Building Permit Fee Calculator (2026)
Enter an estimated project cost to see the real permit fee, broken into line items by your jurisdiction's actual fee schedule. Covers 7 live Virginia jurisdictions: Fairfax, Loudoun, Chesterfield, Henrico Counties, Richmond City, Norfolk City, and Virginia Beach City. A $15,000 deck in Fairfax County, VA costs $504.00 all-in; the same deck is $144.75 in Richmond, $163.20 in Henrico, $166.28 in Chesterfield, and $395.00 to $399.60 in Loudoun. Square-foot and tiered projects (Virginia Beach decks/additions, Norfolk decks, DC alteration tiers) are documented on each jurisdiction page; the calculator routes those project types to the matching page.
Live coverage: 36 jurisdictions - 8 Virginia, Washington, DC, 8 Maryland counties, and 19 Texas cities. Project options update by jurisdiction - only fee types supported by the official schedule appear, and the input switches between project cost and square footage to match how each county actually charges. Fee types not yet in the calculator are documented on each jurisdiction page.
- Building Permit Fee $450.00
- Virginia USBC Code Academy Levy $9.00
- Fairfax County Technology Surcharge $45.00
Estimate only. Actual fees are determined by Fairfax County Land Development Services at the time of permit issuance. Fee schedules change annually. Verify current fees at fairfaxcounty.gov/landdevelopment or call (703) 222-0801 before budgeting or filing.
- Trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical/HVAC) - issued separately with their own fees.
- Zoning review, site plan review, or land-disturbance review charged outside the building permit.
- Impact fees, proffer fees, school/transportation impact charges where the jurisdiction collects them.
- Utility connection or tap fees (water, sewer, gas, electric meter connection).
- Re-inspection fees, after-hours inspection fees, revision fees, and work-without-permit penalty fees.
- Final fees are determined by the local building department at permit issuance and may differ from this estimate.
PermitPrice is not an official quotation. See Disclaimer and Methodology.
This calculator covers the building permit fee only. Trade permits (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) are separate and issued at additional cost. Always verify with your local building department before filing.
How This Is Calculated
Every supported jurisdiction-and-project combination uses the actual formula from the adopted fee schedule. No generic ranges or averages. Square-foot and tiered project types not yet wired into the widget (Virginia Beach decks/additions, Norfolk decks, DC alteration tiers) are routed to the matching jurisdiction page where the same official formula is shown with worked examples.
| Step | Fee Component | Formula (Fairfax County) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Building Permit Fee | max(project cost × 3%, $141.75 min) | Appendix Q, Chapter 61 (FY2027) |
| 2 | Virginia USBC State Levy | Step 1 × 2% | Code of Virginia §36-137 |
| 3 | Fairfax Technology Surcharge | Step 1 × 10% | Appendix Q, Part III (FY2027) |
| 4 | Total | Step 1 + Step 2 + Step 3 | - |
Pool exception: In-ground pools in Fairfax County use a flat $83.50 permit fee (not the 3% formula). The state levy adds 2% ($1.67) and the technology surcharge adds 10% ($8.35). Total pool permit: $93.52. Half of the Fairfax permit fee is due at application as a filing-fee deposit and is credited at issuance (County Code 61-1-3(d)11); it is not an extra charge.
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Fairfax County - Appendix Q, Land Development Services Fee Schedule (FY2027) Effective July 1, 2026 (FY2027) · Verified September 18, 2026 Verified
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Code of Virginia §36-137 - USBC State Levy Current · Virginia General Assembly
What This Calculator Shows That Others Don't
"Every other permit fee calculator I've seen either shows a generic range or gives just the base permit number. The two items that trip people up are the filing-fee deposit and the state levy. In Fairfax County, half the permit fee is due at application as a deposit that is credited at issuance - it is not an extra line, but people budget it twice. The USBC state levy is small but it is calculated on the permit fee, so it always shows up last. This calculator shows every line item - including local add-ons like Fairfax County's 10% technology surcharge - because that's what you'll actually see on your permit invoice."
Real-World Example: $15,000 Deck, Fairfax County VA
400 sqft composite deck, attached to dwelling · Building permit (residential alteration) · Stated valuation: $15,000 · Formula: Appendix Q FY2027 (effective July 1, 2026)
What generic cost guides say for this same project: $300-$500. The actual number is $504.00 - up to 68% higher than the generic estimate, depending on which guide you consult. Half of the Fairfax permit fee is due at application as a filing-fee deposit and is credited at issuance (County Code 61-1-3(d)11); it is not an extra charge.
When This Calculator's Results Don't Apply
- How do these fees compare nationally? See the 2026 Permit Fee Index - the same deck and the same 2,000 sq ft home priced through all 33 calculator jurisdictions, with medians and scope flags.
- Jurisdictions not in this widget: This calculator computes the official formulas for 36 jurisdictions - 8 Virginia, Washington, DC, 8 Maryland counties, and all 19 published Texas cities - each loaded from its own official fee schedule, including square-foot, bracket, and flat-fee models. Some jurisdictions show the building-permit side only where trade permits are separate (each option says so). The remaining Maryland counties (Howard, Carroll, Charles) are documented on their jurisdiction pages and queued for the calculator. For a jurisdiction with no page yet (Prince William, Arlington VA, Alexandria, etc.), use the request-jurisdiction CTA above.
- Square-foot and tier-formula projects: Norfolk decks, Virginia Beach decks and additions, and DC alteration tiers are routed to the matching jurisdiction page where the same official formula is shown with worked examples. Those project-and-jurisdiction combinations do not appear in the dropdown.
- Trade permits: Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC permits are not included. In Fairfax County, a residential electrical permit (service change or added circuits) adds $158.77 separately: the $141.75 minimum permit plus the 2% levy and 10% technology surcharge.
- New residential construction: Per-square-foot rates for new homes and new garages are not wired into the dropdown for every jurisdiction. Use the matching jurisdiction page for those calculations.
- After annual rate changes: Virginia jurisdictions typically update their fee schedules each July 1; DC updates outside that cycle. Re-verification dates are shown on each jurisdiction page. If the current date is past the next verification date, confirm against the latest official fee schedule.
- When stated valuation is disputed: If the building official determines your stated construction value is below market, they may substitute the ICC Building Valuation Data table, increasing the base fee.
Calculator FAQ
See the full formula for your jurisdiction - including all fee components, project-type breakdowns, worked examples, and permit office contact info.