James City County, Virginia - County Development Fees
James City County | County | Eastern Virginia / Hampton Roads / Williamsburg metro | Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA | County seat: Williamsburg-James City County (101 Mounts Bay Road, Williamsburg VA 23185) | FIPS 51095
James City County is one of Virginia's two original shires, in the Williamsburg area of the Hampton Roads region. The County consolidates its development-side fees in a single codified document: the Code of the County of James City, Appendix A Fee Schedule for Development Related Permits, which spans Chapter 4 (Building Regulations), Chapter 8 (Erosion and Stormwater Management Program), Chapter 19 (Subdivisions), Chapter 22 (Wetlands), Chapter 23 (Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance), and Chapter 24 (Zoning). Water and sewer connections are administered separately by the James City Service Authority (JCSA). County government is at 101 Mounts Bay Rd, Williamsburg VA 23185; main line 757-253-6600.
Current Schedule
James City County Appendix A Fee Schedule for Development Related Permits - Municode supplement current through March 19, 2026. The codified appendix consolidates development-side fees across six chapters of the County code. Captured line items include building permit fees ($52.50 minimum plus $0.1365 per square foot), the full electrical/mechanical/plumbing trade schedule, plan review at $21.00 per 1,000 square feet, erosion and stormwater management plan fees scaled by acreage and land-disturbance class, subdivision and site plan review tiers, rezoning ($1,260.00 plus $78.75 per acre), Special Use Permit, Board of Zoning Appeals, variance, wetlands, and Chesapeake Bay Preservation fees. The James City Service Authority administers the separate Water and Sewer System Facilities Fee schedule shown further below. Verify current amounts with the County and JCSA before relying on them.
On this page
- Fee summary
- Zoning fees
- Utility tap fees
- Coverage notes
- Fee authorities
- Sources
Fee Summary
| Fee Type |
Status |
Top-Line Figure |
Effective Date |
| Building, Trade, Stormwater, Subdivision, Site Plan, and Zoning Fees |
Confirmed |
Building permit $52.50 min + $0.1365/sq ft; rezoning $1,260 + $78.75/acre; site plan $630-$1,890 base; 218+ codified line items |
2026-03-19 |
| JCSA Water and Sewer System Facilities Fees |
Confirmed |
5/8" meter single-family: $3,219 water + $3,583 sewer = $6,802 combined; plus Local Facilities Fee $1,436 water / $1,818 sewer per ERC |
2020-07-01 |
| Impact Fees (Va. Code 15.2-2317) |
Not administered by this jurisdiction |
James City County is not on the Commonwealth Transportation Board high-growth-locality list; road impact fees not authorized |
- |
| Cash Proffers (Va. Code 15.2-2303) |
Unavailable via published sources |
Proffers accepted at applicant initiative ($210 fee to amend proffered conditions captured under zoning); no standing cash-proffer rate schedule published |
- |
| Special District Fees (CDA / SSD / BID) |
Not administered by this jurisdiction |
County sitemap surfaced no Community Development Authority, Special Service District, or Business Improvement District developer-fee schedule |
- |
Development, Building, Stormwater, and Zoning Fees - Current Operative Schedule
Source: Code of the County of James City, Virginia - Appendix A Fee Schedule for Development Related Permits (Municode; supplement current March 19, 2026; SHA-256 04911b1e...), captured verbatim from the codified appendix. The schedule consolidates fees across six chapters of the County code. Postage costs noted alongside many zoning fees are pass-through to applicants.
Building Permits
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|
| Building Permit - Minimum | $52.50 |
| Building Permit - per sq ft of construction floor area | $0.1365 per sq ft |
| Building Permit - garage/barn/pole shed when not under main dwelling permit | $0.105 per sq ft |
| Building Permit - alteration/repair/exterior walls/fences/towers/swimming pools etc. | 1.05% of current value of service, labor and materials |
| Building Permit - demolition (floor area over 200 sq ft) | $52.50 |
| Building Permit - relocation per sq ft of gross floor area | $0.105 per sq ft |
| Building Permit - work without permit penalty | Double the listed building permit fee |
| Permit reissuance (per six-month period; up to 5 years) | $52.50 |
| Mobile Home Installation inspection | $52.50 |
Electrical Permits
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|
| Electrical Permit - Minimum | $52.50 |
| Service install - Single Phase 0-100 amps | $52.50 |
| Service install - Single Phase 101-150 amps | $63.00 |
| Service install - Single Phase 151-200 amps | $68.25 |
| Service install - Three Phase 0-60 amps | $52.50 |
| Service install - Three Phase 61-100 amps | $57.75 |
| Service install - Three Phase 101-150 amps | $68.25 |
| Service install - Three Phase 151-200 amps | $73.50 |
| Service install - Over 200 amps Single Phase | $68.25 + $15.75 per additional 50 amps |
| Service install - Over 200 amps Three Phase | $73.50 + $15.75 per additional 50 amps |
| Temporary service or mobile home reconnection | $52.50 |
| Service relocation (no size increase) | $52.50 |
| Addition 1-100 outlets | $52.50 |
| Addition over 100 outlets | $52.50 + $0.21 per outlet over 100 |
Mechanical, Gas, Tanks, and Fire Suppression Permits
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|
| Mechanical/Gas Permit - Minimum / First $1,000 value | $52.50 |
| Mechanical/Gas Permit - Over $1,000 value | $52.50 + $5.25 per $1,000 or fraction |
| Fuel piping permit | $0.01 per $1,000 valuation |
| LPG tanks/piping 0-500 gallons | $52.50 |
| LPG tanks/piping 501-2,000 gallons | $57.75 |
| LPG tanks/piping over 2,000 gallons | $57.75 + $1.05 per 10,000 gallons |
| Flammable liquid tanks 0-10,000 gallons | $52.50 |
| Flammable liquid tanks 10,001-20,000 gallons | $57.75 |
| Flammable liquid tanks 20,001-50,000 gallons | $63.00 |
| Flammable liquid tanks over 50,000 gallons | $73.50 + $5.25 per 25,000 gallons |
| Storage tank removal | $52.50 |
| Fire suppression systems (incl. standpipes) - First $1,000 value | $52.50 |
| Fire suppression systems - Over $1,000 value | $52.50 + $5.25 per $1,000 |
| Elevators/dumbwaiters/moving stairways/manlifts - First $1,000 value | $52.50 |
Plumbing Permits
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|
| Plumbing Permit - Minimum | $52.50 |
| Each fixture or appliance | $7.35 |
| Water distribution system per building | $15.75 |
| Building drain connection to public/private sanitary sewer | $7.35 |
| Each sewer/manhole/roof drain | $7.35 |
Plan Review, Inspection, and Certificate of Occupancy
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|
| Plan Review - Minimum | $15.75 |
| Plan Review Fee | $21.00 per 1,000 sq ft of floor space or part thereof |
| Supplemental plan review (flood plain) | $52.50 |
| Revised Plans review - Minimum | $7.35 |
| Revised Plans review | $21.00 per 1,000 sq ft |
| Reinspection - First / Second / Third and subsequent | $52.50 / $105.00 / $210.00 |
| Administrative Fee (per application) | $52.50 |
| Annual Elevator Inspections - Traction / Hydraulic | $210.00 / $157.00 |
| Annual Elevator Inspection certificate (third-party inspector) | $52.50 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | $52.50 |
| 30-day temporary CofO - residential / nonresidential | $52.50 / $105.00 |
| 30-day temporary CofO renewal - residential / nonresidential | $105.00 / $210.00 |
| Fire protection system / range hood suppression acceptance tests | $52.50 |
| Fire Dept CofO inspection (non-1/2-family residential) | $52.50 |
| Amusement Device Inspection - small / circular <20ft / spectacular / coaster >30ft | $26.25 / $36.75 / $57.75 / $157.50 each |
| Weekend/after-hours amusement device and tent inspections | $90.00 |
Erosion and Stormwater Management (Chapter 8)
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|
| Single-family residential structure (Erosion Control / Stormwater Mgmt Plan) | $105.00 |
| Residential subdivisions per lot | $73.50 per lot |
| Residential site plan, all other land disturbing activities | $882.00 per acre (first 15 acres) + $588.00 per additional acre |
| Nonresidential plan, all other land disturbing activities | $630.00 per acre (first 15 acres) + $420.00 per additional acre |
| VSMP/Chesapeake Bay land disturbing activity (>=2,500 sq ft and <1 acre) | $304.50 |
| Stormwater small construction activity (<1 acre) | $304.50 |
| Stormwater small construction activity (>=1 and <5 acres) | $2,835.00 (single-family detached residential tier $304.50 per VA Code 62.1-44.15:28) |
| Stormwater large construction (5-10 / 10-50 / 50-100 / >=100 acres) | $3,570.00 / $4,725.00 / $6,405.00 / $10,080.00 |
| Stormwater permit modification - small (<1 / 1-5 acres) | $21.00 / $210.00 |
| Stormwater permit modification - large (5-10 / 10-50 / 50-100 / >=100 acres) | $262.50 / $315.00 / $472.50 / $735.00 |
| Stormwater maintenance fee - Chesapeake Bay / small <1 acre | $52.50 |
| Stormwater maintenance fee - 1-5 / 5-10 / 10-50 / 50-100 / >=100 acres | $420.00 / $525.00 / $682.50 / $945.00 / $1,470.00 |
| As-Built Plan Review - Small (up to 3 BMPs) / Large (>3 BMPs) Nonresidential | $300.00 / $500.00 |
| As-Built Plan Review - Small (<5 acres) / Large (>5 acres) Residential | $300.00 / $500.00 |
| Initial Surety establishment | $500.00 |
| Surety Renewal - Years 3-5 / 6-9 / Year 10 / Year 11+ | $500.00 / $700.00 / $1,200.00 / $2,000.00 per year |
| Subdivision Stormwater Installation Inspection - per BMP | $945.00 per practice |
| Subdivision Stormwater Installation Inspection - per foot of drain/channel | $0.945 per foot |
| Water and Sewer Line Installation Inspection (JCSA) | $1.5015 per foot |
Subdivision (Chapter 19)
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|
| Major/Minor Subdivision - no public improvements | $210.00 per plan + $73.50 per lot over 2 |
| Major/Minor Subdivision - public improvements required | $262.50 per plan + $73.50 per lot over 2 |
| Townhouse/condominium subdivisions (site plan reviewed) | $52.50 |
| Subdivision additional review after second resubmission | $262.50 |
| Subdivision exception requests (Sec 19-18) | $300.00 |
Site Plan (Chapter 24)
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|
| Administrative Review - Residential | $630.00 + $63.00 per unit |
| Administrative Review - Nonresidential | $630.00 + $0.0252 per sq ft of building area |
| Administrative Review - Mixed Use | $630.00 + $63.00 per unit + $0.0252 per sq ft nonresidential |
| Planning Commission/DRC Review - Residential | $1,890.00 + $63.00 per unit |
| Planning Commission/DRC Review - Nonresidential | $1,890.00 + $0.0252 per sq ft of building area |
| Planning Commission/DRC Review - Mixed Use | $1,890.00 + $63.00 per unit + $0.0252 per sq ft nonresidential |
| Site Plan Amendment - Residential / Nonresidential | $105.00 + $10.50 per unit / $105.00 + $0.0042 per sq ft |
| Site Plan - Other (no >15% change) / Zoning/Fire review only | $105.00 / $21.00 |
| Site Plan - additional review after second resubmission | $262.50 |
Zoning, Rezoning, Special Use Permit, Variance (Chapter 24)
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|
| Rezoning - 5 acres or less | $1,260.00 + $78.75 per acre + postage |
| Rezoning - more than 5 but no more than 10 acres | $1,260.00 + $78.75 per acre + postage |
| Rezoning - more than 10 acres | $1,260.00 + $78.75 per acre + postage (not to exceed $15,000) |
| Rezoning - written request to amend proffered conditions (no use/density change, no public hearing) | $210.00 |
| Special Use Permit - General | $1,050.00 + $31.50 per acre (not to exceed $5,000) + postage |
| Special Use Permit - Manufactured Home / Family Subdivision (Sec 24-214) | $105.00 |
| Special Use Permit - Amendment/Renewal | $420.00 + postage |
| Special Use Permit - Communication Facilities | $1,575.00 + postage |
| Zoning - Administrative Variance | $262.50 + postage |
| Zoning - Board of Zoning Appeals | $525.00 + postage |
| Zoning Verification Request | $105.00 |
| Sign Permits | $5.25 per sq ft of gross sign area |
| Conceptual Plan | $26.25 |
| Height Limitation Waiver | $210.00 + postage |
| Master Plan - Initial Review (residential cluster/mixed use/PUD <400 acres) | $210.00 + postage |
| Master Plan - Revision (Residential Cluster / R-4, PUD, Mixed Use) | $78.75 / $157.50 + postage |
| Chicken Keeping | $21.00 |
Wetlands and Chesapeake Bay (Chapters 22 and 23)
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|
| Wetlands - exception by manager | $105.00 |
| Wetlands - permit affecting <=20,000 sq ft | $300.00 |
| Wetlands - permit affecting 20,001-40,000 sq ft | $400.00 |
| Wetlands - permit affecting >40,000 sq ft | $500.00 |
| Chesapeake Bay - exception by Board / by manager | $300.00 / $105.00 |
James City Service Authority - Water and Sewer Facilities Fees
Source: James City Service Authority (JCSA) System Facilities Fee and Local Facilities Fee schedule, captured from the JCSA Current Rates and Charges Card (as of July 1, 2025; SHA-256 b32b13ce...) and the 2025 Stantec Comprehensive Water and Sewer Rate Study Table 6-3 Current column (SHA-256 7b38ec38...). System Facilities Fees reserve system capacity and scale by meter size and Equivalent Residential Connection (ERC). These reflect the Current column; the JCSA Board had not adopted the 2025 rate-study recommended increases at the time of study publication, and the study Pro Forma applies the Current rates through FY 2034.
Water and Sewer System Facilities Fees by Meter Size
| Meter Size (ERC) | Water | Sewer |
|---|
| 5/8" (1.00 ERC, single-family residential) | $3,219.00 | $3,583.00 |
| 3/4" (1.50 ERC) | $4,829.00 | $5,375.00 |
| 1" (2.50 ERC) | $8,048.00 | $8,958.00 |
| 1.5" (5.00 ERC) | $16,095.00 | $17,915.00 |
| 2" (8.00 ERC) | $25,752.00 | $28,664.00 |
| 3" (17.50 ERC) | $56,333.00 | $62,703.00 |
| 4" (30.06 ERC) | $96,570.00 | $107,490.00 |
| 6" (67.50 ERC) | $217,283.00 | $241,853.00 |
| 8" (80.00 ERC) | $257,520.00 | $286,640.00 |
| 10" (115.00 ERC) | $370,185.00 | $412,045.00 |
Local Facilities, Connection, and Account Charges
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|
| Local Facilities Fee - Water (per ERC) | $1,436.00 |
| Local Facilities Fee - Sewer (per ERC) | $1,818.00 |
| Independent System Connection Fee - Water (per connection) | $8,000.00 |
| Lawn Irrigation System Fee (per account, water system connection) | $1,000.00 |
| Abandonment Inspection Fee (per parcel service-connection verification) | $200.00 |
| Account Charge - new water OR sewer only / combined water AND sewer | $20.00 / $40.00 |
| Water Service Deposit / Sewer Service Deposit (new account) | $100.00 / $75.00 |
Coverage Notes - What This Page Does Not Cover
Per ZoneFee's Partial-Verified Publication Standard, the items below were not closed via confirmed fee amounts on this page. They are disclosed here rather than estimated or omitted silently.
Impact Fees (Va. Code 15.2-2317)
Virginia road impact fees under Va. Code Section 15.2-2317 are statutorily restricted to localities designated "high-growth" by the Commonwealth Transportation Board. James City County is not on that list, so road impact fees are not authorized for the County. Stormwater and erosion-class fees under Chapter 8 are administered as development permit fees and are captured in the schedule above, not as separate statutory impact fees. Closed-search outcome: not administered by this jurisdiction.
Cash Proffers (Va. Code 15.2-2303)
James City County accepts proffers at applicant initiative under Va. Code Section 15.2-2303, and the Appendix A schedule includes a $210.00 fee to amend proffered conditions (captured under zoning fees above). However, the County does not publish a standing cash-proffer rate schedule. Three substitute paths were probed (the Rezoning landing page, the Appendix A Chapter 24 schedule, and the Community Development and Planning landing pages); none surfaced a standing per-unit cash-proffer rate. Because the County is not on the Commonwealth Transportation Board high-growth-locality list, the Va. Code 15.2-2303.4 cap framework does not apply. Closed-search outcome: unavailable via published sources; no standing schedule administered.
Special District Fees (CDA / SSD / BID)
A County sitemap search for Community Development Authority, Special Service District, or Business Improvement District developer-fee URLs returned only police special-teams, parks special-events, the Agricultural and Forestal District (a tax-deferral zoning overlay, not a developer fee district), and uniform countywide real-estate assessment pages. No James City County-administered CDA, SSD, or BID with a developer-side fee schedule was found. Closed-search outcome: not administered by this jurisdiction.
JCSA Facilities Fee Currency
The Water and Sewer System Facilities Fees shown reflect the Current column of the JCSA schedule, most recently updated in the 2020 Stantec rate study and confirmed as still in effect in the 2025 Stantec Comprehensive Water and Sewer Rate Study (the study's Pro Forma applies the Current rates through FY 2034). The 2025 study recommends an upward adjustment, but the JCSA Board had not adopted that increase at the time of study publication. Verify the current adopted schedule with JCSA before relying on these amounts. Closed-search outcome: Current rates confirmed; recommended increase not yet adopted at study publication.
Fee Authorities
| Authority |
Fee Types |
Official Website |
| James City County - Building Safety and Permits / Planning Division / Stormwater and Resource Protection Division |
Building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fire protection, stormwater and erosion, subdivision, site plan, rezoning, special use permits, variance, wetlands, Chesapeake Bay Preservation |
jamescitycountyva.gov |
| James City Service Authority (JCSA) |
Water and sewer system facilities fees, local facilities fees, connection and meter fees, water and sewer account charges and deposits |
jamescitycountyva.gov/jcsa |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-05-30. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with James City County and the James City Service Authority before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the Code of the County of James City Appendix A Fee Schedule for Development Related Permits (Municode supplement current March 19, 2026; SHA-256 04911b1e...) and the James City Service Authority rate documents (2025 Water and Sewer Rate Study and Current Rates and Charges Card; SHA-256 7b38ec38... and b32b13ce...). ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. James City County is not a Commonwealth Transportation Board high-growth locality, so Va. Code 15.2-2317 road impact fees do not apply; the County accepts proffers under Va. Code 15.2-2303 but publishes no standing cash-proffer schedule, and administers no Community Development Authority, Special Service District, or Business Improvement District developer-fee schedule. JCSA facilities fees reflect the Current column; the 2025 study's recommended increase was not adopted at publication. Verify all current rates directly with James City County and the James City Service Authority before relying on this data for land acquisition, project budgeting, or any financial decision. This page is for research and due-diligence reference only - it is not legal or financial advice.