Russell County, Virginia Building Permit Guide

Russell County’s Building Department at 137 Highland Drive, Suite D, Lebanon (276-889-8012) issues building permits, with a separate trade permit application for each trade. Forms are on the county website and may be submitted electronically; payment goes to the Russell County Treasurer’s Office and can be made by phone with a credit or debit card. A permit is valid for 6 months from the filing date, and every inspection needs 24 hours’ notice.

What requires a permit in Russell County?

The Building Department publishes an application for each type of work it permits. Together they show the county’s permit list:

The building permit application also has lines for a pool’s length, width and depth, a fence height and a retaining wall height. A farm building that meets the statewide definition can be covered by the county’s Farm Building/Structure Exemption form in place of a permit.

Who issues building permits in Russell County?

The county Building Department was set up to provide construction regulation and land use control, and it also runs the county’s erosion and sediment control program. Josh Stinson is the Building Official.

Towns. Russell County has four incorporated towns:

• Lebanon: the county issues the building permit. Under Town Code Sec. 10-31 and 10-32, the county enforces the building code in the town, and nobody may start construction there without first giving the Town Manager a copy of the county permit. Lebanon has its own zoning ordinance and Zoning Administrator at Town Hall, 405 West Main Street (276-889-7200).
• Honaker and Cleveland: the county Building Department is the permit office for both towns. Neither has 3,500 residents or a building department of its own, and Code of Virginia Sec. 36-105 has the county enforce the building code in a town like that. Honaker’s town office is at 455 Heritage Drive (276-873-6556).
• St. Paul: most of the town lies in Wise County. St. Paul Town Code Sec. 6-27 says all building permits are purchased through the county, with fees set by the county, and the Town Code defines “the county” as Wise or Russell, as appropriate. A lot on the Russell County side is therefore permitted by the Russell County Building Department; Code of Virginia Sec. 36-105 likewise gives each county its own portion of a small town that spans two counties. The town keeps its own zoning ordinance and zoning map, and Town Hall is on 276-762-5297.

Russell County applications

All of the county’s applications are PDFs on the Building Official page, headed with the department’s address and email, and the county says they may be submitted electronically.

• RC Building Permit Application: residential or non-residential work. It names the permit holder (owner or contractor) and records square footage for each floor, basement, garage, carport, deck, porch and attic, the estimated cost, flood zone and heat type.
• Commercial Building Permit: primary use, new or remodeled square footage, year built and an asbestos survey line for alterations.
• Trade Permit: a single form with electrical, plumbing and mechanical sections; one is filed for each trade.
• Manufactured Home Permit Application: make, year, size and foundation type, plus the transporter’s name and Virginia contractor licence number.
• Fire Safety, Sign and Tank permit applications.
• Certificate of Occupancy application: building use, number of occupants and bedrooms, and the electric utility.
• Owner Written Statement: for an owner who is not subject to contractor licensing. The building application carries the same statement, in which the owner confirms that anyone working on the job must hold a state contractor licence and trade certification.

Russell County permit fees and payment

The county’s forms and FAQ do not print building permit fees, so the amount is given by the Building Department when the application is reviewed. What the county does state:

• Where to pay: permit payments go to the Russell County Treasurer’s Office, not the Building Department, and can be made by telephone with a credit or debit card.
• What the fee is based on: the building, commercial, manufactured home and sign applications each ask for the estimated cost of the work, and the building application for the total square feet.
• Land disturbance: a $150 administrative fee is submitted with the Land Disturbance Permit Application. The surety and the land disturbing permit fee are paid after the plan is approved and before the permit is issued.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits

Trade permits come from the same Building Department. The county asks for one completed trade permit application for each trade on the job; for a typical house that means one for electrical, one for plumbing and one for the heat pump.

The electrical section asks for the type of work, the amps, overhead or underground service and the service provider, AEP or Old Dominion. It has a line for the AEP work order number and asks whether the power is disconnected now and for how long. The mechanical section covers HVAC, gas and generator work, and the plumbing section separates potable water from waste water.

Fire alarm, kitchen hood suppression and fire sprinkler work goes on the Fire Safety Permit Application, and fuel or other tanks on the Tank Permit Application.

What to submit

The Building Official’s FAQ lists what is needed to obtain a building permit:

• The completed Building Permit Application
• The county tax map ID number
• A completed In-Lieu Plan (the Agreement in Lieu of an erosion plan for a single-family residence)
• A completed Trade Permit Application for each trade
• Health Department approval, if the property uses or will use a private septic system and well
• For a mobile home: its size, manufacturer, year and cost

Health Department approval is also needed for additions, renovations and repairs that may affect an existing septic system. The application has spaces for the septic permit number, the water source, the new driveway permit number where one applies, and the mechanics lien agent.

Tiny houses. A tiny house on a permanent foundation is treated as a single-family detached dwelling. A factory-built unit needs a Virginia label or certification; without one, the county asks for a third-party inspection report and architectural drawings showing it was built to the Virginia Residential Code.

How to apply for a Russell County building permit

Russell County inspections

A 24-hour notice is required for every inspection request, made to the Building Department on 276-889-8012. A permit is valid for 6 months after the filing date.

The county’s footer sheet sets out what the inspector expects at the first inspection: footers 18 inches deep to get below the frost line, 16 inches wide under 8-inch block or 20 inches wide under 12-inch block, with 2 rows of 1/2-inch rebar.

Occupancy is requested on the county’s Certificate of Occupancy application.

Local Russell County requirements

Land disturbance: no one may disturb 10,000 sq ft or more of land until the county has approved an erosion and sediment control plan. The Land Disturbance Permit Application needs one complete copy of the plans, a copy of the Responsible Land Disturber’s DEQ card and the $150 administrative fee. A single-family home can use the Agreement in Lieu of a plan.

Zoning: the county’s tiny house guidance points builders to the Town of Lebanon’s zoning, and the Town of St. Paul also has a zoning ordinance. The county posts floodplain management, subdivision, erosion and sediment, outdoor sign and solar energy project ordinances on its Ordinances & Resolutions page.

Flood zone: the building permit application asks for the flood zone of the site, and the county’s Floodplain Management ordinance dates from August 2010.

Septic and wells: approval comes from the Health Department; the Cumberland Plateau Health District serves Russell County.

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 Russell County permit resources

• Russell County Building Official: applications and contacts
• Building Official FAQs
• RC Building Permit Application
• Russell County Trade Permit application
• Manufactured Home Permit Application
• Tiny house information
• Land Disturbance Permit Application
• Russell County ordinances and resolutions
• Town of Lebanon Town Code and zoning
• Town of St. Paul zoning

Russell County building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Russell County?

The Russell County Building Department, 137 Highland Drive, Suite D, Lebanon, phone 276-889-8012. It also issues the permits for work inside Lebanon, Honaker, Cleveland and the Russell County part of St. Paul.

Can I apply online for a Russell County building permit?

The applications are available on the county website and may be submitted electronically. The department’s email is build@russellcountyva.us.

How do I pay for a permit?

Payment goes to the Russell County Treasurer’s Office and can be made by telephone with a credit or debit card.

How long is a Russell County permit valid?

6 months after the filing date.

How much notice does an inspection need?

24 hours for all inspection requests.

What documents do I need for a building permit?

The building permit application, the tax map ID number, a completed In-Lieu Plan, a trade permit application for each trade and, with a private septic system or well, Health Department approval.

Do I need anything from the Town of Lebanon?

Lebanon has its own zoning, and its Town Code requires you to give the Town Manager a copy of the county building permit before construction begins.

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