Building permits, zoning and land rules in Surry County, Virginia

Surry County, Virginia requires a building permit for residential construction¹. The county administers the 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code¹. Surry County's fee schedule lists a $75 base and minimum permit fee, a 2% state levy on applicable fees and a $100 re-inspection fee⁶. Starting covered work before receiving the permit carries a $100 fine¹. An owner may qualify to build or supervise construction of one primary residence for personal use within a 24-month period without a Virginia contractor license, but the owner must still obtain the building permit and comply with the building code⁷. A qualifying nonresidential farm building used primarily for farm purposes is exempt from the Building Code, although applicable flood-proofing or mudslide rules still apply in those hazard areas¹⁰.

Surry County Building Inspections is the county building department: it accepts applications, reviews them for compliance, issues permits and conducts construction inspections¹. The office is at 45 School Street, Surry, VA 23883, and its main phone number is 757-294-5211¹. Request inspections at 877-224-7978 or inspections@surrycountyva.gov and provide the permit number, inspection type and job address¹. Telephone requests must arrive before 5:00 p.m., and owners should allow up to two business days for an inspection¹. Site visits occur at multiple construction stages and check structural, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work¹. After successful completion, the department issues the certificate of occupancy¹.

Unincorporated Surry County has a zoning ordinance with district-specific use and dimensional standards^2,11. Published districts include Agricultural Limited, Agricultural-Rural, Rural Village Center, Medium Density Residence, Vacation Residence, two business districts and two industrial districts⁵. The Town of Surry and Town of Claremont have separate ordinances, so land inside either town needs a town-specific answer². Before designing a house or placing another residential structure, ask Surry County Planning & Community Development at 757-294-5210 to identify the parcel's jurisdiction and zoning district¹². In the Agricultural-Rural (A-R) district, front setbacks are 100 feet on existing public roads and 50 feet on new subdivision roads, side setbacks are 25 feet on existing public roads and 20 feet on new subdivision roads, and principal structures need a 50-foot rear setback¹³. Minimum lot size depends on the district and the ordinance in effect when the preliminary plat is filed¹⁴. We could not confirm minimum dwelling size, lot coverage or a general height limit; obtain those from Planning before relying on a site plan. Septic permits stay with the Crater Health District even inside the two towns.

The Virginia Department of Health's Crater Health District handles site evaluation and permitting for septic systems and private wells in Surry County^3,6. A written septic construction permit is required before constructing, expanding or modifying a sewage system, and the statutory application fee is $75, subject to listed waivers and refunds¹⁵. The local contact is the Surry Health Department at 474 Colonial Trail West, Dendron, VA 23839, telephone (757) 294-3185¹⁶. Only about 0.9% of Surry County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, making septic feasibility an important purchase contingency⁹. The health district conducts site evaluations, reviews private-sector submissions for permit issuance and performs inspections³.

Surry County's zoning ordinance prohibits using a recreational vehicle, tent or camp cabin as a temporary or permanent residence unless the ordinance otherwise expressly permits it⁴. Living in an RV on a private parcel in unincorporated Surry County should therefore be treated as not allowed; confirm any exception with Planning & Community Development¹². Virginia's temporary-campground limits apply to permitted campgrounds and do not create permission to live in an RV on private land¹⁷. We could not confirm a Surry County rule on tiny-home occupancy, so ask Planning for a parcel-specific answer. A tiny home used as a residence still needs building approval, septic or sewer approval and a certificate of occupancy before occupancy^1,3,18.

1. Ask Surry County Planning & Community Development to identify the parcel's jurisdiction and zoning district, then confirm the proposed home and site plan comply with that district^2,5,12.
2. Apply to the Crater Health District for septic and private-well review where public utilities are unavailable^3,6.
3. If the driveway connects to a VDOT-maintained highway, obtain the required VDOT land-use permit for the entrance⁸.
4. Submit the building application and plans to Surry County Building Inspections, pay the applicable fees and wait for permit issuance before starting covered work^1,6.
5. Request each construction inspection when the work is ready, allowing up to two business days after a timely telephone request¹.
6. Finish construction and obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in^1,18.

Start with septic feasibility because only about 0.9% of Surry County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field⁹. Check the zoning district and whether the property lies inside the Town of Surry or Town of Claremont, where separate municipal rules apply². If mapped in a special flood hazard area, even work otherwise exempt from the building-permit section may require a permit from the building official¹⁹. Confirm legal access and obtain a VDOT land-use permit before creating or modifying an entrance on a state-maintained road⁸. Surry County is sparsely settled at about 23.6 people per square mile, with roughly 63.8% wooded land and 94.1% of land at a slope of 15% or less, so inspect clearing needs and drainage on the actual homesite⁹. The effective property-tax rate is about 0.6%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $1,474⁹.