Roanoke City

Yes, count on a permit for a metal carport inside Roanoke city limits, and the same form handles both reviews: the Residential Building and Zoning Permit Application. That is the short answer to most Roanoke City carport permit questions. The city keeps a project page just for residential accessory structures, and it asks for a scaled site plan plus building plans. Staff get 10 business days for zoning review and 5 for building review once your application is deemed complete. This page covers the city only, so a lot out in Roanoke County goes through a different office.

Permit office: City of Roanoke Permit Center, Planning, Building and Development
Address: Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building, 215 Church Avenue SW, Room 170, Roanoke, VA 24011
Phone: 540-853-1090
Official city page

When a permit is required

• A carport is not on the state's list of exempt sheds, so treat it as needing a building permit.
• Roanoke uses one combined Residential Building and Zoning Permit Application for accessory structures.
• A one-story detached storage shed of 256 square feet or less can skip the building permit under state code, but ask the Permit Center what zoning review it still needs.
• Work in the public right-of-way, such as a driveway connection or sidewalk, may also take a Right-of-Way Excavation Permit.
• A lot in the H-1 or H-2 historic district needs a Certificate of Appropriateness.

Zoning and setbacks

Look up your parcel's zoning on the city's Real Estate GIS page, then get the setback numbers for that district from the Permit Center. Your site plan has to show the proposed building's setbacks, dimensions and height, so have those answers before you pick a location. Chapter 36.2 of the city code is the zoning code that applies.

What to bring

• Completed Residential Building and Zoning Permit Application
• One copy of a basic development plan drawn to scale, showing lot shape and dimensions, adjoining streets, structures, driveways and patios, landscaping and any public easements. A design professional is not required.
• One copy of the building plans and supporting documents
• Contractor/Subcontractor Listing, or an Owner/Builder Affidavit if you are claiming the exemption from contractor licensing
• Floodplain Elevation Certificate if the lot is in a Special Flood Hazard Area
• Agreement-in-Lieu of Erosion and Sediment Control Plan, when it applies

Farm buildings

Virginia law takes farm buildings out of the building code unless the building is used as a restaurant, and flood plain and mudslide rules stay in force. The city pages we read describe no separate farm procedure, so ask the Permit Center how it handles a claim like that before you order.

Good to know

The application goes by email to permitcenter@roanokeva.gov, and the signed form says it stays valid for 180 days. Licensed contractors can apply for most permit types through eTRAKiT, while other applicants use the city's Permit Counter Apps. Fees are due when the permit is issued, and a resubmission needs an Additional Submissions Form. If you are unsure about your lot, the accessory structure page lists every item the city wants.

Common questions

Do I need a permit for a carport in Roanoke City?
Plan on it. Carports are outside the state's shed exemption, and the city runs residential accessory structures through its combined building and zoning application.

Do I need a permit for a metal garage or shed in Roanoke City?
A metal garage goes through the same application. A small detached storage shed may be exempt from the building permit at 256 square feet or less, but call 540-853-1090 about zoning, because the city's page does not spell out that case.

How long does the city take to review it?
The city's page lists 10 business days for zoning review and 5 for building review, and gives 20 business days as the total. The clock starts after the application is deemed complete and you get a Permit Submittal Confirmation Letter.

Sources

• City of Roanoke: Permit Center
• City of Roanoke: Accessory Structures, Residential
• City of Roanoke: Permit Center staff directory
• City of Roanoke: Residential Building and Zoning Permit Application

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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