Buchanan County

In Buchanan County, talk to the Building Code office before a metal carport or garage goes up, because the county code does not name carports or post a size cutoff for them. That is the honest starting point for a Buchanan County carport permit question. The county does publish a fee for storage and utility buildings.

Permit office: Buchanan County Building Code office
Address: 1240 Almarine Drive, PO Box 950, Grundy, VA 24614
Phone: 276-935-5872
Official county page

When a permit is required

• Storage and utility buildings: $5 per $1,000 of estimated cost, $20 minimum fee (County Code § 25-3).
• Carports are not named in that schedule, so ask how yours is classified.
• All development in a mapped floodplain district needs a permit under the county flood ordinance.

Zoning and setbacks

The county directory lists no zoning office, and the code's table of contents has no chapter titled Zoning. Ask the Building Code office whether anything else applies to your lot.

What to bring

• Your estimated project cost
• An updated septic layout and approved water, or a PSA statement (§ 25-3). Ask if this applies with no plumbing
• Your contractor's Virginia license details, if you are not doing the work yourself

Farm buildings

Farm buildings and structures are exempt from the building code under Code of Virginia § 36-99 and USBC Section 102.3. We did not find a posted county farm procedure, so ask the office what it wants to see.

Good to know

Work begun before permits incurs a review fee equal to the normal permit fee (§ 25-3). In a special flood hazard area, an accessory structure that is not elevated or dry floodproofed is limited to 600 square feet, parking or limited storage, with flood openings on at least two sides (flood standards). The county directory also lists Flood Plain Administration.

Common questions

Do I need a permit for a carport in Buchanan County?
Call the Building Code office to confirm. The code does not mention carports by name and no size cutoff is posted, so it cannot be answered from the code alone.

Do I need a permit for a metal garage or shed in Buchanan County?
Expect to deal with the office for a garage, since storage and utility buildings have a listed fee. A one-story detached storage shed of 256 square feet or less is exempt from the state building permit, unless it is a Group F-1 or H use.

Sources

• Buchanan County: Government Directory
• Buchanan County Code: Chapter 25, Building Construction
• Buchanan County Code: Table of Contents
• Buchanan County Code: Flood Damage Prevention, permits and accessory structures
• Buchanan County Code: Floodplain Administrator duties

Rules and fees change. Call the office to confirm before you order.

See the full Virginia permit guide for statewide rules, farm exemptions and wind and snow ratings.

Looking at buildings? See our metal carports, metal garages and metal buildings.

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