What do these permits involve in Virginia Beach?

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Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL)

The underlying guide is dated 'Revised 12.29.2022' and was re-fetched directly for this record — it is still that same document, not a newer republication. Other Virginia cities (Richmond, confirmed separately) raised their BPOL exemption threshold to $500,000 effective January 1, 2026; the Commissioner of the Revenue's own rate pages and the City's own published fee-change bulletins show no comparable Virginia Beach ordinance, so the $25/$40/$50 thresholds at $25,000/$100,000/$200,000 above remain the City's own currently published figures for tax year 2026 — verify directly with the Commissioner of the Revenue at (757) 385-4515 before relying on this for a specific filing. Barbershops, beauty parlors and nail/tanning salons are billed under this same general-services rate (City Code section 18-56) rather than a separate salon license; general contractors are likewise billed under the Contracting classification with no separate city registration or bond confirmed.

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.

Fire Inspection Fee

Re-inspection is also $50, starting at the second re-inspection. A fire watch costs $25 after the first 48 hours, then $25 every 7 days. Virginia Beach's own local fire official exempts it from the Virginia State Fire Marshal's Office's separate $200/year mobile-food-preparation-vehicle fee, which applies only in localities without one. Neither the Fire Prevention Bureau's Fees & Permits page nor its Special Events page publishes a food-truck-specific line item; the Fees & Permits page states only the single general figure quoted above ('The current fee for a fire inspection is $50.00'). A food truck's fire inspection is therefore billed at this same general $50 rate as far as the Bureau's own published materials show.

Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL)	City of Virginia Beach, Office of the Commissioner of the Revenue	Flat fee below $200,000 in annual gross receipts: $25 (up to $25,000), $40 (up to $100,000), $50 (up to $200,000). Above $200,000, a per-$100-of-gross-receipts rate applies by classification: Contracting $0.16, General/personal/business services $0.36, Professional/financial/real estate services $0.58, Retail merchant $0.20, Wholesale merchant (on gross purchases) $0.12.	annual	2026-09-05
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
Fire Inspection Fee	Virginia Beach Fire Prevention Bureau	$50 per inspection	recurring	2026-09-05

Business licenses and permits in Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Permits that apply to every type of business in Virginia Beach