Lancaster County, Virginia Building Permit Guide

The Lancaster County Building Office at 8311 Mary Ball Road issues building and trade permits for the county, and for the towns of Irvington, White Stone and Kilmarnock once the town’s own zoning permit is in hand. Applications are emailed to build@lancova.com, faxed or mailed, and are reviewed for at least 3 business days. New homes and additions cost $0.12 per square foot with a $50 minimum, and you pay only after the office sends a permit number and the amount due.

What requires a permit in Lancaster County?

The County’s pamphlet “When is a Construction Permit Required?”, updated June 2026, explains when a building, electrical, mechanical or plumbing permit is needed. The Building Office’s fee schedule lists the work it permits:

Who issues building permits in Lancaster County?

The Building Office, on the main floor of the County Administration Building, reviews applications, issues permits and inspects the work. Brett Dawson is the Building Official. The Planning & Land Use Office on the same floor handles County zoning, erosion and sediment control, Chesapeake Bay Preservation and wetlands, and its zoning administrator signs the same application as the Building Official.

Lancaster County has three incorporated towns. In all of them the County issues the building permit, but not the zoning permit; the County’s checklist asks for a copy of the approved town zoning permit with the building application.

• Kilmarnock: the Town has jurisdiction over all planning and zoning inside its boundaries and issues its own zoning and sign permits at Town Hall, 1 North Main Street (804-435-1552). Part of Kilmarnock lies in Northumberland County, and the Town lists both the Lancaster County and the Northumberland County Building Offices among the agencies builders deal with.
• White Stone: a Town zoning permit must be issued before new construction starts inside the town limits, and a sign permit before a sign goes up. The Town office is at 433 Rappahannock Drive (804-435-3260).
• Irvington: the Town office (804-438-6230, weekdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) issues the zoning permit, listed at $100, and a tree removal permit.

Lancaster County applications and intake

Lancaster County has no permit portal. Fillable PDF applications are downloaded from the Building Office page and sent to build@lancova.com, faxed to 804-462-0031 or mailed to the Permits Department. Plans, plats and follow-up information go to the same email address.

• Building Permit Application – Residential, a combined building and zoning application. It covers new construction, additions, alterations, water and sewer lines and demolition, and has boxes for the electric, plumbing, HVAC and gas permits needed.
• Building Permit Application – Commercial.
• Building Permit Application – Demolition.
• Building Permit Supplemental Information Package, with the single-family checklist and the Statement of Contractors.
• Statement of Special Inspections, Deck Construction Guidelines and the Manufactured Homes FAQ Sheet.

General contractors are asked not to list trade contractors on the Statement of Contractors if those trades will take out their own permits.

Lancaster County building-permit fees

These figures are from the Building Office Fee Schedule on the County’s website. The County publishes no date on it.

For example, a new 2,000 sq ft house is $240 for the building permit. With electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits at $50 each, the $50 zoning permit and the $50 Certificate of Occupancy, that makes $490 before the land-use fees below.

The Planning & Land Use Fee Schedule adds $50 for a residential site plan, $50 for an erosion and sediment control agreement and $100 for a stormwater management plan. A full erosion and sediment control plan is $100 for the first acre and $50 for each additional acre.

Pay by check, or online through the County’s payment service with a 2.45% convenience fee, and only after a permit number and amount have been sent to you. The schedule lists a $100 reinspection fee when work is not ready, $50 for other reinspections, and a $25 refund processing fee.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work

Trade permits are issued by the Building Office and can be requested on the building application by ticking electric, plumbing, HVAC or gas, or taken out separately by the trade contractor.

Manual J heating and cooling calculations are required with the application when new HVAC units are installed, and the form asks which energy testing option will be used: blower door test, visual inspection or duct tightness test. The application records whether Northern Neck Electric or Dominion Energy serves the site and the power company’s work order number.

Since February 5, 2026 a standing countywide code modification has let applicants building under the 2021 residential code use ceiling insulation of R-49 compressed or R-38 uncompressed without asking for an individual modification.

Documents for Lancaster County permit applications

The County’s checklist for a single-family residence asks for:

• The completed permit application, both pages, with the Statement of Contractors
• 1 copy of the septic and well permit
• 1 copy of the building plans
• For a modular home, the set-up manual and the completed Home Site Setup & Installation Sheet
• 1 scaled site plan showing the house and its setbacks from property lines, road rights-of-way and any Resource Protection Area
• The utility permit, in a subdivision served by public water or sewer
• Signed agreements in lieu of an erosion and sediment control plan and of a stormwater management plan
• The water quality impact assessment (WQIA) form and Bay Act site plan, if the work encroaches on an RPA buffer
• A flood elevation certificate, if applicable
• The approved town zoning permit, for a site in Irvington, White Stone or Kilmarnock
• A copy of the deed, if ownership differs from the tax records

Incomplete applications are not accepted, and every application is reviewed for a minimum of 3 business days.

How to apply for a Lancaster County permit: 6 steps

Building and trade inspections in Lancaster County

All inspections must be called in to the County’s inspection line, 804-462-0241. An emailed request, or a message left on another County employee’s voicemail, is not treated as a request.

If the well and septic system are new, the Health Department’s operational permit has to reach the Building Office before the Certificate of Occupancy is issued. For an existing system, the County may require a Safe, Adequate & Proper form signed by the Building Official and the Health Department; the County’s review costs $75, and the distribution box and tank top must be exposed for it.

A reinspection because work was not ready costs $100. The Certificate of Occupancy itself carries a $50 fee.

Local Lancaster County requirements that matter

Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas: the Planning & Land Use Office enforces the County’s Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance. Site plans must show the Resource Protection Area, and work that encroaches on the RPA buffer needs a water quality impact assessment and a Bay Act site plan. A Bay Act waiver costs $300.

Tree cutting near the water: anyone planning to cut trees within 100 ft of tidal waters or wetlands must contact the Planning & Land Use Office (804-462-5220) first.

Shoreline structures: bulkheads, piers, rip rap and groins take a $200 building permit, and wetlands applications cost $300.

Septic and wells: permits come from the local Health Department, part of the Virginia Department of Health’s Three Rivers Health District.

Flood zones: the application asks whether the site is in the 100-year floodplain, and a flood elevation certificate is submitted where it applies.

Addresses: E-911 address assignment is free.

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 Lancaster 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 Uniform Statewide Building Code
• Lancaster County Building Office: permit process and downloads
• Lancaster County Building Office Fee Schedule
• Lancaster County Planning & Land Use Fee Schedule
• Lancaster County Planning & Land Use Office
• Lancaster County Building Permit Supplemental Information Package
• When is a Construction Permit Required? (updated June 2026)
• Town of Kilmarnock permits, licensing and forms
• Town of White Stone zoning and permits
• Town of Irvington forms and permits

Lancaster County building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Lancaster County?

New residential construction and additions are $0.12 per sq ft and commercial ones $0.15 per sq ft, with a $50 minimum for any permit. Residential electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are $50 each.

Who issues building permits in Kilmarnock, White Stone and Irvington?

The Lancaster County Building Office, after the town has issued its own zoning permit. The part of Kilmarnock in Northumberland County falls under the Northumberland County Building Office.

How do I apply?

Email the fillable application and plans to build@lancova.com, fax them to 804-462-0031 or mail them to the Permits Department at 8311 Mary Ball Road.

When do I pay?

Only after the Building Office sends you a permit number and the amount due. Online payments carry a 2.45% convenience fee.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Lancaster County?

A shed of 256 sq ft or less needs no building permit, but it does need a $50 zoning permit. Larger accessory buildings are charged like new construction.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call the inspection line, 804-462-0241. Requests by email or left on other staff voicemail are not accepted.

How long does review take?

A minimum of 3 business days for every permit application.

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