Wise County, Virginia Building Permit Guide

Wise County Building & Zoning (276-328-7119) issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits throughout the county, including inside Appalachia, Big Stone Gap, Coeburn, Pound, St. Paul and the Town of Wise. Applications are made on one paper form at Room 220 of the courthouse, 206 E Main Street, Wise. The County’s Permits & Fees page lists a new house at $0.12 per square foot with a $50 minimum, a $35 zoning permit and a 2% state levy.

What needs a permit in Wise County?

The County’s Permits & Fees page says a building permit is required for any new construction, enlargement or major renovation of a structure, and gives both lists:

Setting a manufactured home needs its own permit. No home may be delivered to a lot where it will be lived in until the water and sewer connection permits are secured and the Building Official has approved the site, and it is unlawful to supply power to a mobile home or mobile office without an electrical permit.

Who issues building permits in Wise County?

The Building & Zoning Department enforces the building code for all buildings and structures in the unincorporated county and in every town. James D. McElrath is the Building & Code Official and Zoning Administrator.

How the incorporated places divide up:

• Appalachia, Big Stone Gap, Coeburn, Pound, St. Paul and Wise: the County names all 6 towns as part of its enforcement area, so the building permit and inspections come from the County office.
• Town of Wise zoning: the Town states that all zoning matters go through its Department of Planning and Zoning at 501 West Main Street (276-328-6013), while building permits come from the County.
• St. Paul: the town straddles the Wise–Russell county line. Its Town Code says all building permits are purchased through the county at the county’s fees, and defines “the county” as Wise or Russell, as appropriate. Wise County names St. Paul in its enforcement area, so the Wise County office permits the Wise County part of town, which is most of it. A lot on the Russell County side goes to the Russell County Building Department in Lebanon (276-889-8012), because Code of Virginia Sec. 36-105 has each county enforce the building code in its own portion of a town of under 3,500 people that crosses a county line. Town Hall is at 16531 Russell Street (276-762-5297). The Town keeps its own zoning ordinance and map.
• Big Stone Gap: the Town has its own Planning Commission and planning administrator at 505 E 5th Street S (276-523-0115); building permits come from the County.
• Appalachia, Coeburn and Pound: their published pages do not set out a zoning permit step, so ask the town hall before filing with the County; Pound’s is at 8422 North River Road (276-796-5188).
• City of Norton: an independent city with its own Building and Zoning Department. The County does not permit work there.

Wise County applications and how to file

Permit applications in Wise County are made on paper; the County does not offer online filing. The forms are on the Permits & Fees page and go to the Building & Zoning office in the courthouse:

• Building Permit Application: a single form with separate sections for the building permit (demolition, new single-family dwelling, modular, accessory, addition, remodel), the electrical permit, the plumbing permit and the mechanical permit. It asks for the tax ID, zone, floodplain status, water and sewer, the mechanics’ lien agent and each contractor’s licence number, class and expiry.
• Manufactured Home Permit Application: for single-wides and double-wides. It includes the Agreement in Lieu of an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan and a written statement for an owner doing the electrical, plumbing or mechanical work personally.
• Erosion and Sediment Permit Application (Application for Land Disturbing Permit).
• Planning Commission Hearing Application.

For small rooftop or ground-mounted solar, the building permit application with its electrical and mechanical sections is the only form needed, and the contractor must hold the AES designation on the state licence. The County commits to reviewing a residential solar application within 3 days and a commercial one within 1 week.

Permit costs and fees in Wise County

The figures below are from the County’s Permits & Fees page. They match the fee schedule the Building & Zoning Department proposed in 2025, and the Board of Supervisors approved the increase in building permit fees on December 11, 2025, after a public hearing the same evening. Square footage is measured from the exterior foundation dimensions and counts every story except a basement or cellar that is not finished as living space. A 2% levy is added.

For example, a new 2,000 sq ft house is $240 for the building permit, before the $35 zoning permit, the trade permits and the 2% levy. Churches, local, state and federal agencies, farm use and ordinary repairs are exempt from fees, and the schedule approved in December 2025 adds storm damage and fire damage to that list.

Older figures still online. The Building & Zoning FAQ, like the fee section of the County Code published online (last amended in 2008), still quotes site-built houses at $0.10 per sq ft, and its manufactured home totals work out to a $25 zoning fee. Those are the rates the December 2025 increase replaced; the adopted figures are $0.12 and $35.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits

Trade permits are issued by the same County office from the trade sections of the building permit application. Rates from the Permits & Fees page:

An owner can do the electrical, plumbing or mechanical work on their own property by signing the County’s written statement for trades work performed by the owner. The Building Official may also require a re-inspection before power is restored to an installation that has been disconnected for a year or more.

Septic systems: permits and evaluations come from the Wise County and City of Norton Health Department, 134 Roberts Avenue SW, Wise (276-328-8000), part of the LENOWISCO Health District. The County asks for the certificate to operate for a new sewage system, or the Health Department’s safe, adequate and proper (SAP) evaluation of an existing one.

Application documents for Wise County

Applications should come with scale drawings and construction documents. The County lists what they must show, and its FAQ adds what to bring for each kind of job:

For any new building other than a one- or two-family accessory structure, the site plan has to be reviewed and approved before the building permit can be issued. The County Code sets an 18-inch frost line and snow loads of 20 psf for residential and 30 psf for commercial construction.

Buildings of more than 3 stories, or 50 ft or more in height, are treated as critical structures. Their owner must retain a Virginia-registered engineer or architect to oversee construction and report to the Building Official.

How to apply: 6 steps in Wise County

Inspections and completion in Wise County

It is the permit holder’s job to call the Building Department when work is ready. The County sets 7 minimum inspections:

• Footer, with reinforcing steel in place, before concrete is poured
• Temporary electrical service
• Reinforced concrete beams, columns and slabs
• Rough-in for framing, electrical, plumbing and mechanical
• Insulation, before it is covered
• New electrical service
• Final inspection and Certificate of Occupancy

The Certificate of Occupancy is issued after the final inspection, and the County Code makes it unlawful to occupy a building before then. If a contractor is discharged or work is suspended or abandoned, the permit holder must tell the Building Official in writing within 14 days.

Solar work has its own commitments: no more than 2 inspections for a rooftop array, an appointment time rather than a window, and inspection within 5 days of the request.

Local Wise County details that matter

Floodplain: the County says much of Wise County is in the floodplain. All new construction, and any substantial improvement, must meet the floodplain ordinance by elevating the structure above the base flood elevation. The application form asks for the floodplain status of the site.

Erosion and sediment control: a single-family home that disturbs more than 10,000 sq ft can use the County’s Agreement in Lieu of a plan, which requires silt fence around disturbed areas and stabilization of bare ground within 7 days of final grading. Larger projects file the Application for Land Disturbing Permit with an approved plan, and the Lonesome Pine Soil and Water Conservation District may inspect alongside County staff.

County zoning: the zoning permit is $35. The ordinance’s districts include A-RR Agricultural-Rural Residential, B-1 and B-2 business, M-1 and M-2 industrial, floodplain districts and a Lonesome Pine Airport District.

Commercial solar: flat permit fees run from $150 for systems of 5 kW or less to $300 for 15 kW and up, and from $500 to $1,000 for systems of 1 MW and larger.

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 Wise 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 DHCD building code
• Wise County Permits & Fees
• Wise County Building & Zoning
• Building & Zoning FAQs
• Wise County Floodplain Information
• Wise County Zoning Ordinance
• Wise County Solar Energy Resources
• Code of Wise County, Chapter 5: Building Regulations
• Town of Wise: Building Permits
• Town of St. Paul Zoning
• LENOWISCO Health District contacts

Wise County building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Big Stone Gap, Coeburn and the Town of Wise?

Wise County Building & Zoning. It enforces the building code in all 6 towns as well as the unincorporated county. The Town of Wise handles its own zoning, so see the Town first for zoning questions there.

Who issues building permits in St. Paul?

The county does, not the Town: St. Paul’s code says building permits are purchased through the county at county fees. Wise County lists St. Paul in its enforcement area. A lot in the part of town that lies in Russell County is permitted by the Russell County Building Department (276-889-8012) instead.

Does Wise County issue permits in Norton?

No. Norton is an independent city with its own Building and Zoning Department.

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

The Permits & Fees page lists $0.12 per square foot with a $50 minimum, plus a $35 zoning permit, the trade permits and a 2% levy. The Board of Supervisors approved these rates on December 11, 2025; the County’s FAQ still shows the older $0.10 rate.

Do I need a permit for a fence, shed or pool?

Yes to all three. Fences, storage sheds, garages, carports and pools are on the County’s list of projects that need a building permit. A residential storage building is $0.05 per square foot with a $15 minimum, and a pool is $50 or $75.

What does a manufactured home permit cost?

$75 for a single-wide and $150 for a double-wide, plus the levy and, on private property, the zoning permit.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call the Building & Zoning Department at 276-328-7119 when the work is ready. There are 7 minimum inspections, from the footer to the final.

How much is a solar permit?

$51 for a small rooftop system. For a small ground-mounted system the County’s solar page also gives $51, while its FAQ gives $76.50. Review takes no more than 3 days and the inspection follows within 5 days of the request.

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