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Virginia Beach City vs Chesterfield County Building Permit Fees (2026)

Side-by-side comparison of Virginia Beach City (Hampton Roads) and Chesterfield County (Richmond MSA) residential building permit fees using official fee schedule data from each jurisdiction. Virginia Beach uses three formula categories: heated additions ($50 + $7 per 100 sq ft), non-heated additions and decks ($50 + $4 per 100 sq ft), and residential alterations including pools ($50 + $5 per $1,000 of value), plus $100 plan review or $25 counter review, $10 technology fee, and 2% Virginia state levy on the building permit fee. Chesterfield uses pure flat-tier pricing: $114 deck, $399 addition, $57 in-ground pool, plus $50 Environmental Engineering site inspection on footprint-changing projects and 2% Virginia state levy on the building permit fee only. The right jurisdiction depends entirely on project type. Virginia Beach is cheaper for sq-ft-priced decks and additions. Chesterfield is dramatically cheaper for in-ground pools.

200 sq ft Deck ($15k declared)
VB $94.16 vs Chesterfield $166.28
500 sq ft Heated Addition ($50k declared)
VB $196.70 vs Chesterfield $456.98
$30,000 In-Ground Pool
VB $314.00 vs Chesterfield $108.14
$30,000 Alteration
VB $314.00 vs Chesterfield $456.98
VB Source
Verified rev. Jul 2025
Chesterfield Source
Verified FY2025-2026
What This Comparison Covers - and What It Does Not

This comparison covers: Residential deck, addition, pool, and alteration building permit fees in Virginia Beach City and Chesterfield County using the official published fee schedules. Virginia Beach source: City of Virginia Beach Residential Permit Fees PDF rev. Jul-2025, retrieved from planning.virginiabeach.gov. Chesterfield source: Chesterfield County Department of Building Inspection FY2025-2026 residential fee schedule (effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026), retrieved via pdfplumber from chesterfield.gov.

This comparison does NOT cover: Trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) - both jurisdictions charge these separately. New residential construction - Chesterfield uses a flat $684 building permit fee not modeled here; Virginia Beach treats new heated construction under the $50 + $7 per 100 sq ft formula. Multi-family, townhouses, and commercial projects. Roofing-only and siding-only re-roof projects (which trigger different rules in each jurisdiction). Tent permits, demolition (separate VB application path), shed permits (different schedules in each jurisdiction). Zoning and overlay approvals. HOA architectural review. Stormwater/VSMP fees.

Why the comparison units differ: Virginia Beach structures its residential schedule around sq-ft formulas for decks and additions and a separate value formula for alterations and pools. Chesterfield uses pure flat-fee pricing for every residential project type regardless of declared value. The two jurisdictions cannot be directly compared component-by-component. The "all-in" totals on this page reflect the math of each schedule applied to identical project assumptions.

Both sources verified: Virginia Beach's footer revision date is Jul-2025, retrieved from the S3 bucket virginia-beach-departments-docs and decoded for pdfplumber extraction. Chesterfield's FY2025-2026 schedule was verified via pdfplumber against the chesterfield.gov residential fee schedule effective July 1, 2025. Both verified by Munib Ur Rehman.

Fee Structure Side-by-Side

Both jurisdictions charge the 2% Virginia state levy. Beyond that the structures diverge completely. Virginia Beach is sq-ft-driven for decks and additions and value-driven for alterations and pools, with separate plan review and technology fees. Chesterfield is flat-fee for every category with a $50 site inspection added for footprint-changing work.

Component Virginia Beach City Chesterfield County
Deck building permit $50 base + $4 per 100 sq ft $114 flat (any size)
Heated addition $50 base + $7 per 100 sq ft $399 flat (any value)
Non-heated addition $50 base + $4 per 100 sq ft $399 flat (any value)
Residential alteration $50 base + $5 per $1,000 of declared value $399 flat (treated as general addition)
In-ground pool $50 base + $5 per $1,000 of declared value $57 flat building permit
Plan review $100 full (alterations/pools), $25 counter (decks) Bundled in flat fee (no separate line)
Technology fee $10 flat on every permit None
Site inspection None for typical projects $50 Environmental Engineering for footprint-changing
2% VA state levy applies to Building permit fee only (not plan review/tech fee) Building permit fee only (not Environmental Engineering)
Deck all-in (200 sq ft / $15k declared) $94.16 $166.28
Addition all-in (500 sq ft heated / $50k declared) $196.70 $456.98
Pool all-in ($30,000 declared) $314.00 $108.14
Source effective date Footer rev. Jul-2025 July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026 (FY2025-2026)

Sources: City of Virginia Beach Residential Permit Fees PDF (rev. Jul-2025) retrieved from planning.virginiabeach.gov S3 bucket; Chesterfield County Department of Building Inspection FY2025-2026 residential fee schedule retrieved from chesterfield.gov. Both verified by Munib Ur Rehman.

Worked Examples - Same Project, Both Jurisdictions

Each example uses identical project assumptions and arithmetic from the official fee schedules of each jurisdiction. The decisive factor is project type: sq-ft-priced projects favor Virginia Beach; flat-fee-priced pools favor Chesterfield. Alterations cross over around $58,000 declared value.

Example 1: 200 sq ft uncovered deck ($15,000 declared value)

A homeowner builds a 200 sq ft uncovered deck attached to a single-family dwelling, declared construction value $15,000.

  • Virginia Beach: $50 base + $4 x 2 (200 sq ft / 100) = $58 building permit + $25 counter plan review + $10 technology fee + 2% levy on $58 ($1.16) = $94.16
  • Chesterfield: $114 flat building permit + $50 Environmental Engineering site inspection + 2% levy on $114 ($2.28) = $166.28
  • Virginia Beach saves $72.12

Virginia Beach's sq-ft formula is sized to typical residential decks. The counter plan review at $25 (rather than $100 full review) further reduces the gap.

Example 2: 500 sq ft heated family-room addition ($50,000 declared value)

A homeowner adds a 500 sq ft heated family-room addition, declared construction value $50,000.

  • Virginia Beach: $50 base + $7 x 5 (500 sq ft / 100) = $85 building permit + $100 plan review + $10 technology fee + 2% levy on $85 ($1.70) = $196.70
  • Chesterfield: $399 flat building permit + $50 Environmental Engineering site inspection + 2% levy on $399 ($7.98) = $456.98
  • Virginia Beach saves $260.28

Virginia Beach's $7 per 100 sq ft formula is decoupled from declared construction value. The contractor estimate at $50,000 vs $80,000 makes no difference to VB's permit fee, only the sq ft. Chesterfield's flat fee is the same at any value.

Example 3: $30,000 in-ground pool

A homeowner installs a $30,000 in-ground swimming pool on residential property.

  • Virginia Beach: $50 base + $5 x 30 ($30,000 / $1,000) = $200 building permit (alteration formula applied to pools) + $100 plan review + $10 technology fee + 2% levy on $200 ($4.00) = $314.00
  • Chesterfield: $57 flat building permit + $50 Environmental Engineering site inspection + 2% levy on $57 ($1.14) = $108.14
  • Chesterfield saves $205.86

Chesterfield's $57 flat pool fee is the cheapest in the verified Virginia cluster. Virginia Beach's $5 per $1,000 formula scales with declared value, so a $50,000 pool runs $464.00 in VB vs the same $108.14 in Chesterfield. Pool barrier and pool electrical permits are separate filings in both jurisdictions and add ~$100-$200 to the total in each.

Example 4: $30,000 residential alteration (kitchen remodel)

A homeowner remodels an existing kitchen in place (no footprint change), declared construction value $30,000.

  • Virginia Beach: $50 base + $5 x 30 = $200 building permit + $100 plan review + $10 technology fee + 2% levy on $200 ($4.00) = $314.00
  • Chesterfield: $399 flat + $50 EE + 2% levy on $399 ($7.98) = $456.98
  • Virginia Beach saves $142.98

Note: an in-place kitchen remodel does NOT change the footprint and may not technically trigger Chesterfield's $50 EE fee. The math above is conservative; verify with the Department of Building Inspection. The crossover where Chesterfield's flat $456.98 equals VB's alteration formula is at approximately $58,000 declared value.

Example 5: $100,000 large alteration (whole-house renovation in place)

A homeowner performs a whole-house renovation in place (no footprint change), declared construction value $100,000.

  • Virginia Beach: $50 base + $5 x 100 = $550 building permit + $100 plan review + $10 technology fee + 2% levy on $550 ($11.00) = $671.00
  • Chesterfield: $399 flat + $50 EE + 2% levy on $399 ($7.98) = $456.98
  • Chesterfield saves $214.02

Past the ~$58,000 alteration crossover Chesterfield's flat $456.98 becomes the cheaper structure because VB's $5 per $1,000 formula keeps growing while Chesterfield does not. The crossover happens earlier than addition crossover because alterations carry the $100 full plan review fee in VB instead of the cheaper $25 counter review.

Decision Rule by Project Type and Value

"Which jurisdiction is cheaper" depends entirely on project type. Decks and sq-ft-priced additions almost always favor Virginia Beach. In-ground pools always favor Chesterfield. Alterations cross over around $58,000 declared value.

Project Type / Value Virginia Beach Chesterfield Cheaper
200 sq ft deck ($15k declared) $94.16 $166.28 VB (saves $72.12)
400 sq ft deck ($30k declared) $102.32 $166.28 VB (saves $63.96)
500 sq ft heated addition ($50k declared) $196.70 $456.98 VB (saves $260.28)
1,000 sq ft heated addition ($100k declared) $232.40 $456.98 VB (saves $224.58)
$30,000 in-ground pool $314.00 $108.14 Chesterfield (saves $205.86)
$50,000 in-ground pool $464.00 $108.14 Chesterfield (saves $355.86)
$30,000 alteration $314.00 $456.98 VB (saves $142.98)
~$58,000 alteration crossover ~$456.98 $456.98 Tied
$100,000 alteration $671.00 $456.98 Chesterfield (saves $214.02)

Virginia Beach is structurally cheaper for sq-ft-priced projects (decks, heated additions) at any declared value because the sq-ft formula scales slowly. Chesterfield is structurally cheaper for in-ground pools (the $57 flat building permit is the cheapest verified VA pool fee) and for large alterations above ~$58,000 declared value where its flat fee beats VB's growing $5 per $1,000 alteration formula.

Frequently Asked Questions

Virginia Beach, by a wide margin. Virginia Beach charges $196.70 all-in for a 500 sq ft heated addition: $50 base + $7 x 5 sq-ft units = $85 building permit + $100 plan review + $10 technology fee + $1.70 state levy. Chesterfield charges $456.98 flat for any addition regardless of size. VB saves $260.28. The savings hold across every sq-ft addition size because Chesterfield's flat $399 never changes while VB's sq-ft formula scales slowly.
Chesterfield treats in-ground pools as a separate flat-fee line item at $57 building permit + $50 Environmental Engineering site inspection = $108.14 all-in. Virginia Beach treats pools under the alteration formula at $50 + $5 per $1,000 of declared value, so a $30,000 pool produces $200 building permit + $100 plan review + $10 tech fee + $4 levy = $314.00 all-in. The structural difference is that Chesterfield decoupled pools from declared value entirely; Virginia Beach kept pools coupled to declared value. Chesterfield is the cheapest verified Virginia jurisdiction for in-ground pools.
Below approximately $58,000 declared value, Virginia Beach is cheaper for alterations because its $50 base + $5 per $1,000 of value formula starts low and grows slowly. Above $58,000 declared value, Chesterfield's flat $399 + $50 EE = $456.98 wins because VB's formula keeps climbing while Chesterfield does not. At $30,000 declared: VB $314.00 vs Chesterfield $456.98 (VB saves $142.98). At $100,000 declared: VB $671.00 vs Chesterfield $456.98 (Chesterfield saves $214.02). The crossover is earlier than the addition crossover because alterations carry the $100 full plan review fee in VB rather than the cheaper $25 counter review used for decks.
The technology fee is a flat $10 surcharge Virginia Beach applies to every residential permit. It funds the City's online permitting infrastructure (Accela Citizen Access portal at aca-prod.accela.com/CVB/Cap/CapHome.aspx). The fee is non-refundable per the Virginia Beach Refund Policy and is collected on top of the building permit, plan review, and state levy. Chesterfield does not charge a technology fee. For very small permits the $10 technology fee is a meaningful percentage of the all-in cost; for larger permits it disappears into the noise.
The Environmental Engineering (EE) fee is a flat $50 charge Chesterfield collects at application for any project that changes the building footprint. Additions, decks, garages, pools, and other footprint-changing structures trigger this fee. The EE fee covers the County's site inspection for setback compliance, drainage impact, and erosion control during construction. The 2% Virginia state levy is applied to the building permit fee only - the EE fee is not part of the levy base. In-place alterations and kitchen remodels that do not change the footprint may not trigger this fee; verify with the Department of Building Inspection if in doubt.
No. Trade permits are separate filings in both jurisdictions and are not included in any number on this page. Both VB and Chesterfield charge trade permits under separate fee schedules. Most additions trigger all three trade categories. Trade permits add roughly $100-$400 to the all-in cost in either jurisdiction depending on installer scope. Licensed trade contractors pull these permits separately at intake.
No. The $314.00 (Virginia Beach) and $108.14 (Chesterfield) pool figures cover the pool building permit only. Both jurisdictions require a separate pool barrier permit (fence or other barrier compliant with Virginia state code) and a separate pool electrical permit (pool grounding, equipment circuits). Pool barrier permits run roughly $50-$150 in each jurisdiction depending on barrier type. Pool electrical permits run roughly $66-$100 depending on installer scope. The all-in pool project permit cost in either jurisdiction is the figure on this page plus barrier and electrical permits.
Virginia Beach's sq-ft pricing decouples the permit fee from declared construction value. A $50,000 contractor estimate and a $100,000 contractor estimate for the same 500 sq ft addition produce the exact same VB permit fee. The $7 per 100 sq ft heated rate is also low in absolute terms - a 1,000 sq ft heated addition pays only $120 in building permit fees compared to $399 flat in Chesterfield or 3% of declared value (uncapped) in Fairfax. This makes Virginia Beach structurally the cheapest verified Virginia jurisdiction for any sq-ft-priced new construction or addition project. The trade-off is that VB's pool and alteration formulas are value-based and can run high at large declared values.

Sources

Official .gov Sources - Verified May 2026
  • City of Virginia Beach - Residential Building Permit Fees Footer revision date Jul-2025 - City of Virginia Beach Planning Department, Permits and Inspections Division - Primary source for the three-formula residential schedule (heated addition $50 + $7 per 100 sq ft, non-heated/deck $50 + $4 per 100 sq ft, alteration/pool $50 + $5 per $1,000), $100 full / $25 counter plan review, $10 technology fee. Retrieved from S3 bucket via Playwright authenticated fetch Verified Jul 2025
  • Chesterfield County Department of Building Inspection - Residential Fee Schedule FY2025-2026 effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 - Primary source for the $114 deck, $399 addition, $57 in-ground pool, $50 Environmental Engineering site inspection, and 2% state levy on building permit only. Retrieved via pdfplumber from chesterfield.gov Verified FY2025-2026
  • Code of Virginia Section 36-139 - USBC State Levy Authority Current - Virginia General Assembly - Authorizing statute for the statewide 2% building permit surcharge applied across all Virginia jurisdictions, including Virginia Beach and Chesterfield
Next Step

Calculate your specific permit cost in either jurisdiction, see all fee categories per jurisdiction, or compare against other neighboring jurisdictions.

Norfolk vs VB → Chesterfield vs Henrico → Richmond vs VB → Chesterfield Pool Guide →
Always verify current building permit fees directly with each jurisdiction before budgeting or filing. Virginia Beach: planning.virginiabeach.gov or (757) 385-4211. Chesterfield: chesterfield.gov/4030/Residential-Permits-and-Inspections-Proc. Both schedules are current as of May 12, 2026 (VB Jul-2025 rev; Chesterfield FY2025-2026).
Disclaimer: All fee information on PermitPrice is for informational purposes only and is not an official permit quotation. Actual permit fees are determined by each jurisdiction at the time of application. Trade permit costs (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) are not modeled in this comparison and depend on installer scope. Pool barrier and pool electrical permits are separate filings not included in the pool figures on this page. Whether the Chesterfield $50 Environmental Engineering fee applies depends on whether the project changes the building footprint; verify with the Department of Building Inspection. Verify directly with each jurisdiction's building department before filing.

Written by: Munib Ur Rehman

Data verified against official fee schedule documents.