Building permits in Montgomery County are issued by the county’s Building Inspections office at 755 Roanoke Street, Suite 1D, in Christiansburg. The county inspects construction in the unincorporated areas only; the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg run their own building departments.
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 the unincorporated areas of Montgomery County.
You cannot apply for a commercial permit in Montgomery County until a third-party plan review is complete. The requirement sits ahead of the application, not inside the review. The Town of Christiansburg also requires third-party review of commercial plans, including mechanical, electrical and plumbing drawings, sprinkler and fire alarm.
What requires a permit in Montgomery County?
The Montgomery County Building Inspections Office issues building permits for work inside the unincorporated areas of Montgomery 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
Montgomery’s local conditions that survive state preemption under § 36-98 include proffered conditions on rezoned land and floodplain regulations tied to the FEMA flood maps.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Montgomery 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 Montgomery County?
Montgomery County has a local procedure that sits before the application rather than inside the review. All commercial plans require the completion of a third-party plan review before a non-residential building permit application can be made. The third-party review has to be done first. The Town of Christiansburg also requires third-party review of commercial plans, including mechanical, electrical and plumbing drawings, sprinkler and fire alarm.
On a commercial project the time the third-party review takes comes before the county application, because the county will not accept the application until the review is complete.
The second structural feature is that the county inspects only the unincorporated areas. The towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg issue their own construction permits and run their own inspections. Both are well above the 3,500 population threshold in § 36-105, so the small-town fallback — under which a county administers the code for a town that has not elected to enforce — does not apply to either. Work inside either town is filed with the town, not the county.
The third is state property. Virginia Tech is in Montgomery County, with its main campus in the Town of Blacksburg. Under § 36-98.1, state-owned buildings and anything built on state-owned property are permitted by the Department of General Services rather than the locality, and a public university with a management agreement with the Commonwealth may instead designate its own building official (§ 23.1-1016). A public institution may also be authorised to contract with the local building official for its inspections.
On scheduling, the county says it is best to call 36 hours in advance because of the volume of work.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Montgomery County Building Inspections Office |
| Phone | 540-382-5750 |
| Offices | 755 Roanoke Street, Suite 1D, Christiansburg, Virginia 24073 |
| Published hours | Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| Scope | Unincorporated areas of the county only |
| Towns with their own departments | Blacksburg and Christiansburg |
| Commercial plans | Third-party plan review required before application |
| Inspection scheduling | Best called 36 hours in advance |
| Governing code | 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code |
State-owned buildings, and buildings on state-owned property, are permitted by the Virginia Department of General Services rather than Montgomery 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, Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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
Montgomery County permit costs and fees
Permit fees in Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery County building permit
Blacksburg and Christiansburg run their own building departments; the county inspects the unincorporated areas.
The county will not accept a non-residential application until that review is complete.
Under § 36-98.1 the Department of General Services, not the county, is the building official for state-owned buildings and land.
A public university may have its own building official or contract with the local building official for inspections.
These survive state preemption under § 36-98 and are administered locally.
The county says it is best to call 36 hours ahead because of the volume of work.
If Montgomery 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 Montgomery County
Building Inspections schedules inspections for the unincorporated county, and asks that requests be made roughly 36 hours ahead because of workload. Inspections may be requested online or by telephone during office hours. Work inside Blacksburg or Christiansburg is inspected by the town rather than the county.
In Montgomery County the Statewide Fire Prevention Code is enforced by the State Fire Marshal’s Office, which takes responsibility for fire safety once construction is complete (§ 36-105.1).
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 →Montgomery 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.
- Montgomery County building permits and inspections
- Town of Christiansburg 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
- Virginia DHCD building officials directory, every locality and town
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need a third-party plan review before applying?
For commercial work in Montgomery County, yes. All commercial plans require completion of a third-party plan review prior to applying for a non-residential building permit. The requirement sits ahead of the application rather than inside the review, so it has to be programmed at the front end.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Does the third-party requirement cover the trades?
In Christiansburg it is stated to include mechanical, electrical and plumbing drawings, sprinkler and fire alarm alongside the building plans. Confirm the exact scope for your project before commissioning the review.
Does the county permit work in Blacksburg or Christiansburg?
No. Both towns issue their own construction permits and conduct their own inspections. The county inspects construction in the unincorporated areas. Both towns are well above the 3,500 population threshold in § 36-105, so the fallback under which a county administers for a town does not apply here.
Who permits construction on university property?
Under § 36-98.1 the Department of General Services acts as the building official for state-owned buildings and for anything built on state-owned property.
How far ahead should I book an inspection?
The county says it is best to call 36 hours in advance because of the volume of work. Inspections can be requested with the county’s online form or by calling 540-382-5750, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Which building code applies in Montgomery County?
The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. Under § 36-98 the statewide code supersedes local building codes, so neither the county nor the towns adopt their own edition — the technical code is identical across all three, and what differs is procedure, fees and land use.
Simplify Montgomery County permitting with Alliance Permitting
In Montgomery County a third-party plan review must be complete before a commercial application, and Blacksburg and Christiansburg permit their own work. Alliance Permitting prepares, files and tracks Montgomery 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 Montgomery County because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We commission the third-party commercial plan review before the application, not after.
- We separate unincorporated county work from Blacksburg and Christiansburg at the outset.
- We establish state-owned property status on campus-adjacent projects.
- We book inspections with the lead time the county actually asks for.
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.
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More Virginia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Montgomery County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.