Scott County, Virginia Building Permit Guide

Building permits in Scott County come from the county’s Building & Zoning Official, 190 Beech Street, Suite 207, Gate City (276-386-5505). One county Permit Application covers the zoning permit, the building permit and the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits. Permits are written from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. and inspections run from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. No permit is issued if the applicant’s county taxes are past due.

What requires a permit in Scott County?

The county’s Permit Application opens with a list of tick boxes, one for each action that needs a permit:

Everyone who builds a structure in the county or changes the size of one must first get a zoning permit; the only exception on the form is for agricultural structures. A mechanical permit is required for heat pumps, gas furnaces, gas logs, gas heaters, gas water heaters, gas stoves, gas refrigerators and generators. Installing solar panels counts as a building alteration and needs both a building alteration permit and an electrical permit.

Who issues building permits in Scott County?

Tim Williams is the county’s Building & Zoning Official. The same office handles zoning and building, so the two permits are applied for together.

Towns. Scott County has six incorporated towns:

• Gate City: the county building inspector issues building permits inside the town and the county collects the fees; a copy of each permit goes to the Town Manager. Before that, the town’s own zoning administrator must issue a town zoning permit, applied for with 3 copies of a scale drawing of the lot and building. Utilities may not be connected in town until the zoning permit is issued. Gate City Town Hall is at 156 East Jackson Street (276-386-3831).
• Weber City, Duffield, Dungannon, Nickelsville and Clinchport: the county Building Permits office is the building permit office for all five. Each town is far below 3,500 residents and none publishes a building department, which under Code of Virginia Sec. 36-105 leaves building code enforcement there to Scott County. The Town of Weber City’s office number is 276-386-7201.

The Scott County Permit Application

There is no online portal. The county posts one fillable PDF, the Permit Application, and you complete only the sections that match the boxes you ticked:

• Zoning permit: what you are building and its size. The county is divided into zoning districts with different permitted uses, special uses and setbacks.
• Residential building permit: square footage, stories, rooms and bedrooms, finishes, garage, basement, fireplace or chimney, heat source, the contractor and the budget.
• Commercial building permit: building type, occupancy classification, construction type, total square feet, stories, whether it is sprinklered and the contractor’s licence class.
• Building permit: the short section for garages and other buildings, with dimensions, finishes and planned spend.
• Single-wide mobile home permit: year, model, size, manufacturer, power company work order and the certified mobile home installer. The home must be insulated for Zone 3.
• Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, and sections for fuel tanks, pools, signs and communication towers.

An owner doing the work personally signs the affidavit printed in the application. It states that the owner may not build or renovate more than one residential dwelling in any 24-month period without a contractor licence.

Scott County permit fees

The county prints one fee on its application: electrical permit fees are based on amperage, and a normal 200-amp residential service is $20.40. For solar work the county says the cost of the permit depends on the scope of the system.

For building permits, the application asks how much you plan to spend on the house or other building, and for a sign it asks the value. Clear any past-due county taxes first, because no permit can be issued while they are outstanding.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits

A new house needs electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits as well as the building permit, all from the Building & Zoning Official. Any outbuilding that will have electricity needs an electrical permit too, and so does a lighted sign.

• Electrical: the form asks what the service is for, the amperage, single or three phase, whether the building needs rewiring and who the power company is. For AEP customers it asks for the 9-digit work order number.
• Plumbing: you list how many of each fixture the building will have, from kitchen sinks, tubs, water closets and lavatories to water heaters, washer connections, dishwashers, floor drains and water fountains.
• Mechanical: what is being installed, its size in tons or BTU and the kW of electricity.

If you are not doing the work yourself, the electrician and every other contractor must hold a Virginia licence.

What to have before you apply

For a new residence, or a change to the size of your home, the application asks five questions. Each one is an approval from another office:

• Zoning permit from the county (ticked on the same application if you do not have it yet).
• Septic permit from the Scott County Health Department (Virginia Department of Health, LENOWISCO Health District), 190 Beech Street, Suite 102, Gate City, 276-386-1312, which must be in hand before a building permit can be issued. Where public sewer is available, contact the Public Service Authority (PSA) instead.
• Soil erosion permit from the Scott County Soil and Water Conservation office; the residential and commercial sections both ask for the soil conservation number.
• Contractor licence: anyone doing contracted work must be licensed in Virginia. An owner building their own home does not need a licence.
• Entrance permit from VDOT, if the property has no entrance from the state road.

The residential section asks whether you have a set of plans, and the commercial section whether the plans have been reviewed.

Solar. Submit 3 copies of drawings and specifications for the panels, a structural analysis of the roof and its load capacity, and drawings of how the system ties into the existing electrical panel. The county says the process normally takes one to two visits.

How to apply for a Scott County building permit

Scott County inspections

Inspections are made between 10:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., after the morning permit window, and are arranged with the Building Permits office on 276-386-5505.

For a single-wide mobile home, the application records the certified installer, the electrical contractor and the HVAC contractor with their state licence numbers and expiry dates.

Local Scott County requirements

County zoning: Scott County has its own zoning ordinance, and a county zoning permit is required for any structure other than an agricultural one.

Communication towers: a tower must conform to the zoning ordinance and needs a zoning special use permit, a building permit and an electrical permit. The application asks for the tower height, voltage load and the companies co-locating on it.

Signs: the sign section asks whether you have contacted VDOT and who you spoke to there.

Septic and sewer: septic permits come from the Scott County Health Department, an office of the Virginia Department of Health at 190 Beech Street, the same address as the county permit office; public sewer connections go through the Public Service Authority.

Taxes: the first line of the application states that no permits can be issued if taxes are past due.

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 Scott County permit resources

• Scott County Building Permits page
• Scott County Permit Application
• Solar System Installation Checklist
• Building Permits staff directory
• Town of Gate City Code of Ordinances
• Scott County Health Department (VDH LENOWISCO Health District) contact page

Scott County building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Scott County?

The Scott County Building & Zoning Official, 190 Beech Street, Suite 207, Gate City, phone 276-386-5505. The county also issues the building permits inside Gate City and the county’s other five towns.

When is the Scott County permit office open?

Permit hours are 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. Inspections are done from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

How much is an electrical permit in Scott County?

Fees are based on amperage. The county’s application gives $20.40 for a normal 200-amp residential service.

Do I need a zoning permit as well as a building permit?

Yes. Everyone building a structure or changing the size of one must first obtain a county zoning permit, except for agricultural structures. In Gate City the zoning permit comes from the town.

Can I build my own house without a contractor licence?

Yes. You sign the owner’s affidavit in the application, which limits you to one residential dwelling in a 24-month period.

What do I need for a septic system?

A septic permit from the Scott County Health Department (276-386-1312) before the building permit can be issued. If public sewer is available, contact the PSA.

Do solar panels need a permit in Scott County?

Yes: a building alteration permit and an electrical permit, with 3 copies of the drawings and a structural analysis of the roof.

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