Patrick County, Virginia Building Permit Guide

Patrick County Building Inspections, at 106 Rucker Street in Stuart (276-694-4143), issues building and trade permits for the whole county, including the Town of Stuart once the Town’s Land Use Administrator has signed the application. One 9-page application covers building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC work. New construction is charged a $10 issuing fee plus $0.15 per square foot, with a $70 minimum.

What requires a permit in Patrick County?

The County’s building ordinance adopts the statewide code as written and exempts only what that code exempts. The permit types the County expects are the tick-boxes on its application:

The fee schedule adds swimming pools, re-roofing that involves structural members, chimneys, tents and membrane structures, communication towers, generators, solar panels and elevators. Demolition is charged only for buildings with service connections, and a farm electrical service that the code exempts still has to be confirmed as farm use by the Building Inspection office before the utility is notified.

Who issues building permits in Patrick County?

Building Inspections is a County department with a Building Official, Nick D’Addario, and a Permit Technician. The Building Official keeps office hours from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. and is in the field from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Town of Stuart: Stuart is the county’s only incorporated town, and building permits there are processed by the County. The County application asks whether the project is inside the Stuart town limits; if it is, the Town’s Land Use Administrator must sign the application before the County will process it. Stuart has its own zoning ordinance and zoning map, and the Town Office is at 100 Patrick Avenue (276-694-3811), open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A project that uses Town water also needs the signature of the Town’s Cross Connection Control Administrator.

The Patrick County building permit application

There is no online portal. The County publishes a single Building Permit Application as a PDF; completed applications can be emailed to the Permit Technician or brought to 106 Rucker Street. The same form is used for a house, a commercial building, a mobile home, a sign or a stand-alone electrical, plumbing or HVAC job.

Parts of the form to prepare before you start:

• Owner’s legal name as shown on the deed or lease. A tenant or lessee attaches a letter of authorization from the owner.
• Contractor Register: the general, electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors and other subcontractors are each listed, and each provides a copy of their licence or tradesman card with a letter saying what work they are doing and for whom. Changes are reported to the Building Official within 2 working days.
• Owner as contractor: an owner doing the work ticks the box and completes the separate owner page.
• Mechanic’s lien agent, or “None”.
• Authorized agent: needs a letter of authorization; a contractor only supplies one when an employee signs the permits.
• AEP work order numbers for temporary and permanent electric service.

Separate County forms cover land disturbance over 10,000 sq ft and cell towers.

Patrick County permit costs and fees

Fees are set in the County’s Building Permit Fee Schedule ordinance, the version posted on the Building Inspections page, which amends the ordinance last changed on November 16, 2020. Each permit has a $10 issuing fee, and the ordinance applies the 2% state surcharge to all of its fees. Electrical and plumbing permits are charged separately from the building permit.

For example, a house with 2,000 sq ft of floor area, counting basement, porches and garage, has a $300 inspection fee and a $10 issuing fee before its electrical and plumbing permits.

Permits can be paid by cash, check or card. Cards carry a 3% convenience fee, and checks are made out to “Treasurer Patrick County”. Refunds must be requested within 2 years, 30% is withheld as an administrative fee, and nothing is refunded once an inspector has visited the site.

Patrick County electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits

Trade work is applied for on the same application and inspected by the same office. Each stand-alone trade permit carries the $10 issuing fee plus:

For electric service, contact American Electric Power on 800-956-4237 first; Building Inspections needs the AEP work order number when you apply.

Private wells and septic systems are permitted by the Health Department (the Virginia Department of Health’s West Piedmont Health District covers Patrick County). A connection to PSA water needs the PSA Director’s signature on the application.

What to submit with a Patrick County application

Plans must be detailed enough for the application to be processed, and can be left out only for minor work that has been pre-approved. An architect’s or engineer’s seal may be required depending on the use group, and unusual structural work may need engineered plans. The form also asks you to confirm the site is clear of utility rights-of-way and easements, the distance to the nearest property line and to other structures, and driving directions from Stuart.

How to apply: 6-step Patrick County process

Patrick County building inspections

Building Inspections takes inspection calls between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. Inspectors are in the field from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and no appointment times are given. Have the permit number, the name the permit is in and the type of inspection ready when you call.

All work to be inspected has to be finished before you call. A re-inspection is charged when the inspector finds the work not ready or not done properly, the address wrong, corrections not made or the site locked: $60 for the first extra trip and $120 for each one after that. The person who signs the application is responsible for re-inspection fees run up by subcontractors as well.

Permit life: a permit expires 2 years after it is issued and can be extended, at no extra fee, for up to 2 more years. It also expires if construction has not started within 6 months, or if work stops for 6 months or more.

Local Patrick County requirements

Land disturbance: disturbing 10,000 sq ft or more, including for a single-family house, needs a Land-Disturbing Permit and an approved erosion and sediment control plan from the County’s ESC/SWM Office in Suite 218 of the Patrick County Veterans Memorial Building (276-694-6094). Every applicant for a house or addition signs the County’s notice acknowledging this.

Stormwater: a house that disturbs 1 acre or more, or any house inside a subdivision or other common plan of development, also needs a stormwater VSMP Authority Permit and the state Construction General Permit.

911 address: the address is assigned after the building permit is issued, the footer inspection is done and the driveway is in place. Then call the addressing office on 276-694-2663.

Other County ordinances: communication towers and other tall structures must comply with the Communication Tower Ordinance or the Tall Structure Ordinance and be approved before a permit is issued, and the County has separate subdivision and manufactured home park ordinances.

Enterprise zones: businesses in the County or Town of Stuart enterprise zones pay the normal permit fees and can apply to the Economic Development Authority for a reimbursement incentive.

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 Patrick County permit resources

Patrick County’s application, fee ordinance and erosion pages, and the Town of Stuart’s zoning documents:

• Virginia statewide permit rules
• Patrick County Building Inspections
• Patrick County Building Permit Application
• Building Ordinance and Fee Schedule
• Notice of ESC & SWM Permit Requirements for Single-Family Residential Construction
• Patrick County Erosion & Sediment Control
• Patrick County Stormwater Management
• How to Obtain a 911 Address
• Town of Stuart government, zoning ordinance and map
• West Piedmont Health District locations

Patrick County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in the Town of Stuart?

Patrick County Building Inspections. The Town’s Land Use Administrator has to sign the County application first, because Stuart has its own zoning ordinance.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Patrick County?

$10 to issue the permit plus $0.15 per square foot of floor area, counting basement, porches and garage, with a $70 minimum. Electrical and plumbing permits are separate.

What is the fee for building without a permit?

A $250 pre-inspection fee, paid before a permit is issued for work already finished or under way.

How do I book a Patrick County inspection?

Call 276-694-4143 between 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. Inspections are made between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. with no set appointment time.

How long is a Patrick County building permit good for?

2 years, with a free extension of up to 2 more. It lapses sooner if work has not started within 6 months or stops for 6 months.

Do I need an erosion permit to build a house?

Only when 10,000 sq ft or more of land is disturbed. That permit comes from the County ESC/SWM Office, not Building Inspections.

Can I pay for a permit by card?

Yes, with a 3% convenience fee. Cash and checks payable to “Treasurer Patrick County” are also accepted.

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