Hanover County, VA Building Permit Fees (2026)
Actual residential building permit fees from the Hanover County Board of Supervisors resolution setting the Building Inspector's Permit and Inspection Fee Schedule (dated September 12, 2025), checked against the fee totals the county publishes on its Apply for Permit page. Verified directly against both official county sources on October 18, 2026.
This page covers: The residential building permit fees in Hanover County, which are flat fees, not per-square-foot or valuation rates. A new one- or two-family dwelling is $525.00 at any size. Additions, alterations, sheds, garages and other similar residential structures are $99.75. Demolition is $89.25 and a manufactured home installation is $84.00. Each figure is exact from the Board of Supervisors fee resolution. The same Building Inspector's Office issues permits in the county and in the Town of Ashland.
Trade permits are SEPARATE: The resolution lists electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits as their own permits. For one- and two-family dwellings and their appurtenances, each is a flat $99.75.
The 2% Virginia state levy applies: The county's permit fee form carries a "2% STATE SURCHARGE" line, and the county's published Town of Ashland, interior-alteration and demolition totals equal the resolution fee plus 2% - for example, $525.00 + 2% = $535.50 for a new dwelling in the Town of Ashland. The county's totals for work outside Ashland are higher than fee plus 2% ($713.50 for a dwelling, $121.75 for an accessory structure or addition) because they include amounts the county does not itemize. The levy is authorized by Code of Virginia 36-137.
County totals include an amount the county does not itemize: Outside the Town of Ashland, the county publishes a $713.50 fee total for a dwelling and $121.75 for an accessory structure or addition. Those are $178.00 and $20.00 higher than the matching Town of Ashland totals ($535.50 and $101.75). The county page does not say what the extra amount is. It does say a Land Disturbance Permit application is required for a single-family home outside the Town of Ashland. This page shows both the itemized building-permit figure and the county's published total, labeled separately.
This page does NOT cover: Land disturbance, stormwater (including the Town of Ashland stormwater fee for new homes), zoning and subdivision fees, utility capacity and connection fees, and Health Department well and septic permits. These are set on separate schedules and are excluded from every itemized figure here.
Hanover County charges a flat $525.00 building permit for a new one- or two-family dwelling, at any house size, plus the 2% Virginia levy, for $535.50. That is the county's published total for a new dwelling in the Town of Ashland. Outside Ashland, the county's published dwelling total is $713.50, which includes $178.00 the county does not itemize. Additions, alterations, sheds and garages are a flat $99.75 ($101.75 with the levy; the county's published total outside Ashland is $121.75). Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are separate at $99.75 each.
- A new one- or two-family dwelling is a flat $525.00 building permit at any size, so a 1,800 sq ft and a 4,000 sq ft home pay the same building-permit fee.
- Additions, alterations, sheds, garages and other similar residential structures are a flat $99.75. With the 2% levy that is $101.75, which matches the county's published total for an interior residential alteration.
- The 2% Virginia state levy is added to the permit fee: $525.00 becomes $535.50, $99.75 becomes $101.75, and the $89.25 demolition permit becomes $91.04, all matching the county's published totals.
- Outside the Town of Ashland, the county's published totals are higher: $713.50 for a dwelling, $723.50 for a townhouse or duplex on county water and sewer, and $121.75 for an accessory structure or addition. The county does not itemize the difference.
- Electrical, mechanical and plumbing work each needs its own permit at $99.75 for a one- or two-family dwelling, so three trade permits on a new home add $299.25 before any levy.
- Commercial and other non-residential work is valuation-based: a $99.75 minimum, then $5.25 for each additional $1,000 of valuation over $15,000.
Hanover County Building Permit Fee Structure
Hanover County sets its permit fees by Board of Supervisors resolution under County Code Chapter 6. One- and two-family residential work uses flat fees, and everything else uses a valuation table. The tables below show the figures exactly as written in the resolution.
Residential building permits (one- and two-family dwellings)
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| New one- and two-family dwelling | $525.00 flat |
| Additions, alterations, sheds, garages and similar residential structures | $99.75 flat |
| Demolition of a building or structure | $89.25 |
| Moving a building or structure | $89.25 |
| Manufactured home installation | $84.00 |
| Swimming pool barrier | $52.50 |
Trade permits
| Permit | One- and two-family dwellings | All other |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical | $99.75 | $99.75 up to $5,000 + $4.20 per add'l $1,000 |
| Mechanical | $99.75 | $99.75 up to $5,000 + $4.20 per add'l $1,000 |
| Plumbing | $99.75 | $99.75 up to $5,000 + $4.20 per add'l $1,000 |
For non-residential trade permits, the "All other" figures are based on the cost of labor and materials. The resolution treats each trade as its own permit, separate from the building permit.
All other building permits (commercial and non-residential)
| Valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $15,000 | $99.75 minimum |
| Over $15,000 | $99.75 for the first $15,000 + $5.25 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
Inspection and administrative fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Reinspection (each inspection beyond two) | $52.50 |
| Special inspection (after hours or holidays) | $89.25 |
| Investigative fee (work started before permit approval) | $89.25 |
| Change in scope, plans (under 20% sq ft change) or setbacks | $52.50 |
| Temporary certificate of occupancy (and each extension) | $52.50 |
| Change of use or occupancy (no work performed) | $52.50 |
| Permit extension | $52.50 |
| Records research | $5.25 per 15 minutes |
Permits for places of worship and for buildings owned by Hanover County or Hanover County Public Schools carry no fee. The resolution's $21.00 application fee and 20% plan-review fee appear only in its refund section, as amounts kept when a permit is revoked or a project is abandoned. The county's published residential totals do not add them on top.
Hanover County Permit Fee Components
A Hanover County residential permit is the flat resolution fee plus the 2% Virginia state levy. Outside the Town of Ashland, the county's published totals also include an amount it does not itemize.
| Component | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit (resolution fee) | $525.00 dwelling / $99.75 addition or alteration | Flat - does not scale with square footage |
| Virginia state levy | 2% | On the county permit form; reflected in every published total (Code of Virginia 36-137) |
| Trade permits (electrical, mechanical, plumbing) | $99.75 each | Separate permits for one- and two-family dwellings |
| Unitemized amount in county totals (outside Ashland) | $178.00 dwelling / $20.00 accessory or addition | Difference between the county and Town of Ashland published totals; not explained on the county page |
| Application fee / plan review | Not added | $21.00 and 20% appear only in the refund section; the published totals do not include them |
| Land disturbance, stormwater, utility, zoning fees | Separate schedules | Excluded from the itemized figures on this page |
The arithmetic checks out against the county's own numbers: $525.00 x 1.02 = $535.50 (Town of Ashland dwelling total), $99.75 x 1.02 = $101.75 (Town of Ashland accessory or addition total, and the interior-alteration total), and $89.25 x 1.02 = $91.04 (demolition total).
Worked Examples
Every itemized figure below comes from the Board of Supervisors fee resolution plus the 2% state levy. County published totals come straight from the county's Apply for Permit page and are labeled as such. Trade permits are shown separately because they are separate permits.
Example 1: New Single-Family Home in the Town of Ashland
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New dwelling building permit | flat (any size) | $525.00 |
| Virginia state levy | $525.00 x 2% | $10.50 |
| Building permit total (exact) | matches county published total | $535.50 |
Assumptions: A new one- or two-family dwelling is a flat $525.00 at any size. Adding the 2% state levy gives $535.50, which is the county's published fee total for a dwelling in the Town of Ashland. Separate electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are $99.75 each ($299.25 for all three before any levy) and are not included in this total. Town of Ashland stormwater and zoning fees are also separate. Source: Hanover County fee resolution and Apply for Permit page.
Example 2: New Single-Family Home in Unincorporated Hanover County
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit + 2% levy | $525.00 + $10.50 | $535.50 |
| Additional amount in the county total (not itemized) | $713.50 - $535.50 | $178.00 |
| County published fee total | as published | $713.50 |
Assumptions: The $713.50 total is the figure the county publishes for a dwelling outside the Town of Ashland ($723.50 for a townhouse or duplex on county water and sewer). The county does not say what the $178.00 above the building permit and levy covers. The same page requires a Land Disturbance Permit application for a single-family home outside Ashland, but PermitPrice does not assume that is what the amount is. Trade permits ($99.75 each) are separate. Source: Hanover County Apply for Permit page and fee resolution.
Example 3: Addition, Shed or Detached Garage
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Addition / accessory building permit | flat (any size) | $99.75 |
| Virginia state levy | $99.75 x 2% (rounded) | $2.00 |
| Total - Town of Ashland (exact) | matches county published total | $101.75 |
| County published total - outside Ashland | includes $20.00 not itemized | $121.75 |
Assumptions: Additions, alterations, sheds, garages and other similar residential structures share one flat $99.75 fee. With the 2% levy that is $101.745, which the county publishes as $101.75. The county's total for an accessory structure or addition outside Ashland is $121.75. Whether a specific structure, such as a deck, falls under this line is decided by the Building Inspector's Office. Source: Hanover County fee resolution and Apply for Permit page.
Example 4: Interior Alteration and Demolition
| Project | Rule Applied | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Residential alteration (no exterior work) | $99.75 + 2% | $101.75 |
| Demolition of a building or structure | $89.25 + 2% | $91.04 |
Assumptions: The county publishes $101.75 for a residential alteration with no exterior work and $91.04 for a demolition permit. Both equal the resolution fee plus 2% ($89.25 x 1.02 = $91.035, published as $91.04). A remodel that adds new circuits, fixtures or ductwork also needs the matching trade permit at $99.75 each. Source: Hanover County fee resolution and Apply for Permit page.
Read before you budget from these examples
- Flat fees do not scale: the $525.00 dwelling and $99.75 addition fees are the same at any size, so square footage does not change the building-permit figure.
- Trade permits are extra: electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are $99.75 each and are not in any building-permit total above.
- County totals include an unitemized amount: outside the Town of Ashland, the published totals are $178.00 (dwelling) and $20.00 (accessory or addition) higher than the itemized fee plus levy. The county does not explain the difference.
- Site fees are excluded: land disturbance, stormwater, utility capacity, zoning and health-department fees are set on separate schedules.
Practitioner Insight
Hanover County has a residential fee schedule that is easy to budget. A new home is a flat $525.00 building permit no matter how large it is, and an addition, shed or garage is a flat $99.75. The figure that changes is location: the same dwelling shows a $535.50 published total in the Town of Ashland and $713.50 in the rest of the county. If you are comparing lots, ask the Building Inspector's Office (804-365-6040) what the extra county amount covers before you treat it as fixed.
The other thing to plan for is trades. Hanover lists electrical, mechanical and plumbing as their own permits, so a new home usually carries three trade permits at $99.75 each on top of the building permit. For comparison, neighboring Henrico County and the City of Richmond price residential permits by project value, while Chesterfield County also uses flat category fees.
Permit Requirements - Common Residential Projects in Hanover County
| Project Type | Permit Required? | Fee Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New single-family home | Yes | $525.00 flat | $535.50 with levy (Ashland); county total $713.50 |
| Addition | Yes | $99.75 flat | County total $121.75; Ashland $101.75 |
| Shed / detached garage | Depends | $99.75 flat | Small accessory structures may be exempt; Ashland may require a zoning permit |
| Interior alteration / remodel | Yes | $99.75 flat | $101.75 published total (no exterior work) |
| Electrical, mechanical or plumbing work | Yes | $99.75 each | Separate permit per trade |
| Demolition | Yes | $89.25 | $91.04 published total |
| Manufactured home installation | Yes | $84.00 | Flat fee |
| Swimming pool barrier | Yes | $52.50 | The pool itself is not a separate line; confirm classification |
Which projects need a permit, and which fee line applies, is decided by the Hanover County Building Inspector's Office under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. The county notes that accessory structures in the Town of Ashland may need a Town zoning permit even when no building permit is required. When unsure, contact the office before starting work.
Hanover County Building Inspector's Office
Building Inspector's Office
7516 County Complex Road, Hanover, VA 23069 · 804-365-6040
Monday - Friday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM. Permit fees are due at submittal.
eTRAKiT customer portal
Online applications, or paper applications by mail, courier or in person
When This Estimate May Not Apply
You are building outside the Town of Ashland
The county's published totals outside Ashland include an amount it does not itemize ($178.00 on a dwelling, $20.00 on an accessory structure or addition). Budget from the published total, not the itemized fee, and ask the office what it covers.
Your project needs trade permits
Electrical, mechanical and plumbing work each needs its own $99.75 permit for a one- or two-family dwelling. None of the building-permit totals on this page include them.
Your project is commercial or not a one- or two-family dwelling
All other building permits are valuation-based: $99.75 for the first $15,000, then $5.25 per additional $1,000. Commercial trade permits add $4.20 per $1,000 above $5,000 of labor and materials. The county asks commercial applicants to call for their fee.
Plans change, work starts early, or inspections fail
A change in scope, plans or setbacks is $52.50, each reinspection beyond two is $52.50, and work started before the permit is approved adds an $89.25 investigative fee.
Site and utility fees apply to a new build
Land disturbance, stormwater (including the Town of Ashland stormwater fee for new single-family homes), utility capacity and health-department fees are separate from the building permit and can be much larger.
Source note: Fees come from the Hanover County Board of Supervisors resolution "Building Permit Fees" (Building Inspector's Permit and Inspection Fee Schedule), dated September 12, 2025 and effective on adoption, linked from the county's Development Fees page. Published totals come from the county's Apply for Permit page. Both were read on October 18, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
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Hanover County - Building Inspector's Permit and Inspection Fees (Board of Supervisors resolution, PDF) Dated September 12, 2025, effective on adoption · Source of the $525.00 dwelling fee, the $99.75 addition/alteration and trade fees, the valuation table, and every administrative fee · Verified October 18, 2026
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Hanover County - Apply for Permit Current · Published fee totals ($713.50 dwelling, $723.50 townhouse/duplex, $535.50 Ashland dwelling, $121.75 / $101.75 accessory or addition, $101.75 alteration, $91.04 demolition) and the "2% STATE SURCHARGE" form line · Verified October 18, 2026
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Code of Virginia 36-137 - USBC State Levy Authority Current · Virginia General Assembly · Authorizing statute for the 2% statewide building permit levy
See how Hanover County's flat residential fees compare with its Richmond-region neighbors, or estimate fees in covered jurisdictions.
Permit Fees Are One Part of Your Project Budget
Once you know your Hanover County permit cost, two related numbers round out your total budget picture:
Property tax impact after your project closes
A permitted addition or garage may change the property's assessed value in Hanover County. The locality's assessor determines that value, separately from this permit fee.
Land disturbance, zoning and utility fees for larger projects
Hanover County's land disturbance, zoning and subdivision, and utility capacity fees are set on separate county schedules, and the Town of Ashland charges its own stormwater fee on new homes. They are excluded from the itemized figures above.
These charges are administered separately from the building permit fee, though the responsible office and billing process vary by jurisdiction. See which tool covers each charge →