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Department of Building InspectionResidential - Frequently Asked QuestionsGeneral information
Administrative (permitting) process
Plan review (submittal) process
Inspection (construction) process
What should I do before I hire a contractor? Can Chesterfield County recommend a contractor or engineer to me? The State of Virginia allows the homeowner to perform all of the construction work without having to hire an architect, registered engineer, or licensed contractor. However many homeowners do not have the time or expertise to tackle such an undertaking, and therefore hire a contractor to do all or part of the work. We offer a list of things you should consider before you hire a contractor. We cannot make recommendations or offer professional judgment on individuals, their businesses, their quality, or any other information that might be construed to imply favoritism of one person or business over another. We suggest that you seek the advise of friends, family, the Better Business Bureau, and other reliable sources to gain confidence in your decisions. If you need more information on hiring a contractor, including information about contractor’s licenses, link to Technical Guide/Hiring a Contractor. What are the steps involved to getting my project completed? There are several steps involved for a new house (similar for additions, garages, decks, etc.):
If you want more information on this topic, including specific information on each step of the process, link to Technical Guides/Building Process Whenever you construct, reconstruct, enlarge, alter, or demolish a structure, a permit is required prior to starting the work. There are several types of permits that might be necessary for any residential project depending on the scope of work being done.:
These types of projects require a Building Permit:
WORK THAT Does NOT Require a Permit
If you want more information on this topic, including information on the other kinds of permits, link to Technical Guides/Permits What happens if I build the structure without a building permit? The responsible party will be required to submit construction documents showing the extent of the work, a building permit will be issued “after the fact”, and an inspector will determine if any of the elements of the construction must be exposed to see if the work complies with the code. The responsible party may be required to undo any portion of the completed work to prove that the work meets code. After the work has been inspected and approved, the structure can be legally occupied. If you want more information on this topic, including information on the permitting process, link to Technical Guides/Permits The neighbor started building something on his house without a permit; shouldn't they have one? If the neighbor appears to be building without a permit, you can call the County Citizens Assistance Program hotline at 748-1779 and file a report. Someone from the County will follow-up and determine if a building permit is required and if one has been issued. What are the county setback requirements for my house or garage The county setback requirements are administered by the County Planning Department. They can be reached by calling 748-1050 What is the turn-around time for getting plans approved for a permit? Plans are reviewed by several different County departments:
It is the goal of the Department of Building Inspection to review residential plans within five to ten working days. Like the other departments, this may fluctuate by season, and other prevailing circumstances. If you want more information on this topic, including information about the requirements for construction documents, see Construction Documents. To access the status of your project go to Permit Status and Inspection Results. If you want more information on this topic, including information about the building process, link to Technical Guides/Building Process How much does a building permit cost Fees are reviewed annually by the Board of Supervisors and adjusted to cover operational expenses of the Building Inspections Department. Residential permit fees are based on the cost per inspection. All permit fees are required to be paid at the time of application. Checks should be made payable to: “Treasurer, Chesterfield County.” Building permit fee will not be required where the cost of construction is less than $500 and would not require securing any permit for electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing permits per the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC). If you want actual cost information on this topic, see the Fee Schedule. Will the Building Inspection Department accept a faxed permit application? The department will accept a faxed permit application for auxiliary permits only: electrical, plumbing, gas, and mechanical. To accept a faxed permit application, the applicant must have a Discover Card Authorization Form currently on file. This authorization form includes information such as the card number, card expiration date and the cardholder’s authorized signature. There will be a small transaction fee assessed to every Discover charge. How long is a permit good for? All permits are valid for six (6) months from the time that the permit is issued. Every time that there is an inspection on the project, the permit extends for another six (6) months. One month prior to the permit expiration date, an expiration letter will be mailed to the permit applicant. The letter gives the applicant the opportunity to extend the permit without paying an administrative fee of $48.00. If the permit does expire, there will be a $48.00 administrative fee assessed to reinstate the permit. If you want more information on this topic, including information on the permitting process, link to Technical Guides/Permits If I decide, after I have applied for a permit application, that I am not going to do the work, can I get a refund? If an application for a permit is canceled by written request to the building official within six months of the application date, or within 12 months of the issue date, a partial refund may be granted. If you want more information on this topic, including information on the permitting process, link to Technical Guides/Permits How do I check the status of my job? Chesterfield County Department of Building Inspections offers an online connection so you can check the status of your job, including:
If you want to see the status of your job as it progresses through the County, you will need your permit number, and customer pin number. For more information on how to access the status of your project, go to Permit Status and Inspection Results. What building code does Chesterfield County use for residential projects? All counties and cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia use the 2003 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC), which went into effect on November 16, 2005. The VUSBC references the 2003 International Residential Code (IRC) as the official residential building code for Virginia. In turn, the 2003 IRC references the 2002 National Electrical Code (NEC) for all electrical issues. If you want more information on this topic, link to Technical Guides/Codes d">What are the steps involved to getting my project completed?There are several steps involved for a new house (similar for additions, garages, decks, etc.):
If you want more information on this topic, including specific information on each step of the process, link to Technical Guides/Building Process. Do the plans have to be prepared by an architect or engineer? For most single-family dwelling, a registered architect or professional engineer is not required, however for special situations they may be the best answer for your particular need. Depending on the complexity of the design, the County however may require portions of the construction documents be “sealed” by an engineer or architect, collectively refereed to as “registered design professional”. If you want more information on this topic, including information about the requirements for construction documents, link to Technical Guides/Construction Documents What is an engineered soil report? Is a soils report required for the construction of a new house even if the house will not be located in the shrink-swell soil area? For all new single-family residences and additions with habitable space located in the Triassic Area, Chesterfield County requires the homeowner or contractor to acquire the services of a soils scientist, geotechnical or civil engineer to do testing near the perimeter of the new house location and prepare a soil report and provide the findings of the soil borings. Even though the proposed dwelling may not be located in a known shrink-swell soil area, the report is still required because of the possibility of there being small amounts of shrink-swell soil potentials anywhere within Chesterfield County. The shrink-swell soil report is used by the Building Inspection Department to determine if the soil supporting the structure has potential for “shrink-swell” and to determine the capacity of the ground to support a structure. For all new houses and additions with habitable space in the Triassic Area, this soil test is required. If you want more information on this topic, including information about what information is required in the soil report, see the Technical Guide If I fix one thing on my house, do I have to bring the whole house up to code? If you are adding to the building or fixing a portion of the existing building, you are not required to bring the remainder of the structure into code compliance. If you want more information on this topic, link to Technical Guides/Building Process. What if I change my plans after I get my building permit? After the building permit has been reviewed the first time, it is still possible to make changes to the construction documents. There are two avenues to follow, either an amendment or a revision. An amendment involves other departments besides Building Inspections. There is a fee for requesting an amendment, and the process takes about a week. Revisions are modifications that are done entirely within the Building Inspection Office; they are usually free and most of the time the customer can leave with the plans. If you want more information on this topic link to Technical Guides/Amendments and Revisions. What is required to finish off my basement, attic or room over garage? To finish off an attic or basement or room over a garage, the contractor or homeowner must provide a drawing showing the scope of the construction:
If you want more information on this topic, link to Technical Guides/Finishing Off Space What is required to put in a pool? The code requires a permit for all swimming pools, hot tubs or spas that meet ANY of these conditions:
The International Residential Code (IRC) does not distinguish between in-ground or aboveground, indoor or outdoor swimming pools. The code requires spas and hot tubs to conform to the same requirements as swimming pools. Pools for (fish or flora) landscaping are exempt from this section regardless of the size. Three permits are required:
If you want more information on this topic, link to Technical Guides/Pools, Hot tubs and Spas What is required to build or install a storage shed? A storage shed is defined in the code as:
If the structure does not meet ALL of these criteria, it will not be construed as a shed, and will have to comply with the requirements of a detached structure. For structures 150 square feet or less does not require a building permit. The requirements for structures over 150 square feet vary with size. If you want more information on this topic, link to Technical Guides/Sheds. What is required to build a carport? The code defines a carport as a structure open on at least two sides – regardless if it is attached to the house or not. The floor surface must be a non-combustible material: concrete, asphalt or gravel, and should slope towards the vehicle entrance. These types of structures are usually constructed of wood posts, beams and roof rafters or light gage metal structures assembled by the manufacturer or the homeowner from a kit. If you want more information on this topic, link to Technical Guides/Carports. What is required to build a deck? The Department of Building Inspection has created a How to Build a Deck Guide for simple deck designs, including structural guidelines, and deck details for handrails, stairs and ramps. If you want more information on this topic, link to Technical Guides/Deck What is required to build a dock? If you are going to build a dock, either on Lake Chesdin or on the James River, a building permit is not required, unless the dock is going to have a permanent structure over it, including a boathouse or any other structure. If you want more information on this topic, link to Technical Guides/Docks. What is required if I am going to rebuild after a fire? If you are rebuilding after a fire, several documents are required in order to get a building permit. Link to Technical Guide/Fire Damage- Rebuilding. Can I start the work without a building permit, or at least, can I start clearing the land? Before the land can be cleared, the Department of Environmental Engineering must physically visit the site to ensure all the environmental issues have been addressed. Once they have given their approval, the contractor can begin clearing land. However the actual construction on the structure cannot be started without the building permit. How do I schedule an inspection? Periodically throughout the construction process, the homeowner/contractor has to request an inspection before the work can proceed. The homeowner/contractor must request an inspection. There are two ways to request these inspections:
Please be sure all the work is completed to the point of the requested inspection. If you need more information on scheduling an inspection, link to Technical Guide/Building Inspection The inspections you will need are dependent on the type of work being done. In some cases inspections can be combined. To see a list of the residential inspections and definition of each inspection link to Technical Guides/Inspections. Why can't the inspector tell me what time my inspection will be made? Since the amount of time that it takes to perform an inspection can vary from job to job depending on the complexity of the work being done, it is difficult for an inspector to pinpoint a specific time of arrival at a particular location. Usually, an inspector can determine if the inspection will be made in the morning or the afternoon. If you contact your inspector (telephone numbers of staff) on the day of the inspection in the morning between 8:00 am and 8:30 am, the inspector will be able to advise you as to which half of the day the inspection is to be made. For homeowners doing their own work, we also offer another service whereby we will phone you in advance of the inspector arriving. When requesting an inspection, you may ask for advance notice of either 30 or 45 minutes. (refer to Requesting an Inspection) This information is printed on the inspection ticket, along with a phone number provided by you. The inspector will contact you, via the number your provided, at the appropriate time. If you need more information on inspections, link to Technical Guide/Building Inspection. Why do I have to wait until the next working day to get my inspection? The building code requires the County to make an inspection within 2 working days after receiving a request to inspect. Our policy provides that, under normal circumstances, we will make the inspection within 1 working day after receiving the request. Each morning prior to 8 a.m., inspectors are assigned their workload, which consists of inspection tickets for requests received the previous day as well as other assignments. In addition to their daily inspection workload, inspectors often have other duties to attend to, including court appearances, training, and issuing enforcement notices. In order to balance the requirements on their time, inspectors must arrange their workday before leaving our offices each morning. This includes routing their inspection ticket workload for the greatest efficiency. Therefore, each inspector's workload is predetermined at the beginning of each workday. This allows the greatest optimization of our resources and facilitates a better inspection process. If you need more information on inspections, link to Technical Guide/Building Inspection. My inspection was rejected. Why can't the inspector come back today and reinspect? The inspector may not have enough time to backtrack the pre-determined route. However, sometimes the inspector CAN come back, but this depends on several factors. If the inspector is nearby and feels that the reinspection can be worked into the workload, the inspector will often agree to re-visit a job on the same day to perform a reinspection. The decision to reinspect on the same day is the inspector's to make and is based on the remaining workload and the amount of time left in the workday. If you need more information on inspections, link to Technical Guide/Building Inspection. I heard that I need to get an engineer to inspect my footings. I thought the county did that. What is required? New single-family dwellings The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building code (VUSBC) requires that all footing excavations be inspected prior to the pouring of the concrete to ensure that they are to the depth and size required and the rebar placement is correct as stipulated in the soil report. Likewise, the concrete pour must also be inspected to ensure that the concrete is the correct strength and quality as determined by a “slump test”; a concrete placement report must be submitted after the concrete has been placed. Blank copies of the combined Footing Inspection and Concrete Placement Report are available from the Department of Building Inspections. Typically the contractor hires a third party inspector (a Virginia Registered Design Professional or certified concrete technician) to perform both inspections at the same time. The County will inspect the footing excavation and steel placement if requested, but this is not the typical situation. Likewise, if the County is requested to do the pour inspection, the contractor/homeowner will pay an additional fee to the County, who in turn will sub-contract the work out to a Virginia Registered Design Professional or certified concrete technician. Additions, detached structures and deck additions: The County will inspect the footing excavation and steel placement (if required). An inspection of the actual pour is NOT required. If you need more information on inspections, link to Technical Guide/Building Inspection. If you need more information on footings, link to Technical Guide/Footings. Why can't you make my contractor come back and fix things? The code provides for enforcement of its provisions for a limited time after completion of work under a permit. If a code violation is discovered during this time, we can take action that may require the responsible party to correct the violation. If you believe a building code violation exists in a structure you own or rent, you may request an investigation by an inspector by calling the Citizens Assistance Program. If the inspector determines that a violation exists, and the time limit for enforcing the code has not expired, we will take action to enforce the code. If the time limit for enforcement has expired, we will document the violation, but we cannot take action to enforce the code. Experience has taught us that in most instances where new homeowners and their contractor disagree about an item needing correction, the item is cosmetic in nature, which means that it usually isn't a building code issue. We can not address issues outside of code requirements. If , as a new homeowner, you have issues that you believe are building code violations or are unsure, we will gladly investigate the issues and make a determination. If you need more information on inspections, link to Technical Guide/Building Inspection. I'm going to upgrade my electrical service. Do I need to install a disconnect? Persons un-licensed and inexperienced in the electrical trade should not attempt to upgrade their electrical service. This type of work is better left to a licensed electrician. If the upgrade ("heavy-up") requires the service entrance cable to be moved or lengthened, it may be necessary to install a disconnect. Typically, if the service entrance cable is moved and is over six feet in length, or if the service entrance cable is replaced with a longer cable over six feet in length, a disconnect is required. My inspection did not pass; why can't you waive the code requirement, just this one time? The building inspectors try to treat all customers equitably and fairly, and to that end we do not permit any code requirements to be waived. However the code does contain provisions for modification of its requirements, so long as the spirit and intent of the code are met. If you feel that a code requirement is unreasonable, you may request the Code Official to consider “modifying” the requirement, but you must provide a reasonable alternative to compliance that meets the spirit and intent of the code. If you need more information on inspections, link to Technical Guide/Building Inspection. We haven't quite finished things. Can I move in? Sometimes things just don't work out so that your job is completed on time. If your project has progressed to a point where your building can be occupied safely, but you haven't quite finished everything, we can issue a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy. (There is a small fee for this service.) As long as a determination can be made that the building can be occupied safely, a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy can be issued. You must have requested and received a final inspection for all permits issued for your job. The inspectors performing these final inspections will note the items which have not been completed. The Temporary Certificate of Occupancy will be issued for a limited time, allowing for completion of all items listed by the inspectors. If you are unsure as to whether a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy can be issued for your building, contact our department. If you need more information on inspections, link to Technical Guide/Building Inspection.
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