Virginia Beach
City of Virginia Beach Planning & Community Development, Permits and Inspections
In short
City of Virginia Beach Planning & Community Development, Permits and Inspections issues 2 permits we publish for Virginia Beach, last verified 2026-09-05. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Virginia Beach Planning & Community Development, Permits and Inspections | $75 flat | issued once per qualifying occupancy | 2026-09-05 |
| Commercial Building/Alteration Permit | City of Virginia Beach Planning & Community Development, Permits and Inspections | Commercial alterations (tenant buildout): $50 plus $5 per $1,000 of construction value, or fraction thereof. New construction/additions: $50 plus $8 per 100 sq ft; non-heated commercial storage new/additions: $50 plus $4 per 100 sq ft. Commercial Plan Review is $200 ($100 for a minor review, $50 for a counter review); Plan Review Revision $100; Special Use and Occupancy Review $400; Re-inspection $75. A 2% state levy and a flat $10 Technology Fee apply to all permits. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-05 |
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
Virginia's Uniform Statewide Building Code (Virginia Construction Code section 116) requires a certificate of occupancy before a building or structure is occupied and before any change of occupancy; the building official issues it within five working days after the final inspection is approved and the building is found to comply with the code and other applicable laws. At the permit holder's request, a temporary certificate may be issued before all permitted work is complete, where part of the building can be occupied safely. Where the city holds no certificate for an existing building, the owner may ask in writing for one to be created, and it is issued if there are no current maintenance or fire prevention code violations and the occupancy classification has not changed. The city's current commercial fee schedule (rev. July 2025) lists the certificate at a flat $75.00, and states that a 2% state levy is assessed on the permit fees it lists and a $10.00 technology fee on all permits.
Commercial Building/Alteration Permit
The city requires a building permit to build or alter a commercial structure, including any work that cuts away a wall, partition or portion of the building, removes or cuts a structural beam, or removes, changes or rearranges a required means of egress; demolition or removal of a structure also needs a permit. Commercial plan review requires a $200 deposit, a cover letter naming the contact person, two copies of complete signed and sealed architectural and structural plans with material specifications, and a site plan. On the current fee schedule's own worked tables (rev. July 2025), an alteration valued at up to $10,000 carries a $100.00 permit fee and a new commercial building or addition of up to 1,000 sq ft a $130.00 fee, each before plan review, the 2% state levy and the $10.00 technology fee; beginning work without a permit adds a $250.00 administrative fee. For interior alterations the required inspections are above-ceiling, framing/insulation and final, scheduled through the city's online permitting service.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Virginia Beach
- 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.
- 13VAC5-63-160, Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (Virginia Construction Code) Section 116, Certificates of occupancyCommonwealth of Virginia, Department of Housing and Community Development (Virginia Administrative Code) · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- City of Virginia Beach — Commercial Building Permit Fees (rev. July 2025)City of Virginia Beach, Planning & Community Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-05
- City of Virginia Beach — Commercial Building Permits: work requiring a permit, plan review submittals, required inspectionsCity of Virginia Beach, Planning & Community Development, Permits & Inspections · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
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The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.