Alterations to Existing Commercial Buildings

•    The owner is highly encouraged to have a licensed contractor apply for the permits, however, the owner may do so if the building is for his/her personal use. 

•    If the Commercial Building is to be leased or a rental building and not for the owner's use, a Licensed Contractor or the Design Professional must apply.

General Documents

•   Commercial Application

•   Owner Affidavit - Complete if you are an owner, building your own building, for your own use. This must be notarized or signed in front of a Permit Tech in the Building Department.

•   Asbestos Certification 

•   Accessibility Compliance Statement 

•   Building plans – two (2) paper sets of building plans, stamped by a design professional must be submitted along with one electronic copy.  If the plans are not all-inclusive of the electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and fire safety, then each will have to go through the plan approval process.  Plans should state applicable code editions.

Fire Protection Forms

•   Owners Declaration of Hazardous Storage Exemption

•   Owners Statement of Intended Use for General Storage 

•   Owners Statement of Intended Use for High Piled/Rack Storage 

Special Inspection Forms

•    Contractor Statement of Responsibility

•    Fabricators Certificate of Compliance

•    Interim Report of Special Inspections 

•    Final Report of Special Inspections

•    Record of Special Inspections

•    Statement of Special Inspections 

•    Alterations to an Existing Commercial Structure CHECKLIST 

•    Fire Alarm Submittal CHECKLIST

•    Fire Sprinkler Submittal CHECKLIST

•    Fire Suppression Submittal CHECKLIST

•    Small Business ADA Guide 

•    Existing Facilities ADA C

•    Common ADA Errors and Omissions for New Construction and Alterations

•    Professional Seal Requirements

•    Local Design Criteria 

•    Roanoke County GIS  

1.  Fill out the documents in the document list above 

2.  Email documents to permit@roanokecountyva.gov, send by mail. or bring to the Roanoke County Administration Building, 2nd floor. 

3.  A Permit Tech will verify all paperwork is complete. All required documents must be submitted at one time.

4.  A Permit Tech will work up the permit in the computer while you wait or call by phone and take a deposit before the review starts. The deposit is $200.00. If emailed or mailed, a Permit Tech will call for a Visa/MC for your deposit, or you may include a check made out to Roanoke County for the amount of the deposit.

5.  Review period for residential structures is 12 working days. If the Square Footage of disturbance is over 10,000 sq. ft., the review is 12 working days. Three, and sometimes four, departments will review. That includes Building, Zoning, Engineering, and sometimes Flood.

6.  Notification of Approvals or Denials from the review will be by email or by a phone call to the applicant.

7.  If plans are denied a re-submittal will be required. Once re-submitted, review time will be an additional 12 working days.

8.  If plans are approved a Permit Tech will notify you of any remaining fees, paperwork, and any review comments.

9.  Fees and any remaining paperwork are collected.

10.  Permit, Receipt, Approved Stamped Plans, and the Permit Card to post, will be returned to the applicant.

11.  Post the Permit Card at the site. This should be visible and available for inspectors along with stamped approved plans.

12.  Call for Inspections. 

•    If there are any changes to an approved plan during building an Amendment Application will need to be submitted. These are reviewed with the same process as the initial plan.

13.    Verify Permit Inspections are complete and the permit is finalized.

Accepted payment methods

• Cash
• Check (made out to the County of Roanoke)
• Credit card (MasterCard, Visa)

For an estimate on your Permit cost, use our FEE ESTIMATOR for Residential & Commercial Alterations to Existing Structures.

All Building Permits are also subject to a State Levy Fee of 2% and a Technology Fee of 5% also shown in the last field on the FEE ESTIMATOR.

Call 540-772-2065 when ready for Inspections or use our Select Text System by texting 833-886-2087.

Information needed to request for an Inspection …

•    Application Number (Found on the Issued Permit)

•    Address of the job

•    If the building is divided into partial inspection areas, be prepared to provide the area the inspection is needed in.

**Inspections may vary due to type of project.**
**Always call before covering work.**

Typical Partial & Complete Inspections for Commercial Permits...

Building

•    Footing 

•    Pier Footings 

•    Slab (This is preparation before pouring)

•    Foundation or Draintile

•    Framing (All Rough-In Inspections of electrical, mechanical, and plumbing must pass before requesting)

•    Insulation

•    Final Building (All Final Inspections of electrical, mechanical, and plumbing must pass before requesting)

Electrical 

•    Temporary Pole (Must have AEP work order number before calling)

•    Underground Electrical

•    Current Only (Must have AEP work order number before calling) (Roof must be in place)

•    Rough-In Electrical

•    Final Electrical

Plumbing

•    Groundwork Plumbing 

•    New Sewer line or Waterline

•    Rough In Plumbing

•    Final Plumbing

Mechanical

•    Gasline

•    Rough-In Mechanical

•    Final Mechanical

Fire Safety

•    Underground Fire Service

•    Rough-In Fire Alarm

•    Rough-In Fire Sprinkler

•    Rough-In Hood

•    Hydro test

•    Fire Suppression

•    Final Fire Alarm

•    Final Fire Sprinkler

•    Final Hood

**Inspections may vary due to type of project.**
**Always call before covering work.**

Before Occupancy of the Building, a Certificate of Occupancy must be issued.

Needed for CO Issuance …

•    Final Building, Final Electrical, Final Plumbing, Final Mechanical and any Fire Alarm and/or Fire Sprinkler Inspections must have passing inspections before applying

•    Request for Certificate of Occupancy

•    Temporary or Final Occupancy Certificate Fee of $50.00 plus a 5% Technology fee will be due at time of application ($52.50).

Once all Building Inspections are completed and the Request for CO is received, the following Departments will be notified. Based on the project some Departments may not be involved. 

•    Engineering

•    Flood Engineer (if needed)

•    Fire Marshall

•    Zoning

•    Health Department (Restaurant use only)

•    Western Va. Water Authority 

These Departments have up to 5 working days to respond to the CO Request.