Newport News vs Hampton Building Permit Fees (2026)

Side-by-side comparison of two neighboring Hampton Roads cities, using official fee schedule data verified from both nnva.gov and hampton.gov. These are two of the closest fee structures in Hampton Roads: both bill a pure value-based percentage of construction value with no per-square-foot tables for alterations. Newport News charges 0.44% with a $56.10 minimum and no add-on fees. Hampton charges a lower 0.39% with a $50 minimum, but adds a flat $10 technology fee to every building permit and a separate $20 residential plan review. Both cities collect the same Virginia 2% state levy on the permit fee - so the decision comes down to a 0.05-point rate gap versus Hampton's fixed add-ons.

Calculate Your Project Newport News Fees Hampton Fees

Evidence and Source Confidence

Both jurisdictions in this comparison have official, current PermitPrice fee verifications. The math below uses verified inputs from each city's published fee schedule. Newport News's schedule carries a source-age caveat, disclosed below; Hampton's schedule was revised in August 2025.

Newport News City

Verified

Source: City of Newport News Permit Fee Schedule (City Code Section 13-26). Extracted via pdfplumber from nnva.gov and verified June 8, 2026.

Source-age caveat: The Newport News schedule is printed "Effective July 1, 2009" and is still published as the current rate sheet on nnva.gov. The value-based 0.44% residential rate, the $56.10 minimum, and the 2% levy are exact; the square-foot cost table for new construction (Table 13-26) is held separately and is not in the fee PDF. Verify with the Department of Codes Compliance at (757) 926-8861 before filing.

Hampton City

Verified

Source: City of Hampton Fee Schedule - Permits and Development Review (Revised August 2025). Extracted via pdfplumber from hampton.gov and verified June 8, 2026.

Currency note: The Hampton schedule is the city's current published rate sheet, revised August 2025 - the freshest schedule of any PermitPrice-verified Hampton Roads city. The 0.39% building permit rate, $50 minimum, $10 technology fee, $20 residential plan review, and 2% levy are all itemized in the PDF. Verify with the Development Services Center at (757) 728-2444 before filing.

Fee Structure Side-by-Side

Unlike most Hampton Roads pairings, these two structures are nearly twins: both cities bill the building permit as a straight percentage of declared construction value for alterations, decks, pools, and fences. The decision-relevant differences are small and fixed: Newport News's rate is higher (0.44% vs 0.39%) but it adds nothing else; Hampton's rate is lower but it stacks a flat $10 technology fee on every building permit and a separate $20 residential plan review on the first submission. Both cities collect the same Virginia 2% state levy on the permit fee component.

Fee Component	Newport News City	Hampton City
Residential alterations / repairs / renovations	0.44% of value $56.10 minimum	0.39% of value $50 minimum
Deck / pool / fence / accessory structure	0.44% of value (min $56.10)	0.39% of value (min $50)
New construction / addition	SF table × 0.88 × 0.44% Table 13-26 not in fee PDF - cannot be computed here	0.39% of value (min $50)
Residential plan review	None (no separate line)	$20 first submission separate line, billed once
Technology / processing fee	None	$10 flat per building permit
Minimum permit fee	$56.10 covers up to about $12,750 of value	$50 covers up to about $12,820 of value
Demolition	Value-based path (0.44%, min $56.10)	$50 flat per structure
Trade permits (electrical / mechanical / plumbing)	Separate schedule (min $56.10) not modeled here	0.9% of value (min $50 + $10 tech + 2% levy) not modeled here
Virginia 2% state levy	Applied to permit fee	Applied to permit fee not applied to the $10 tech fee or $20 review

Sources: City of Newport News Permit Fee Schedule (City Code Section 13-26, printed effective July 1, 2009 - still the city's current published schedule) and City of Hampton Fee Schedule - Permits and Development Review (Revised August 2025). Newport News new construction and additions cannot be compared on this page: the cost-per-square-foot Table 13-26 required by the Newport News formula is not published in the fee PDF, so no Newport News new-construction total is printed anywhere on this page. Trade permits are excluded from the comparison on both sides.

Worked Examples - Same Project, Both Cities

Each example uses identical project assumptions and walks through the building permit math from each city's official schedule. All-in totals are permit fee + 2% Virginia state levy, plus Hampton's $10 technology fee. Hampton's $20 residential plan review (first submission) is billed separately and is shown as a separate labeled line, not inside the core totals - matching how the Hampton jurisdiction page presents it. All arithmetic is reproducible from the verified inputs.

Example 1: $10,000 bathroom remodel (both cities at their minimum)

A homeowner remodels a bathroom for a declared construction value of $10,000. In both cities the computed percentage falls below the minimum permit fee, so the minimum applies.

Newport News City

Building permit (0.44% × $10,000 = $44, below minimum): $56.10 minimum
Plan review / technology fee: none
2% Virginia state levy on $56.10: $1.12

Total: $57.22

Hampton City

Building permit (0.39% × $10,000 = $39, below minimum): $50.00 minimum
2% Virginia state levy on $50: $1.00
Technology fee: $10.00
Separate: residential plan review (first submission): $20.00 - not in total below

Total: $61.00

Newport News wins by $3.78. At the minimums, Newport News's $56.10 plus levy ($57.22) undercuts Hampton's $50 minimum plus levy plus the $10 technology fee ($61.00). Hampton's lower minimum is more than offset by its flat add-on.

Example 2: $15,000 deck

A homeowner builds a deck with a declared construction value of $15,000. Both cities price decks off value - a rare like-for-like formula match in Hampton Roads.

Newport News City

Building permit (0.44% × $15,000): $66.00
Plan review / technology fee: none
2% Virginia state levy on $66: $1.32

Total: $67.32

Hampton City

Building permit (0.39% × $15,000): $58.50
2% Virginia state levy on $58.50: $1.17
Technology fee: $10.00
Separate: residential plan review (first submission): $20.00 - not in total below

Total: $69.67

Newport News wins by $2.35. The two cities are only $2.35 apart on a typical deck - the closest deck-fee gap PermitPrice has computed in Hampton Roads. Hampton's lower 0.39% rate saves $7.50 of permit fee, but its $10 technology fee gives the edge back to Newport News at this value. See the dedicated Newport News deck permit guide and Hampton deck permit guide for full deck math.

Example 3: $50,000 renovation

A homeowner renovates a kitchen and primary suite for a declared construction value of $50,000 - well above the roughly $19,600 crossover, so the rate gap now dominates the fixed fees.

Newport News City

Building permit (0.44% × $50,000): $220.00
Plan review / technology fee: none
2% Virginia state levy on $220: $4.40

Total: $224.40

Hampton City

Building permit (0.39% × $50,000): $195.00
2% Virginia state levy on $195: $3.90
Technology fee: $10.00
Separate: residential plan review (first submission): $20.00 - not in total below

Total: $208.90

Hampton wins by $15.50. At $50,000 of value, Hampton's 0.39% rate saves $25 of permit fee, which more than covers its $10 technology fee. Even adding Hampton's separate $20 plan review ($228.90 grand total), Hampton remains competitive - the two cities differ by under $5 on that basis at this value.

The Full Ladder: $10,000 to $100,000

Construction Value	Newport News All-In	Hampton All-In	Cheaper	Difference
$10,000 bathroom remodel	$57.22 (minimum)	$61.00 (minimum)	Newport News	$3.78
$15,000 deck	$67.32	$69.67	Newport News	$2.35
$30,000 renovation	$134.64	$129.34	Hampton	$5.30
$50,000 renovation	$224.40	$208.90	Hampton	$15.50
$100,000 renovation	$448.80	$407.80	Hampton	$41.00

All-in = permit fee + 2% Virginia state levy, plus Hampton's $10 technology fee. Hampton's separate $20 residential plan review (first submission) is excluded from the ladder totals and disclosed in each worked example above. $30,000 math: Newport News $132.00 + $2.64 levy = $134.64; Hampton $117.00 + $2.34 levy + $10 tech = $129.34. $100,000 math: Newport News $440.00 + $8.80 = $448.80; Hampton $390.00 + $7.80 + $10 = $407.80.

New construction: Hampton only - Newport News equivalent cannot be computed

This is a one-sided example. Hampton prices a new home the same way as a renovation: 0.39% of construction value. A $300,000 new home in Hampton is 0.39% × $300,000 = $1,170.00 permit fee + $23.40 state levy + $10.00 technology fee = $1,203.40 all-in (per the Revised August 2025 schedule's own worked example).

The Newport News equivalent cannot be computed. Newport News values new construction from a cost-per-square-foot table (City Code Table 13-26) multiplied by a 0.88 regional factor and the 0.44% rate - but Table 13-26 is not published in the city's fee PDF, so no Newport News new-construction total appears on this page. The Newport News jurisdiction page discloses the same limitation. For a new-home fee quote in Newport News, call Codes Compliance at (757) 926-8861.

When Each City Is Cheaper

Because both cities are pure value-based, the decision rule is a single crossover. Setting the two all-in formulas equal (0.44% × 1.02 × value = 0.39% × 1.02 × value + $10) gives a break-even at about $19,600 of construction value. Below it, Newport News's no-add-on structure wins; above it, Hampton's lower 0.39% rate wins, and the gap widens with every dollar of value. If you also count Hampton's separate $20 residential plan review as part of the cost, the break-even moves to about $58,800 - both variants are shown below.

Scenario	Cheaper City	Why
Any project under ~$19,600 value (permit + levy + tech basis)	Newport News	No technology fee and no plan-review line; the 0.05-point rate premium costs less than Hampton's flat $10 add-on at low values.
Any project over ~$19,600 value (permit + levy + tech basis)	Hampton	The 0.39% vs 0.44% rate gap outgrows the $10 technology fee; by $100,000 of value Hampton saves $41.00.
Counting Hampton's $20 plan review too: under ~$58,800	Newport News	Adding the separate $20 first-submission review to Hampton's side raises its fixed add-ons to $30, pushing the break-even to about $58,800.
Counting Hampton's $20 plan review too: over ~$58,800	Hampton	Above about $58,800 the rate gap covers all $30 of Hampton's fixed add-ons.
Small job at the minimum fee	Newport News	$57.22 all-in at the $56.10 minimum vs Hampton's $61.00 ($50 minimum + $1.00 levy + $10 tech).
Demolition	Depends on value	Hampton bills a flat $50 per structure; Newport News bills the value-based path (0.44%, min $56.10) - Hampton wins at any demolition value.
New single-family home	Cannot be compared	Newport News's Table 13-26 square-foot values are unpublished; Hampton's $300,000 example is $1,203.40, but no Newport News equivalent can be computed.

Caveat: this comparison covers building permit fees only. Trade permits (electrical, mechanical, plumbing - Hampton bills these at 0.9% of value with the same $50 minimum, $10 tech fee, and 2% levy; Newport News uses its own trade schedule), zoning approvals, impact fees, and utility connection fees are separate from the building permit and are not modeled here. Both cities collect the 2% Virginia state levy on the permit fee component only.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Newport News or Hampton cheaper for building permits?

It depends on construction value, and the gap is small either way. Newport News is cheaper below about $19,600 of value: a $10,000 bathroom remodel is $57.22 vs Hampton's $61.00, and a $15,000 deck is $67.32 vs $69.67. Hampton is cheaper above that: a $30,000 renovation is $129.34 vs $134.64, a $50,000 renovation is $208.90 vs $224.40, and a $100,000 renovation is $407.80 vs $448.80. These are two of the closest fee structures in Hampton Roads - both pure value-based percentages.

Where does the $19,600 crossover come from?

Pure arithmetic from the two published formulas. Newport News all-in = value × 0.0044 × 1.02 (permit fee plus 2% levy). Hampton all-in = value × 0.0039 × 1.02 + $10 (permit fee plus levy plus the flat technology fee). Setting them equal: 0.0044 × 1.02 × V = 0.0039 × 1.02 × V + $10 solves to about $19,600. Below that value, Newport News's lack of fixed add-ons wins; above it, Hampton's lower 0.39% rate wins. This crossover excludes Hampton's separate $20 residential plan review.

Does Hampton's $20 plan review change the answer?

It moves the break-even, not the structure of the answer. Hampton bills a separate $20 residential plan review on the first submission - it is a distinct line item, not part of the building permit fee, which is why this page keeps it out of the core all-in totals (the Hampton jurisdiction page presents it the same way). If you count it as part of your total cost, Hampton's fixed add-ons rise from $10 to $30, and the break-even moves from about $19,600 to about $58,800 of construction value. Newport News has no plan-review line at all on its published schedule.

Why can't this page compare new-home construction fees?

Because the Newport News side cannot be computed from published data. Newport News values new construction and additions from a cost-per-square-foot table (City Code Table 13-26) multiplied by a 0.88 regional factor and the 0.44% rate - and Table 13-26 is not included in the city's published fee PDF. Hampton's side is simple (0.39% of value: a $300,000 new home is $1,203.40 all-in), but printing only one side as a "comparison" would be misleading, so the Hampton figure appears only under an explicit one-sided label. Call Newport News Codes Compliance at (757) 926-8861 for a new-construction quote.

How do the minimum fees compare?

Newport News's minimum building permit fee is $56.10, which covers projects up to about $12,750 of construction value ($56.10 / 0.0044). Hampton's minimum is $50, covering up to about $12,820 ($50 / 0.0039). But the minimums alone are misleading: at the minimum, Newport News's all-in is $57.22 ($56.10 + 2% levy) while Hampton's is $61.00 ($50 + $1.00 levy + $10 technology fee). So for the smallest permitted jobs, Newport News is $3.78 cheaper despite its higher printed minimum.

Both cities collect a 2% Virginia state levy. What is it?

The 2% state levy is a Virginia statewide surcharge authorized under Code of Virginia Section 36-137. Both Newport News and Hampton collect it on the building permit fee component and remit it to the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to fund statewide construction-code enforcement. It applies to the permit fee only - not to Hampton's $10 technology fee or $20 plan review. So 2% on Newport News's $220 permit fee for a $50,000 renovation is $4.40; on Hampton's $195 fee for the same project it is $3.90.

Are these numbers the total cost of building, or just the city permit fee?

Just the city building permit fee. The $67.32 Newport News deck and $69.67 Hampton deck cover the building permit application, levy, and (in Hampton) the technology fee. They do not cover trade permits - separate applications in both cities; Hampton bills electrical, mechanical/gas, and plumbing at 0.9% of value each (min $50 + $10 tech + 2% levy), and Newport News uses its own trade schedule with a $56.10 minimum. Contractor labor, materials, zoning approvals, impact fees, and utility connection fees are also separate. PermitPrice tracks the city building permit fee component only.

How current is each city's fee schedule?

They differ sharply in print date. Newport News's Permit Fee Schedule is printed "Effective July 1, 2009" but is still published as the current rate sheet on nnva.gov - the city confirms the $56.10 minimum and the 0.44% value-based structure remain in force; PermitPrice discloses this source-age caveat on every Newport News figure. Hampton's Fee Schedule - Permits and Development Review was revised August 2025 and is among the freshest schedules in Hampton Roads. Verify current rates with Newport News Codes Compliance at (757) 926-8861 and Hampton Development Services at (757) 728-2444 before filing.

Calculate Your Specific Project

The PermitPrice fee calculator supports both Newport News and Hampton for the project types where each city's formula maps cleanly to a cost-only input - and because both cities are pure value-based, that covers most residential work. Pick the jurisdiction and project type, enter your construction value, and the calculator returns the all-in permit cost broken down by component. For more Hampton Roads matchups, see Newport News vs Norfolk, Newport News vs Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake vs Hampton.

Open the Permit Fee Calculator All Newport News Permit Fees All Hampton Permit Fees Hampton Deck Guide

Sources

Official .gov Sources - Verified June 2026

City of Newport News Permit Fee Schedule (City Code Section 13-26) Printed effective July 1, 2009 - still published as the current schedule - Source for the Newport News side of every comparison: 0.44% value-based residential rate, $56.10 minimum, 2% state levy, no plan-review or technology line - Verified June 8, 2026 Verified
City of Hampton Fee Schedule - Permits and Development Review Revised August 2025 - current - Source for the Hampton side of every comparison: 0.39% building permit rate, $50 minimum, $10 technology fee, $20 residential plan review, 0.9% trade rate, $50 demolition, 2% state levy - Verified June 8, 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 Newport News and Hampton

Next Step

Get the full fee schedule for either city, run your specific project through the calculator, or check more Hampton Roads comparisons.

Newport News Fee Page → Hampton Fee Page Newport News vs Norfolk All Comparisons

Verify current fees with both jurisdictions before relying on this comparison for filing. Newport News Department of Codes Compliance: (757) 926-8861. Hampton Development Services Center: (757) 728-2444 / permitting@hampton.gov. Note the source-age difference: Newport News's schedule is printed effective July 1, 2009 (still the current published sheet on nnva.gov), while Hampton's was revised August 2025. Always confirm current rates and project classification before submitting an application in either city.

Disclaimer: All fee information on PermitPrice is for informational purposes only and is not an official permit quotation. Actual permit fees are determined by Newport News Codes Compliance or Hampton Development Services at the time of application. Newport News's new-construction valuation table (Table 13-26) is unpublished in the fee PDF, so no Newport News new-construction figure appears on this page and new homes cannot be compared. Hampton's $20 residential plan review (first submission) is a separate line item excluded from the core all-in totals. Trade permits (electrical, mechanical, plumbing), zoning approvals, impact fees, and utility connection fees are separate from the building permit and are not modeled in this comparison.

Written by: Munib Ur Rehman

Data verified against official fee schedule documents.