Sussex County, Virginia Building Permit Guide

Building permits in Sussex County are issued by the Sussex County Building Department, 20135 Princeton Road, Sussex (434-246-4390), which takes applications, reviews them and inspects the work. A residential permit costs a $75 base fee plus $0.16 per square foot of finished area and $0.08 per square foot of unfinished area, with a 2% state levy. Inspections are requested by phone before 5:00 p.m. and are normally made the next business day. Work started without a permit draws a $100 fine.

What requires a permit in Sussex County?

The Building Department is responsible for permits and inspections on all new construction, alterations, repairs, removals, demolition and other building operations. Its fee schedule and application list show the permit types:

Fences. The fee schedule prices three kinds of fence permit: fences around swimming pools, residential fences over 6 ft high, and commercial fences of any height.

A commercial change of occupancy or use needs a building permit. Farm buildings are handled on the Farm Construction Application, an affidavit form.

Who issues building permits in Sussex County?

The county Building Department, also called the Building Official’s Office, accepts applications, reviews them for compliance, issues permits, makes site visits at each stage and issues the certificate of occupancy. Matt Westheimer is the Building Official. The department’s forms are headed “Surry and Sussex Counties” and carry both counties’ addresses, and the inspection hotline and inspection email address are shared with Surry County.

Towns. The state’s directory of building officials lists all four of the county’s towns under Sussex County, so the county department issues the building permit in each. Zoning stays with the towns that have their own ordinance, and the county application requires a zoning permit or a waiver:

• Waverly: the town charges $100 for an initial zoning permit and $100 for a town demolition permit, and publishes a zoning checklist and its Land Development Ordinance.
• Wakefield: zoning, sign and demolition applications are returned to Town Hall, 200 Main Street.
• Jarratt: the town straddles the Sussex and Greensville county line. Its zoning permit is applied for at Town Hall, 108 S. Braxton Avenue (434-535-8013), and costs $35. For a lot on the Sussex side the building permit comes from the Sussex County Building Department; the Greensville side goes to Greensville County.
• Stony Creek: listed under Sussex County in the state directory; apply to the county department.

Sussex County applications and forms

Sussex County has no online permit portal. Its Applications & Forms page carries these PDFs:

• Residential Construction Application: new dwellings, with room counts, the gross area including porches, decks and attached garage, the value, and the mechanics lien agent.
• General Permit Application: additions, alterations, decks, garages, porches, sheds and carports. It is marked “trade permits may be required”.
• Commercial Construction Application.
• Manufactured Home/Industrialized Building Application.
• Tradesman Application for electrical, plumbing and mechanical work.
• Demolition Permit Application and Farm Construction Application.
• Permit Extension Application, Request for Certificate of Occupancy and Elevator Certification Application.
• 3rd Party Inspection Request and the Appeals Application.

The residential and general applications include an Affidavit of Licensure Exemption for an applicant who is not a licensed contractor. The department also posts its Special Inspections Guidelines and Procedures and a county Deck Guide for decks, porches, stairs and ramps.

Sussex County permit costs and fees

The Building Department’s Permit Fee Schedule is posted as a web page and a PDF. No permit is issued until the fees are paid, and a 2% state levy applies to all applicable permit fees. The base permit fee and the minimum permit fee are both $75.

For example, a new house with 2,000 sq ft of finished area pays $75 + (2,000 × $0.16) = $395 for the building permit and $50 for plan review, before the trade permits and the 2% levy.

If an application is found incomplete after review, the applicant pays a $50 re-review fee before it is processed. A permit canceled in writing within six months of the application date, or within twelve months of the issue date, is refunded less 30%.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits

Trade permits are applied for on the Tradesman Application and priced from the same schedule.

Larger solar systems step up to $400 at 30,001 to 40,000 watts and by $25 for each further 10,000 watts. A solar application needs 2 sets of plans and zoning approval, and any building on a solar site needs its own building permit.

What to submit

Both the residential and the general application carry the same required-information list. Tick each item as submitted or not applicable:

• Private sewage disposal system permit
• Zoning permit or waiver; you must have one or the other
• Water tap fee receipt and sewer tap fee receipt
• Footing and foundation plan, with details
• First and second floor plans
• Deck framing plan and details
• 2 sets of complete construction documents and plans

The applicant signs to certify that everything ticked is included. The application also takes the contractor’s state licence number, class, specialty and expiry date, the tax parcel ID, and the general, mechanical and plumbing contractors with their cost estimates.

How to apply for a Sussex County building permit

Sussex County inspections

All inspections must be requested by telephone before 5:00 p.m., through the Inspections Hotline on 877-224-7978 or by email, giving your name, phone number, the permit address and the type of inspection. Staff aim to inspect on the next business day, but the county asks owners to allow up to two business days.

The county’s required inspections are:

• Footing: grade stakes and rebar in place before you call. If it rains before the concrete is poured, a re-inspection is required.
• Projection: when at least 2 courses of masonry are complete, the top of the footing is clean and anchor straps are installed.
• Foundation, boxing and floor joists: before framing starts and before the subfloor goes down. Do not cover the foundation or piers until they are inspected.
• Framing, electrical, plumbing and mechanical: before outside walls are covered. Hurricane clips are required.
• Chimney and fireplace, then insulation.
• Final before occupancy: for a home on a well and septic system, the approved water sample and the Health Department’s sewage operations permit must be in hand before the final can be scheduled.

A $100 re-inspection fee is charged when the job is not ready for the inspection requested.

Local Sussex County requirements

Starting without a permit: the department charges a $100 fine for work begun before the permit is received, and the fee schedule adds a $100 code investigation fee.

Zoning and site plans: the county Planning and Zoning Department administers the zoning and subdivision ordinances and reviews site plans for land outside the towns.

Third-party inspections: the county has a 3rd Party Inspection Request form and a written policy for them.

Septic and wells: the Health Department issues the private sewage disposal system permit needed with the application and the operations permit needed before the final inspection.

Appeals: decisions go to the county Building Code Appeals Board; the fee schedule lists the appeal fee as $0.

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 Sussex County permit resources

• Sussex County Building Inspections
• Sussex County Permit Fee Schedule
• Building applications and forms
• Required inspections
• Sussex County Deck Guide
• Sussex County Planning and Zoning Department
• Town of Waverly permits and licenses
• Town of Wakefield permits and licenses
• Town of Jarratt forms and permits
• Virginia DHCD directory of building officials

Sussex County building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Sussex County?

The Sussex County Building Department, 20135 Princeton Road, Sussex, phone 434-246-4390. It also issues building permits in Waverly, Wakefield, Stony Creek and the Sussex County part of Jarratt; the towns handle their own zoning permits.

How much is a building permit in Sussex County?

Residential work is a $75 base fee plus $0.16 per sq ft of finished area and $0.08 per sq ft of unfinished area, plus a 2% state levy. A house with 2,000 sq ft finished is $395, plus $50 for plan review, before trade permits.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Sussex County?

The county charges a $40 permit for fences around swimming pools, residential fences over 6 ft high and all commercial fences.

Do I need a permit for a shed or deck?

Sheds, decks, porches, garages and carports are all in the residential fee category and go on the General Permit Application. The minimum permit fee is $75.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call the Inspections Hotline on 877-224-7978 before 5:00 p.m. with the permit number, type of inspection and job address. Allow up to two business days.

What happens if I start work without a permit?

The department charges a $100 fine for work started before the permit is received.

Who permits construction in Jarratt?

Jarratt issues its own $35 zoning permit at Town Hall. The building permit comes from Sussex County for the Sussex side of town and from Greensville County for the Greensville side.

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