ROAN Branch · Southwest Virginia · WV

Roanoke · Third-Party & Special Inspection Jurisdiction Matrix

31 Virginia jurisdictions plus McDowell County WV, covering the Roanoke and New River valleys and the far southwest coalfield counties.

COMPILED 2026-08-08 · VERIFIED = primary document fetched · SNIPPET = search result only · INFERRED = from state code, not a local document
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Jurisdiction dossiers

Compiled 2026-08-08 from each jurisdiction's published websites, policy PDFs, permit packets, and ordinances (7 parallel research agents, primary documents fetched and read; every claim below carries its source). Verification labels: VERIFIED = fetched page/PDF; SNIPPET = search result not fetched; INFERRED = from statewide code, not a local document.

Scope: 31 VA jurisdictions + McDowell County WV. Nelson County → Richmond matrix.


The statewide frame (applies to all VA jurisdictions)

Who actually enforces where (the shared-department map)

The "small counties share officials" hypothesis mostly ran the other way: counties cover their towns, but several towns run their OWN full building departments (jobs inside those limits are separate jurisdictions):

County office covers Separate town/city departments inside the area
Tazewell Co → Towns of Tazewell, Richlands, Pocahontas, Cedar Bluff (VERIFIED) Town of Bluefield runs its own office (VERIFIED)
Washington Co → Damascus, Glade Spring, part of Saltville (VERIFIED) Town of Abingdon own dept (VERIFIED; inspector Rick Statzer SNIPPET)
Franklin Co → Rocky Mount + Boones Mill (VERIFIED — one dept for all three) -
Giles Co → countywide permits; towns do zoning sign-off only (VERIFIED from form) -
Montgomery Co → unincorporated areas only Blacksburg (own dept, 3P forms on portal [SNIPPET]) + Christiansburg (own dept, BO Jerry Heinline); both VERIFIED
Pulaski Co → county Town of Pulaski own dept (BO Nathan Smythers, VERIFIED)
Bedford Co → outside town limits Town of Bedford own dept (BO Jeremy Marquis, VERIFIED; contradicts the "county took over after reversion" assumption)
Wythe Co → county Town of Wytheville own dept + portal (SNIPPET)
Buchanan Co → county incl. Town of Grundy (VERIFIED, 2017 DHCD directory) -
Russell Co → county incl. Lebanon, Honaker, Cleveland (VERIFIED, dated) -
Covington City → its own dept — NOT consolidated with Alleghany Co (VERIFIED; Alleghany's separate office serves county + Iron Gate) -
Martinsville → still independent, own dept (reversion abandoned Jan 2023 [SNIPPET]; own BO VERIFIED) -

THE MATRIX

Tier 1: Published product-specific rules

UP Jurisdiction UND ANC BRC SUP FND WTR ENC RTW How it works
Botetourt County ¹ ² SSI form explicitly names helical pile foundations (1704.10, continuous inspection) + driven/cast-in-place deep foundations. 3P policy (BoS-adopted 1/28/2025) is commercial/industrial only but its eligible-inspection list includes Building Pier Footing / Footing / Foundation / Drain Tile / Slab Prep, and it waives 75% of permit fees on 3P-inspected permits. Residential = ask the BO (§113.7).
Pulaski County ³ Strongest published SI program in ROAN territory: full SSI package (2/2025) with pile driving records/tip+cutoff elevations, pile load tests, drilled piers, caissons, earth-retaining structures >10 ft. Owner-engaged inspectors, PE/GE qualification key, Final Report before CO. Drain tile & waterproofing = required county inspection before backfill.
Montgomery County Retaining-wall matrix: permit ≥3 ft; engineered design 4-6 ft; >6 ft height or >4 ft unbalanced fill = VA RDP stamp; >10 ft = Special Inspections Program. Commercial: 3P plan review mandatory, "third party inspector may be required" at plan review. Unincorporated areas only; Blacksburg/Christiansburg separate.
Franklin County VA Same retaining-wall ladder (rev. 12/2014): 3-4 ft permit only; >6 ft RDP stamp; >10 ft = "Special Inspections Program" (named but unpublished; request it). One dept serves county + Rocky Mount + Boones Mill.
Lynchburg City Published shrink-swell-soils provision: where moderate/high shrink-swell soils exist, "a third-party inspection may be required… a letter of acceptance may be submitted in lieu of a footing or foundation inspection", the only in-lieu-of acceptance published in ROAN territory. Retaining walls >4 ft (from footing bottom) = RDP-sealed plans. No standalone §113.7 policy published.
Staunton City ¹⁰ ¹¹ Published 2021-USBC SSI form (Hampton Roads template DNA; cites "HRRSIGP") with a dedicated "DEEP FOUNDATION/HELICAL PILE FOUNDATION ELEMENTS" category ("recording installation torque, pressure, blows per foot, cut off, and tip elevation" = exactly UP's pier-log data) and "Retaining walls" under Special Cases. SER/RDP/SI/BO signature architecture; Final Report before CO. No general 3P policy published (§113.7; request from BO John Glover).

Tier 2: Published general third-party policy (all 8 product types eligible, conditions apply)

UP Jurisdiction All products Policy conditions
Danville City Full §113.7.1 policy + request form published. Triggers: city can't inspect in 2 working days / fast-track / emergency (§108.1). VA DPOR design professional qualifies alone; per-inspection written pre-approval MANDATORY ("If you do not have written confirmation… inspections will not be accepted"); sealed reports within 2 working days on the city form. No insurance requirement stated.
Roanoke City Procedure #450 (eff. 1/18/2025), same DNA as Danville: capacity-relief only (2-working-day trigger, fast-track, emergency), per-request written approval by the Building Commissioner, DPOR RDP qualifies, sealed reports within 2 working days. Not a standing acceptance program.
Bedford County Policy pub. 11/18/2022: DHCD cert OR VA design-professional license; written request 2 weeks before inspection; reports within 5 working days (date/time/conditions, code sections, approval status). County = outside town limits only.
Campbell County 2025 policy: RDP license qualifies; conflict-of-interest ban; Section A/B categories are commercial/apartments/townhouses, single-family not listed (ask); finals never 3P; 5-working-day request lead + 5-working-day sealed report; late report = immediate Stop Work. Published commercial SSI form (concrete/steel/masonry only, no soils/deep-foundation rows; county keeps its own pre-pour concrete inspection).
Amherst County Policy 4/12/2023: RDP license qualifies; 3P mandated for utility-scale solar + elevators, otherwise "when conditions and/or circumstances necessitate"; 5-working-day request lead + 5-working-day report. Most permissive wording of the Region-2000 trio.
Waynesboro City (cleanest PE fit) Written policy expressly referencing §113.7.1: VA DHCD cert "-or- Licensed design professional with the Commonwealth of Virginia"; a VA PE qualifies outright. Mandatory pre-approval (Preapproval Form + affidavit, scoped commercial/residential × trade); city-issued form obtained before EACH inspection; reports within 2 business days. Published SSI Agreement too (VCC 1704/1705, prequalification, final report before BO final).
Highland County (with a catch) Published "THIRD PARTY POLICY" (2024, §113.7): notify BO before inspection, report within 72 hours; qualifications = DHCD cert + ICC exam + ACI concrete cert "or equivalency", NO PE-alternative clause, plus $1M professional insurance naming the county as additional insured. How a VA PE slots in ("or its equivalency") needs a BO conversation before relying on it. One-person Building Inspector/Zoning Administrator shop.

Tier 3: No published policy (§113.7 written policy exists by law; request it)

UP Jurisdiction Status What IS known
Roanoke County No 3P policy published, but the most complete SI paperwork of the region (full 2021-USBC SI forms suite) + published Retaining Wall Guidelines, Expansive Soils Policy, Professional Seal Requirements. BO Morgan Yates (long-tenured). High-function office; request the policy.
Russell County * Leaning ALLOWED: county demonstrably accepts 3P reports in a published workflow (tiny-house sheet: "a third party inspection report… submitted to the Building Official"). Permit app captures retaining-wall height. BO Josh Stinson (named on the current form).
Craig County Nothing published; permit packet has Alteration/Repair class + waterproofing/draintile hold points; "additional… engineering may be required depending on scope." BO Brandon King. Small relationship-driven office.
Covington City Own dept (NOT Alleghany). Permit app has REPAIR class + the 7 USBC minimum inspections. BO Eric Tyree (seated since ≥2017). Nothing else published.
Radford City Commercial 3P plan review mandatory + published vendor list; no inspection policy. BO Chris Childress.
Christiansburg (town) Own dept, BO Jerry Heinline; commercial 3P plan review + vendor list; no inspection policy published.
Blacksburg (town) * Own dept; town says "3rd party inspection forms" live on its OpenGov portal [SNIPPET; behind login]. Possibly the only working 3P intake in the NRV; verify by phone.
Giles County Nothing published (checked 20+ PDFs). County permits countywide, towns zoning-only. BO Anna Welch.
Floyd County Nothing published (13 PDFs text-searched). BO Mark Bolt. Town of Floyd adds an extra town step (nature unknown).
Pittsylvania County Nothing published. CBO Otis Vaughan, permits@pittgov.org.
Henry County Nothing published; fee schedule (read in full) has no 3P/SI line items. BO Charles Campbell.
Martinsville City Still independent (reversion dead since 1/2023); nothing published. BO Kris Bridges, kbridges@ci.martinsville.va.us.
Wythe County Nothing published. BO Kyle Taylor. Town of Wytheville separate.
Bland County Smallest web presence: one-official shop (BO Joel Cagle, CBO); only a permit application online.
Smyth County * No BO named on the official site; county tells applicants to use "an approved certified plan reviewer" (3P plan review accepted). Contact Clegg Williams (Asst. Co. Admin - Development).
Tazewell County Nothing published; site is code-cycles stale (still says 2012 USBC). BO Gary Jackson covers county + 4 towns (not Bluefield).
Washington County VA Nothing published; publishes a "Foundation" permit type (early-start for new construction, not repair [SNIPPET]). BO Jason McCall. Abingdon separate.
Buchanan County Nothing published; county site search returns zero building content. Contact Bart Chambers (title unconfirmed; 2017 directory BO = Larry Scott Jackson). Active floodplain office (Todd Vanmeter).
Harrisonburg City No general 3P policy published, but a published third-party elevator inspection program (reports through the LAMA portal) proves the office already administers 3P reports. Sealed drawings required for assembly/institutional/apartment uses. BO Jeremy C. Dean.
Augusta County Nothing 3P/SI published (checked 6 pages incl. plan checklist + both permit processes). "Permits must be obtained to construct, enlarge, alter, repair…" Plan checklist requires pier size/spacing on foundation plans (support-pier sense). NB: county keeps permit records only 3 years after completion; keep our own. BO name unpublished; bi@co.augusta.va.us.

Tier 4: No building-code enforcement (WV local-option)

UP Jurisdiction Status Finding
McDowell County WV No county building department, permit office, or code-enforcement function exists (VERIFIED; county commission site lists none) and no evidence the county ever adopted the WV State Building Code (87 CSR 4, local-option). City of Welch likewise publishes no building/permits function (VERIFIED). But floodplain permitting DOES exist: Judy Heath, (304) 436-8558, is the NFIP floodplain manager for the county AND every municipality incl. Welch (VERIFIED; wvinsurance.gov roster). Practical rule: no building permits or municipal inspections; engineer letters serve client/lender/insurer purposes only, EXCEPT work in a mapped floodplain (very common in these creek valleys), which needs a floodplain development permit through Heath's office, where PE elevation/floodproofing documentation is the standard NFIP instrument. Confirm non-adoption with one call (Fire Marshal keeps the adopters registry offline).

Footnotes (Tier 1):

  1. Botetourt Statement of Special Inspections form (Rev. 01/22, read in full): checklist includes Soils/Footing 1704.7, Driven deep foundations 1704.8, Cast-in-place deep foundations 1704.9, Helical pile foundations 1704.10: "Inspection continuously performed during installation with site-specific soils report", the only local form in ROAN territory naming helical piles. RDP-sealed; county keeps its own slab-prep + grounding-electrode inspections.
  2. Botetourt Third Party Inspection Policy (BoS 1/28/2025): commercial/industrial permits only; DHCD cert OR DPOR design-professional license OR BO-accepted alternate; bi-weekly progress reports; written full-compliance certification before final CO; 75% of permit fees waived on 3P-inspected permits; attached list of 37 eligible inspections includes "Building Pier Footing," "Building Footing," "Building Foundation," "Building Drain Tile," "Building Slab Prep."
  3. Pulaski County SSI schedule (2021 VCC, form 2/2025): Soils & Foundations rows cover bearing at bottom of footing excavations, bottom of caissons (1810.7), pile driving records, tip & cutoff elevations (1704.8/1808/1809), pile load tests (1808.2.8.3), drilled pier foundations: exactly UP's pier-log data. Inspectors engaged by the Owner, never the contractor; BO acceptance signature; Final Report before CO. (Applicability to residential R-5 jobs only if the BO invokes Ch 17; INFERRED.)
  4. Pulaski required-inspections sheet: drain tile and waterproofing inspected before backfill (county hold point).
  5. Pulaski SSI schedule category "EARTH RETAINING STRUCTURES >10 FT. UNBALANCED FILL."
  6. Montgomery Co Retaining Wall Guidelines: <3 ft exempt; 3 ft+ permit; 4-6 ft engineered design (manufacturer standards OK to 6 ft ht/4 ft fill); >6 ft height or >4 ft unbalanced fill = VA RDP stamp; >10 ft = "the requirements of the Special Inspections Program"; itemized minimum plan content.
  7. Franklin Co VA Retaining Wall Guidelines (rev. 12/2014): <3 ft unbalanced fill exempt (unless surcharge/liquid); 3-4 ft permit no design; manufacturer designs to 6 ft; >6 ft VA RDP stamp; >10 ft = Special Inspections Program (program doc itself not published; request it).
  8. Lynchburg Building Plans Submittal Procedure: moderate/high shrink-swell soils → engineered foundation plans + "A third-party inspection may be required in these circumstances, in which case a letter of acceptance may be submitted in lieu of a footing or foundation inspection."
  9. Lynchburg: retaining walls over 4 ft measured from bottom of footing require RDP-prepared and sealed plans.
  10. Staunton SSI form (2021 USBC, read in full): "DEEP FOUNDATION/HELICAL PILE FOUNDATION ELEMENTS": materials review, test piles, installation ("monitor drilling, placement, plumbness, driving of piles, including recording installation torque, pressure, blows per foot, cut off, and tip elevation"), load tests (VCC 112.3, 1705.7-1705.10). SSI submitted as a condition of permit issuance; SI qualifications subject to BO approval; Final Report + BO approval before final/CO. (Residential R-5 enters this machinery only if the BO invokes it; INFERRED.)
  11. Staunton SSI form, Special Cases: "Retaining walls — Field review of installation of pre-manufactured structural components, drainage, and compaction" (VCC 113.4, 1705.1.1).

Per-jurisdiction dossiers (sources + contacts)

Amherst County

Augusta County

Bedford County (+ Town of Bedford)

Bland County

Botetourt County

Buchanan County

Campbell County

Covington City (+ Alleghany County note)

Craig County

Danville City

Floyd County

Franklin County VA

Giles County

Harrisonburg City

Henry County

Highland County

Lynchburg City

Martinsville City

McDowell County WV (+ City of Welch)

Montgomery County VA (unincorporated)

Pittsylvania County

Pulaski County

Radford City

Roanoke City

Roanoke County

Russell County

Smyth County

Staunton City

Tazewell County (+ Town of Bluefield)

Washington County VA (+ Town of Abingdon)

Waynesboro City

Wythe County (+ Town of Wytheville)