Southampton County, Virginia Building Permit Guide

The Southampton County Department of Community Development, 24283 Cheroenhaka Road, Courtland (757-742-6777), issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits and the certificate of occupancy. Electronic permit documents are preferred, and paper is accepted at the office or by mail. Building permit fees follow a floor-area table in the fee schedule effective July 26, 2022: a house of 1,501 to 2,000 square feet is $270, plus plan review and a $40 administrative fee. Inspections requested before 3:00 p.m. are made the next business day.

What requires a permit in Southampton County?

The Residential Permit Application and the county fee schedule together list the permits Community Development issues:

A detached shed over 256 sq ft needs a site plan showing where it will sit, a zoning clearance, the permit application, Health Department approval and building plans from the seller or builder.

Who issues building permits in Southampton County?

Community Development combines the county’s building inspections, planning and zoning, and its erosion and stormwater program. It issues permits, inspects for life safety, issues certificates of occupancy or completion and secures the E-911 address for new construction during plan review.

Towns. The state’s directory of building officials lists all six incorporated towns, Boykins, Branchville, Capron, Courtland, Ivor and Newsoms, under Southampton County, so the county issues building permits in each of them. Zoning is the town’s: the county application has a line for the town, marked “special zoning within town limits”, and its checklist asks for a copy of the town zoning permit when the project is inside an incorporated town.

The City of Franklin is an independent city with its own building official and is not covered by the county office.

Southampton County applications

The county posts its application packages on the Building Permit and Code Related Forms page:

• Residential Permit Application Package (2026): one application on which you tick building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas, demolition, garage, pool, shed or carport, followed by the Residential Plan Submittal Guidelines, the Zoning Clearance Application and the erosion Agreement in Lieu.
• Commercial Building Permit Application Package (2026): the fillable application with the commercial plan review checklist.
• Swimming Pools and Spas Permit Application Package (2025).
• Permit Application/Submittal Checklist: the staff checklist of what must be in the file before review and before the certificate of occupancy.
• Code Deck Guide for porches, decks, stairs and ramps. The plan guidelines let you state that a deck will follow the guide, with an affidavit, instead of submitting deck plans.
• Zoning Clearance, Site Development Plan and Demolition Permit applications on the Planning and Zoning Division page.

An owner who pulls the permit personally must sign a licence exemption affidavit. Contractors show their Virginia licence and, where it applies, a Southampton County business licence.

Southampton County permit costs and fees

Fees come from the Southampton County Fee Schedule for development and related permits, effective July 26, 2022, which is the schedule posted with the county’s forms. One figure has changed since: the Board of Supervisors raised the re-inspection fee from $50 to $80 on May 23, 2023, effective July 1, 2023 (County Code Sec. 4-35(h)), and the posted schedule still prints $50. New buildings pay a plan review fee and a building permit fee, both set by gross floor area, plus a $40 administrative fee that is added to every permit.

The table covers manufactured and modular homes, garages, sheds, decks and porches as well as site-built houses.

For example, a new 2,000 sq ft house pays a $270 building permit fee, $80 for plan review and the $40 administrative fee, $390 in all, before the trade permits, the $40 zoning clearance, the $150 erosion agreement and the $100 certificate of occupancy. Plans that need a third review because construction documents are missing are charged a new review fee.

A permit canceled in writing before construction starts or an inspection is requested is refunded less a $50 service charge. After that point the county also keeps $25 for each inspection and the plan review fee.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits

Trade permits are ticked on the same application as the building permit and priced from the 2022 schedule.

Commercial plumbing for a new building is $80 plus $15 per bathroom group, and commercial electrical service starts at $80 with $25 for each additional 50 amps over 200. Automatic fire protection systems are priced on value, from $25, and commercial cooking hoods and their suppression systems are $25 each.

The power company will not connect a new service without a current E-911 address, and the county gives permission to energize only after the electrical meter release inspection and its release form.

What to submit

The county will not review an application until every item is in. Its submittal checklist and the 2026 residential package ask for:

• The completed permit application, with the total cost of the work including all trades
• The Virginia contractor licence, or the signed exemption form if the owner is the applicant
• A plat or site plan showing existing structures, distances to lot lines and the well and septic locations; a survey plat for new construction
• The Zoning Clearance Application, or a copy of the town zoning permit inside a town
• The well and septic permit, or the water and sewer tap fee receipt
• The erosion permit or Agreement in Lieu
• A shrink-swell soil report for every new dwelling and for additions over 40% of the existing dwelling
• A VDOT entrance permit or waiver, required for all new dwelling units
• Flood zone documentation and an elevation certificate in a Special Flood Hazard Area
• 1 legible set of building plans, drawn to at least 1/4 inch scale with all sheets numbered

The plans must include a full cross section showing the load path, elevations, a dimensioned footing and foundation plan that reflects the soil report, wall sections, roof and truss plans, crawl space and attic venting calculations, wall bracing and roof tie-down details. An engineered foundation is required where the soils are moderately or highly shrink-swell.

If the site has no address yet, stake the driveway and the 4 corners of the building before asking for the 911 address; the application cannot be fully processed without one. For a commercial project the site plan must be prepared by a Virginia registered design professional.

How to apply for a Southampton County building permit

Southampton County inspections

Request inspections on the hotline, 757-742-6751, or through InspectNet, the county’s online system for requesting, canceling and viewing inspections. Leave the permit number, site address, type of inspection and a contact number; each permit number is scheduled separately.

• Requests must be in before 3:00 p.m. on the working day before, and the inspection is made the next business day.
• The work must be ready by 9:00 a.m. If it is not ready when the inspector arrives, the re-inspection fee is charged: $80 under the County Code since July 1, 2023, although the 2021 scheduling handout still prints $50.
• Cancellations are accepted only the day before the scheduled inspection.
• Inspections must be booked in the order of the county’s list; one booked out of order can be canceled without notice.

The handout’s 22-step list runs from the temporary construction meter and footings (at least 12 inches deep, with property lines staked to show setbacks) through foundation, floor framing, groundwork for each trade, slabs, gas lines, wall sheathing and bracing, the air barrier, the combined rough-in, insulation, fireplaces, exterior covering, sewer and water laterals and the electrical meter release, to the finals. A duct blower test certificate is required from the mechanical contractor.

Before the certificate of occupancy the file must also hold the Health Department operation permit for a private septic system or well, the erosion and stormwater sign-off, and the duct pressure and blower door test results.

Local Southampton County requirements

Shrink-swell soils: the soil report drives the foundation design, and its boring location must be shown on the site plan.

Design criteria: the county’s table gives a 20 psf ground snow load, 115 mph wind speed, seismic design category A and a 12-inch frost line depth.

Floodplain: a floodplain development permit is required for projects in the 100-year flood zone shown on the county flood maps, and the county publishes a permit process and review checklist for it.

Erosion and stormwater: a residential Agreement in Lieu costs $150. Land disturbance over 10,000 sq ft needs an erosion and sedimentation control application at $500 plus $5 per acre and $50 per inspection. All required control devices must be in place at the footing inspection.

Pile foundations: the county requires them to be supervised by the owner’s professional engineer or architect, or another service approved in writing by the Building Official.

Septic and wells: the Health Department approves the system before the permit and issues the operation permit before occupancy.

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 Southampton County permit resources

• Southampton County Community Development
• Building permit and code related forms
• Southampton County Fee Schedule, effective July 26, 2022
• Residential Permit Application Package 2026
• Permit Application/Submittal Checklist
• Inspection Scheduling Handout
• InspectNet online inspection requests
• Planning and Zoning Division applications
• Southampton County floodplain management
• Virginia DHCD directory of building officials

Southampton County building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Southampton County?

The Southampton County Department of Community Development, 24283 Cheroenhaka Road, Courtland, phone 757-742-6777. It also issues building permits in Boykins, Branchville, Capron, Courtland, Ivor and Newsoms; the City of Franklin has its own office.

How much is a building permit for a house in Southampton County?

The fee depends on gross floor area: $270 for 1,501 to 2,000 sq ft and $320 for 2,001 to 2,500 sq ft, for example. Plan review ($80 up to 2,499 sq ft) and a $40 administrative fee are added, and trade permits are separate.

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

The county’s application and checklist list detached sheds over 256 sq ft, which need a site plan, zoning clearance, Health Department approval and plans.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

The fee schedule has a $25 permit for the installation of walls or fencing.

How do I schedule an inspection in Southampton County?

Call the hotline on 757-742-6751 or use InspectNet before 3:00 p.m. on the working day before. Inspections are made the next business day, and the work must be ready by 9:00 a.m.

Can I submit my application electronically?

Yes. The county says electronic permit documents are preferred, and it accepts hard copies at the office or by mail.

Is a soil test required?

Yes, a shrink-swell soil report is required for all new dwelling units and for additions over 40% of the existing dwelling.

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