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Virginia Beach Alteration Permit Cost (2026)

Residential alteration permit fees in Virginia Beach City, Virginia, pulled from the City of Virginia Beach Residential Permit Fees PDF on planning.virginiabeach.gov (revision date Jul-2025). Virginia Beach uses a tiered valuation formula combined with three flat itemized fees: $50 base building permit plus $5 per $1,000 of declared construction value, plus $100 flat plan review fee, plus $10 flat technology fee, plus 2% Virginia state levy applied to the building permit fee only (per source.json the levy is NOT applied to plan review or technology fee on the published schedule). A $5,000 minor update runs $186.50 all-in. A $15,000 bathroom remodel runs $237.50. A $30,000 kitchen remodel runs $314.00. A $50,000 whole-home update runs $416.00. A $100,000 full gut renovation runs $671.00. A $200,000 luxury renovation runs $1,181.00. The $100 plan review and $10 technology fee produce a higher floor than Richmond ($82.83) or Norfolk ($152) at low declared values but the linear $5 per $1,000 slope keeps Virginia Beach meaningfully cheaper than Fairfax (3% uncapped formula) at every scope.

Building Permit Base
$50 + $5/$1k
Plan Review (flat)
$100 full / $25 counter
Technology Fee
$10 flat per permit
$30k Kitchen Remodel
$314.00 all-in
2% Levy Base
Building permit only
Fee Status
Rev July 2025
What This Guide Covers - and What It Does Not

This guide covers: Virginia Beach City residential 1-2 family alteration and repair permit fees under the residential_alteration_repair line item in PermitPrice's verified source.json, captured from the City of Virginia Beach Residential Permit Fees PDF on planning.virginiabeach.gov. Coverage includes the $50 base building permit, the $5 per $1,000 linear slope, the $100 flat plan review fee, the $10 flat technology fee, and the 2% Virginia USBC state levy applied to the building permit subtotal only. The formula applies to kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels, basement finishes, interior renovations, and most home-improvement permit categories classified as residential alterations on existing 1-2 family dwellings. Worked examples cover the typical residential alteration scope range from $5,000 minor updates through a $200,000 luxury renovation.

This guide does NOT cover: Trade permit fees (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) for the alteration scope - these are filed separately under Virginia Beach's trade permit schedule; demolition permits (Virginia Beach demolition fee is not itemized on the Residential Permit Fees PDF - confirm with Permits and Inspections Division at (757) 385-4211 before filing); decks (Virginia Beach uses a $50 + $4 per 100 sq ft formula for decks, which is not the same as the alteration $5/$1,000 formula - see /virginia/virginia-beach-city/ for the deck-specific guide); heated additions ($50 + $7 per 100 sq ft) and non-heated additions ($50 + $4 per 100 sq ft); zoning approvals required before permit submission; HOA architectural review; the cost of materials, labor, or construction itself; downstream property tax reassessment.

Important - itemized fees create a higher floor: Virginia Beach's $100 plan review + $10 technology fee total $110 in flat add-ons applied to every alteration permit, regardless of declared value. This creates a higher floor than Richmond ($63 base, no PR, no tech) or Norfolk (flat $100 BP + $35 PR + $15 = $150 floor). For a $5,000 minor update, Virginia Beach charges $186.50 all-in vs Richmond $82.83 - more than double. However, the linear $5 per $1,000 slope (effectively 0.5% of declared value) is shallower than Richmond's 0.607% slope, so the two jurisdictions cross over at a moderate scope. Beyond approximately $14,500 declared, Richmond becomes more expensive than Virginia Beach because Richmond's slope is steeper. At $30,000 declared, the difference is $76.38 (Virginia Beach $314.00 vs Richmond $237.62). Confirm trade permit add-ons separately - they are NOT modeled in this guide.

Note on counter-review fee: Virginia Beach offers a $25 counter-review fee for small alteration scopes (up to 500 sq ft work area, plan set up to 5 pages) per the counter_review_eligibility section of the source.json. The $25 counter review is a substitute for the $100 full plan review for eligible projects. This guide uses the $100 full plan review as the default plan review figure - small-scope alterations may qualify for the $25 counter rate, reducing total cost by $75. Confirm counter-review eligibility with the Permits and Inspections Division at the application desk.

Key Takeaways
  • Virginia Beach residential alteration permits use a hybrid structure: $50 base building permit + $5 per $1,000 declared value (linear, no threshold), PLUS a $100 flat plan review fee, PLUS a $10 flat technology fee, PLUS 2% Virginia state levy on the building permit fee only. The catch-all residential_alteration_repair line item covers kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels, basement finishes, interior renovations, and most home-improvement work on existing 1-2 family dwellings.
  • The 2% Virginia state levy applies ONLY to the building permit fee in Virginia Beach. Per the source.json: "Per Code of Virginia ยง36-139, the levy is on the building permit fee component. Plan review and technology fee are itemized separately and are not part of the levy base on this page." This is structurally different from Fairfax County (where the levy is applied to the combined building permit + plan review subtotal) and produces a slightly lower effective rate. On a $30,000 kitchen remodel: BP $200 x 2% = $4 levy (NOT $300 x 2% = $6).
  • The $5 per $1,000 slope is effectively 0.5% of declared value - one of the gentler slopes in the verified Virginia cluster. The slope is shallower than Richmond's 0.607% (after the $2,000 threshold) and Henrico's effective rate above the $5,000 threshold. The structural advantage at moderate-to-high declared values: at $100,000 declared the building permit is $550 in Virginia Beach (0.55% effective) vs $657.86 in Richmond (0.658% effective) vs $680 in Henrico (capped). Virginia Beach is the cheapest verified value-based VA jurisdiction at $50,000+ declared value among the uncapped formulas.
  • The fee schedule effective date is July 1, 2025 - the most current published version in the verified VA cluster. The PDF footer is "Residential Building Permit Fees | rev. Jul-2025". This is meaningfully more recent than the Richmond (June 2022), Norfolk (July 2021), and Loudoun (July 2022) schedules.
  • Counter-review eligibility - per the source.json's counter_review_eligibility section, alterations up to 500 sq ft work area with plan sets up to 5 pages may qualify for the $25 counter review fee instead of the $100 full plan review. This is a $75 savings for eligible small-scope alterations. The counter-review path also has a faster turnaround (online initial review 3 business days). This guide uses the $100 full plan review as the default figure - confirm counter-review eligibility with the Permits and Inspections Division.
  • Compared to other VA jurisdictions at $30,000 declared value: Virginia Beach $314.00, Henrico County $255.00, Richmond City $237.62, Norfolk City $152.00 (flat), Loudoun County $402.90 (bundled flat), DC $735.90, Fairfax County $1,377.00. Virginia Beach sits third behind Norfolk's flat-fee structure and Richmond's value formula at this scope.
  • Compared to other VA jurisdictions at $100,000 declared value: Virginia Beach $671.00, Henrico County $683.40, Richmond City $671.02. Virginia Beach essentially matches Richmond at this scope and beats Henrico by approximately $12 - the structural advantage is the shallower 0.5% slope. Norfolk's flat $152 is meaningfully cheaper at this scope; Fairfax's $4,590 is meaningfully more expensive.
  • Trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) for alterations are filed SEPARATELY in Virginia Beach. The building permit fee shown in this guide does NOT include trade permits. Virginia Beach's trade permit fees are not fully modeled in PermitPrice's source.json - confirm trade permit add-on costs with the Permits and Inspections Division at (757) 385-4211 before budgeting. The $10 technology fee on the alteration building permit does NOT apply to trade permits - each trade permit carries its own $10 technology fee per the source.json local_surcharges section.
  • The Refund Policy is strict in Virginia Beach. Per the source.json refund_policy_notes: "No refunds are issued for plan review fees, the $10 technology fee, or the 2% state levy." If a permit application is withdrawn after submission but before approval, the $110 in flat fees (PR + tech) and the 2% levy are not refunded. This is structurally different from some jurisdictions that issue partial refunds on plan review when an application is withdrawn pre-review. Plan submissions carefully before paying the application fees.
Calculate Your Alteration Permit All Virginia Beach Permit Fees

Virginia Beach Alteration Permit Fee Components

Virginia Beach's residential alteration permit splits into four component lines: the tiered building permit, the flat $100 plan review fee, the flat $10 technology fee, and the 2% Virginia state levy applied to the building permit subtotal only. The breakdown below shows component math at five typical residential alteration scopes from a $5,000 minor update through a $200,000 luxury renovation.

Component $5k minor $15k bathroom $30k kitchen $100k gut renovation $200k luxury
Base building permit $50.00 $50.00 $50.00 $50.00 $50.00
$5 per $1,000 declared value 5 x $5 = $25.00 15 x $5 = $75.00 30 x $5 = $150.00 100 x $5 = $500.00 200 x $5 = $1,000.00
Building permit subtotal $75.00 $125.00 $200.00 $550.00 $1,050.00
Plan review (flat $100 full) $100.00 $100.00 $100.00 $100.00 $100.00
Technology fee (flat $10) $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $10.00
2% state levy (BP only) $1.50 $2.50 $4.00 $11.00 $21.00
All-in alteration permit total $186.50 $237.50 $314.00 $671.00 $1,181.00

Source: City of Virginia Beach Residential Permit Fees PDF on planning.virginiabeach.gov, revision date Jul-2025, residential_alteration_repair line item for existing 1-2 family dwellings. The formula uses $50 base + $5 per $1,000 of declared construction value (encoded in source.json as rate 0.005). Plan review is $100 flat per the published schedule (or $25 counter review for eligible small scopes up to 500 sq ft work area). The $10 technology fee is a local surcharge applied to every permit per the local_surcharges section. The 2% Virginia state levy is required by Code of Virginia Section 36-139 and USBC Section 107.2 and is applied to the building permit fee only per the published source - the levy base does NOT include plan review or technology fee on Virginia Beach's schedule. Trade permit fees are filed separately and are not included in this table. Counter-review fee ($25) substitutes for full plan review ($100) for eligible scopes - confirm eligibility at the application desk.

Worked Examples - Real Alteration Projects in Virginia Beach

The four worked examples below cover typical Virginia Beach residential alteration scopes from a $5,000 minor update through a $200,000 luxury renovation. Trade permits are filed separately under Virginia Beach's trade permit schedule and are NOT included here - this is the building permit only.

Example 1: $15,000 full bathroom remodel

A homeowner files an alteration permit for a full bathroom remodel: demolition of existing bathroom, new tile floor and walls, new bathtub or shower, new vanity with sink, new toilet, new exhaust fan, all new GFCI electrical, full plumbing rough-in for the new layout. Contractor invoice: $15,000 (mid-range bathroom remodel including all rough-ins and finish work).

  • Declared value: $15,000
  • Tier portion: $15,000 / $1,000 = 15 x $5 = $75.00
  • Building permit ($50 base + $75 tier): $125.00
  • Plan review (full): $100.00
  • Technology fee: $10.00
  • 2% Virginia state levy (on $125 BP only): $2.50
  • Building permit total: $237.50

Note: a 5-page plan set for this scope may qualify for the $25 counter review fee instead of the $100 full plan review (alterations up to 500 sq ft work area), saving $75 and reducing the total to $162.50. Confirm counter-review eligibility at the Permits and Inspections Division application desk. The same $15,000 bathroom remodel costs $688.50 building permit in Fairfax County (3% + 50% PR + 2% levy); Virginia Beach saves $451 building permit for the same scope.

Example 2: $30,000 full kitchen remodel

A homeowner files an alteration permit for a full kitchen remodel: complete demolition, new cabinets and counters, new island with electrical outlet, new dishwasher rough-in, new range with gas line work, undercabinet and pendant lighting, recessed ceiling lighting, full new electrical to support new circuits, and minor plumbing relocation for the new sink. Contractor invoice: $30,000.

  • Declared value: $30,000
  • Tier portion: $30,000 / $1,000 = 30 x $5 = $150.00
  • Building permit ($50 base + $150 tier): $200.00
  • Plan review (full): $100.00
  • Technology fee: $10.00
  • 2% Virginia state levy (on $200 BP only): $4.00
  • Building permit total: $314.00

Note: a full kitchen remodel typically exceeds the 500 sq ft work area threshold for the $25 counter review and will require the $100 full plan review. The same $30,000 kitchen remodel costs $1,377 building permit in Fairfax County, $735.90 in DC, $255 in Henrico County, $237.62 in Richmond City, and $152 in Norfolk City. Virginia Beach is fourth at this scope, behind Norfolk, Richmond, and Henrico.

Example 3: $100,000 full gut renovation

A homeowner files an alteration permit for a $100,000 full gut renovation: kitchen complete rebuild with high-end appliances and custom cabinetry, two full bathroom gut and rebuild with new tile and fixtures, refinished hardwood floors throughout, full new electrical scope (whole-home rewiring + smart-home wiring + multiple new circuits), full new plumbing scope (whole-home re-pipe + new fixtures throughout), minor HVAC scope (ductwork modifications, no new equipment). Contractor invoice: $100,000.

  • Declared value: $100,000
  • Tier portion: $100,000 / $1,000 = 100 x $5 = $500.00
  • Building permit ($50 base + $500 tier): $550.00
  • Plan review (full): $100.00
  • Technology fee: $10.00
  • 2% Virginia state levy (on $550 BP only): $11.00
  • Building permit total: $671.00

Note: Virginia Beach essentially matches Richmond at $100,000 declared ($671 vs $671.02) and beats Henrico ($683.40) by $12. The 0.5% slope is the structural advantage above the $50,000 declared mark. Fairfax County runs $4,590 building permit at this scope - Virginia Beach saves $3,919 for the same scope.

Example 4: $200,000 luxury renovation (uncapped)

A homeowner files an alteration permit for a $200,000 luxury whole-home renovation: gut renovation of all bathrooms (three full bathrooms with high-end finishes), full kitchen gut and rebuild, refinished floors throughout, replaced trim throughout, new high-end electrical scope (smart-home wiring + multiple new circuits), full new plumbing fixtures throughout, custom built-in cabinetry, extensive structural modifications including load-bearing wall removal. Contractor invoice: $200,000 (high-end whole-home renovation).

  • Declared value: $200,000
  • Tier portion: $200,000 / $1,000 = 200 x $5 = $1,000.00
  • Building permit ($50 base + $1,000 tier): $1,050.00
  • Plan review (full): $100.00
  • Technology fee: $10.00
  • 2% Virginia state levy (on $1,050 BP only): $21.00
  • Building permit total: $1,181.00

Note: Virginia Beach has no fee cap. At $200,000 declared, the $1,181 building permit is cheaper than Richmond ($1,290.16) but meaningfully more expensive than Henrico ($693.60, capped at $680 BP). Fairfax County runs $9,180 building permit at this scope - Virginia Beach saves $7,999 for the same scope. Stamped structural drawings for load-bearing wall removal are billed separately by a Virginia-licensed structural engineer ($1,500-$5,000 typical) and are not included in the building permit fee.

Calculate Your Virginia Beach Alteration Permit

The PermitPrice fee calculator supports Virginia Beach's residential alteration formula directly. Pick "Virginia Beach City, VA" and "Alteration" in the calculator dropdowns; enter declared construction value; the calculator applies $50 base + $5 per $1,000 + $100 PR + $10 tech + 2% levy on BP. For a $30,000 alteration: 30 x $5 = $150, plus $50 = $200 BP, plus $100 PR + $10 tech = $310 subtotal, plus 2% on $200 BP only = $4 levy, total $314 all-in. Trade permits add separately under Virginia Beach's trade schedule. Use the worked examples on this page as a budgeting reference.

Virginia Beach alteration rule of thumb: ($50 + $5 x declared / 1,000) x 1.02 + $110 flat. Floor $111 at $0 declared. At $30,000: $314. At $100,000: $671. At $200,000: $1,181. The $110 in flat add-ons (plan review $100 + tech $10) is the high floor; the 0.5% slope is the shallow climb. No cap. Counter review $25 instead of $100 for eligible small scopes (up to 500 sq ft work area). Trade permits filed separately.

Open the Permit Fee Calculator

Trade Permits for Alterations in Virginia Beach

Residential alterations with electrical, plumbing, or mechanical scope require SEPARATE trade permits in Virginia Beach. The building permit covers the structural/architectural review only - it does NOT include circuits, fixtures, gas lines, water lines, ductwork, or HVAC equipment installation. Virginia Beach's trade permit fees are NOT fully modeled in PermitPrice's source.json - this guide covers the building permit only. Trade permit costs must be confirmed with the Permits and Inspections Division directly before budgeting.

How to get current trade permit fees: Call the Virginia Beach Permits and Inspections Division at (757) 385-4211 during business hours (Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm). Reference the specific trade scope when asking - residential electrical permits, residential plumbing permits, and residential mechanical permits are each billed under separate fee categories on the Residential Permit Fees PDF. The walk-in counter at 2403 Courthouse Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23456 is open during business hours, and the Accela Citizen Access (CVB) portal is available at aca-prod.accela.com for online applications.

Each trade permit carries its own $10 technology fee: The $10 technology fee in the alteration table above applies to the BUILDING permit only. Per the source.json local_surcharges section, the $10 technology fee is "assessed on every permit" - meaning electrical, plumbing, and mechanical trade permits each carry their own $10 tech fee in addition to the trade permit fee itself. Each trade permit also carries the 2% Virginia state levy on the trade fee per Code of Virginia 36-139. Budget at least an additional $50-$200 in trade permit costs on top of the alteration building permit for typical kitchen or bathroom remodels.

Virginia Beach Alteration Permit Cost vs Neighbors

Virginia Beach's structure (linear $5/$1k + $110 in flat fees) makes it expensive for very small alterations (the $110 floor) but cheap for very large alterations (the 0.5% slope). The table below compares the all-in alteration permit cost across the verified DMV cluster at four scopes.

Jurisdiction Pricing Method $15k bathroom $30k kitchen $100k gut renovation $200k luxury
Virginia Beach $50 + $5/$1k + $100 PR + $10 tech + 2% on BP $237.50 $314.00 $671.00 $1,181.00
Norfolk City Flat $100 + $35 PR + $15 + 2% levy on $100 $152.00 $152.00 $152.00 $152.00
Richmond City $63 + $6.07/$1k over $2k + 2% levy $144.75 $237.62 $671.02 $1,290.16
Henrico County $100 + $6/$1k over $5k (cap $680) + 2% levy $163.20 $255.00 $683.40 $693.60 (cap)
Loudoun County Bundled $395 + 2% levy $402.90 $402.90 $402.90 (under 1,000 sq ft) over 1,000 sq ft: 1% formula
Washington, DC $30 + 2% + 10% Enhanced + 0.13% GBF + Enhanced $384.45 $735.90 $2,376.00 $4,719.00
Fairfax County 3% of value + 50% PR + 2% levy $688.50 $1,377.00 $4,590.00 $9,180.00

All figures are building permit only - trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) excluded. Virginia Beach uses the most current published schedule in the table (Jul-2025). Norfolk's flat $152 covers any alteration value (cheapest jurisdiction at high declared values among the Hampton Roads cluster). Henrico's $680 building permit cap activates at approximately $101,667 declared; above that the all-in fee freezes at $693.60. Richmond's uncapped value formula climbs at $6.07 per $1,000 above the $2,000 threshold. Loudoun's bundled flat applies only under 1,000 sq ft. DC's tier formula plus 10% Enhanced and 0.13% Green Building Fee produces the most expensive DMV jurisdiction at high declared values. Fairfax 3% formula uncapped is consistently the most expensive at any declared value over $5,000. Source-age caveats: Loudoun is July 2022; Norfolk is July 2021; Richmond is June 2022; Virginia Beach is July 2025 (most current). Chesterfield County not in table - no verified general-alteration line item in source data.

Compare Across the DMV

For a full breakdown of how Virginia Beach and other Virginia jurisdictions price alterations, see the cross-jurisdiction guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Virginia Beach's structure has a higher floor ($110 in flat add-ons for plan review + tech fee) but a shallower slope (0.5% per $1,000) compared to Richmond (no flat add-ons but 0.607% slope above $2,000 plus $63 base). At low declared values, the $110 in flat add-ons dominates - a $5,000 minor update costs $186.50 in Virginia Beach vs $82.83 in Richmond, more than double. As declared value grows, Richmond's steeper slope catches up. At approximately $14,500 declared, the two jurisdictions cross over and Virginia Beach becomes cheaper. At $100,000 declared, Virginia Beach charges $671 vs Richmond's $671.02 - essentially identical. At $200,000 declared, Virginia Beach's $1,181 is meaningfully cheaper than Richmond's $1,290.16 (saves $109). The crossover point is the budgeting decision rule.
Per the source.json description: "Per Code of Virginia 36-139, the levy is on the building permit fee component. Plan review and technology fee are itemized separately and are not part of the levy base on this page." This means the 2% levy is calculated only on the $50 base + $5/$1k tier formula, NOT on the $100 plan review or $10 technology fee. On a $30,000 kitchen remodel: BP $200 x 2% = $4 levy (NOT $310 x 2% = $6.20). The narrower levy base produces a slightly lower all-in fee compared to jurisdictions that include plan review in the levy base (like Fairfax County, which applies the levy to the combined BP + PR subtotal).
Virginia Beach offers a fast-track $25 counter review fee that substitutes for the $100 full plan review for eligible small scopes. Per the source.json counter_review_eligibility section, alterations up to 500 sq ft work area with plan sets up to 5 pages may qualify. The counter review is processed at the Permits and Inspections Division application desk (2403 Courthouse Drive) and produces an immediate or same-day permit decision, instead of the 3-business-day online turnaround for full plan review. For small alterations (bathroom remodels under 500 sq ft, kitchen refresh without structural changes), the counter review saves $75. Confirm eligibility at the application desk before relying on the $25 counter rate - the staff will review your plan set and scope before deciding which path applies.
Yes - Virginia Beach's residential_alteration_repair line item is a catch-all that applies the same $50 + $5 per $1,000 formula to kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels, basement finishes, interior renovations, and most home-improvement work on existing 1-2 family dwellings. The fee math does not distinguish between project types within the alteration category. A $30,000 kitchen remodel and a $30,000 basement finish both cost the same $314 all-in. Note that the alteration formula is structurally different from Virginia Beach's deck formula ($50 + $4 per 100 sq ft) and addition formulas (heated $50 + $7 per 100 sq ft, non-heated $50 + $4 per 100 sq ft). Decks and additions use a square-foot basis, not a declared-value basis - see /virginia/virginia-beach-city/ for the deck-specific guide.
The City of Virginia Beach Residential Permit Fees PDF does not impose a cap on the alteration formula. The $5 per $1,000 slope continues linearly with declared construction value. The Permits and Inspections Division has not published a rationale for the absence of a cap, but the 0.5% effective slope is structurally cheaper than the Fairfax 3% uncapped slope at every scope, and at high declared values Virginia Beach is meaningfully cheaper than the comparable uncapped formulas in Richmond City. The cap question primarily matters at $100,000+ declared, where Henrico County caps at $680 (all-in $693.60) and Virginia Beach continues climbing. For luxury renovations, Henrico is structurally cheaper than Virginia Beach; for typical homeowner-scope renovations under $80,000 declared, Virginia Beach and Henrico are close.
Per the source.json refund_policy_notes: "No refunds are issued for plan review fees, the $10 technology fee, or the 2% state levy." If you submit an alteration permit application, pay the fees, and then withdraw the application before approval, the $100 plan review + $10 tech fee + 2% levy on the building permit are not refunded. The building permit fee itself may be partially refundable per the Virginia Beach Refund Policy PDF - confirm with the Permits and Inspections Division at (757) 385-4211. The narrow refund policy means it is important to verify scope, declared value, and contractor estimates BEFORE submitting the permit application. Some jurisdictions are more generous on refunds (Fairfax County issues partial refunds if no inspections have been performed); Virginia Beach is more restrictive.
Yes - Virginia Beach provides online permit application through the Accela Citizen Access (CVB) portal at aca-prod.accela.com/CVB. The online portal supports both full plan review (3 business day initial review turnaround per source.json) and revisions (3 business day revision turnaround). For counter review eligible scopes (under 500 sq ft work area), in-person filing at the application desk (2403 Courthouse Drive) is faster - same-day or immediate decision in many cases. Email contact for permit questions is PermInsp@vbgov.com. The walk-in counter is open Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm. Online portal availability is 24/7 for application submission, but staff review happens during business hours.
Load-bearing wall removal, beam installation, footing modifications, and other structural changes are still classified as residential alterations under Virginia Beach's residential_alteration_repair line item. The $50 + $5/$1,000 formula plus the $100 PR + $10 tech + 2% levy applies. HOWEVER, Virginia Beach may require stamped structural drawings prepared by a Virginia-licensed structural engineer. The engineering review and stamping costs are NOT included in the bundled plan review fee - those are billed by the engineer separately ($1,500 to $5,000 typical for residential structural work). Counter-review eligibility may be disqualified for projects with structural changes, requiring the $100 full plan review instead of the $25 counter rate. Confirm structural review requirements with the Permits and Inspections Division at (757) 385-4211 before budgeting any alteration that involves load-bearing modifications.

Sources

Official .gov Sources - Verified April 2026
  • City of Virginia Beach Residential Permit Fees (PDF) Revision date Jul-2025 - City of Virginia Beach Planning Department, Permits and Inspections Division - Primary source for the residential_alteration_repair line item: $50 base + $5 per $1,000 of declared construction value, $100 flat full plan review fee (or $25 counter review for eligible scopes), $10 flat technology fee, and the 2% Virginia state levy applied to the building permit fee only. The PDF footer is labeled "Residential Building Permit Fees | rev. Jul-2025" - the most current published version among the verified VA cluster.
  • City of Virginia Beach Residential Building Permits page Accessed April 2026 - City of Virginia Beach Planning Department - Official residential permit information page with current contact information for the Permits and Inspections Division ((757) 385-4211) and online application access via Accela Citizen Access (CVB) at aca-prod.accela.com. The destination for verifying current alteration pricing and trade permit costs before filing.
  • Code of Virginia Section 36-139 - USBC State Levy Authority Current - Virginia General Assembly - Authorizing statute for the statewide 2% building permit surcharge applied in Virginia jurisdictions, including the 2% levy applied to the Virginia Beach alteration permit subtotal (limited to the building permit fee per the published Virginia Beach schedule)
Next Step

Calculate your specific Virginia Beach alteration permit cost or compare against neighbors.

Always verify current alteration permit fees, plan review eligibility, and trade permit costs directly with the City of Virginia Beach Permits and Inspections Division before budgeting or filing. Call the Permits and Inspections Division at (757) 385-4211 to confirm the $50 + $5/$1k formula, the $100 full plan review vs $25 counter review eligibility, the $10 technology fee, and the residential trade permit costs for your specific alteration scope. Email PermInsp@vbgov.com or visit the walk-in counter at 2403 Courthouse Drive (Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm). Structural alterations may require stamped engineering drawings outside the standard plan review fee.
Disclaimer: All fee information on PermitPrice is for informational purposes only and is not an official permit quotation. Actual permit fees are determined by the City of Virginia Beach Permits and Inspections Division at the time of application. The $50 base + $5 per $1,000 declared construction value formula, the $100 flat full plan review fee (or $25 counter review for eligible small scopes), the $10 flat technology fee, and the 2% Virginia state levy application rules (limited to the building permit fee component per the published Virginia Beach schedule) are all sourced from the City of Virginia Beach Residential Permit Fees PDF on planning.virginiabeach.gov, revision date Jul-2025. PermitPrice's source.json carries a confidence rating of "high" because the schedule is the most current published version in the verified VA cluster. The catch-all residential_alteration_repair line item covers kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels, basement finishes, interior renovations, and most home-improvement work on existing 1-2 family dwellings. Trade permit fees (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) are filed separately under Virginia Beach's trade permit schedule and are not modeled in this guide - each trade permit also carries the $10 technology fee and the 2% Virginia state levy on the trade fee. Counter-review eligibility (alterations up to 500 sq ft work area, plan set up to 5 pages) substitutes the $25 counter review for the $100 full plan review and may not apply to all alteration scopes. Structural alterations may require stamped structural drawings prepared by a Virginia-licensed structural engineer - these engineering costs are billed by the engineer separately. The Virginia Beach Refund Policy is strict: no refunds for plan review fees, the $10 technology fee, or the 2% state levy. Confirm scope and current pricing with the Permits and Inspections Division before submitting the application.

Written by: Munib Ur Rehman

Data verified against official fee schedule documents.