Pulaski County, Virginia Building Permit Guide

Building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas permits in Pulaski County come from the county Building Office at 143 Third Street NW, Suite 1, Pulaski (540-980-7710). You can file through the county’s Citizen Self Service portal or send the full package to buildingdept@pulaskicounty.org. A new house costs $0.16 per square foot plus $50 for each trade, and since May 1, 2025 the same office has issued permits inside the Town of Dublin. Inside the Town of Pulaski, apply to the town.

What needs a permit in Pulaski County?

The Building Office publishes a separate application for each kind of job, and its fee schedule and handouts spell out where the permit line falls for smaller projects.

A zoning permit is required for every accessory structure, including the small sheds that need no building permit. Temporary power poles are only approved for new construction or renovations.

Who issues building permits in Pulaski County?

The Building Office is part of the county’s Community Development department, alongside Planning & Zoning and Engineering, and all three share one counter and one phone number. Scott Macdonald, MCP, CBO, is the Building Official.

Towns. Pulaski County has two incorporated towns, and they are handled differently:

• Dublin: the county has issued the town’s building permits and carried out its inspections since May 1, 2025. Zoning inside Dublin stays with the town, which administers its own land use ordinance.
• Town of Pulaski: the town runs its own Building Department at 42 1st Street NW (540-994-8615, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). It issues construction, demolition and renovation permits through its own application portal, has its own rate schedule and its Building Official also serves as Zoning Administrator.

Pulaski County applications and online filing

Citizen Self Service handles building and zoning applications in one account; the county posts guides for registering and logging in. Paper or emailed applications use the PDF forms on the Building Office page:

• Residential Permit Application and Commercial Permit Application. The residential form asks for the value of construction (materials and labor), floodplain status, water and sewer provider, the PSA account number and the total square footage including unfinished areas.
• Trade applications: Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC Mechanical and Gas Mechanical, each completed by the tradesman or subcontractor doing that work.
• Manufactured Homes Application, which must list all contractors and a licensed mobile home mover.
• Residential Solar Permit Application, a one-page form for applicants without computer access.
• Sprinkler & Fire Alarm Permit Application and the Statement of Special Inspections.
• Owner Affidavit, required whenever the property owner does any of the work personally.
• Farm Structure Affidavit, Agreement in Lieu of an Erosion & Sediment Control Plan, Energy Specification Certificate and Code Modification Request Form.

The New Structure Zoning Permit Application, sign permit, change in use permit and dock permit are filed with Planning & Zoning in the same office.

Pulaski County permit costs and fees

The Building Office links one Building Permit Fee Schedule, adopted on September 22, 2008. New buildings are charged by floor area, with a flat fee added for each trade. On the Building Office page the link to the schedule carries the note “2% State Sales Tax”.

For example, a new 2,000 sq ft house has a building fee of 2,000 × $0.16 = $320, before the $50 trade fees, the $40 zoning permit and the 2% state charge.

The 2008 sheet also lists zoning fees, but the Unified Development Ordinance dated September 2026 has replaced them: a sign permit is $35, a change in use permit $35, a minor site plan $50 and a major site plan $200.

Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas permits

Each trade has its own county application, and on a new house every tradesman files one alongside the building permit.

AEP work order. No permit for an electrical service is issued until you give the Building Office the 9-digit work order number from American Electric Power (1-800-956-4237). The number goes on the permit, and once the county’s inspection passes, the office sends the approval to AEP so the service can be connected. Do not request the inspection before the number is on file.

Sprinklers and fire alarms. These plans must be approved by a qualified third-party plan reviewer before you apply, and the third party also performs the inspections at the applicant’s cost. Bring one set of approved plans, the reviewer’s approval letter and the Sprinkler & Fire Alarm Permit Application.

What to submit

The county will not take a partial package: all permit documentation is required at the time of submittal. Its 2026 submittal sheets list what that means.

Commercial plans. Every new commercial building must be reviewed by a third-party review firm, chosen from the county’s approved list or approved in advance by the Building Official. Small buildings in use group B or M may be reviewed by county staff, case by case. You send the construction documents to the firm, then bring the county 2 paper sets and 1 digital set carrying the firm’s stamp, with its approval letter. Permits can be issued once the office has the approved drawings.

Applications are processed in the order received, and you are told by phone or email when the permit is approved. Small rooftop solar applications are turned around in under 3 business days.

How to apply for a Pulaski County building permit

Pulaski County inspections

The county asks for 24 to 48 hours’ notice for an inspection. The Building Official and the county inspector are both reached on 540-980-7710, option 2.

• Accessory buildings that need a permit get footing, foundation, slab (before the pour), rough framing, electrical and mechanical (before anything is covered) and final inspections.
• Manufactured homes are inspected for footings, bolt-up and anchoring, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, deck pier footings and final. A ladder has to be on site for the inspector.
• Rooftop solar needs one inspection; a ground mount with in-ground posts or footers needs a footer-depth inspection and a final. The county offers a set appointment time for solar (10:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m.) and commits to inspecting within 48 hours of the request.
• New homes: the residential application asks which air tightness test the house will have, a blower door test or a pre-approved third-party inspection.

A re-inspection costs $50.

Local Pulaski County requirements

Design criteria: the county’s sheet for designers gives a 25 psf ground snow load, 115 mph wind speed, seismic design category B and a 24-inch frost depth.

Accessory building footings: a structure of 256 to 600 sq ft sits on a continuous foundation wall or grouted masonry piers with permanent footings at least 12 inches below finished grade. Over 600 sq ft, footings or a turndown slab go at least 24 inches below grade. Pre-engineered buildings need plans stamped by a registered design professional.

Floodplain and land disturbance: the Engineering Department, in the same office, administers the floodplain and erosion and sediment control ordinances and issues floodplain and land disturbing permits.

Claytor Lake docks: a county Dock Permit Application goes to Planning & Zoning with the Appalachian Power (APCO) shoreline application and permit attached.

Trash on site: a dumpster or roll-off for a residential job must be a Public Service Authority container, and the residential application asks for the PSA account number.

Septic: the Virginia Department of Health issues the septic permit (the county’s submittal sheet gives 540-440-2166), and the Building Office needs a copy.

Solar: a zoning permit is needed only for ground-mounted arrays, which are treated as accessory structures for setbacks.

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 Pulaski County permit resources

• Pulaski County Building Office: applications, guides and portal
• Pulaski County Building Permit Fee Schedule
• New Single Family & Modular Home Submittal
• Commercial Building Plan Review procedure
• Accessory Structure Guide: sheds, carports, garages
• Pulaski County Planning & Zoning
• Pulaski County Engineering: floodplain and erosion control
• Solar installation information for Pulaski County
• Town of Pulaski Building Department
• Town of Dublin building permits notice

Pulaski County building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Pulaski County?

The county Building Office at 143 Third Street NW, Suite 1, Pulaski, phone 540-980-7710, for unincorporated land and the Town of Dublin. The Town of Pulaski issues its own through its Building Department (540-994-8615).

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

$0.16 per square foot plus $50 for each trade permit. A 2,000 sq ft house is $320 before trade fees, the $40 zoning permit and the 2% state charge.

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

Not a building permit if it is a one-story shed of up to 256 sq ft, no taller than 10 ft and anchored at each corner. It still needs a zoning permit, and wiring it needs an electrical permit.

Can I apply for a Pulaski County permit online?

Yes, through the Citizen Self Service portal linked on the Building Office page. You can also email the complete package to buildingdept@pulaskicounty.org.

Can a homeowner do their own work?

Yes. A homeowner doing any of the work must submit the county’s Owner Affidavit with the application. For electrical work the county recommends that a licensed contractor pull the permit.

Who reviews commercial plans?

A third-party review firm from the county’s approved list, hired by the owner. County staff may review small B or M use group buildings case by case.

Does Dublin issue its own building permits?

No. Pulaski County has issued Dublin’s building permits and inspections since May 1, 2025.

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