Westmoreland County, Virginia Building Permit Guide

Westmoreland County Building & Zoning, the Land Use Administration office at 111 Polk Street in Montross (804-493-0120), issues building and trade permits, and it also issues them for work in Colonial Beach once the Town has approved zoning. One application covers the building, zoning, land disturbing and 911 address permits, filed through the Citizens’ Permit Portal or in person. A house costs $175 plus $0.05 per square foot, with each trade at $50 plus $0.05 per square foot.

What requires a permit in Westmoreland County?

The County’s Permit Guidance lists the permits each kind of project needs. Most jobs need a zoning permit even when no building permit applies, because setbacks, impervious cover and the Chesapeake Bay buffer are checked on every site.

An accessory structure larger than 150 sq ft cannot be built before the house without a Board of Zoning Appeals variance, and only one structure of 150 sq ft or less is allowed ahead of the house. Manufactured homes built before 1976 are not permitted unless the Building Official has inspected them, and the Building Official may inspect any used unit more than 20 years old before issuing a permit.

Who issues building permits in Westmoreland County?

Building, zoning, erosion control, stormwater and wetlands are all handled by one office, which signs its forms “Land Use Administration”. James Wise is the Building Official.

The county has 2 incorporated towns:

• Colonial Beach: the Town issues the zoning permit, which is required before a building permit, and Westmoreland County then issues the building permit and carries out all inspections. Town zoning is handled by Planning and Community Development at 315 Douglas Avenue (804-224-7506), which also approves signs, driveways, temporary structures and tree removal.
• Montross: the Town has its own zoning ordinance and a $50 zoning permit from Town Hall, 15869 Kings Highway (804-493-9623). Under the Town’s code no building permit can be issued until that zoning permit is approved and a copy has gone to the building official. The state’s directory of building code officials lists Montross under Westmoreland County, so the building application goes to the County office on Polk Street.

Westmoreland County permit types and how to file

The County uses a single Permit Application for All Permit Types. Staff tick the permits the project needs and work out the fees: building, electric, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, gas line or tank, demolition, zoning, land disturbing, County stormwater and E-911 address.

Applications can be filed in the Citizens’ Permit Portal, where you upload the plans and either the owner affidavit or the contractor’s proof of insurance. After staff process the application they email an invoice, which can be paid in the portal, by mail or at the counter. Principal structures and any project with large or sealed plans generally have to be submitted on paper at 111 Polk Street. The same portal shows permit status and inspections.

Forms the County publishes alongside the application:

• Owner Affidavit, signed and notarized, for an owner without a licensed contractor
• Checklist for Permit Submittal and Plot Plan Checklists
• Demolition Permit Application and Asbestos Certification and Documentation
• Farm Building Affidavit
• Impervious Cover Worksheets for new construction and for additions
• Agreement in Lieu forms for erosion and sediment control and for stormwater management
• Permit Cancellation, Amendment, Renewal Form
• Application for Wetlands Board Approval and the Chesapeake Bay Act Exception Application

Contractors submit a copy of their current state licence and a licence and permit bond of at least $100,000. The fee schedule also lists a contractor registration: $75 for Class A and $50 for Class B, Class C and other contractors.

Westmoreland County permit costs and fees

Fees come from the County’s Land Use Fee Schedule, first effective September 1, 2008 and amended as of August 1, 2026. A 2% Virginia surcharge is added on the application. Area means total building area, including an attached garage.

For example, a new 2,000 sq ft house is $275 for the building permit and $150 each for the electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits, or $725 before the 2% surcharge. The same house also needs a zoning permit, priced by size:

The County’s older application form still prints a $50 E-911 fee; the amended schedule’s $100 is the current figure. Fees paid at the counter are by cash, check or money order to the Treasurer of Westmoreland County.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits

The trades are added to the same application, with the electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors and their licence numbers listed on page 2. Fees from the amended schedule:

A manufactured home is the exception: its $175 building permit already includes the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits.

Under the County Code, no power company may provide temporary or new permanent electric service to a building in the unincorporated county until the County has issued an approved zoning permit.

Septic and wells: construction permits for a well and septic system come from the Westmoreland County Health Department’s Environmental Health office at 18849 King’s Highway, Montross (804-493-1235), part of the Three Rivers Health District. The County also charges a $50 well permit fee of its own.

Construction documents and application requirements

The Checklist for Permit Submittal, last updated October 5, 2023, sets the minimum for each kind of project:

The plot plan has to show every structure, the well, septic tank and drainfield, the driveway, and distances from the new construction to the property lines and to each of those features. Residential building plans may be hand-drawn if they are to scale and include a floor plan, foundation plan, electrical plan and building section. Commercial plans, including churches, may need an architect’s or engineer’s seal. For a pre-built shed or carport a brochure picture is accepted, and a deck needs a plan view and cross-section.

Larger footprints add a bond when the project adds or replaces more than 833 sq ft of impervious cover or disturbs more than 2,500 sq ft. Lots on private roads in Placid Bay Estates need the County’s signed private road form.

How to apply: 6-step Westmoreland County process

Westmoreland County building inspections

Every inspection must be scheduled by 3:00 p.m. on the day before, with no exceptions short of an emergency approved by the Planning Director or County Administrator. If an inspection fails, you call to reschedule it; a failed inspection that is not rescheduled blocks the next one you request. Approved plans must be on site for all inspections. The portal’s lookup shows inspections recorded against a permit.

The County’s typical sequence for a house is:

• First erosion inspection, with further erosion checks during the job
• Footing, before pouring, with at least 2 property corners located and visible
• Foundation, then drain tile and waterproofing
• 911 address, and garage or basement slab
• Sewer or water line
• Rough-in framing, plumbing, mechanical and electrical, with windows installed and the roof shingled
• Permanent electric, insulation and drywall
• Stormwater best management practices, where the site design has them
• Final erosion inspection, which releases the land disturbing bond, and final occupancy

A third-party inspector may be used if the Building Official has approved that inspector in advance. A permit is valid for one year. It can be renewed for $150 a year if a required inspection was approved in the previous 12 months, but not beyond 36 months from the original issue date.

Local requirements in Westmoreland County

Chesapeake Bay 100-foot buffer: the County lies between two rivers, and a vegetated 100-foot buffer, the Resource Protection Area, applies around rivers, creeks, perennial streams and certain wetlands. A house can be approved administratively inside it only when the lot was platted before October 1, 1989, there is not enough buildable area outside the buffer, the work stays out of the inner 50 ft, and the structure is no more than 3,000 sq ft or the average of adjacent homes. Anything else needs a Chesapeake Bay Act Exception from the Planning Commission, a $900 application. Detached accessory structures, patios and private pools are not allowed in the buffer without that exception.

Land disturbing permit: required when a project adds 833 sq ft or more of impervious cover or disturbs 2,500 sq ft, counting the driveway and drainfield. Farm buildings and carports are not exempt. A bond is posted with the permit and refunded after the final land disturbing inspection; if that inspection has not passed when you need the Certificate of Occupancy, a $2,000 temporary bond is required.

Floodplain: new and replacement houses must be built to the required flood elevation plus 18 inches of freeboard. The base flood elevation has to be marked on site by a licensed professional before work starts, and an Elevation Certificate is required at the end.

Slopes: structures must be set back 25 ft from the top and 15 ft from the toe of slopes steeper than 25%, and 50 ft and 25 ft where the slope exceeds 50%.

Shoreline work: riprap, bulkheads and piers over wetlands go to the County Wetlands Board, a $1,000 review with deadlines about 6 weeks before each meeting. The zoning permit for a new bulkhead, dock, pier or boat slip is $500, or $125 to rework an existing one, plus the land disturbance permit.

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 Westmoreland County permit resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Virginia DPOR license lookup
• Virginia DHCD — Uniform Statewide Building Code
• Westmoreland County Forms & Applications
• Westmoreland County Building & Zoning
• Westmoreland County Citizens’ Permit Portal
• Land Use Fee Schedule (amended as of August 1, 2026)
• Permit Guidance (Land Use Administration)
• Checklist for Permit Submittal
• Permit Application for All Permit Types
• Town of Colonial Beach Planning and Community Development
• Town of Colonial Beach: When Do I Need a Permit?
• Town of Montross Zoning & Community Development
• Three Rivers Health District health departments

Westmoreland County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Colonial Beach?

Westmoreland County. The Town of Colonial Beach issues the zoning permit first, and the County then issues the building permit and does all the inspections.

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

$175 plus $0.05 per square foot of total building area, with electrical, plumbing and HVAC each at $50 plus $0.05 per square foot. A 2,000 sq ft house comes to $725 before the 2% surcharge, the $400 zoning permit and any land disturbance fee.

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

A shed of 256 sq ft or less needs only a zoning permit with a plot plan. Over 256 sq ft it also needs a building permit and a permanent foundation, and no shed is allowed in the 100-foot buffer without a Chesapeake Bay Act Exception.

Do I need a permit for a fence or a new roof?

No building permit for either. Fences of any height are exempt but limited to 4 ft in a front yard, and re-shingling is treated as a minor repair unless you change the roof structure.

Can I apply online?

Yes, through the Citizens’ Permit Portal, where you also pay the invoice staff email to you. Houses and other projects with large or sealed plans usually have to be filed in person at 111 Polk Street, Montross.

When does the permit counter stop taking applications?

At 4:00 p.m. The office itself is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

How long is a Westmoreland County permit valid?

One year from the date of issue. Renewal is $150 a year, needs an approved inspection in the previous 12 months, and cannot run past 36 months from the original date.

What happens if I start building without a permit?

Permit and inspection fees are tripled, and staff time is charged at $50 per hour until all the required applications are in.

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