Building permits in Hanover County are issued by the county’s Building Inspections department at 7516 County Complex Road, which enforces the building code in the county and in the Town of Ashland.
This guide covers the department and how to reach it, the local conditions that survive state preemption, what permits cost and who may pull them, and how inspections are booked. Rules that apply everywhere in Virginia are summarized in each section, with a link to the full statewide explanation.
This guide covers work inside Hanover County.
Ashland is a town, not an independent city, so it is part of Hanover County. Hanover County Building Inspections enforces the building code in the Town of Ashland as well as in the rest of the county.
What requires a permit in Hanover County?
The Hanover County Building Inspections Department issues building permits for work inside Hanover County.
Permit required
- New residential and commercial construction, additions and remodels
- Structural alterations, relocation and demolition
- Electrical service changes, panel work and new circuits
- Plumbing, gas piping, water heaters and fixture work
- Mechanical installations and equipment replacements
- Solar photovoltaic systems and battery storage
- Re-roofing and re-siding, except on houses and townhouses where the design wind speed is 100 mph or less
- Renovation or demolition of a pre-1985 building, with asbestos certification first
Typically exempt
- Purely cosmetic finish work that alters no regulated system
- Ordinary repairs the USBC lists: same-size window and door replacement, replacing plumbing fixtures without altering the piping, and replacing switches, receptacles, light fixtures and ceiling fans in homes
- One-story sheds and playhouses of 256 square feet or less, fences other than pool barriers, and retaining walls holding back less than 3 feet of fill
- Farm buildings and structures, which § 36-99 exempts from the code
- Other work the building official deems minor and ordinary that does not affect public health or safety
Hanover’s local conditions that survive state preemption under § 36-98 include proffered conditions on rezoned land and the county’s floodplain regulations.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Hanover County enforces Virginia’s 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
Who handles permitting in Hanover County?
Hanover contains the town of Ashland. An independent city is in no county at all, but a town remains part of its county, so Ashland is in Hanover, and county Building Inspections enforces the building code there.
Section 36-99 exempts farm buildings, which § 36-97 defines as buildings used for storing, handling, producing, displaying, sampling or selling farm products, for sheltering and handling agricultural animals, for farm business and office use, for machinery and supplies, and for implementing best management practices. It does not cover a farm building operated as a licensed restaurant, it does not remove flood-proofing obligations in a flood plain, and it carries conditions when the public is invited in for agritourism and farm products are displayed or sold there.
Hanover borders Henrico County to the south. The City of Richmond, an independent city, does not border Hanover; Henrico lies between them.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Hanover County Building Inspections Department |
| Phone | 804-365-6040 |
| Offices | 7516 County Complex Road, Hanover, Virginia 23069 |
| Published hours | Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| Town inside the county | Ashland |
| Governing code | 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code |
| Appeals | Local Board of Building Code Appeals, then the state Review Board |
In 2025, building permits issued by Hanover County authorized 511 new privately owned housing units, 279 of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
State-owned buildings, and buildings on state-owned property, are permitted by the Virginia Department of General Services rather than Hanover County (§ 36-98.1). State-owned projects in Virginia
Permit types
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Residential permits
| Work | Permit |
|---|---|
| New single-family dwelling | Building permit, plus trade permits for each system |
| Addition or structural alteration | Building permit; existing building code provisions apply |
| Interior remodel touching a system | Building permit plus the relevant trade permits |
| Deck, porch or accessory structure | Building permit, except one-story sheds and playhouses of 256 square feet or less; zoning setbacks checked separately |
| Re-roofing and re-siding | No permit on houses and townhouses where the design wind speed is 100 mph or less; otherwise a building permit (in a historic district the building official may require one) |
| Solar photovoltaic and battery storage | Building and electrical permits |
| Demolition | Demolition permit; asbestos certification first on pre-1985 buildings |
The permit is a lien document in Virginia
On a one- or two-family dwelling, Hanover County’s building department prints the mechanics’ lien agent on the permit itself. Virginia Code § 36-98.01 requires that a building permit issued for any one- or two-family residential dwelling unit contain, at the time of issuance and at the applicant’s request, the name, mailing address and telephone number of the mechanics’ lien agent as defined in § 43-1. If the applicant does not request a designation, the permit must state, in those words, “None Designated.”
Commercial permits
| Work | Permit |
|---|---|
| New commercial construction | Building permit with full plan review |
| Tenant fit-out or change of use | Building permit; occupancy classification drives scope |
| Structural or facade alteration | Building permit under the existing building code |
| Fire protection and sprinkler systems | Permit required |
| Mechanical, electrical and plumbing | Trade permits by classification-licensed firms |
| Elevators and conveyances | Inspected and enforced by the locality (§ 36-105) |
| Signage | Building permit unless exempt under Appendix H of the construction code; zoning approval is separate |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Pre-1985 buildings: a hard permit prerequisite
Statewide rules also shape every Hanover County filing: the permit records the mechanics’ lien agent designation on one- and two-family dwellings, buildings first permitted before 1985 need asbestos certification before renovation or demolition, annual permits and code modifications are available, and single-family construction drawings are exempt from FOIA disclosure. Virginia rules that shape a submittal
Hanover County permit costs and fees
Permit fees in Hanover County are set locally and may fund only the building department (§ 36-105). A 2.0 percent state levy is collected on local permit fees (USBC Section 107.2), and inspection may be waived on work costing under $2,500. Take plan review charges from the current adopted fee schedule for Hanover County. How Virginia permit fees work
Trade permits and who may pull them
Trade permit required
- Electrical work, by a firm holding the electrical classification
- Plumbing and gas piping, by a firm holding the plumbing classification
- Mechanical and HVAC work, including equipment changeouts
- Fire protection and sprinkler work
Usually no trade permit
- Replacing plumbing fixtures without altering the supply, drainage or vent piping
- Replacing a mechanical appliance that does not burn gas or oil, in a home
- Wiring under 50 volts, such as thermostats, unless it is part of a fire alarm or other life-safety system
- Replacing switches, receptacles, light fixtures and ceiling fans in homes
Rather not deal with the Hanover County building department?
Get a free quote →Virginia’s contractor licence is held by the business: the Board for Contractors issues Class A, B or C licences with trade classifications, individual tradesmen hold separate tradesman licences, and a permit cannot issue without the required state licence or a written statement of exemption (§ 54.1-1111), plus proof that the locality’s license taxes are paid. Virginia contractor licensing
How to apply for a Hanover County building permit
Ashland is part of Hanover County, and county Building Inspections enforces the code there.
Henrico County borders Hanover to the south and has its own building department.
Development in a floodplain must meet the county’s floodplain regulations.
Licensed restaurants are not exempt, flood-proofing still applies, and agritourism triggers posting requirements.
Proffered conditions survive state preemption under § 36-98.
Keep the permit posted and an approved set of plans available on site.
If Hanover County denies an application it must explain the reasons in writing (§ 36-105), and a full re-review of the resubmission is lawful. Appeals go to the local Board of Building Code Appeals before the State Building Code Technical Review Board. Denials, corrections and appeals in Virginia
Inspections in Hanover County
Building Inspections schedules building and trade inspections across the county. That includes the Town of Ashland.
Hanover County enforces the Statewide Fire Prevention Code itself; the state’s directory of local fire officials lists its fire official’s number as 804-365-4853.
Statewide rules also apply: the permit must be posted and the approved plans kept on site, a stop work order must state the violations and the conditions for resuming work (§ 36-97), and code violations carry penalties under § 36-106. Inspections and enforcement in Virginia
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Hanover County permit search and official resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and portal procedures change, so confirm the position for your filing date.
- Hanover County Building Inspections
- Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (DHCD)
- Virginia DHCD building codes and regulations
- Code of Virginia § 36-98, statewide code supersedes local codes
- Code of Virginia § 36-98.01, mechanics’ lien agent on the permit
- Code of Virginia § 36-105, enforcement, appeals and permits
- Code of Virginia § 36-99.7, asbestos inspection before renovation or demolition
- Virginia DPOR Board for Contractors
Frequently asked questions
Is Ashland part of Hanover County?
Yes. Ashland is an incorporated town, and unlike an independent city a town remains part of its county. Hanover County Building Inspections enforces the building code in the Town of Ashland.
What is the difference between a town and an independent city in Virginia?
A town stays part of its county; an independent city is in no county at all. So a county building department has no jurisdiction inside an independent city.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →What does the farm building exemption actually cover?
Section 36-99 exempts farm buildings, which § 36-97 defines as non-residential buildings on farms used for storing, handling, producing, displaying or selling farm products, sheltering and handling agricultural animals, farm business and office use, machinery and supplies, and best management practices. It does not cover a farm building operated as a licensed restaurant, and it does not remove flood-proofing obligations in a flood plain.
Which building code applies in Hanover County?
The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. Under § 36-98 the statewide code supersedes local building codes, so the county does not adopt its own edition — what varies locally is zoning, proffers, overlay districts, historic districts and floodplain rules.
Is Hanover part of the City of Richmond?
No. Richmond is an independent city and sits in no county, and it does not border Hanover: Henrico County lies between them.
Can I get an annual permit for ongoing work?
Possibly. Section 36-105 allows a building official to issue an annual permit for any construction regulated by the code; the holder must keep a record of the alterations made under it (USBC Section 110.2).
Simplify Hanover County permitting with Alliance Permitting
In Hanover the questions are proffers and zoning conditions, floodplain rules and the limits of the farm building exemption. Alliance Permitting prepares, files and tracks Hanover County permits through issuance.
Trusted by leading builders, developers, and national contractors — 21+ years of filing in the jurisdictions we write about.
Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Hanover County because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We confirm the parcel is in Hanover rather than Henrico before filing.
- We check the county floodplain maps for the parcel.
- We test farm building exemptions against the actual limits in § 36-99.
- We pull proffers and zoning conditions for the parcel.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and expediting service in Virginia. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice, and we are not the permitting authority.
Ready to break ground in Hanover County sooner?
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More Virginia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Hanover County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.