Buyer’s Guide

Do You Need a Building Permit? WV & VA Guide

How permit thresholds, setbacks and HOA rules work for sheds and metal buildings — and how to get a definitive answer for your address in one phone call.

The Short Answer

It depends on three things: how big the building is, where it sits on your land, and which jurisdiction you are in. Many counties set a footprint below which no permit is required for an accessory structure. Above that line, you need one.

Two things catch people out. Setback rules — how far the building must sit from property lines — usually apply whether or not a permit is required. And an incorporated town inside a county often runs its own rules, so a county answer is not automatically your answer.

Permits are the property owner’s responsibility. That is true of every building supplier, ours included. We can tell you the size and specification of what you are buying, and provide engineering drawings where they are needed — but the permit is issued to you, and the county enforces it against the property.

Confirm the Rules for Your Address

These are the counties our seven locations serve. Requirements change when codes are amended, and towns inside a county may differ, so the authoritative answer is the one the permit office gives you for your specific parcel.

One phone call settles it

Ask your county building department: “I am putting up a [size] accessory building at [address]. Do I need a permit, and what are the setbacks?” They will tell you in a couple of minutes. Do that before you order, not after — moving a building because it sits inside a setback is expensive and entirely avoidable.

County Nearest location Permit threshold Confirm with
Raleigh County, WV Beckley Confirm with your county Building dept
Mercer County, WV Princeton Confirm with your county Building dept
Nicholas County, WV Summersville Confirm with your county Building dept
Greenbrier County, WV Lewisburg Confirm with your county Building dept
Montgomery County, VA Christiansburg Confirm with your county Building dept
Alleghany County, VA Covington Confirm with your county Building dept
Campbell County, VA Lynchburg Confirm with your county Building dept

Setbacks Apply Even Without a Permit

A setback is the minimum distance between your building and a property line, and often also from septic fields, easements and rights of way. These rules commonly apply to any structure regardless of size, which surprises people who have correctly established that their shed is under the permit threshold.

Measure from the actual property line, not from a fence. Fences are frequently not on the line, and “the fence has always been there” is not a defence a zoning officer accepts. If you are not certain where your boundary runs, a survey is cheaper than moving a building.

HOA Rules Are Separate and Additional

An HOA can restrict things the county does not care about: material, colour, roof pitch, placement relative to the house, even whether an accessory building is allowed at all. Approval from the county does not imply approval from your association, and the association can require removal independently.

If you are in an HOA, read the covenants and get written approval before ordering. In many associations a wood building with siding and shingles matching the house is approved readily where a metal building is not — worth knowing before you choose.

What a Permit Usually Requires

  • A site plan showing the building position and distances to property lines
  • Dimensions and use — storage, workshop, garage; use can change the rules
  • Engineering drawings for larger or certified structures — we supply these
  • Foundation details, if the building is on a slab or piers
  • A fee, typically modest for an accessory building

How We Help

We provide the specification, dimensions and engineering drawings for what you buy, which is the paperwork most permit offices ask for. We will also tell you honestly when we think a build is likely to need a permit — but we cannot pull it for you, and we cannot tell you your county’s current threshold with authority. Confirm it, then let us handle the building.

If drawings are required, ask at quote stage rather than after ordering. It is straightforward when we know up front.

Before you order

  • Call the county building dept
  • Ask about permit and setbacks
  • Check HOA covenants separately
  • Confirm where the boundary runs
  • Ask us for drawings if needed
Request drawings Snow load guide

Permit Questions, Answered

There is usually a footprint threshold below which no permit is required for an accessory structure, but the number is set by your jurisdiction and is not the same everywhere we deliver. Call your county building department with the size and address — it is a two-minute call and it is the only answer that counts.

Often yes above a certain size, and the rules can differ between a county and an incorporated town inside it. Carports are sometimes treated differently from enclosed structures. Confirm with the jurisdiction that issues permits for your parcel.

You are. The permit is issued to the property owner and enforced against the property. We supply the specification, dimensions and engineering drawings that the permit office typically asks for, and we will flag when we think a build is likely to need one.

The minimum distance your building must sit from property lines, and often from septic fields and easements too. They commonly apply regardless of whether a permit is needed, which catches out people who have correctly worked out their shed is under the threshold. Measure from the surveyed line, not from a fence.

Outcomes range from applying retroactively and paying a fee to being ordered to move or remove the structure. It can also surface at the worst moment — unpermitted structures routinely come up during a property sale. The permit is far cheaper than any of those.

No, and neither replaces the other. They are separate approvals from separate bodies with different concerns. You may need both, and an HOA can require removal of a structure the county was perfectly happy with.

Yes, for certified buildings. Ask at quote stage rather than after ordering — it is straightforward when we know up front, and slower to arrange retrospectively.

Know What You Need? Let’s Build It

Once your county confirms the requirement, we will specify a building that meets it and supply the drawings.

Talk to a Specialist