Administrative overview · FIPS 51091
Highland County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Highland County Department of Building and Zoning
For a project in or near Highland County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
540-468-2323
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
30 Spruce Street, Monterey, VA 24465
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; closed Saturday-Sunday. The Building Inspector/Zoning Administrator is unavailable for inspections or permit issuance on the second Thursday of each month due to training.
Review expectation
Ask the agency for its current review estimate
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
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
Frequently asked questions for Highland County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Highland County Department of Building and Zoning is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact 540-468-2323 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
A typical review timeline was not verified. Ask the agency for its current completeness and review estimate.
How are inspections scheduled?
The permit holder must notify the Building Official at 540-468-2323 before concealing work that requires inspection. The county checklist identifies footing, foundation, pre-concrete, framing, concealed electrical/mechanical/plumbing, insulation, and final inspections; framing and trade rough-ins are usually inspected together. The inspector is unavailable on the second Thursday of each month, and incomplete work may incur a reinspection fee.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
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 National Electrical Code. These statewide 2021 editions became effective January 18, 2024; the county microsite's displayed 2015 list is outdated. Virginia's statewide permit exemptions include qualifying low-voltage wiring, detached one-story accessory structures within the code's 256-square-foot threshold, qualifying small tents, fences and low retaining walls, ordinary painting, wallpapering, floor finishes, cabinets and trim, and specified replacement or repair work, while zoning and other code requirements remain applicable. Highland County separately publishes a farm-structure exemption for nonresidential buildings on operating farms used primarily for production, storage, animal shelter/processing, farm offices, farm machinery, or farm supplies; county zoning approval is still required.