It is the question we get asked more than any other, and the honest answer is that it depends on where you live and how big the building is. What follows is how to find your answer in about fifteen minutes.
One thing to be clear about up front: permit rules are set by your county or city, not by us and not by the state. Nothing on this page replaces a call to your local building office. What we can do is tell you which questions to ask and what usually triggers a permit.
The size threshold is the main trigger
In most Virginia localities, small accessory buildings below a certain floor area do not need a building permit. Once you cross that line, they do.
The figure that comes up most often is 256 square feet. Buildings at or above that size commonly require a building permit. To put that in perspective:
- 8×12 is 96 square feet, comfortably under
- 10×12 is 120 square feet, under
- 10×20 is 200 square feet, under
- 12×22 is 264 square feet, over
- 12×24 is 288 square feet, over
So a great many of the storage buildings people actually buy sit below the threshold. The ones that tend to cross it are garages, larger workshops and anything 12 feet wide and over 21 feet long.
Confirm the number for your locality before you order. Some jurisdictions use a different figure, and some apply extra conditions on top.
A permit is not the only rule that applies
This is where people get caught out. Even a building too small to need a permit still has to obey zoning rules, and those are separate.
Setbacks and property lines
Every locality sets a minimum distance between an accessory building and your property lines, and often a separate distance from the house or from an easement. Ignoring a setback is worse than skipping a permit, because the fix is moving the building rather than filing paperwork.
Before you decide where the building goes, find out three numbers: the setback from your side lines, the setback from the rear line, and any easement running through the property. Your plat drawing will show easements.
HOA rules
If you are in a neighborhood with a homeowners association, its rules are a private agreement and they are frequently stricter than the county. Some HOAs restrict siding colors, roof style, height or placement, and many require approval before anything is delivered. An HOA cannot issue you a fine the way a county can, but it can require you to remove a building.
Ask for the covenants in writing and get any approval in writing too.
Electricity changes the answer
Running power to a building is its own permit question, and the answer is usually yes even when the building itself did not need one. Electrical work on a separate structure typically requires an electrical permit and an inspection, whether you are trenching a feed from the house or adding a subpanel.
If a workshop or a she shed with lights and outlets is the plan, budget for that permit and a licensed electrician from the start.
Who to call in our service area
Permits are handled at the county or city level. If you are in our delivery area, that means contacting the building or planning office for:
- Dinwiddie County, Prince George County, Chesterfield County or the City of Colonial Heights, if you are near our North Dinwiddie location
- Charles City County, New Kent County or Henrico County, if you are near our Charles City location
- Your own county or city building office anywhere else in the greater Richmond area
Ask them three things: the floor area above which a permit is required, the setback distances for an accessory structure, and whether they need a site plan showing where the building will sit.
What we can give you for the application
If your locality does want a permit, the paperwork usually needs the building dimensions, the height, the construction type and a sketch of where it will sit on your lot. We can supply the dimensions and specifications for any building we sell, so you are not guessing on the form.
It is worth doing in that order: confirm the rules, then choose the building. It is far easier to drop from a 12×24 to a 12×20 on paper than after it is sitting in the yard.
What happens if you skip it
The usual outcome is not a dramatic one. It surfaces when you sell the house, when an inspector notices during unrelated work, or when a neighbor complains. At that point you are applying for the permit retroactively, sometimes with a penalty, and occasionally being told to move or remove the structure. It is a much bigger headache than the original application.
Given that a permit for a storage building is typically inexpensive and quick, it is not a corner worth cutting.
Still not sure?
Call us before you order. We have delivered thousands of buildings across central Virginia and we can usually tell you straight away whether the size you are considering is likely to need a permit, and what to ask your county. Reach us at (804) 894-8095 in North Dinwiddie or (804) 894-2985 in Charles City, or through the contact page.
You can also browse what is on the lot to see sizes and square footage before you make the call.
