Goochland County seeks inspector to oversee construction safety compliance

Goochland County is looking for a Combination Commercial Inspector I as it pushes more development work through its permitting system and prepares for new inflation-adjusted cash-proffer charges on building permits this summer. The opening carries practical weight for builders in West Creek, Centerville Village, the I-64 corridor and Courthouse Village, where every inspection can affect when a project moves from paper to framing, finish work or a business opening.

The job sits inside the county’s Building Inspections and Community Development structure, which exists to make sure buildings and related equipment meet the minimum requirements of the Uniform Statewide Building Code. Goochland’s approved pay plan lists the position at $47,964.66 to $81,539.92. For contractors trying to keep a schedule moving, the county’s inspection line is 804-556-5815, and requests can also be emailed to bi-emails@goochlandva.us with the permit number, date of inspection, site address, type of inspection, and the requester’s name and phone number.

The hire comes as Goochland has already shifted more of its development process online. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, plan of development, land disturbance permits and storm water management permits moved to the county’s Enterprise Permitting and Licensing portal, a change the county said was meant to improve efficiency and service for residents and developers. Effective July 1, new building permits on lots subject to cash proffers will carry adjusted amounts to reflect FY26 inflation, adding another layer to the county’s development pipeline.

The county’s 2035 Comprehensive Plan helps explain why the inspector post matters. Goochland says it wants high-quality development that increases and diversifies the tax base, and the plan puts the county’s residential-commercial split at 82.5% to 17.5%, with a goal of moving closer to 70% residential and 30% commercial. That means more pressure on the inspection side as the county tries to grow business sites without slowing construction timelines.

The building inspections leadership bench also changed recently. Casey Littlefield was named building official on Jan. 22, 2026, after joining Goochland in 2018 as a Senior Combination Commercial Inspector. County officials said he served as lead inspector on the Residence Inn hotel, Sheltering Arms Hospital, Avery Point Continuing Care Retirement Facility, several Capital One renovations and Benedictine College Preparatory school, a list that shows how central commercial inspection has become to the county’s largest projects.

Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development says local code enforcement personnel must be certified under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and Virginia Certification Standards. Its training calendar describes a 24-hour commercial building inspector and commercial combination inspector course for people with basic commercial-construction knowledge who have completed the Core course, underscoring that Goochland is hiring for a technical role tied directly to the pace and safety of future development.