Digital permit application gateway
Start with the issuing authority’s own submission lane. A complete application package, accurate valuation, and accessible inspection path are the fastest route through statutory plan review.
Recommended first click
Use the official digital gateway to submit plans, monitor review comments, pay required charges, and request inspections when the permit is issued. If the link is unavailable, use the agency website or phone number on the administrative profile to confirm the current lane.
Typical review lane
Residential plan review typically takes 5 business days; nonresidential review may take up to 4 weeks.
Treat this as a planning signal, not a guaranteed approval date. Completeness, corrections, resubmittals, and agency workload control the actual clock.
Verify the parcel is inside this agency’s service area and note whether a city, state, fire marshal, septic authority, or utility district also has approval authority.
Prepare legible plans, site information, project valuation, ownership authorization, contractor information, and any energy, floodplain, zoning, or utility documentation the issuing office requires.
Keep the permit number, approved plan set, correction comments, fee receipts, and inspection results together. Those records establish the compliance trail for the next trade.
Application documents
Before submission, call 540-483-3047 if the project involves a change of occupancy, structural alteration, accessory structure, demolition, or work near a regulated environmental feature.
Source trail
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Franklin County Building Inspections Office is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 540-483-3047.
Residential plan review typically takes 5 business days; nonresidential review may take up to 4 weeks.
Schedule through the OpenGov permit portal. The county's published scheduling rule says requests received by 3:30 p.m. are normally scheduled for the next working day when requested; the permit number is required, and temporary/permanent electrical-power inspections also require the nine-digit AEP work-order number. Call 540-483-3047 for assistance.
2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, including the 2021 Virginia Construction Code (based on the 2021 IBC), 2021 Virginia Residential Code, 2021 Virginia Existing Building Code, 2021 Virginia Energy Conservation Code, 2021 Virginia Fuel Gas Code, 2021 Virginia Mechanical Code, 2021 Virginia Plumbing Code, and 2020 NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code) Common exemptions include detached storage/utility accessory structures under 256 sq ft (electrical permit still required for wiring); non-pool fences/privacy walls under 6 ft; low-voltage electrical equipment under 50 volts except smoke/fire systems; retaining walls supporting less than 3 ft of unbalanced fill; pools under 150 sq ft, under 5,000 gallons, and under 24 inches deep; tents under 900 sq ft with fewer than 50 occupants; same-capacity/same-location aboveground LP-container replacement by the gas supplier; and ordinary repairs such as paint, wallpaper, flooring, cabinetry, same-size residential windows/doors, residential roof covering/siding, qualifying device replacements, and plumbing-fixture replacement without relocation.
What makes an application complete
Before you click submit, make sure the drawings agree with the site plan, project description, valuation, ownership authorization, and contractor information. If the work changes structure, occupancy, drainage, fire protection, energy performance, or utility demand, describe that scope plainly. Ambiguous narratives create correction cycles and delay the field schedule.
Save the confirmation number, payment receipt, uploaded plan set, and every correction comment. Those records are the backbone of a defensible compliance file when multiple trades or agencies share responsibility.
Submission quality check
Site: address, parcel, access, setbacks, and existing conditions are consistent.
Scope: structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, and energy work is identified.
Closeout: inspection contacts and the final approval path are understood before work begins.