Building Permits in Virginia

How much does a building permit cost in Virginia?

Most building permits in the United States cost between $150 and $2,000, with a national median around $1,300. Permit fees are usually set as a percentage of the declared project value — commonly 0.5% to 2% — or on a per-$1,000-of-valuation schedule, so a larger Virginia project pays a proportionally larger permit fee.

Across the 36,291 Virginia permits we currently track, the average declared project value is about $13,200. At a typical 0.5%–2% permit-fee schedule, that implies roughly $70–$260 in permit fees for an average Virginia project — though your city's fee schedule and project scope set the exact figure.

Virginia Building Permit Activity

Across 8 Virginia cities we tracked 6,590 new building permits in the last 30 days, representing $64M in declared construction value. That's up 1.0% from the prior 30 days.

Fastest-growing Virginia markets this month

• Virginia Beach — 3,273 permits, up 13.2% vs the prior month
• Lynchburg — 154 permits, up 0.7% vs the prior month
• Fairfax — 212 permits, up -4.5% vs the prior month
• Chesterfield County — 1,169 permits, up -7.0% vs the prior month
• Norfolk — 1,485 permits, up -7.5% vs the prior month

Biggest project in Virginia this month

$16.0M building permit in Norfolk at 1045 E Brambleton Avenue.

Virginia Construction Market

We're tracking 36,291 active building permits across 8 Virginia cities, led by Virginia Beach with 20327 tracked permits.

PermitGrab pulls this data daily, directly from Virginia municipal permit offices — so you see new residential renovations, commercial buildouts, and major developments as they're filed, before your competition finds them.

Browse the cities above to explore specific markets, or sign up for Pro to get daily email alerts and full contact information for permit holders.

Frequently Asked Questions About Virginia Building Permits