Zoning

Zoning Code

The City of Roanoke's Zoning Code is contained in Chapter 36.2 of the Roanoke City Code. To view the zoning ordinance, visit Chapter 36.2 of the City Code. (This link redirects to municode.com)

As staff identifies improvements to the code, proposed amendments are packaged into amendments. Municode is updated to include all amendments through and including January 2019.   A package adopted on July 20, 2020 (Amendment #17) contains amendments that are not yet reflected on the municode.com website.  The content of these amendments is available in these documents:  Amendment 17 Adopted Ordinance, Amendment 17 Report and summary

​​Zoning Verification for a Business License


A zoning verification for a Business License is required as part of the Commissioner of the Revenue's process for issuing a business license. To request a verification, complete a Business License Zoning Verification request and email it to the Permit Center. 

Requests can be processed quickly if there is no "Change of Use" as defined by the city's zoning or building codes. We will contact you if additional information is needed to clarify the type of use, address a change, etc. 

If you have questions about the verification process or if you have a question about the zoning/suitability of a property for a particular use you can contact or Project Assistance Line at 540-853-5550.

We recommend that all business owners check the zoning of a property before signing a lease or purchasing a property.
 

Approved Tree List


Please note that the January 22, 2019 amendment to the zoning ordinance created a reference to a tree list and specifications approved and published by the zoning administrator rather than include the list in the code. The approved tree list in effect is posted below.

Table 642-1. Trees: Approved Plant List, Minimum Size at Planting, 20-Year Canopy, and Suitability


Below are the amendments from recent years:

Zoning Map

The Official Zoning Map, which delineates the location and boundaries of the zoning districts, is a series of electronic maps which can be accessed on the City’s Real Estate GIS website. The Planning and Zoning Layers consists of 15 layers. The layers pertinent to zoning include:
  • Design Overlay
  • Historic Districts
  • Sign Overlay
  • Zoning

Search for Zoning Designation

To search for the zoning designation of a property:
  1. Go to the City's Real Estate GIS.
  2. Click the Search tab in the upper left-hand corner.
  3. Select Search Method (tax number or street name)
  4. Enter parcel number (7-digit tax map number) or street address (enter only street number and street name; do not enter St., Ave., Rd., Ln., etc.)
  5. Double-click on the appropriate listing under Results. The parcel will be highlighted on the map and property information will appear at the bottom of the screen.
  6. To display zoning designations on the map, select Map Layers followed by Planning & Zoning Layers and select base and overlays zones to find your parcel's designation.
  7. Access legends for the zoning designations by expanding the drop-down box of the appropriate layer.

Other Links