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Arlington County

Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Inspection Services Division

In short

Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Inspection Services Division issues 2 permits we publish for Arlington County, last verified 2026-10-27. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.

What this agency issues

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Certificate of Occupancy (Building)Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Inspection Services Division$232 per certificate, for buildings other than one- and two-family dwellings, plus the 2% levy and 10% automation enhancement surcharge, under the FY 2027 ISD fee scheduleOne-time, per occupancy; FY 2027 schedule in effect July 1, 2026 through June 30, 20272026-10-27
Building Permit (Commercial and Other Non-Residential Buildings)only if it applies to youArlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Inspection Services DivisionMinimum permit fee $716. New construction and additions: $2.46 per gross sq ft of total floor area or $716, whichever is greater. Alterations, including tenant layouts: $1.40 per gross sq ft for 50,000 sq ft or less, $1.67 per gross sq ft above 50,000 sq ft, or $716, whichever is greater. Surcharges added to the fee: a 2% fee levy authorized by the USBC for Code Academy activities and a 10% automation enhancement surcharge. A filing fee of 50% of the total permit fee is paid at application and counts toward the total.Per permit; FY 2027 schedule in effect July 1, 2026 through June 30, 20272026-10-27

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

About each permit

Certificate of Occupancy (Building)

The FY 2027 ISD fee schedule (effective July 1, 2026) sets the building certificate of occupancy fee at $232 for all buildings and structures other than one- and two-family dwellings, with the schedule's 2% USBC levy and 10% automation enhancement surcharge added. The county's Certificate of Occupancy page states that "A building or space cannot be occupied and/or opened for business until the CO has been both approved and issued", and that before applying the applicant must first verify that the intended use is permitted by the Zoning Ordinance. Applications are reviewed by both the Inspection Services Division and the Zoning Division, and the Zoning Division charges its own certificate of occupancy fee, recorded separately. The county's FY 2027 Adopted Tax & Fee Compendium lists the $232 figure as an FY 2027 fee.

Building Permit (Commercial and Other Non-Residential Buildings)

Building work on a commercial or other non-residential space in Arlington County is permitted by the Inspection Services Division of the Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development. The FY 2027 ISD fee schedule ("Effective July 1st, 2026", Attachment B) sets, for buildings other than one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, a minimum permit fee of $716; new construction and additions at $2.46 per gross square foot of total floor area; and alterations, including tenant layouts, at $1.40 per gross square foot for 50,000 square feet or less and $1.67 above 50,000 square feet, in each case subject to the $716 minimum. Each fee carries two surcharges stated in the schedule: a 2% levy authorized by the USBC for Code Academy activities and a 10% automation enhancement surcharge. A filing fee equal to 50% of the total permit fee is paid when the application is filed and is included in the total. The county's FY 2027 Adopted Tax & Fee Compendium lists the same $716, $2.46 and $1.40 figures as FY 2027 fees.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Arlington County
Phone
Not verified — use the website

Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.

Sources

Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

  1. Certificate of OccupancyArlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  2. Fee SchedulesArlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  3. FY27 Inspection Services Division Fee Schedule (Effective July 1st, 2026 / Attachment B)Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  4. Tax & Fee Compendium – FY 2027 AdoptedArlington County Department of Management and Finance · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27

Other offices serving Arlington County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Industry permit lists that include this agency

Virginia jurisdictions

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.