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 $688.50 all-in; the same deck is $144.75 in Richmond, $163.20 in Henrico, $166.28 in Chesterfield, and $402.90 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: selected Virginia jurisdictions and Washington, DC. Project options update by jurisdiction - only fee types supported by the official schedule appear. Square-foot and tiered projects (decks in Norfolk, additions in Virginia Beach, DC alteration tiers, new construction) are documented on each jurisdiction page.
- Building Permit Fee $450.00
- Plan Review (50%) $225.00
- Virginia State Levy (2%) $13.50
Formula: max(cost × 3%, $72) + 50% plan review + 2% VA levy on subtotal. Estimate only - verify with Fairfax County Land Development Services before 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%, $72 min) | Appendix Q, Chapter 61 (FY2025) |
| 2 | Plan Review Fee | Building permit fee × 50% | Appendix Q, Chapter 61 (FY2025) |
| 3 | Virginia USBC State Levy | (Step 1 + Step 2) × 2% | Code of Virginia §36-139 |
| 4 | Total | Step 1 + Step 2 + Step 3 | - |
Pool exception: In-ground pools in Fairfax County use a flat $270 permit fee (not the 3% formula). Plan review adds 50% ($135). State levy adds 2% on the combined $405. Total pool permit: $413.10.
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Fairfax County - Appendix Q, Land Development Services Fee Schedule (FY2025) Effective July 1, 2024 · Verified March 15, 2026 Verified
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Code of Virginia §36-139 - 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 plan review and the state levy. In Virginia, plan review alone adds 50% to the base fee - that's not a rounding error. The USBC state levy is smaller but it's on the combined subtotal, so it's always calculated last. This calculator shows all three line items 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 FY2025 (effective July 1, 2024)
What generic cost guides say for this same project: $300-$500. The actual number is $688.50 - 37-130% higher than the generic estimate, depending on which guide you consult.
When This Calculator's Results Don't Apply
- Unsupported jurisdictions: This calculator covers 7 Virginia jurisdictions plus Washington, DC. Each one uses its own official fee formula loaded from its source.json. For other jurisdictions (Prince William County, Arlington County, Alexandria City, etc.), use the matching jurisdiction page or 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 200-amp electrical service change adds $341-$633 separately.
- 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.