-8013; open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), and that permit must be in hand before construction starts. It costs $35 for a house or addition and $35 for a shed or outbuilding. The Town publishes no building permit of its own and has fewer than 3,500 residents, so under Code of Virginia Sec. 36-105 each county enforces the building code on its own side of town: the building permit for a Greensville County address comes from the County department, and one across the line comes from Sussex County.
Greensville County applications and forms
There is no online permit portal. The Building & Zoning Permit Application can be picked up at the building inspections counter or downloaded, and permits can also be processed through the mail. One form covers new buildings, remodels, additions and demolition, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, and it records the zoning district, flood zone and erosion review for the parcel.
The County publishes these forms to go with it:
- Contractor Authorization Form, used when an agent applies on behalf of the owner or contractor. The applicant may be the owner, the contractor, a registered design professional or an agent of any of them.
- Local Business License Verification Form, required with every permit application for work done in the county, because Greensville County levies a business, professional and occupational licence tax.
- Plot Plan form, showing the proposed construction and its distances to the property lines.
- Soil and Erosion Plan (Agreement in Lieu of a Plan), for any construction that disturbs the earth.
- Water and Sewer Availability Form, for new structures connecting to public water or sewer.
Greensville County permit costs
The figures below are from the Greensville County Building Department Fee Schedules, revised July 2026. Every permit also carries the 2% state surcharge, and planning fees are on a separate schedule.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New dwelling, base fee | $75 |
| New dwelling, finished area | $0.16 per sq ft |
| New dwelling, unfinished interior (garage, basement, bonus room) | $0.12 per sq ft |
| New dwelling, exterior area (porch, carport, deck) | $0.10 per sq ft |
| Electrical, plumbing and mechanical on a new dwelling | $0.06 per finished sq ft for each trade |
| Modular home, single-wide or double-wide manufactured home | Same as a new dwelling |
| Commercial building, addition, alteration or remodel | $75 base plus $4 per $1,000 of projected cost up to $1,000,000; $3 per $1,000 from $1,000,001 to $3,000,000; $2 per $1,000 above $3,000,000 |
| Commercial roof replacement | $200 |
| Commercial fencing | $100 |
| Sign | $75 plus $0.25 per sq ft of all sign faces |
| Tent or other temporary structure | $75 each |
| Residential demolition | $75 |
| Commercial demolition | 1% of the actual cost or contract |
| Moving a building | $0.12 per sq ft of foundation required, or $75 if greater |
| Extension or renewal of a permit | $75 |
The minimum fee for each permit on a dwelling is $75. On a house with 2,000 sq ft of finished space, the per-square-foot charges come to $320 for the building permit and $120 for each of the three trades, before the base fee, any garage or porch area and the state surcharge.
The first residential plan review is free and each correction review costs $50. If the Building Official decides a design needs outside review, the applicant pays the County for the reviewer’s cost. No fee is charged for farm buildings.
Starting work before the permit is issued can add an administrative fee of up to 100% of the permit cost, and the schedule also sets a $100 charge when work begins early or a building is occupied before its Certificate of Occupancy. If a permitted job is abandoned and a refund is requested, the County keeps 25% of the fee or $75, whichever is greater.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits
Trade permits are issued by the same department on the same application, which has its own sections for electrical, plumbing and mechanical work and for each trade contractor’s licence. The July 2026 schedule prices residential trade work on a $75 base fee:
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical service update, 0–200 amps | $75 base plus $25 |
| Service update, 201–300 amps | $75 base plus $50 |
| Service update, 301–400 amps | $75 base plus $75 |
| Service update, 401 amps and over | $75 base plus $100 |
| New service or house rewire, 0–200 amps | $75 plus $0.06 per sq ft |
| Added outlet or single light; generator; temporary service or reconnect | $75 each |
| Backflow preventer; water or sewer lateral | $75 each |
| New plumbing or new mechanical installation | $75 plus $0.06 per sq ft |
| Alterations and replacements of electrical, plumbing or mechanical systems, including rooftop solar | $75 base plus $8 per $1,000 of value |
A swimming pool with underwater lighting needs an electrical permit. The department also issues the Statewide Fire Prevention Code operational permits, such as explosives and hazardous materials ($150 a year each) and open burning ($100). No electrical power is connected to a new building without the Building Inspector’s approval.
What to hand in with the application
Every project
- Building & Zoning Permit Application
- Local Business License Verification Form
- Contractor Authorization Form, if an agent is applying
- Licence details for the general, plumbing, electrical and mechanical contractors
- Plot plan, for anything extending into a front, rear or side yard
- Soil and erosion plan or Agreement in Lieu of a Plan, if earth is disturbed
New homes and additions
- 2 copies of the plans: floor plans, exterior elevations, typical wall sections, details and material specifications
- Braced wall lines and the bracing method, for a new dwelling or an addition larger than 12 ft in any dimension
- Water and Sewer Availability Form, or the Health Department’s sewage disposal construction permit where there is no public service
- VDOT Land Use Permit for a new entrance, or VDOT’s letter accepting an existing one
Rather not deal with the Greensville County building department?
Get a free quote →One plan set stays with the Building Official; the other comes back with the permit and has to be kept on site. A manufactured home going onto an existing lot in an existing manufactured home park does not need a plot plan.
The County’s design figures for plans are a 12-inch frost depth, a 20 lb per sq ft ground snow load and a 90 mph basic wind speed, with manufactured homes in Wind Zone I and Thermal Zone III.
Plan review of a typical residential project can take up to 5 working days, and the application packet asks applicants to allow 3 days from a complete application to issuance. Review time for non-residential projects depends on the project.
How to apply in Greensville County: 6 steps
Get written approval from the Health Department or the Greensville County Water and Sewer Authority for a new dwelling, and the driveway permit or acceptance letter from VDOT’s Franklin Residency (757-346-3084).
Complete the Building & Zoning Permit Application, the business licence verification and, where needed, the contractor authorization, plot plan and erosion agreement.
Bring or post the package with 2 plan sets to 1781 Greensville County Circle. Permits are issued on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Zoning Administrator and the Building Official examine the plans. Incomplete applications delay the permit.
Pay the fees, which the County accepts by credit card, and post the Building Permit Card on the job site where the public can see it.
Give 24 hours’ notice for every inspection through to the final and the Certificate of Occupancy.
Greensville County inspections
The permit holder has to tell the department when work is ready, and 24 hours’ notice is required for every inspection. The County’s list for a house is:
- Footing, before concrete is placed
- Foundation, when the sill and anchors are in
- Framing, before insulating; rough-in electric, plumbing and HVAC can be inspected at the same visit
- Insulation, before it is covered
- Final electric, plumbing and HVAC, when complete and operating
- Final building, when ready for occupancy
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Manufactured and on-frame modular homes also get block and anchor, marriage wall, landing and steps, and skirting inspections. Truss details must be on site for the framing inspection. The E-911 address inspection needs the permanent driveway in place, and the GIS Department issues the street address once the driveway is established and the foundation inspection has passed.
A first re-inspection costs $50 when work was not complete, not accessible or not corrected, and a second costs $100. A Certificate of Occupancy is required before a new structure, or one that has changed use, is occupied. Where a well or private sewage system is involved, the Health Department’s operations permit comes first.
Important local filing details
Zoning permit: zoning review is built into the building application. The Planning Department’s fee schedule lists the zoning permit taken out with a building permit at $25, a sign permit at $35, a home occupation permit at $25 and site plan review at $150.
Septic and wells: the sewage disposal construction permit and the later operations permit come from the Greensville/Emporia Health Department, part of the Virginia Department of Health’s Crater Health District.
Stormwater: the County runs its own Virginia Stormwater Management Program, and the Board of Supervisors has made the Director of Planning its administrator. The application forms, plan review checklists and fee form are on the Planning page.
Electric service: Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative and Dominion serve the county; the application asks which power company and what service size the job will use.
Rezonings and special use permits: the Planning Commission hears cases on the second Tuesday of the month and the Board of Supervisors on the third Monday. A pre-application consultation with the Planning Director is required before filing.
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 Greensville County permit resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →- Virginia DHCD building codes
- Greensville County Building Inspections
- Greensville County Building Department Fee Schedules (revised July 2026)
- Greensville County Building & Zoning Permit Application and procedures
- Greensville County Planning Department
- Town of Jarratt Forms & Permits
Greensville County permit FAQs
How much is a building permit for a house in Greensville County?
A $75 base fee plus $0.16 per finished sq ft, $0.12 per sq ft of unfinished interior and $0.10 per sq ft of porches, decks and carports. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical are $0.06 per finished sq ft each, and the 2% state surcharge is added.
Do I need a permit for a shed in Greensville County?
Not for a detached residential storage shed under 200 sq ft of building area. Larger sheds need a building permit.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof or siding?
No, on a residential structure. A commercial roof replacement needs a permit and costs $200.
Can I apply online?
No. The application can be downloaded, but it is filed at the building inspections counter or by mail.
How long does plan review take?
Up to 5 working days for a typical residential project. The first residential review is free; each correction review is $50.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call the department 24 hours ahead on 434-348-4205, ext. 1300. The application packet also gives 434-348-4232 for inspection notices.
Does the County issue permits inside Emporia?
No. Emporia is an independent city, separate from Greensville County, even though the County’s own offices have an Emporia address.
Simplify Greensville 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.
Ready to break ground in Greensville County sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Greensville County permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Virginia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Greensville County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.