Change of Use Grant

Designating a Building According to its Use

The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) designates every building according to its intended use. The uses are divided into specific categories based on several factors including:

Fire hazards
Number of persons
General public safety

Therefore, a building that is considered perfectly safe as a residence may not meet the minimum safety requirements for use as a public building. This can be attributed to the higher number of persons occupying a public building as well as storage and use of materials and equipment that pose a greater risk of fire than what is normally found in a residence.

Requirements for Change of Use of an Existing Building

Building codes in Virginia are not retroactive in most situations. Buildings are required to be maintained under the code that was in effect at the time of original construction. This remains true as long as the building is used for its original purpose.

Change in Use of a Building

However, a change in the use of the building at a later time subjects the building to the requirements of the current edition of the building code. The code gives the owner several alternatives for achieving code compliance. The owner may apply the complete current code to the building just as if it were being constructed in the present day.

Code Requirements

Alternatively, the code has a specific chapter (Chapter 34) that can be used to evaluate an existing building and determine what, if any, improvements are required. View the Change of Use Brochure (PDF) for more details.