Virginia Beach, VA
Virginia Beach Building Permit Cost
A Virginia Beach building permit is priced from the plans
not from a contractor's declaration: $50.00 plus $7.00 per 100 square feet of heated residential area — or fraction thereof — with commercial new construction at $8.00 per 100 square feet. Plan review is $100.00 residential / $200.00 commercial, and every permit carries Virginia's 2% state levy plus the City's $10.00 technology fee. The fraction phrase is on every row, so 1,050 sq ft buys eleven 100-sq-ft steps, not ten and a half.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial building permit fee ($8.00 per 100 sq ft, or fraction)Permit fee | 800% of project area (per 100 sq ft or fraction thereof) | Occupancy is commercial | — |
| Residential building permit fee ($7.00 per 100 sq ft, or fraction)Permit fee | 700% of project area (per 100 sq ft or fraction thereof) | Occupancy is residential | — |
| Commercial building permit base fee ($50.00)Permit fee | $50.00 flat fee | Occupancy is commercial | — |
| Residential building permit base fee ($50.00)Permit fee | $50.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential | — |
| Plan review fee ($100.00 residential / $200.00 commercial)Plan review | Project valuation — $100.00 above $0 | Occupancy is residential | — |
| Commercial plan review fee ($200.00)Plan review | Project valuation — $200.00 above $0 | Occupancy is commercial | — |
| Virginia 2% state levy on permit feesState surcharge | 2% of fees charged | Every permit of this type | — |
| Technology fee ($10.00 per permit)Technology fee | $10.00 flat fee | Every permit of this type | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A 2,400 sq ft heated single-family home in Virginia Beach (residential).
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $400,000 |
| Project area | 2,400 sq ft |
| Occupancy class | Residential |
Example total
$334.36
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 5Rules considered 8
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Residential building permit fee ($7.00 per 100 sq ft, or fraction)Permit feeResidential Building Permit Fees sheet (rev. Jul-2025): heated living area new and additions are $50.00 plus $7.00 per 100 square feet of area or fraction thereof.Show the working
| 700% of project area, or fraction thereof, rounded up in 100 sq ft steps | $168.00 |
Residential building permit base fee ($50.00)Permit feeResidential Building Permit Fees sheet: the area rate rides a $50.00 base ('The $50.00 plus $7.00 per 100 square feet' formula).Show the working
| $50.00 flat fee | $50.00 |
Plan review fee ($100.00 residential / $200.00 commercial)Plan reviewResidential sheet: 'Residential Plan Review Fee $100.00.' Commercial sheet: 'Commercial Plan Review Fee $200.00.'Show the working
| $100.00 for project valuation above $0 | $100.00 |
Virginia 2% state levy on permit feesState surchargeBoth Virginia Beach fee sheets state: 'A 2% State Levy will be assessed on the permit fees listed above.'Show the working
| 2% of fees charged | $6.36 |
Technology fee ($10.00 per permit)Technology feeBoth Virginia Beach fee sheets state: 'A $10.00 Technology Fee is assessed on all permits.'Show the working
| $10.00 flat fee | $10.00 |
| Total | $334.36 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Commercial building permit fee ($8.00 per 100 sq ft, or fraction) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial building permit base fee ($50.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial plan review fee ($200.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 5 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
The area rate is $7.00 per 100 sq ft or fraction: 24 whole steps × $7.00 = $168.00, plus the $50.00 base = $218.00. Residential plan review adds $100.00. The 2% state levy on the subtotal ($318.00) adds $6.36, and the technology fee $10.00. Total: $218.00 + $100.00 + $6.36 + $10.00 = $334.36.
What is different in Virginia Beach
Building permits are issued by Permits & Inspections at 2403 Courthouse Drive and filed through the City's Accela portal. Because the fee is area-based, the number is knowable before the value of work is negotiated. Residential additions, garages and sheds over 256 sq ft, decks and screened porches all follow the same heated-area rate, while non-heated space (porches, decks, garages) uses $4.00 per 100 sq ft. Residential alterations instead read the construction value at $5.00 per $1,000 or fraction thereof. Inspections run setback/footing, slab/foundation, framing/insulation and final, schedulable online before 8 a.m. for same-day service.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This estimate covers the building permit, plan review, the state levy and the technology fee. It excludes:
- Water and sewer tap fees and DFU fees paid to Public Utilities before issuance.
- Right-of-way permits ($35) for in-ground pools and drive aprons.
- CBPA and waterfront environmental review for work along the water.
- Trade permits — electrical, plumbing and mechanical file separately.
What you need before applying
- Zoning-Approved Site Plan and Construction PlansRequired
Two sets of building construction plans built to the City's climate and geographic design criteria (130 mph ultimate wind speed, coastal exposure), plus a Zoning Office-approved site plan; waterfront work needs environmental review.
- Public Utilities Receipt for Water and SewerRequired
A Public Utilities receipt showing all water and sewer tap fees and drain fixture unit (DFU) fees are paid, or a Health Department approval where the property is served by well and septic.
Common questions
How is a Virginia Beach building permit fee calculated?
The residential sheet prices heated new construction and additions at $50.00 plus $7.00 per 100 square feet of area or fraction thereof; commercial is $50.00 plus $8.00 per 100 sq ft. Plan review is $100 residential / $200 commercial, with a 2% state levy and $10 technology fee on top.
Residential & Commercial Building Permit Fees sheets (rev. Jul-2025)
Does 'or fraction thereof' really change the fee?
Yes. 1,050 sq ft of heated area pays eleven 100-sq-ft steps ($77.00), not ten and a half ($73.50). The phrase appears on every area and value row of both sheets, so partial steps always round up to the whole step.
Residential Building Permit Fees sheet
How are residential alterations priced?
Alterations leave the area rates and read the construction value: $50.00 plus $5.00 per $1,000 of construction value or fraction thereof — $55.00 at $1,000 of value through $110.00 at $12,000.
Residential Building Permit Fees sheet
What is the 2% state levy in Virginia Beach?
Both fee sheets state: 'A 2% State Levy will be assessed on the permit fees listed above.' It is Virginia's statewide permit levy and applies to building and trade permits alike, on top of the $10.00 technology fee.
Residential & Commercial Building Permit Fees sheets
Can homeowners pull their own permits in Virginia Beach?
Yes. Applications identify whether a licensed contractor (Class A, B or C state registration) or the property owner is applying; an owner files with their own name, address, approximate cost and signature.
Virginia Beach Residential Building Permits page
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- 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.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.