Lynchburg, VA Building Permit Fees (2026)
Actual building permit fee structure from the City of Lynchburg Community Development Department Fee Schedule (Building Inspections section), effective May 1, 2018. Lynchburg is an independent city, not part of any county, and its Inspections Division issues building, electrical, mechanical, gas, and plumbing permits. Verified directly against the published city document on October 28, 2026.
This page covers: The City of Lynchburg building permit fee table, which prices Building (new), Repair, Electrical, Mechanical, Gas, and Plumbing permits by total valuation: $40 for $1 to $1,000; $40 for the first $1,000 plus $5 for each additional $1,000 up to $50,000; $285 for the first $50,000 plus $4 for each additional $1,000 up to $100,000; $460 for the first $100,000 plus $3 for each additional $1,000 up to $500,000; and $1,660 for the first $500,000 plus $2 for each additional $1,000 above that. It also covers the city's flat fees ($250 residential demolition, $100 moving fee, $75 certificate of occupancy for an existing building, $50 reinspection, and more).
Plan checking fee is ADDED: When construction exceeds $1,000, a plan checking fee of 10% of the permit fee is charged in addition to the permit fee.
Trade permits are SEPARATE: Electrical, mechanical, gas, and plumbing permits use the same valuation table, but each is priced on its own valuation as its own permit. The worked examples on this page price the building permit only and do not include trade permits.
2% Virginia levy: The schedule notes a 2.00% Virginia levy on fees charged for building permits issued under the Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC). PermitPrice applies the 2% to the permit fee only. The schedule does not state whether the 10% plan checking fee is part of the levy base - confirm with the city.
Source age: The schedule footer reads "Effective May 1, 2018." It is still the Fee Chart the city links from its Permitting and Inspections page as of October 28, 2026, and no newer adopted schedule was found. Because the schedule is several years old, confirm current fees with Lynchburg Inspections before budgeting.
This page does NOT cover: Planning fees (rezoning, conditional use permits, subdivision, site plan), zoning fees (variances, appeals, sign permits, zoning letters), land disturbance and stormwater permits, code compliance and rental inspection fees, water and sewer connection or utility fees, and the credit card service fee on online payments (amount not published). None of these are in any figure on this page. Lynchburg is not yet covered by the PermitPrice calculator.
Lynchburg prices building permits by total valuation: $40 for the first $1,000, then $5, $4, $3, or $2 for each additional $1,000 depending on the tier, plus a 10% plan checking fee when construction exceeds $1,000 and the 2% Virginia levy. A new single-family home valued at $300,000 works out to a $1,060.00 permit fee, a $106.00 plan checking fee, and a $21.20 levy, for $1,187.20 before trade permits. The schedule is dated May 1, 2018, so confirm current fees with the city.
- Permits are priced by total valuation, not square footage: $40 covers the first $1,000, and each additional $1,000 costs $5 (to $50,000), $4 (to $100,000), $3 (to $500,000), or $2 (above $500,000).
- A 10% plan checking fee is charged on top of the permit fee whenever construction exceeds $1,000.
- The 2.00% Virginia levy applies to building permit fees. PermitPrice applies it to the permit fee only; the schedule does not say whether plan checking is in the levy base.
- A $300,000 new home computes to $1,187.20 (permit $1,060.00 + plan check $106.00 + levy $21.20), before electrical, mechanical, gas, and plumbing permits.
- Residential demolition is a flat $250 ($400 commercial); a certificate of occupancy for an existing building is $75, and working without a building permit carries a $100 fee.
- The schedule is effective May 1, 2018 and is still the fee chart the city links today (verified October 28, 2026) - confirm before budgeting.
Lynchburg Building Permit Fee Structure
Lynchburg uses one valuation table for Building (new), Repair, Electrical, Mechanical, Gas, and Plumbing permits. Each permit is priced on its own total valuation. The tiers below are exact as printed on the city's Fee Schedule.
| Total Valuation | Fee (exact, from schedule) | Method | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1 - $1,000 | $40 | Flat | No plan checking fee at or below $1,000 |
| $1,001 - $50,000 | $40 + $5 per $1,000 | First $1,000 + each add'l $1,000 | $50,000 computes to $285 |
| $50,001 - $100,000 | $285 + $4 per $1,000 | First $50,000 + each add'l $1,000 | See printed-table note below |
| $100,001 - $500,000 | $460 + $3 per $1,000 | First $100,000 + each add'l $1,000 | $500,000 computes to $1,660 |
| $500,001 and up | $1,660 + $2 per $1,000 | First $500,000 + each add'l $1,000 | No maximum stated |
| Plan checking fee | 10% | % of permit fee | In addition to the permit fee, when construction exceeds $1,000 |
| Virginia levy (USBC 2%) | 2.00% | % of building permit fees | Schedule note; levy base for plan checking not stated |
Printed-table note: The $50,001 - $100,000 tier implies $285 + 50 × $4 = $485 at $100,000, but the next tier starts at "$460 for the first $100,000." As printed, a project just over $100,000 computes lower than one at $100,000 (for example, $101,000 computes to $463). The upper two tiers agree with each other ($460 + 400 × $3 = $1,660). PermitPrice uses each tier exactly as printed; confirm any project valued between about $94,000 and $110,000 with the city. The schedule does not state how partial $1,000 increments are rounded.
Other Building Inspections Fees
| Fee Type | Fee (exact, from schedule) | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Demolition - residential | $250 | Flat (commercial $400) |
| Moving fee | $100 | Flat |
| Manufactured housing | $75 / $100 | Single wide / double wide |
| Elevators | $42 | Flat |
| Tent / membrane structures over 900 SF | $50 | Flat |
| Asbestos removal | $30 | Flat |
| Reinspection (new construction permits) | $50 | Flat |
| Certificate of occupancy - existing building | $75 | Flat |
| Temporary certificate of occupancy | $150 | Per 30 days |
| Permit cancellation | $50 | Flat |
| Building code appeals | $200 | Flat |
| Working without a building permit | $100 | Flat |
Source: City of Lynchburg Community Development Department Fee Schedule, Building Inspections section, effective May 1, 2018 (the "Fee Chart (PDF)" linked from the city's Permitting and Inspections page). All figures above are exact schedule figures.
Lynchburg Permit Fee Components
A Lynchburg building permit total stacks three components: the valuation-based permit fee, a 10% plan checking fee when construction exceeds $1,000, and the 2.00% Virginia levy. Trade permits are priced as separate permits on their own valuations.
| Component | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit fee | Valuation table ($40 + tiered $5 / $4 / $3 / $2 per $1,000) | Exact schedule figure |
| Plan checking fee | 10% of the permit fee | Exact rate; added when construction exceeds $1,000 |
| Virginia state (USBC) 2% levy | 2.00% | Exact rate; PermitPrice applies it to the permit fee only (base for plan checking not stated) |
| Trade permits (electrical, mechanical, gas, plumbing) | Same valuation table, each on its own valuation | Separate - not included in the worked examples |
| Credit card service fee (online payments) | Not published | Excluded |
| Planning, zoning, land disturbance, stormwater, utility fees | Separate schedules | Excluded |
The schedule describes the 2.00% levy as applying to "fees charged for building permits issued under the USBC." It does not say whether the 10% plan checking fee is part of that base. PermitPrice applies the levy to the permit fee only; if the city also levies the plan checking fee, the levy on a $300,000 home would rise by $2.12 (2% of $106.00).
Worked Examples
Each permit fee and the 10% plan checking rate are exact schedule figures. The 2% levy line is PermitPrice-applied to the permit fee only, because the schedule does not state whether plan checking is in the levy base. Every example assumes a valuation in whole $1,000s, since the schedule does not state how partial increments are rounded. Trade permits are not included.
Example 1: New Single-Family Home, $300,000 Valuation
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit ($100,001 - $500,000 tier) | $460 + 200 × $3 | $1,060.00 |
| + Plan checking fee | 10% × $1,060.00 | $106.00 |
| + 2% Virginia levy (PermitPrice-applied) | 2% × $1,060.00 permit fee | $21.20 |
| Total (building permit only) | $1,060.00 + $106.00 + $21.20 | $1,187.20 |
Assumptions: Total valuation of $300,000, which is $200,000 (200 increments of $1,000) above the first $100,000. The $1,060.00 permit fee and the $106.00 plan checking fee are exact from the schedule; the $21.20 levy is PermitPrice-applied to the permit fee only. Separate electrical, mechanical, gas, and plumbing permits (each priced on its own valuation with the same table) are not included. Source: City of Lynchburg Fee Schedule (eff. May 1, 2018).
Example 2: Addition or Remodel, $60,000 Valuation
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit ($50,001 - $100,000 tier) | $285 + 10 × $4 | $325.00 |
| + Plan checking fee | 10% × $325.00 | $32.50 |
| + 2% Virginia levy (PermitPrice-applied) | 2% × $325.00 permit fee | $6.50 |
| Total (building permit only) | $325.00 + $32.50 + $6.50 | $364.00 |
Assumptions: Total valuation of $60,000, which is 10 increments of $1,000 above the first $50,000. The permit fee and plan checking fee are exact schedule figures; the levy is PermitPrice-applied to the permit fee only. Trade permits for new circuits, HVAC, or plumbing are separate and not included. See the Virginia addition permit cost guide for statewide context. Source: City of Lynchburg Fee Schedule (eff. May 1, 2018).
Example 3: Deck, $15,000 Valuation
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit ($1,001 - $50,000 tier) | $40 + 14 × $5 | $110.00 |
| + Plan checking fee | 10% × $110.00 | $11.00 |
| + 2% Virginia levy (PermitPrice-applied) | 2% × $110.00 permit fee | $2.20 |
| Total | $110.00 + $11.00 + $2.20 | $123.20 |
Assumptions: Total valuation of $15,000, which is 14 increments of $1,000 above the first $1,000. The permit fee and plan checking fee are exact schedule figures; the levy is PermitPrice-applied to the permit fee only. Decks are on the city's list of work that requires a building permit. See the Virginia deck permit cost guide for a full walkthrough. Source: City of Lynchburg Fee Schedule (eff. May 1, 2018).
Example 4: Residential Demolition (Flat Fee)
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Demolition - residential | Flat fee | $250.00 |
| + 2% Virginia levy (PermitPrice-applied) | 2% × $250.00 | $5.00 |
| Total (plan checking not added) | $250.00 + $5.00 | $255.00 |
Assumptions: The $250.00 residential demolition fee is exact from the schedule (commercial demolition is $400). The $5.00 levy is PermitPrice-applied. The 10% plan checking fee is not added here because the schedule does not state whether it applies to a flat demolition permit; if it does, add $25.00. See the Virginia demolition permit cost guide. Source: City of Lynchburg Fee Schedule (eff. May 1, 2018).
Read before you budget from these examples
- Exact vs PermitPrice-applied: each permit fee, flat fee, and the 10% plan checking rate are exact schedule figures. The 2% levy lines are PermitPrice-applied to the permit fee only, because the schedule does not state whether the plan checking fee is in the levy base.
- Source age: the schedule is effective May 1, 2018. It is still the fee chart the city links today (verified October 28, 2026), but confirm current fees with Lynchburg Inspections before budgeting.
- Printed-table inconsistency near $100,000: the $50,001 - $100,000 tier implies $485 at $100,000, while the next tier starts at $460 for the first $100,000. PermitPrice uses each tier as printed; confirm projects valued between about $94,000 and $110,000 with the city.
- Whole $1,000s only: the schedule does not state how a partial $1,000 increment is rounded, so every example uses a valuation in whole thousands.
- Trade permits are separate: electrical, mechanical, gas, and plumbing permits are each priced on their own valuation with the same table and are not in any total above.
- Optional context - swimming pool at $40,000: $40 + 39 × $5 = $235.00 permit, $23.50 plan checking, $4.70 levy (PermitPrice-applied), $263.20 total before pool electrical. See the Virginia pool permit cost guide.
- Excluded fees: planning, zoning, land disturbance, stormwater, utility connection fees, and the online credit card service fee are not in any total above.
Practitioner Insight
Lynchburg's fee is driven by the valuation you put on the application, not by square footage, so the most important budgeting number is the construction value itself. The per-$1,000 rate also falls as projects get bigger: $5 per $1,000 on small jobs, $4 in the $50,000 to $100,000 range, $3 up to $500,000, and $2 above that. A $15,000 deck finishes at $123.20, while a $300,000 home finishes at $1,187.20 - about 0.8% of valuation on the deck versus about 0.4% on the home once the 10% plan checking fee and the 2% levy are added.
Two things deserve a phone call before you budget. First, the schedule is dated May 1, 2018, even though it is the chart the city still links today. Second, the printed table does not line up at $100,000, so a project valued just above $100,000 computes lower than one at $100,000. If your valuation falls near that break, or you are pricing electrical, mechanical, gas, and plumbing permits alongside the building permit, confirm the numbers with Lynchburg Inspections. For nearby comparisons, see Roanoke City, Roanoke County, and Albemarle County.
Permit Requirements - Common Residential Projects in Lynchburg
| Project Type | Permit Required? | Fee Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New single-family home | Yes | Valuation table | $300,000 = $1,187.20 with plan check + levy; trades separate |
| Addition / renovation | Yes | Valuation table | $60,000 = $364.00 with plan check + levy |
| Small repairs | Yes (listed) | Valuation table (Repair) | $1 - $1,000 valuation = $40; no plan check at or below $1,000 |
| Deck | Yes | Valuation table | $15,000 = $123.20 with plan check + levy |
| Shed / storage building | Yes, over 256 SF | Valuation table | The city lists sheds and storage buildings over 256 SF; confirm smaller sheds |
| Swimming pool | Yes | Valuation table | $40,000 = $263.20 with plan check + levy; pool electrical separate |
| HVAC install or replacement | Yes | Valuation table (Mechanical) | Separate mechanical permit on its own valuation |
| Plumbing and electrical fixtures | Yes | Valuation table (trade) | Separate plumbing or electrical permit on its own valuation |
| Demolition | Yes | $250 flat (residential) | Commercial $400; $255.00 with levy |
| Moving a building | Yes | $100 moving fee | Flat schedule fee |
| Re-roofing (residential) | Not on the building permit list | - | The city lists re-roofing as "commercial only"; confirm with Inspections before skipping a permit |
Permit triggers are from the City of Lynchburg's "What Requires a Building Permit" page and the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. The city lists new buildings, sheds, decks, additions, renovations, small repairs, HVAC installation or replacement, plumbing and electrical fixtures, and demolition or moving as work that requires a permit. When uncertain whether a permit is required, contact Lynchburg Inspections before starting work.
Lynchburg Building Permit Office
City of Lynchburg Inspections
900 Church Street, 1st Floor Permitting Center, Lynchburg, VA 24504 · 434-455-3910
Online through eTRAKiT
Online payments carry a credit card service fee; the amount is not published
Community Development Department Fee Schedule (Building Inspections)
Effective May 1, 2018 · Legal authority: Virginia USBC · Verified October 28, 2026
When This Estimate May Not Apply
The schedule is dated May 1, 2018
The fee chart the city links today carries a May 1, 2018 effective date, and no newer adopted schedule was found when PermitPrice verified it on October 28, 2026. Fees may have been updated without a new chart being posted. Confirm current fees with Lynchburg Inspections before budgeting.
Valuations near $100,000 hit a printed-table inconsistency
The $50,001 - $100,000 tier implies $485 at $100,000, but the next tier starts at $460 for the first $100,000, so $101,000 computes to $463. PermitPrice uses each tier exactly as printed. If your project is valued between about $94,000 and $110,000, ask the city how it calculates the fee.
Partial $1,000 increments and the levy base are not stated
The schedule does not say how a valuation that is not a whole multiple of $1,000 is rounded, so the examples use whole thousands. It also does not say whether the 10% plan checking fee is in the 2% levy base (PermitPrice applies the levy to the permit fee only), or whether plan checking applies to trade permits and flat fees such as demolition.
Trade permits are priced separately
Electrical, mechanical, gas, and plumbing permits each use the same valuation table on their own valuation. A building-permit-only figure understates the total for any project with trade work, and a new home will usually draw several trade permits.
Planning, zoning, site, and utility fees are excluded
Planning fees, zoning fees, land disturbance and stormwater permits, code compliance and rental inspection fees, water and sewer connection or utility fees, and the online credit card service fee are not included in any figure on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
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City of Lynchburg Community Development Department Fee Schedule - Building Inspections (Fee Chart PDF) Effective May 1, 2018 · Source of the valuation tiers, the 10% plan checking fee, the 2.00% Virginia levy note, and all flat fees · Verified October 28, 2026 Verified
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City of Lynchburg - Permitting & Inspections Current · Links the "Fee Chart (PDF)" above · Verified October 28, 2026
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City of Lynchburg - What Requires a Building Permit Current · Permit triggers, including storage buildings over 256 SF, swimming pools, and re-roofing (commercial only) · Verified October 28, 2026
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City of Lynchburg - Inspections Current · Office address, phone, and eTRAKiT online permitting
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Code of Virginia §36-137 - USBC State Levy Authority Current · Virginia General Assembly · Authorizing statute for the statewide building permit levy noted on the Lynchburg schedule
See how Lynchburg's valuation-based table compares to other Virginia localities, or read how PermitPrice builds these figures.
Permit Fees Are One Part of Your Project Budget
Once you know your Lynchburg permit cost, two related numbers round out your total budget picture:
Property tax impact after your project closes
A permitted project in Lynchburg may change the property's assessed value. The city's assessing office determines that value, separately from this permit fee.
Zoning, planning, and land disturbance fees for larger projects
Lynchburg's planning, zoning, land disturbance, and stormwater fees are separate from the building permit. These charges are governed separately from the building permit and are excluded from the 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 →