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
Commercial permits: 6-8 weeks; new single-family residential permits: about 4 weeks; other residential permits: 2-3 weeks. A certificate of occupancy is issued within two business days after the approved final inspection.
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 804-556-5815 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
Goochland County Department of Building Inspection 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 804-556-5815.
Commercial permits: 6-8 weeks; new single-family residential permits: about 4 weeks; other residential permits: 2-3 weeks. A certificate of occupancy is issued within two business days after the approved final inspection.
Request inspections through the EnerGov portal, by calling 804-556-5815, or by emailing bi-emails@goochlandva.us with the permit number, requested date, site address, inspection type, requester name, and phone. Requests are due by 3:00 p.m. at least one business day before the desired date; work must be ready by 8:00 a.m. and same-day cancellations are due before 9:00 a.m.
2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, including the 2021 Virginia Construction Code, 2021 Virginia Residential Code, 2021 Virginia Existing Building Code, 2021 Virginia Property Maintenance Code, 2021 Virginia Energy Conservation Code, 2021 Virginia Mechanical Code, 2021 Virginia Plumbing Code, 2021 Virginia Fuel Gas Code, and 2020 NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code) Farm buildings used entirely for qualifying farming operations are building-permit exempt but still require zoning compliance. Other exemptions include qualifying low-voltage wiring; one-story detached tool/storage sheds not exceeding 256 sq ft and accessory to an existing principal use; utility-equipment buildings not exceeding 150 sq ft; tents not exceeding 900 sq ft with 50 or fewer occupants; non-pool fences/privacy walls under 6 ft; retaining walls supporting under 36 inches of ordinary fill; pools under 24 inches deep, 5,000 gallons, and 150 sq ft; same-capacity/same-location aboveground LP-container replacement by the serving supplier; and ordinary repairs such as floor coverings, same-size windows/doors, qualifying same-for-same fixtures, residential roof/siding work, cabinets, and painting.
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.