Start with the address and the work you want to do
For a driveway replacement, a new patio, a garage slab or a house footing, the useful first question is which approvals apply to that particular parcel and scope. Describe whether you are replacing concrete in the same footprint, enlarging it, changing drainage, adding a roof or supporting a building. Those are different projects even when each starts with a concrete truck.
The county's Building and Zoning Department says it issues permits, reviews plans and conducts inspections for building-related work within Smyth County. Its office is at 121 Bagley Circle, Suite 120, Marion. The county lists the permit technician at 276-706-8317 and the zoning office at 276-706-8316. These contacts were checked November 1, 2026.
Ask the building office to decide whether the proposed work needs a building permit. The Virginia concrete permits guide explains the statewide starting point; it does not replace an address-specific answer from the local office.
Inside Marion, add the town zoning office to the conversation
The Town of Marion publishes a separate Planning and Zoning department and its own zoning applications. Its zoning contact is 276-378-5017 at 138 West Main Street, checked November 1, 2026. Ask that office about the lot, proposed location, setbacks and any town application before the concrete layout is fixed.
The county's building checklist asks for a copy of the zoning permit. For a parcel in Marion, establish which town zoning documents the county needs rather than assuming a county zoning form covers the address. Keep the town's approved drawing with the building paperwork so the slab or footing is laid out from the same plan.
The work itself is covered on the Marion concrete services page. This guide is about finding the permit route before that work is scheduled.
Chilhowie publishes a town building inspector
Chilhowie's official Building Inspector page identifies a town building inspector and lists 276-646-3131 and [email protected]. Its site also links town building permit fees and a building permits and inspections application. For a parcel inside Chilhowie, start with that town contact and confirm what the town takes directly and what it sends elsewhere.
A phone call should name the actual project: an on-grade patio is different from a garage foundation or a retaining wall. Ask which plans are needed, whether zoning is a separate step and which inspections must occur before concrete covers the work. For Saltville or an address near a town boundary, ask the county and town to confirm the responsible desk before submitting. Confirm service availability for the address directly before planning crew dates.
The county checklist reaches beyond the slab drawing
Smyth County's department page lists building plans, erosion control plans, sewage disposal approval, a zoning permit, a possible highway entrance permit, a possible flood elevation certificate and an asbestos report on some projects. Each item has its own conditions on that page. Use it as an application checklist and ask which items attach to your project rather than gathering every item for every pour.
For erosion paperwork, the county page says, "If your project will disturb 10,000 square feet of ground or more, you must file an erosion control site plan and narrative." Its next sentence identifies a single-family dwelling as an exception to that particular requirement. Ask the department what paperwork applies to a house site or a project within a larger development; do not turn that exception into an exemption from all erosion or stormwater obligations.
Describe the whole disturbed area when asking: grading, excavation and access work can reach beyond the finished concrete. A connection to a state-maintained road is a separate question addressed in the VDOT entrance permits guide.
Confirm the inspection before booking the pour
The county asks callers to request inspections at least two days before the desired date. It describes responding within two business days as a goal. Have the building permit number and project owner's name ready, then obtain the actual appointment and ask what must remain exposed for inspection before concrete arrives.
The county's Fees and Payments page links its current building permit fee document and separately lists zoning fees. Ask the appropriate county or town office for the current charge and payment step. A county fee schedule should not be used to price a town application.
The pre-pour planning guide covers how the approval, utility locate and inspection steps fit around a pour. Bowman Griffin places the locate request for the digging its own crew does; this page makes no promise about who obtains a permit or schedules an inspection on a particular job.
Official sources
Checked November 1, 2026. Confirm current requirements with the office before applying.