Virginia law stipulates that a Certificate of Occupancy (CO) must be issued for all new buildings, for a change of occupancy classification of a building, or whenever permits have been issued for renovation of a building. Issued by the Building Inspector, a certificate of occupancy certifies that a building can be utilized in specific ways and stipulates how many people are allowed to be in a structure at a given time based on a number of factors.

The Certificate of Occupancy also allows Pittsylvania County to inspect and ensure that all construction methods comply with applicable codes.

Pittsylvania County Community Development charges a $100 fee to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy.

A Certificate of Occupancy generally contains the following:

• Occupant load
• Edition of the Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) under which the permit was issued
• The group and occupancy classification
• Type of construction
• Any other stipulations or conditions of the building permit

Certificate of Occupancy Process

Whether for new construction or a change in use, the first step a property owner should take is to fill out the certificate of occupancy application.

For any new construction, the Building Inspector will issue a certificate of occupancy at the completion of the project. This will be the final permit that is issued. A copy of the operational permit issued by the Pittsylvania County Health Department must be provided to the Pittsylvania County Building Inspections Office by the contractor / owner before a certificate of occupancy can be issued.

There are times when a structure may changes uses. Then a new certificate of occupancy would be required. The Building Inspector will ensure that the building meets all required codes of the new use group.

While the Building Inspector is responsible for determining the occupancy load and issuing the certificate, the Fire Marshal is responsible for the enforcement of the code.  

A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy may be issued if a clear certificate of occupancy cannot be issued due to departmental final inspection issues such as landscaping, paving, lot stabilization, etc. A TCO allows additional time for compliance and approval for an additional fee.