Virginia Development Fees
Virginia is one of the few states that does not authorize broad municipal or county impact fees. Development costs are set instead through case-by-case proffers, locality-adopted application fee schedules, and utility availability charges - which makes a published-schedule lookup site like ZoneFee a different research tool than it is for Texas or other impact-fee states.
Coverage last updated: 2026-05-09. 6 Virginia jurisdictions live on ZoneFee.
Live Virginia Jurisdictions
How Development Fees Work in Virginia
Virginia is a Dillon Rule state: counties, cities, and towns may levy only those fees expressly authorized by the General Assembly. The legislature has not granted general statutory impact fee authority comparable to Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 or Florida's local impact fee statutes. Most Virginia localities therefore cannot impose impact fees on new development as a condition of approval.
The mechanism most Virginia counties use to capture infrastructure cost from new development is the voluntary proffer system under Va. Code Section 15.2-2303. A proffer is a written commitment a developer makes during a rezoning or special exception application: cash, land dedication, or specific design or use restriction. Proffers are not posted as a schedule. They are negotiated case by case during the discretionary approval process and recorded in the rezoning ordinance for that specific property. As a result, "Virginia impact fees" in a published-schedule sense largely do not exist.
Virginia localities also charge administrative application fees for rezoning, special exception, special use permit, zoning modification, variance, site plan, subdivision, and zoning permit reviews. These are authorized under the Virginia planning and zoning enabling statutes (Va. Code Title 15.2, Chapter 22 for counties and Chapter 22 for cities and towns). They are typically published in the locality's zoning ordinance appendix or in a Board of Supervisors fee resolution, and they cover the cost of staff review rather than infrastructure capacity.
Finally, water and wastewater service for new development is provided by either the county utility department, an independent authority (such as Loudoun Water for Loudoun County), or a regional system (such as the Hampton Roads Sanitation District). These utilities charge availability charges for new connections - structurally similar to one-time tap fees in other states - and ongoing volumetric and base service charges for occupied properties. Availability charges are published by each utility in its rate schedule.
Virginia Statutory Anchors
- Va. Code Section 15.2-2303 - Conditional zoning; voluntary proffers. Authorizes the proffer system used in lieu of statutory impact fees. (law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/15.2-2303)
- Va. Code Section 15.2-2241 - Subdivision ordinances; mandatory provisions. Authorizes locality-adopted subdivision regulation and associated review fees. (law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/15.2-2241)
- Va. Code Section 15.2-2286 - Permitted provisions in zoning ordinances. Authorizes locality-adopted zoning ordinance provisions including application and permit fees. (law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/15.2-2286)
- Va. Code Section 15.2-2317 - Road Impact Fees, Applicability (Article 8). Limits statutory road-impact-fee authority to localities with adopted zoning that meet population and growth thresholds (population at least 20,000 with growth at least 5%, or growth of at least 15%). Does not extend to most localities. (law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/15.2-2317)
- Va. Code Section 15.2-2303.2 - Proffered cash payments and expenditures. Governs the time-bound use of voluntarily proffered cash payments and the annual cash-proffer reporting framework administered through the Commission on Local Government. Useful for researching proffer activity by county. (law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/15.2-2303.2)
Coverage Detail by Jurisdiction
| Jurisdiction | Type | Region | Fee Types Covered | Last Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loudoun County | County | Northern Virginia (Dulles Tech Corridor) | Zoning application fees, land development fees, Loudoun Water availability charges, proffer framework | 2026-04-27 |
| Fairfax County | County | Northern Virginia (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria MSA) | LDS Appendix Q Section II.A Site Plan Review Fees and Section I Building Development Fees (Phase 2 effective July 1, 2025; Code Chapter 61 base fee $135; Technology Surcharge 10%; Code Academy levy 2%); voluntary cash-proffer framework per Va. Code 15.2-2303 (case-specific). Fairfax Water connection charges administered separately | 2026-05-06 |
| Prince William County | County | Northern Virginia (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria MSA) | Planning Office FY2026 Rezoning and Proffer Amendment Fee Schedule (effective July 1, 2025; Base Rate plus Per-Acre Rate by zoning district across A-1, R-2 through R-30, PMR, MXD, RPC, B-1 through B-3, O-, M-1, M-2, M/T, PBD, PMD); voluntary cash-proffer framework per Va. Code 15.2-2303. PWCSA water/sewer connection administered separately | 2026-05-06 |
| Chesterfield County | County | Richmond MSA (south-central Virginia) | Utilities Department FY2026 + FY2027 connection-side rates (water/wastewater capital recovery, meter, service line); Section 19.2-49 zoning fee partial (zoning letter, family day care CU, personal dog keeping SE, recreational vehicle CU); Cash Proffer Policy adopted (per-unit calculation deferred). Va. Code 15.2-2317 road impact fees do not apply | 2026-05-08 |
| City of Alexandria | Independent City | Northern Virginia / Inner Beltway (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria MSA) | Department of Planning and Zoning FY2026 Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2025 (SUP, DSUP/DSP, Rezoning, Subdivision, BZA, BAR, CDD Concept Plan). Va. Code 15.2-2317 road impact fees and Va. Code 15.2-2303.4 per-unit cash proffers do not apply (independent-city / inner-Beltway doctrine). Water tap and wastewater connection fees administered by Virginia American Water Company and Alexandria Renew Enterprises (separately) | 2026-05-09 |
| Arlington County | County | Northern Virginia / Inner Beltway (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria MSA) | FY2026 CPHD Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule effective July 19, 2025 (Rezoning by district, Site Plan, Use Permit Type I/II/III, BZA, GLUP Amendment, Subdivision, building permit zoning review); FY2026 DES Consolidated Development-Related Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2025 (water/sewer Service Connection by service size, Infrastructure Availability per DFU, drainage fixture inspections); 10% Automation Enhancement Fee applies. Va. Code 15.2-2317 road impact fees and Va. Code 15.2-2303.4 per-unit cash proffers do not apply | 2026-05-09 |
What This Coverage Includes
ZoneFee currently has 6 Virginia jurisdictions live: Loudoun County, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Prince William County, Chesterfield County, and the City of Alexandria. Each record is published under ZoneFee's Partial-Verified Publication Standard with at least one development-fee family confirmed verbatim from an official primary source. Loudoun County covers zoning application fees from the Loudoun Zoning Ordinance Appendix B (rezoning ZMAP/ZRES, special exception SPEX/SPMI, ZCPA/ZRAM, ZMOD/ZRMD, ZCOR, variance ZVAR) and Loudoun Water availability charges effective January 1, 2026. Arlington County covers the FY2026 CPHD Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule (Site Plan, Rezoning, Use Permit, BZA) and the FY2026 DES Consolidated Development-Related Fee Schedule (water/sewer Service Connection, Infrastructure Availability). Fairfax County covers the LDS Appendix Q Phase 2 (effective 2025-07-01) zoning + building permit base + per-square-foot rates, plus the Va. Code 15.2-2303 voluntary proffer framework. Prince William County covers the Planning Office FY2026 Rezoning / Proffer Amendment Fee Schedule (effective 2025-07-01) with verbatim Base Rate plus per-acre rate by zoning district. Chesterfield County covers rezoning, conditional use, zoning permits, and utility tap fees from chesterfield.gov resources. The City of Alexandria covers zoning application fees including SUP and variance amounts. Each jurisdiction page documents that Virginia counties and cities operate under the voluntary proffer system rather than under TLGC Chapter 395-style statutory impact fees.
Researching Virginia Fees: What to Expect
Looking up Virginia development fees works differently than in impact-fee states. For each Virginia jurisdiction, expect to consult three separate document types: the locality's zoning ordinance appendix or Board of Supervisors fee resolution (for application and permit fees), the cash proffer policy or recent rezoning cases (for proffer expectations - which require examining individual approved rezonings rather than a posted schedule), and the water/wastewater authority's rate schedule (for availability charges and utility connection costs). ZoneFee jurisdiction pages bring these together into one record for each covered jurisdiction, with verbatim source quotes and direct links to the underlying .gov documents.
Virginia Development Fees - Frequently Asked Questions
Does Virginia allow impact fees?
Most Virginia localities cannot levy general statutory impact fees. Virginia is one of the few states that does not authorize broad municipal or county impact fee authority comparable to Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395. The legislature has granted limited road-impact-fee authority that applies only to localities meeting population and growth thresholds under Va. Code Section 15.2-2317 (Article 8, Road Impact Fees - Applicability), but the more common mechanism is the voluntary proffer system under Va. Code Section 15.2-2303.
What is a Virginia proffer?
A proffer is a written, voluntary commitment made by a developer to a Virginia locality during a rezoning or other discretionary land use approval. Proffers can be cash payments, dedications of land, or specific design or use commitments. Because they are tied to a specific rezoning case rather than a published schedule, proffer amounts vary materially by jurisdiction, project type, and timing. Virginia proffers are governed by Va. Code Section 15.2-2303 and related sections.
What development fees do Virginia counties typically charge directly?
Virginia counties typically charge fees for rezoning applications, special exceptions, special use permits, zoning modifications, variances, site plans, subdivisions, plat reviews, and zoning permits. These are administrative review fees authorized under Virginia's planning and zoning enabling statutes, not impact fees. Counties also charge plan review and inspection fees through their building departments. Water and wastewater authorities (often separate public utilities) charge availability charges for new connections that function similarly to one-time tap fees in other states.
Are Virginia development fees published in a single statewide schedule?
No. Virginia does not publish a statewide development fee schedule. Each county, city, and town maintains its own fee schedule, typically within its zoning ordinance Appendix or a separately adopted Board of Supervisors fee resolution. Water and wastewater availability charges are published by the utility serving each jurisdiction, which may be a county department, an independent authority such as Loudoun Water, or a regional system.
How do Virginia development fees differ from Maryland or DC?
Maryland authorizes broader impact fee programs at the county level under state enabling acts (e.g., Charles County, Anne Arundel County). The District of Columbia uses Planned Unit Development negotiated proffers similar in spirit to Virginia proffers, but applies them within a single municipal jurisdiction rather than across counties. Virginia's reliance on case-by-case proffers means cross-jurisdiction fee comparisons in Virginia require examining individual rezoning cases rather than reading a posted schedule.
Where does ZoneFee source Virginia fee data?
ZoneFee sources Virginia fee data from official county and city websites (loudoun.gov and equivalent), zoning ordinance appendices retrieved as PDFs, water and wastewater authority rate schedules (e.g., loudounwater.org), and the Virginia Code via the Virginia Legislative Information System at law.lis.virginia.gov. We do not source fee data from third-party aggregators, news articles, or AI summaries. See the methodology page for the full source hierarchy.
What Virginia Coverage Is Not Yet on ZoneFee
Virginia coverage is expanding. The 6 jurisdictions named above are currently live; additional Northern Virginia, Greater Richmond, and Hampton Roads jurisdictions are queued in our expansion plan but have not yet reached ZoneFee's verification standard. We do not list pending jurisdiction names on this page; transparency on what is and is not yet covered lives on the ZoneFee coverage page. If your project is in a Virginia jurisdiction we have not yet covered, the locality's own zoning office, planning department, or water authority remains the binding source for current fees.
Virginia Sources Used on This Page
- Virginia Code Title 15.2 Chapter 22 - Planning, Subdivision of Land and Zoning. Accessed 2026-04-27.
- Va. Code Section 15.2-2303 - Conditional zoning; voluntary proffers. Accessed 2026-04-27.
- Va. Code Section 15.2-2317 - Road Impact Fees, Applicability (Article 8). Accessed 2026-05-09.
- Va. Code Section 15.2-2303.2 - Proffered cash payments and expenditures. Accessed 2026-05-09.
State-level framework last reviewed: 2026-04-27. Live jurisdiction records last verified: Loudoun County 2026-04-27; Arlington County 2026-05-09; Fairfax County 2026-05-06; Prince William County 2026-05-06; Chesterfield County 2026-05-09; City of Alexandria 2026-05-09. For the full ZoneFee coverage list, see the ZoneFee coverage page.