Unincorporated Roanoke County

A permit is required before construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, conversion, or demolition of a building or structure, including installation or alteration of equipment regulated by the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code; for a change of occupancy when a new certificate of occupancy is required; for lot-line changes that reduce required safety distances; and for disturbing asbestos-containing material during covered work.

• Exempt Ordinary repairs that do not involve building-code violations, including painting, roofing (one- and two-family dwellings when only roof covering is replaced), most glass, most door and window replacements in similar capacity at the same location, floor covering, porch flooring, repairs to plaster or interior tile and other wall covering, and residential cabinets
• Exempt Detached accessory structures less than 256 square feet (must still be structurally sound and anchored; zoning approval is still required)
• Exempt Tents or air-supported structures less than 900 square feet with fewer than 50 occupants
• Exempt Fences and privacy walls not exceeding six feet above finished grade (excluding retaining walls)
• Exempt Swimming pools less than 200 square feet in surface area, less than 5,000 gallons, and less than 24 inches deep (all three conditions must be met)
• Exempt Most wiring and equipment operating at less than 50 volts, subject to the county's stated exceptions
• Exempt Replacement of plumbing and electrical fixtures, fittings, appliances, electric water heaters, fans, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, air cleaners, and similar mechanical equipment, doors, and windows with similar capacity in the same location in most residential uses

Note: Exempt from building permit does not mean exempt from zoning and planning requirements. Confirm edge cases with the Office of Building Safety before proceeding.

Building code

2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC), effective January 18, 2024, incorporating the 2021 IBC, IRC, IECC, IMC, IPC, ISPSC, IFC, IPMC, and the 2020 NEC.

Permit validity

Under the Virginia Construction Code, an application is considered abandoned six months after filing unless pursued in good faith or issued. After issuance, a permit may be revoked if work does not begin within six months or if work is suspended or abandoned for six months. Extensions may be granted on written request.

Owner-builder

Homeowners may apply for their own permits. The county publishes an Owner Affidavit for owners performing or supervising work on their primary residence. If the owner does not appear in person to sign, the affidavit must be notarized. The permit holder bears ultimate responsibility for code compliance.

Contractor requirements

Contractors must provide their Virginia contractor license number and Roanoke County business license number unless exempted from local business license requirements by the Commissioner of the Revenue. Virginia Code section 54.1-1111 requires proof of Virginia contractor licensure or a written exemption statement before permit issuance.

Source: Office of Building Safety, Roanoke County Development Services ↗

1. 01
   Determine the permit type and download the applicable county checklist, application, plot plan, setback form, and any project-specific forms from the Building Safety page and permit guides.
2. 02
   Submit online through the Cityworks Public Access Portal for eligible permit types that do not require detailed plan review, or submit in person or by email for projects using county review checklists.
3. 03
   Building Safety staff review the submission for completeness. Zoning, setback, floodplain, and other technical reviews are completed as required by project scope.
4. 04
   For commercial plan review, submit one combined PDF digital plan set along with any required trade, asbestos, accessibility, or fire-protection checklists triggered by scope.
5. 05
   Pay the required fees. For permits of $200 or less, full payment is due at application. If fees exceed $200, the first $200 is due at application and the balance is collected at permit issuance.
6. 06
   Receive the issued permit, receipt, and inspection card. Post the inspection card on site, then request required inspections through the county portal, by phone, or via the SelecTxt system.

Typical processing time: No universal countywide turnaround is published for all permit classes. Simple residential projects submitted by email (such as decks) may receive a response in approximately 8 working hours. Reviewed commercial and larger residential permits vary by scope.

Source: Office of Building Safety, Roanoke County Development Services ↗

All collected fees are subject to a 5% technology fee and a 2% state levy fee. Permits of $200 or less are paid in full at application; permits exceeding $200 require a $200 initial payment with the balance due at issuance.

Fees change periodically. Confirm at the official fee schedule ↗ (effective FY 2026) before budgeting.

• Cityworks Public Access Portal (online)
• 540-772-2065 (phone)
• SelecTxt inspection system (sms)

Scheduling deadline

Online inspection requests may be scheduled up to 3 days out.

Time windows

Fixed daily inspection windows are not published on the county pages. Contact Building Safety for current scheduling availability.

Typical sequence: Sequence varies by project type. Standard stages typically include footing, foundation, framing, rough-in trade inspections (electrical, mechanical, plumbing), insulation where applicable, and final inspections. Rough-in trades must pass before framing where required, and trade finals must pass before the building final.

Source: Office of Building Safety, Roanoke County Development Services ↗