Skip to main content

Fairfax County vs Henrico County Building Permit Fees (2026)

Side-by-side comparison of two large Virginia jurisdictions on opposite sides of the state, using official fee schedule data verified from Fairfax County Land Development Services Appendix Q (FY2027 schedule, effective July 1, 2026) and henrico.gov/bldg/permit-fees/ (page last updated December 2025). Fairfax charges 3% of declared construction value for decks and alterations with a $141.75 minimum building permit fee, plus a 2% Virginia state levy and a 10% county technology surcharge on the permit fee. Henrico charges $100 base plus $6 per $1,000 of declared value above $5,000, capped at $680, with no separate plan review and a 2% levy on the permit fee only. The structural difference is decisive for value-priced work: Henrico is cheaper on every residential alteration, deck, kitchen, bath, basement, roof, pool barrier and shed, at every project value, because Henrico's formula is gentler at the start and capped. Fairfax wins where Appendix Q FY2027 prices by floor area instead of value - additions, new detached garages and new single-family construction at $0.15/sq ft for VA/VB wood frame - and on in-ground pools, where Fairfax's flat $93.52 all-in undercuts Henrico's value formula.

Calculate Your Project Fairfax County permit fees Henrico County permit fees

Evidence and Source Confidence

Both jurisdictions have official fee data verified by PermitPrice from primary .gov sources. Fairfax's data comes from the Land Development Services FY2027 Appendix Q PDF, effective July 1, 2026. Henrico's data comes from the Department of Building Construction and Inspections permits page, last updated December 2025. Both sources are current and were extracted from the official jurisdiction website without secondary intermediaries.

Fairfax County

Verified

Source: Fairfax County Land Development Services - Appendix Q LDS Fee Schedule, FY2027 (effective July 1, 2026). Appendix Q FY2027 amendment 05-26-Q, adopted May 5, 2026. Verified September 18, 2026 from the official PDF on fairfaxcounty.gov. 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.

Currency note: The FY2027 Appendix Q schedule is the current published fee schedule. The next scheduled update is July 2027 (start of FY2028). Confirm current rates before filing with Land Development Services at (703) 222-0801 or the Build Fairfax County portal.

Henrico County

Verified

Source: Henrico County Department of Building Construction and Inspections - Permit Fees: Current. Verified from henrico.gov/bldg/permit-fees/ (page last updated December 2025). Verified April 16, 2026.

Currency note: Henrico's published page does not state an explicit fiscal year start date, but the page was last updated December 2025 and is treated as current. The Department of Building Construction and Inspections is at (804) 501-4360.

Fee Structure Side-by-Side

The two jurisdictions use fundamentally different residential pricing methods. Fairfax is a percentage-of-value system for decks and alterations: 3% of declared construction cost with a $141.75 minimum, plus a 2% state levy and a 10% county technology surcharge on the permit fee (three components). Additions, garages and new homes are priced per square foot instead ($0.15 wood frame, same minimum and add-ons). Henrico is a flat-base-plus-marginal-rate system with a hard cap: $100 base plus $6 per $1,000 of declared value above $5,000, capped at $680, plus 2% state levy on the building permit fee only. Henrico bundles plan review into the base permit fee; Fairfax collects half of its permit fee at application as a plan review filing-fee deposit that is credited toward the permit fee at issuance (County Code 61-1-3(d)11). The Henrico cap is the structural reason Henrico is dramatically cheaper on value-priced work at every project size, because Fairfax's 3% line scales linearly without any cap.

Component Fairfax County Henrico County
Method 3% of declared value (decks, alterations); $0.15/sq ft (additions, garages, new homes) $100 base + $6 per $1,000 over $5,000
Minimum building permit $141.75 $100 (the base)
Maximum / cap None $680
State levy 2% of building permit, plus 10% county technology surcharge 2% of permit fee only
Effective date July 1, 2026 (FY2027) December 2025 page revision
Last verified September 18, 2026 April 16, 2026
Source format Official PDF (Appendix Q) Official HTML page (henrico.gov/bldg)
Trade permits Tiered electrical/plumbing/HVAC Trade permits separate (not on this page)
Source-age caveat Current FY2027 (next due July 2027) Page updated Dec 2025; treated as current
New SFD construction Square-foot pricing ($0.15/sq ft VA/VB wood frame) Same value formula; effectively $680 cap
In-ground swimming pool $83.50 flat permit + $1.67 levy + $8.35 tech = $93.52 Same value formula as alteration; capped at $680

Sources: Fairfax County Appendix Q LDS Fee Schedule (FY2027, effective July 1, 2026) and Henrico County Department of Building Construction and Inspections - Permit Fees: Current (henrico.gov/bldg/permit-fees/, page updated December 2025). Trade permits (electrical, mechanical, plumbing) are itemized on separate fee sheets in both jurisdictions and are not modeled in this comparison. Verify current rates with each jurisdiction's office before relying on this comparison for filing.

Four Worked Examples - Same Project, Both Jurisdictions

Each example uses identical project assumptions and walks through the building permit math from each jurisdiction's official schedule. The first two (deck, alteration) favor Henrico because of its capped value formula. The third (a 400 sq ft addition) and fourth (new SFD construction at 2,000 sq ft) favor Fairfax, because Appendix Q FY2027 prices additions and new construction by square foot rather than by declared value.

Example 1: $15,000 residential deck

A homeowner builds a 320 sq ft attached deck with composite decking and railings for a declared construction value of $15,000. Fairfax applies 3% of value, then the 2% levy and 10% technology surcharge on the permit fee. Henrico applies the value formula on the $15,000 input.

Fairfax County

  • Building permit (3% of $15,000): $450.00
  • 2% Virginia state levy on $450.00: $9.00
  • 10% Fairfax technology surcharge on $450.00: $45.00

Total: $504.00

Henrico County

  • Base fee: $100.00
  • $6 x 10 ($1,000 increments above $5,000): $60.00
  • 2% Virginia state levy on $160.00: $3.20

Total: $163.20

Henrico saves $340.80. Fairfax's $450 building permit alone is nearly three times Henrico's entire all-in fee ($163.20). Fairfax's percentage-of-value method produces a larger building permit ($450 vs Henrico's $160), and the 10% technology surcharge on top of the levy compounds the difference. See the dedicated Fairfax deck permit guide and the Virginia deck permit guide for jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction deck math.

Example 2: $30,000 residential alteration (kitchen remodel)

A homeowner gut-renovates a 200 sq ft kitchen with new circuits, plumbing relocation, and new cabinetry for a declared construction value of $30,000. Fairfax and Henrico apply their respective residential alteration formulas to the $30,000 input.

Fairfax County

  • Building permit (3% of $30,000): $900.00
  • 2% Virginia state levy on $900.00: $18.00
  • 10% Fairfax technology surcharge on $900.00: $90.00

Total: $1,008.00

Henrico County

  • Base fee: $100.00
  • $6 x 25 ($1,000 increments above $5,000): $150.00
  • 2% Virginia state levy on $250.00: $5.00

Total: $255.00

Henrico saves $753.00. The gap widens at higher project values because Fairfax's 3% rate scales linearly while Henrico's $6 per $1,000 marginal rate is an order of magnitude smaller. Fairfax's $900 building permit by itself is more than three times Henrico's entire all-in cost. The same dynamic applies to bath remodels, basement finishes, and any other residential alteration scope.

Example 3: $80,000 room addition (400 sq ft)

A homeowner adds a 400 sq ft heated family room addition to an existing single-family dwelling for a declared construction value of $80,000. Henrico applies its residential value formula to the $80,000. Fairfax (Appendix Q FY2027, I-B(A) Table 1) prices additions by floor area at $0.15 per sq ft for wood frame with a $141.75 minimum, so the declared value does not set the Fairfax fee - the 400 sq ft size does.

Fairfax County

  • Building permit (400 sq ft x $0.15 = $60.00, below $141.75 minimum): $141.75
  • 2% Virginia state levy on $141.75: $2.84
  • 10% Fairfax technology surcharge on $141.75: $14.18

Total: $158.77

Henrico County

  • Base fee: $100.00
  • $6 x 75 ($1,000 increments above $5,000): $450.00
  • 2% Virginia state levy on $550.00: $11.00

Total: $561.00

Fairfax saves $402.23. The result flips because Fairfax prices additions by floor area, not value: any wood-frame addition up to 945 sq ft floors at the $141.75 minimum ($158.77 all-in), and a 1,000 sq ft addition is $168.00. Henrico's value formula reaches $561.00 at $80,000 and freezes at $693.60 once its $680 cap activates ($101,001 declared value). For a 400 sq ft addition, Henrico is cheaper only when the declared value is below roughly $14,000 ($100 + $6 x 9 = $154 x 1.02 = $157.08 at $14,000); above that, Fairfax's floor wins. Heavier construction types ($0.22 and $0.28 per sq ft) raise the Fairfax figure.

Example 4: 2,000 sq ft new single-family dwelling at $400,000 declared value

A builder constructs a new 2,000 sq ft VA/VB wood-frame single-family home with a declared construction value of $400,000. Fairfax prices new residential construction by square foot at $0.15 per sq ft for VA/VB wood frame, then adds the 2% state levy and 10% technology surcharge. Henrico applies its standard residential value formula, which hits the $680 cap at $101,001 declared value, so the $400,000 input produces the capped result.

Fairfax County

  • Building permit (2,000 sq ft x $0.15): $300.00
  • 2% Virginia state levy on $300.00: $6.00
  • 10% Fairfax technology surcharge on $300.00: $30.00

Total: $336.00

Henrico County

  • Formula at $400,000: $100 + ($6 x 395) = $2,470, capped at: $680.00
  • 2% Virginia state levy on $680.00: $13.60

Total: $693.60

Fairfax saves $357.60. Fairfax uses a square-foot pricing method for new residential construction that decouples the building permit from declared value entirely - a 2,000 sq ft wood-frame home pays a $300 building permit ($336.00 all-in) regardless of whether the declared value is $200,000 or $1 million. Henrico's value formula, by contrast, is so gentle and so heavily capped that it produces $680 (capped) for any new construction with declared value above $101,001. Fairfax's $0.168 per sq ft all-in ($0.15 x 1.12) stays under Henrico's capped $693.60 for any wood-frame home up to about 4,128 sq ft; larger homes, or heavier construction types, tip back to Henrico. Trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) are filed separately in both jurisdictions and add to the total stack on either side.

When Each Jurisdiction Is Cheaper

There is no crossover for value-priced work - residential alteration, deck, kitchen, bath, basement, roof, pool barrier or shed - because Fairfax's $158.77 all-in floor already exceeds Henrico's $102.00 minimum, and above it Fairfax's 3% x 1.12 = 3.36% line (no cap) climbs far faster than Henrico's $6 per $1,000 marginal rate, which caps at $680. Area-priced work is where Fairfax wins under Appendix Q FY2027: additions and new detached garages ($158.77 all-in up to 945 sq ft of wood frame) beat Henrico once the project's declared value exceeds roughly $14,000, and new single-family construction at $0.15/sq ft ($336.00 for 2,000 sq ft) beats Henrico's capped $693.60 for any wood-frame home under about 4,128 sq ft. Fairfax's flat $93.52 in-ground pool total also undercuts Henrico's value formula at any declared pool value, because Henrico's $102.00 minimum already exceeds it.

Project Type / Scenario Cheaper Why
Residential deck, any value Henrico Capped + flat-base structure. Henrico's $100 base + $6/$1,000 marginal beats Fairfax's 3% + 12% levy and tech stack at every value ($163.20 vs $504.00 at $15,000).
Kitchen / bath remodel ($10k - $50k) Henrico $753.00 cheaper at the $30,000 worked example. The Fairfax $900 building permit alone is more than three times Henrico's entire all-in cost.
Basement finish (value-priced) vs room addition (area-priced) Split Basement finish: Henrico wins ($255.00 vs Fairfax $1,008.00 at $30,000). Room addition: Fairfax wins ($158.77 vs Henrico $561.00 at the $80,000, 400 sq ft worked example) because Fairfax prices additions per square foot; Henrico is cheaper only for additions declared below roughly $14,000.
Pool barrier fence / shed / accessory structure Henrico Capped at $680 building permit. Most accessory structures fall well below the cap so the value formula stays well below Fairfax's $158.77 floor and 3% path.
In-ground swimming pool Fairfax At a $30,000 declared pool value Henrico is $255.00 (value formula) vs Fairfax's flat $83.50 permit + $1.67 levy + $8.35 tech = $93.52. Fairfax saves $161.48; Fairfax is cheaper at any declared pool value because Henrico's $102.00 minimum already exceeds $93.52.
Roof replacement, $15,000 declared value Henrico $163.20 vs $504.00 (Henrico saves $340.80). Same dynamic as the deck example: Henrico's gentler base-plus-marginal formula crushes Fairfax's 3% stack.
New single-family dwelling (2,000+ sq ft) Fairfax Square-foot pricing ($0.15/sq ft for VA/VB wood frame, $336.00 all-in at 2,000 sq ft) beats Henrico's capped $693.60 for any wood-frame home under about 4,128 sq ft once Henrico's cap is active (declared value above $101,001).
Garage new construction (large) Fairfax Square-foot pricing for new structures applies: $158.77 all-in for any wood-frame garage up to 945 sq ft, which beats Henrico's value formula once the garage's declared value exceeds roughly $14,000.

Caveat: this comparison covers building permit fees only. Trade permits (electrical, mechanical, plumbing) are filed separately in both jurisdictions under their own schedules. Zoning approvals, stormwater fees, certificate of occupancy, and other site-specific permits are not modeled here. Both jurisdictions also charge a 2% Virginia state levy. Verify before relying on this comparison for filing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fairfax charges $504.00 all-in: 3% of $15,000 = $450 building permit, plus 2% Virginia state levy on the permit ($9.00), plus the 10% Fairfax technology surcharge on the permit ($45.00). Henrico charges $163.20 all-in: $100 base + ($6 x 10 increments above $5,000 = $60) = $160 building permit, plus 2% state levy on the building permit fee only ($3.20). Henrico saves $340.80. Fairfax's $450 building permit alone is nearly three times Henrico's entire all-in fee. Half of the Fairfax permit fee ($225) is due at application as a filing-fee deposit and credited at issuance (County Code 61-1-3(d)11); it is not an extra charge. Both totals cover the building permit only; trade permits (electrical, plumbing) are filed separately in both jurisdictions.
Three structural reasons. First, Henrico's marginal rate is far smaller than Fairfax's: $6 per $1,000 of declared value (0.6%) versus Fairfax's 3% of declared value. Second, Henrico's formula has a $680 hard cap on the building permit fee; Fairfax has no cap, so the gap grows linearly with project size. Third, Fairfax adds its own 10% county technology surcharge on top of the 2% state levy, while Henrico adds only the levy. The combined effect is that Henrico beats Fairfax by ratios of about 3.1-to-1 on a $15k deck ($163.20 vs $504.00) and 4.0-to-1 on a $30k alteration ($255.00 vs $1,008.00). The math holds across kitchen remodels, bath remodels, basement finishes, roofs, sheds and pool barrier fences - the work Fairfax prices at 3% of value. It does not hold for additions, garages, new homes or in-ground pools, which Fairfax prices by square foot or flat.
On area-priced and flat-priced work. Under Appendix Q FY2027 Fairfax prices additions, new detached garages and new SFD construction by square foot at $0.15 per sq ft for VA/VB wood frame (other construction types use $0.22 and $0.28), with a $141.75 minimum, then adds the 2% state levy and 10% technology surcharge. For a typical 2,000 sq ft, $400,000 declared-value home: Fairfax charges 2,000 x $0.15 = $300 building permit + $6 levy + $30 technology surcharge = $336.00. Henrico applies its standard residential formula but the $680 cap activates at $101,001 declared value; at $400,000 declared value, Henrico's all-in total is $680 + 2% levy = $693.60. Fairfax saves $357.60 on the new SFD example, and $402.23 on the 400 sq ft, $80,000 addition example ($158.77 vs $561.00). Fairfax's flat $93.52 in-ground pool total also beats Henrico's $255.00 at $30,000. For renovation, alteration, deck, roof and accessory work priced at 3% of value, Fairfax is never cheaper.
It changes when you pay, not how much. Fairfax collects a plan review filing fee equal to 50% of the building permit fee at application, and under County Code 61-1-3(d)11 every fee paid at application is credited toward the full permit fee at issuance - so the filing fee is a deposit, not an added line. On a $30,000 alteration you pay $450 at application and the remaining $450 permit balance plus the $18 levy and $90 technology surcharge at issuance, for the same $1,008.00 total. The deposit is non-refundable if the application expires. Numerically, Fairfax stays at 3% of value before the add-ons and 3.36% all-in after the 2% levy and 10% technology surcharge. Henrico does not itemize plan review at all - the $100 base fee and $6 per $1,000 marginal rate already include any plan review labor. A $30,000 alteration costs $1,008 in Fairfax but only $255 in Henrico because of the higher percentage rate and the technology surcharge, not because of the filing fee.
The $680 cap applies to Henrico's residential 1-2 family value formula and covers building permit work for additions, decks, sheds, garages, pools, demolitions, and alterations. The cap is the building permit fee maximum; the 2% Virginia state levy still applies on top (so the all-in capped total is $693.60). The formula reaches the cap at declared construction value of $101,001 ($101,001 gives $100 + 97 x $6 = $682 (each partial $1,000 over $5,000 counts as a full $1,000), held at the $680 cap). Below that value, the formula climbs linearly; at and above it, the cap holds steady regardless of how much higher the declared value goes. The cap does not extend to trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) which are filed separately on their own fee sheets. It also does not extend to non-residential work or to administrative fees like re-inspection or working-without-permit penalties.
Both jurisdictions collect the 2% Virginia state levy authorized by Code of Virginia Section 36-137, but the base differs. Both apply the 2% levy to the building permit fee; Fairfax also adds its own 10% technology surcharge on the same base, while Henrico adds nothing further. Numerically, on a $30,000 alteration: Fairfax levy is 2% of $900 = $18 (plus a $90 technology surcharge), while Henrico levy is 2% of $250 = $5. The levy funds the Virginia State Building Code Technical Review Board and statewide construction code enforcement. Both jurisdictions are mandatory collectors and you cannot opt out.
Both jurisdictions ask the applicant to declare a construction cost on the permit application. The declared cost should reflect the total cost of materials and labor for the project; it is the basis for the percentage (Fairfax) or marginal-rate (Henrico) building permit fee. Both jurisdictions reserve the right to require supporting contractor estimates or bid documents if the declared value appears inconsistent with the scope of work. Under-declaring construction cost to reduce the fee can trigger working-without-permit investigation fees, retroactive recalculation, and other penalties. For new construction in Fairfax, the building permit fee is set by square footage rather than declared value, so the declared value matters less for the permit fee itself but still appears on the application. Verify the current declared-cost guidance with each jurisdiction's permit center before filing - rules around what is included (site work, mechanicals, fixtures, finishes) can vary.
Both sources are current as of the verification dates on this page. Fairfax's data comes from the FY2027 Appendix Q LDS Fee Schedule, effective July 1, 2026 - the current published fiscal-year schedule. Verified September 18, 2026. The next scheduled update is July 2027 (start of FY2028). Henrico's data comes from henrico.gov/bldg/permit-fees/, with the page last updated December 2025. Verified April 16, 2026. Henrico does not state an explicit fiscal year start date but the December 2025 page revision is recent. Neither source has a known source-age concern at the time of publication. Verify with Fairfax Land Development Services at (703) 222-0801 or with Henrico Department of Building Construction and Inspections at (804) 501-4360 before relying on this comparison for filing.

Calculate Your Specific Project

The PermitPrice Permit Fee Calculator covers Fairfax County, Henrico County, and other Virginia jurisdictions. Pick the jurisdiction and project type, enter your construction value, and the calculator returns the all-in permit cost broken down by component. The calculator math matches the worked examples on this page.

More Virginia comparisons: Fairfax vs Chesterfield, Fairfax vs Richmond, and Henrico vs Richmond. Browse the full All Comparisons hub for every head-to-head matchup.

Sources

Official .gov Sources - Verified April-September 2026
  • Fairfax County Appendix Q LDS Fee Schedule (FY2027 PDF) Effective July 1, 2026 - Fairfax County Land Development Services - Appendix Q FY2027 - Source for the Fairfax side of every comparison: 3% of declared construction cost ($141.75 minimum building permit) for decks and alterations, 2% Virginia state levy and 10% technology surcharge (Part III) on the permit fee, filing-fee deposit credited at issuance (County Code 61-1-3(d)11), $0.15/sq ft additions and new SFD VA/VB wood frame (Table 1), $83.50 flat in-ground pool permit - Verified September 18, 2026 Verified
  • Fairfax County Land Development Services - Department Hub Current - Fairfax County Land Development Services - Department contact and permit center reference at (703) 222-0801; primary entry point for filing residential building permits in Fairfax County
  • Henrico County Permit Fees - Department of Building Construction and Inspections Page last updated December 2025 - Henrico County Department of Building Construction and Inspections - Source for the Henrico side of every comparison: $100 base + $6 per $1,000 over $5,000 (residential 1-2 family), capped at $680, 2% state levy on building permit fee - Verified April 16, 2026 Verified
  • Code of Virginia Section 36-137 - USBC State Levy Authority Current - Virginia General Assembly - Authorizing statute for the statewide 2% building permit surcharge applied in both Fairfax County and Henrico County
Next Step

Get the full fee schedule for either jurisdiction, run your specific project through the calculator, or check more Virginia comparisons.

Verify current fees with both jurisdictions before relying on this comparison for filing. Verify directly with Fairfax LDS (Land Development Services) at (703) 222-0801 and verify with Henrico Building Construction and Inspections at (804) 501-4360. The Fairfax FY2027 Appendix Q schedule is current through June 30, 2026; the next scheduled update is FY2027 starting July 2026. The Henrico permits page was last updated December 2025 and is treated as current. Always confirm current rates and project classification before submitting an application in either jurisdiction.
Disclaimer: All fee information on PermitPrice is for informational purposes only and is not an official permit quotation. Actual permit fees are determined by Fairfax County Land Development Services or Henrico County Department of Building Construction and Inspections at the time of application. Trade permits (electrical, mechanical, plumbing), zoning approvals, stormwater fees, certificate of occupancy, and other site-specific permits are separate from the building permit and are not modeled in this comparison. Fairfax's fee structure for new 1-2 family dwellings uses square-foot pricing; Henrico's uses the same value formula as alteration work. Always contact your local building department to confirm current rates before filing.

Written by: Munib Ur Rehman

Data verified against official fee schedule documents.