Radford, Virginia Building Permit Guide

The City of Radford Building Official (540-267-3179) issues building, trade, sign, demolition and roofing permits for property inside the city. Applications are made at 10 Robertson Street in person or by mail, and for new construction a signature sheet goes round the zoning office, the City Engineer and the Water/Wastewater Department before the permit is issued. Plans for commercial buildings must be reviewed by a third-party plan reviewer.

What requires a building permit in Radford?

The City’s zoning FAQ puts the line at $500: permits are required for all signs and for any construction project that will cost more than that. The Building Official’s forms cover these jobs:

One exemption is printed on the City’s inspection chart: a retaining wall holding back less than 3 ft of unbalanced fill needs no building permit, unless it impounds Class I, II or III-A liquids or carries a surcharge beyond ordinary backfill. A wall retaining more than 48 inches of fill, or one over 24 inches that resists other lateral loads, must be designed by a registered design professional.

Who issues building permits in Radford?

City Code Chapter 23 sets up the office of the Building Official as Radford’s building department, with the duty to enforce the statewide building code within the city. Chris Childress is the Building Official. Because Radford is an independent city, neither neighboring county issues permits for addresses inside the city limits; land outside the limits belongs to the county it sits in.

A decision of the Building Official can be appealed to the local board of building code appeals; the written request must be filed within 30 calendar days of receiving the decision.

Radford permit applications

Radford has no online permit portal. The Building Official page sorts the PDF forms by project:

• New single-family dwelling, townhouse or duplex: three forms together, the Residential Building Application, the Residential Sub-Contractor Form and the Combined ES, SW, ROW packet (erosion and sediment, stormwater and right-of-way).
• Residential addition, renovation, deck or accessory structure: the Residential Building Application alone.
• New commercial work, additions or renovations: the Commercial Building Application. It asks for use group, type of construction, flood zone, sprinkler and fire alarm status, and, for a building from before 1985, whether an asbestos survey is attached.
• Trade work, signs, demolition and roofing: the one-page Trade Permit Application.
• Contractor Information Form: filed with the application by any contractor new to Radford or with details to update.

The Residential Sub-Contractor Form lists the framing, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and insulation subcontractors with their licence numbers and the value of each one’s work.

Radford permit fees

Under City Code Sec. 23-6, City Council sets the schedule of fees for permits, inspections and certificates, and the schedule in force is kept on file in the City Clerk’s office, where it can be inspected during business hours. It is not among the forms on the Building Official page, so the fee for a job is worked out by the Building Official’s office on the application itself.

What the forms and the Code do show:

• Each application has a staff box for the permit fee and a state surcharge. The building applications add lines for a water fee and a sewer fee.
• Both the building and trade applications ask for the cost of construction.
• No permit is issued until the fees have been paid (Sec. 23-5).
• A permit is personal to the owner or lessee it was issued for and cannot be transferred or assigned.
• The Agreement in Lieu of an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan for a one- or two-family dwelling has no application fee.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire system permits

All trade permits come from the Building Official on the Trade Permit Application, which has tick boxes for residential or commercial work and for each trade. The form asks for the contractor’s Virginia licence number and class (A, B or C) and the master tradesman licence number with its expiry date.

Bonding and business licence. City Code Sec. 23-8 requires all electrical, plumbing and building contractors doing business in Radford to be bonded. A Radford business licence is needed once a contractor grosses more than $25,000 a year from work in the city; the Commissioner of Revenue’s office (540-731-3613) handles it.

Power. Radford runs its own municipal electric utility. A new customer completes an application at the Billing Office and needs an approved inspection from the Building Official before service is provided. The Code also makes it unlawful to supply power to a structure until the permit and inspections have been confirmed.

Fire systems. Sprinkler and fire alarm plans for commercial buildings go through the same third-party plan review as the building plans.

What to submit with a Radford application

The Building Official asks for this information with every application:

• Owner’s name, address and phone number
• Site address
• Contractor’s name, address and phone number
• Description of the work
• Total amount to be spent on construction

Depending on the type of construction, a set of plans may be required. The residential form also records the finished square footage by floor, basement and garage areas, the zoning district, building height and the four setbacks, and it names the mechanics lien agent or states that none is designated.

Site plan. A site plan is required before a building permit for a new building, for enlarging or moving a building, and for changes to parking or vehicle circulation. At least 5 copies go to the Community Development Director’s office. The City says site plan approval usually takes 4 weeks, or 90 days when a subdivision is involved; single-family homes, duplexes and additions usually take 2 or 3 days, and erosion and sediment control permits about a week.

Commercial plans. Plans for commercial buildings and structures, including mechanical, electrical and plumbing drawings, are reviewed by a third-party plan reviewer; the City posts a Professional Services List next to the commercial application.

How to apply for a Radford building permit

Radford inspections

Inspections are arranged with the Building Official’s office on 540-267-3179. The City’s Required Residential Inspections chart shows which inspections each kind of project gets:

• New house: all 15 on the chart, from setbacks, footer and grounding, temporary electrical, foundation wall rebar, drain tile and waterproofing, under-slab plumbing and slab preparation through framing, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, permanent electric, insulation, water and sewer service and final building.
• Deck, carport, screened porch or accessory structure: setbacks, footer, framing and final.
• Finishing a basement or attic: framing, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, insulation and final.
• Pool: setbacks, electrical, plumbing and final.

Drain tile and waterproofing are inspected where a finished floor is below exterior grade, any plumbing under a slab needs an under-slab inspection, and underground pipes are inspected before backfilling. On a new dwelling, bare ground must be permanently stabilized or the final occupancy permit is withheld.

Local Radford requirements

Erosion and sediment control: City Code Chapter 31 exempts land disturbance of less than 10,000 sq ft. For a one- or two-family dwelling the owner signs an Agreement in Lieu of a plan with the Engineering Office: silt fence, mulch and a stone construction entrance go in before work starts, bare areas are stabilized within 7 days, and the agreement is valid for one year. Call Engineering on 540-731-3603 once the measures are in and before disturbing the land. Other sites need a Land Disturbing Permit.

Right-of-way: work in a public right-of-way, including a new driveway entrance, needs the Engineering Office’s right-of-way permit, and the City publishes a standard detail for concrete driveway entrances on curb-and-gutter streets.

Accessory buildings and fences: an accessory building up to 12 ft high may sit in a required rear or side yard but no closer than 5 ft to a lot line, and no permanent accessory building may be built before the main building’s permit is issued. Fences may stand on the property line up to 6.5 ft high in rear yards and 4 ft in front yards.

Flood districts: the zoning ordinance includes FP-1 Floodway and FP-2 Flood-Fringe districts, and the commercial application asks whether the site is in a flood zone.

Rental housing: City Code Sec. 23-11 sets up rental inspection districts in which owners must notify the City that a dwelling is rented; there is no fee for the notice.

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 Radford permit resources

• City of Radford Building Official: process and application forms
• Residential Building Permit Application
• Commercial Building Permit Application
• Trade Permit Application
• Required Residential Inspections chart
• Combined erosion, stormwater and right-of-way packet
• Radford zoning application forms and site plan checklist
• Radford Engineering: right-of-way and land disturbing permits
• Radford Electric Department
• Radford City Code, Chapter 23, Buildings

Radford building permit FAQs

Does Radford issue its own building permits?

Yes. The City of Radford Building Official issues them for every address inside the city limits. Radford is an independent city and is not part of Montgomery County or Pulaski County.

Where do I apply for a building permit in Radford?

At the Building Department, 10 Robertson Street, Radford, VA 24141, in person or by mail. The phone number is 540-267-3179.

How much is a building permit in Radford?

City Council sets the fee schedule and it is kept on file with the City Clerk. The Building Official’s office enters the permit fee, the state surcharge and any water and sewer fees on your application, and the permit is issued once they are paid.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed in Radford?

An accessory building such as a shed needs a building permit before it goes on the lot and must stay 5 ft from side and rear lot lines. The City’s zoning FAQ allows fences on the property line up to 6.5 ft in rear yards and 4 ft in front yards, and requires a permit for any construction project over $500.

How long does approval take?

The City says single-family homes, duplexes and additions usually take 2 or 3 days at the site plan stage, other site plans usually 4 weeks, and 90 days where a subdivision is involved.

Who reviews commercial plans in Radford?

A third-party plan reviewer, including for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sprinkler and fire alarm plans.

When can I get electric service connected?

After you apply at the Radford Electric Department’s Billing Office (540-731-3602) and the Building Official has approved the inspection.

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