Permits & Inspections
- Phone
- (757) 385-4211
- Hours
- Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET
Virginia
Virginia Beach, VA permit fees and requirements
Virginia Beach Permits & Inspections prices building permits by area — $50.00 plus $7.00 per 100 sq ft of heated residential space or $8.00 per 100 sq ft commercial
always 'or fraction thereof' — with plan review at $100 residential / $200 commercial, a 2% Virginia state levy, and a $10 technology fee on every permit. Trade permits run $50 base: electrical services add $20 per 50 amps, circuits $5 each, and plumbing fixtures $6 each.
Permit costs we have worked out
Each page shows the fee components, the formula the jurisdiction uses, and a worked example you can follow by hand.
Estimate your potential Virginia Beach permit fee with our Building Permit Fee Calculator.
| Permit | Category | Last reviewed |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach Building Permit Cost | structural | 2026-09-26 |
| Virginia Beach Electrical Permit Cost | electrical | 2026-09-26 |
| Virginia Beach Plumbing Permit Cost | plumbing | 2026-09-26 |
Local context
What is specific to Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code with the City's coastal design criteria — among the strictest wind requirements in the Chesapeake region — and requires waterfront projects in the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area to clear environmental review before a building permit. Applications file through the City's Accela portal at 2403 Courthouse Drive.
What sets the schedule apart is that the building side is priced by square footage rather than valuation, so a permit is knowable from the plans alone; only alterations read the construction value ($5.00 per $1,000, or fraction). Every permit — building or trade — carries the same two riders: Virginia's 2% state levy on the permit fees and the City's $10.00 technology fee. Inspections run from setback/footing through final and are scheduled online by 8 a.m. for same-day service, with failed re-inspections at $75.
Valuation
How valuation is determined here
New construction and additions are priced from gross area (100-sq-ft steps, or fraction thereof). Alterations and pools read the construction value at $5.00 per $1,000 or fraction thereof. Trade permits read the contract value entered on the application.
Who to contact
The office that issues the permit, with the details we have verified. Confirm current hours before travelling.
What these fees do not include
The list is not a disclaimer: on a new house the fees left out can outweigh the permit fee several times over. Every entry here is stated on the permit page as well.
Not included in our estimates
These municipal figures cover building, plan review, trade permits, the state levy and the technology fee. They exclude:
- Water and sewer tap fees and drain fixture unit (DFU) fees, collected by Public Utilities before issuance.
- Right-of-way permits ($35 for in-ground pools; drive aprons) issued by the Development Services Center.
- Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area and waterfront environmental review for work along the water.
- Fire suppression and alarm plan review by the Fire Marshal.
Official sources for this jurisdiction
The documents these figures are transcribed from. Where a source contradicts itself we keep both readings and say so on the permit page.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CityPrimary source
Commercial Building Permit Fees (rev. Jul-2025)
Commercial new and additions: $50.00 plus $8.00 per 100 sq ft or fraction thereof. Non-heated commercial storage: $50.00 plus $4.00 per 100 sq ft. Commercial plan review $200.00. 2% state levy + $10.00 technology fee.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CityPrimary source
Residential Building Permit Fees (rev. Jul-2025)
Heated living area new and additions: $50.00 plus $7.00 per 100 sq ft or fraction thereof. Non-heated: $50.00 plus $4.00 per 100 sq ft. Alterations: $50.00 plus $5.00 per $1,000 of construction value. Residential plan review $100.00. 2% state levy + $10.00 technology fee on all permits.
- City websiteCityPrimary source
Trades Permits — Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical (City web page)
Electrical: new service single phase $50.00 + $20.00 per 50 amps; change of service half the new-service fee; additions/repairs $50.00 + $5.00 per circuit; $50.00 each for named scopes; 2% state levy + $10.00 technology fee. Plumbing: $50.00 + $6.00 per fixture/drain.