Lexington City

Yes. The city requires a building permit before anyone constructs any structure, and a Zoning Permit from the Zoning Administrator before a building or structure goes up, so a carport or garage in Lexington needs both. A Lexington carport permit is priced at 0.60% of the residential construction cost, with a $60 minimum plus the $75 Zoning Permit. The city does not post a separate carport rule. Permits go only to state-licensed contractors or the building owner.

Permit office: City of Lexington Planning & Development Office
Address: 300 E. Washington St., Lexington, VA 24450
Phone: 540-462-3704
Official city page

When a permit is required

• Zoning Permit, $75, non-refundable
• Building permit: 0.60% of construction cost for residential, 0.80% for commercial, $60 minimum
• 2% Virginia state levy on building and trade permits
• Certificate of Appropriateness ($120) for a new accessory building in a Residential Historic District, and for new buildings in the Downtown Historic Preservation District
• Zoning Permit for any development in the General Floodplain District

Zoning and setbacks

City code requires three copies of a scale drawing with the Zoning Permit application, and one comes back with your permit. Yard numbers are in the Lot Requirements Table attached to Chapter 420, so ask the office for the figures for your lot before you fix a location. If your property sits in a historic district, the Architectural Review Board reviews the project, and the application is deemed approved if the board does not act in 60 days.

What to bring

• Three copies of a scale drawing showing lot size and shape, adjoining street rights-of-way, required building lines, existing and accessory structures, and where the new structure will sit
• The existing and intended use of each structure
• Enough drawings for the department to check code conformance
• Standard Building Permit Application or the Building Permit Application for all New Builds (ask which fits your project)
• Site plan for new construction or an addition
• For a historic district: plans and specifications for anything visible from a public street, with materials and color

Farm buildings

Farm buildings and structures are exempt from the building code under Code of Virginia § 36-99 and USBC Section 102.3. Lexington's permit pages post no farm building form or procedure, so call Planning & Development at 540-462-3704 before assuming the exemption covers a building on your parcel.

Good to know

Everything runs out of City Hall, with the code enforcement office on the second floor, open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays. Building without a permit brings a fine of double the permit fee, up to $250, and a Certificate of Appropriateness for work already installed costs $240 instead of $120. Inspection requests go to the code enforcement officer at 540-462-3738 or the administrative assistant at 540-462-3704. Third-party plan review and inspection programs are also available, under separate city policy.

Common questions

Do I need a permit for a carport in Lexington?
Yes. City code covers any building or structure, so a Lexington carport permit means a $75 Zoning Permit and a building permit, with a $60 minimum on the building side.

Do I need a permit for a metal garage or shed in Lexington?
A garage needs the same two permits. A one-story storage shed of 256 sq ft or less skips the building permit statewide, but city code still calls for a Zoning Permit before a structure goes up, and it may need board review in a historic district.

Does the historic district change anything?
It can. In the Residential Historic Districts the Architectural Review Board reviews new accessory buildings, and a Certificate of Appropriateness costs $120. Visit City Hall early; the guidelines recommend it.

Sources

• City of Lexington: Planning and Development
• City of Lexington: Building Permits & Inspections
• City of Lexington: Filing Fees
• City of Lexington Code: Article II Review and Approval Procedures
• City of Lexington Code: Article X General Floodplain District
• City of Lexington: Historic District Design Guidelines

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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