Chesterfield County Department of Building Inspection

Commercial Building Permit

Any commercial build-out, new construction, addition or demolition in Chesterfield County needs a building permit from the Department of Building Inspection, which enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (2021 edition) countywide — there being no incorporated towns to carve out of its jurisdiction. Under the fee schedule in effect July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027: new commercial construction costs $297 minimum plus $7.40 per $1,000 of construction cost, a commercial addition costs $178 minimum plus the same $7.40 per $1,000, and demolishing a commercial structure costs $119. These figures come from Code § 5.5, 'Permit Fees,' and the schedule is reviewed annually by the Board of Supervisors, so a project starting after June 30, 2027 should confirm the next fiscal year's schedule. Zoning compliance is a separate precondition of the county's BPOL business license itself (Code § 6-9), checked by the applicant before the license is issued, in addition to whatever this building permit requires for the physical construction.