Building permits in Pittsylvania County are issued by the county’s Building Inspections department at 53 Main Street in Chatham, the county seat. Pittsylvania is the largest county in Virginia by land area, and the county enforces the building code in its three towns as well. Applications are filed on the county’s paper form in person, by fax or by e-mail, and under the FY2027 fee schedule a new house is $0.18 per square foot with a $180 minimum.
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 Pittsylvania County.
Danville is not part of Pittsylvania County. It was carved out of the county and is now an independent city, which under Virginia’s structure means it sits in no county at all and runs its own building department. A town, by contrast, remains part of its county.
What requires a permit in Pittsylvania County?
Pittsylvania County Building Inspections issues building permits for work inside Pittsylvania County, including the towns of Chatham, Gretna and Hurt.
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
Pittsylvania’s local conditions that survive state preemption under § 36-98 include proffered conditions on rezoned land and the county’s Floodplain Ordinance, which controls development in its Floodplain District.
The county’s own list adds some items that are easy to miss: new exterior stairs or stoops, sump pumps, electric car charging equipment, roof sheathing replacement over 256 square feet, cross connections for boilers and irrigation systems, demolition of pools or fuel tanks, and driveways larger than 10,000 square feet all need a permit. Gutters, on-grade patios, kitchen cabinets, playground equipment and smaller driveways do not, though setbacks and other zoning rules can still apply.
Pittsylvania 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 Pittsylvania County?
Pittsylvania is the largest county in Virginia by land area, and one county department inspects all of it from Chatham.
Danville was formerly part of Pittsylvania County and is now an independent city: it was incorporated as a town in 1830 and as a city in 1890, and as a Virginia city it is in no county at all. Pittsylvania has no building authority inside Danville’s limits, and Danville’s own Inspections Division issues permits there.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Inside the county itself, the towns of Chatham, Gretna and Hurt remain part of Pittsylvania, as Virginia towns do. None of the three runs its own building department: the county enforces the building code in all of them, and the state’s directory of building officials lists each town under Pittsylvania County.
The § 36-99 farm building exemption is defined by the use of the building, following the definition in § 36-97 — storage, handling, production, display, sampling or sale of farm products; sheltering, raising, handling, processing or sale of agricultural animals; farm business and office use; machinery and supplies; and best management practices. What it does not cover is a farm building operated as a licensed restaurant, and it does not lift flood-proofing obligations in a flood plain. Pittsylvania County requires the owner to complete an affidavit that the structure will be used exclusively for agricultural purposes.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Pittsylvania County Building Inspections |
| Chief Building Official | Otis Vaughan |
| Phone | 434-432-7755 (permits and inspection scheduling); Community Development 434-432-7750 |
| Email and fax | permits@pittgov.org; fax 434-432-7919 |
| Published hours | Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| County zoning | 434-432-1767 |
| Offices | 53 Main Street, Chatham, Virginia 24531 |
| Adjoining independent city | Danville, a separate authority |
| Towns inside the county | Chatham, Gretna and Hurt, all enforced by the county |
| Septic operational permit | Pittsylvania County Health Department |
| Governing code | 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code |
| Appeals | Local Board of Building Code Appeals, then the state Review Board |
State-owned buildings, and buildings on state-owned property, are permitted by the Virginia Department of General Services rather than Pittsylvania County (§ 36-98.1). State-owned projects in Virginia
Permit types
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, Pittsylvania 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.”
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →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 |
Pre-1985 buildings: a hard permit prerequisite
Statewide rules also shape every Pittsylvania 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
Pittsylvania County permit costs and fees
Pittsylvania County Community Development issues a one-sheet fee schedule each fiscal year. The FY2027 rates took effect on 1 July 2026; the sheet’s “per M” rates are charged per $1,000 of job cost, which the application asks for trade by trade.
| Permit | Rate | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| New single-family dwelling or modular home | $0.18 per square foot | $180 |
| Two-family dwelling or townhouse | $0.18 per square foot | $210 |
| Residential addition, garage, carport, basement or accessory building | $0.18 per square foot | $60 |
| Residential porch, deck or ramp | $0.18 per square foot | $50 |
| Residential alteration, remodeling or relocation | $5.00 per $1,000 | $60 |
| Residential electrical, plumbing, mechanical or fuel gas permit (each) | $5.00 per $1,000 | $50 |
| Residential plan review | $50 for a new dwelling; $30 for an addition over 150 square feet | – |
| Residential swimming pool | $75 above ground; $125 in ground | – |
| Manufactured home | $150 singlewide; $250 doublewide; $350 triplewide; $45 for each of its electric, plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas permits | – |
| Commercial new construction | $0.20 per square foot | $180 |
| Commercial addition | $0.20 per square foot | $120 |
| Commercial alteration, and each commercial trade, sign, sprinkler or alarm permit | $5.00 per $1,000 | $100 |
| Commercial plan review | 0.08% of cost | $100 |
| Certificate of occupancy or change of use | $100; a temporary certificate is $50 per 30 days | – |
| Re-inspection | $50, then $75, then $100 | – |
| Work without a permit | $100 | – |
| Zoning permit | $25 | – |
| Residential land disturbance | $150 flat | – |
| On every permit | $5.00 county blight eradication fee and the 2% state levy | – |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Worked example: a new 2,000-square-foot single-family house pays 2,000 × $0.18 = $360 for the building permit and $50 for plan review, $410 before the electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits, the $100 certificate of occupancy, the $5.00 blight eradication fee and the 2% levy.
A refund requested before any work or inspection is the fee less $35. Off-hours inspections are $100 an hour, a tent over 900 square feet is $60, and residential solar is charged at 0.75% of cost.
Permit fees in Pittsylvania 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 Pittsylvania 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
Pittsylvania County takes building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas work on one application form, with a cost line for each trade, and new houses need all four trade permits alongside the building permit. The county asks for a gas permit to remove, replace or install any gas appliance or equipment, piping, gas logs, water heaters and furnaces included, and a mechanical permit for a first-time mechanical installation or for replacing a gas- or oil-fueled appliance. A residential generator is $50 plus a gas permit. The county has no business licence or bonding requirement of its own for contractors.
Rather not deal with the Pittsylvania 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 Pittsylvania County building permit
Danville was carved out of Pittsylvania and is now an independent city in no county.
Chatham, Gretna and Hurt remain part of the county, and the county issues building permits there.
Development in the Floodplain District is controlled by the county’s Floodplain Ordinance.
Section 36-99 defines the exemption by use, licensed restaurants fall outside it, and the county requires an agricultural-use affidavit.
Have the contractor licence and, on one- and two-family work, the mechanics’ lien agent decision ready at filing.
Post the permit and install the construction entrance before the footing inspection, and allow 24 hours’ notice every time.
What Community Development needs with the application
The building permit application can be handed in at the Community Development office in Chatham, faxed to 434-432-7919 or e-mailed to permits@pittgov.org; the form’s payment boxes are cash and check. With it the county asks for:
- New house: one digital PDF copy of the plans by e-mail, one paper copy of sealed plans, and an erosion and sediment control permit
- Residential addition, alteration or demolition: the PDF and paper plan sets with the application
- New commercial building: sealed architect or engineer plans with the electrical, mechanical and plumbing drawings (PDF and one paper set), an approved site plan and an erosion and sediment control permit
- Commercial addition or upfit: the sealed plans, an approved site plan if one is needed, and the asbestos certification
The county’s Dimensional Standards and Setback Requirements sheet helps with the site information for new construction and additions, and a county zoning permit is $25. Inside Chatham, Gretna and Hurt zoning is the town’s own: Chatham sends in-town zoning questions to its Town Manager (town office 434-432-8153 or 434-432-9515), Gretna’s planning office handles its zoning applications (434-656-6572), and Hurt publishes its own Zoning Permit form (434-608-0554).
If Pittsylvania 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 Pittsylvania County
Building Inspections schedules building and trade inspections across the county from Chatham. That includes work in the towns of Chatham, Gretna and Hurt.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Inspections are booked only by calling 434-432-7755 with the permit number, not through the inspectors, and need at least 24 hours’ notice; the visit is given the first available opening and the contractor has to be on site. A footing inspection will not take place unless the construction entrance is installed and the permit is posted. Temporary power is approved only after the footing and foundation inspections pass. Water and sewer lines must carry tracer wire, and air tests are not accepted on plastic plumbing pipe.
Before a final inspection can be scheduled the owner must hand in the Operational Permit from the Pittsylvania County Health Department, the driveway must meet the county ordinance, disturbed soil must be seeded and strawed, and debris removed. The certificate of occupancy follows. A permit lapses if work has not started within 180 days of issue or if 180 days pass between inspections.
Pittsylvania County enforces the Statewide Fire Prevention Code itself; the state’s directory of local fire officials lists its fire official’s number as 434-713-8777.
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
Pittsylvania 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.
- Pittsylvania County building inspections
- Pittsylvania County Community Development FY2027 fee schedule
- Pittsylvania County building permits and application
- Pittsylvania County: do I need a permit
- Pittsylvania County residential structures and inspection sequence
- Pittsylvania County commercial projects
- Pittsylvania County certificate of occupancy
- 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
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Frequently asked questions
Is Danville part of Pittsylvania County?
No. Danville was formerly part of the county but is now an independent city, which under Virginia’s structure means it sits in no county at all and runs its own building department. Pittsylvania has no building authority inside Danville’s limits.
Why do Virginia cities leave their counties?
Because Virginia cities are independent of counties by design. When a community incorporates as a city it leaves its county entirely, unlike a town, which remains part of its county. So a county building department has no jurisdiction inside an independent city.
Who enforces the code in Chatham?
Pittsylvania County. Chatham is a town and remains part of the county, and it has no building department of its own; the county enforces the building code there, as it does in Gretna and Hurt.
What does the farm building exemption cover?
Section 36-99 exempts farm buildings, which § 36-97 defines as non-residential buildings on a farm used for storing, handling, producing, displaying, sampling or selling farm products; sheltering, raising, handling, processing or selling agricultural animals; farm business and office use; machinery and supplies; and best management practices. A farm building operated as a licensed restaurant is not exempt, and the county requires an affidavit that the structure is used exclusively for agriculture.
How much is a building permit in Pittsylvania County?
Under the FY2027 schedule a new house is $0.18 per square foot with a $180 minimum, plus $50 plan review, and each trade permit is $5.00 per $1,000 with a $50 minimum. Every permit also carries a $5.00 blight eradication fee and the 2% state levy.
How do I schedule an inspection in Pittsylvania County?
Call 434-432-7755 with your permit number at least 24 hours ahead. The office will not schedule without the number, and the contractor must be present.
Do I need a permit for a shed, deck or driveway in Pittsylvania County?
Sheds and playhouses over 256 square feet, and porches and decks, including changes to existing ones, need a building permit. A driveway needs one only when it is larger than 10,000 square feet. Residential re-roofing and re-siding do not.
Which building code applies in Pittsylvania County?
The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, effective since 18 January 2024 and required for every application submitted from 18 January 2025. Under § 36-98 the statewide code supersedes local building codes, so the county does not adopt its own edition.
Can inspection be waived on a small job?
Possibly. Where construction cost is under $2,500, § 36-105 allows the inspecting authority to waive inspection at its discretion. It is permissive rather than automatic, and the permit requirement itself is unaffected.
Simplify Pittsylvania County permitting with Alliance Permitting
In Pittsylvania the first questions are whether a parcel is in the county or the City of Danville, and whether a farm building qualifies for the exemption. Alliance Permitting prepares, files and tracks Pittsylvania County permits through issuance.
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Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Pittsylvania County because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We separate county parcels from the City of Danville before filing.
- We check floodplain status for the parcel.
- We test farm building exemptions against the actual use list in § 36-99.
- We prepare the county’s agricultural-use affidavit where a farm building is exempt.
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 Pittsylvania County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.