Virginia Beach, Virginia - City Development Fees
Virginia Beach | Independent city | Hampton Roads | Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA | Largest city in Virginia by population | FIPS 51810
Virginia Beach is an independent city on the Atlantic coast of Hampton Roads and the most populous city in Virginia. Its development-side fees come from two city sources: the Department of Planning and Community Development Permits and Inspections Division, which publishes the Commercial and Residential Building Permit Fee schedules, and the Development Services Center (DSC), which publishes the consolidated Development Plan, Plat, Permit, Inspection and Recording Fees schedule covering site plan, subdivision, plat, and land-development review. Water and sewer connection charges are administered by the city Department of Public Utilities as codified Capital Recovery Fees in the City Code. Discretionary application fees such as the Conditional Use Permit are set administratively rather than codified in the zoning ordinance.
Current Schedule
City of Virginia Beach building permit schedules revised July 2025 (effective July 1, 2025), the Development Services Center fee schedule revised August 2025, and the codified Water and Sewer Capital Recovery Fees under Ordinance No. 3737 (effective July 1, 2023). Captured line items include commercial and residential building permits, plan review and certificate of occupancy fees, demolition and storage-tank permits, site plan review tiered by land-disturbing area, subdivision and plat review, land-disturbing and stormwater permits, the standard Conditional Use Permit ($1,090), and the codified Water Capital Recovery Fee (Sec. 37-7.1) and Sewer Capital Recovery Fee (Sec. 28-4.1) by meter size. Verify current amounts with the City before relying on them.
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building, Plan Review, Site Plan, Subdivision, Plat, and Zoning Fees | Confirmed | Residential permit $50 + $7/100 sq ft; commercial $50 + $8/100 sq ft; Conditional Use Permit $1,090; site plan review $1,000-$7,560 by land-disturbing area | 2025-08-01 |
| Water and Sewer Capital Recovery Fees | Confirmed | 5/8" meter: $2,900 water + $2,521 sewer = $5,421 combined; scales to 10" ($333,543 water / $289,872 sewer); multiple-family 70% per unit | 2023-07-01 |
| Impact Fees (Va. Code 15.2-2317) | Not administered by this jurisdiction | Virginia Beach is statutorily eligible (high-growth locality) but has adopted no road impact fee ordinance; growth cost is recovered through the capital recovery fees | - |
| Cash Proffers (Va. Code 15.2-2303) | Unavailable via published sources | Voluntary conditional-zoning proffers negotiated case by case; no standing cash-proffer rate schedule published | - |
| Special District Fees (SSD) | Not administered by this jurisdiction | Sandbridge, Neighborhood Dredging, and Town Center special service districts are ad valorem tax-roll assessments, not developer fees | - |
Building, Site Plan, Subdivision, and Zoning Fees - Current Operative Schedule
Source: City of Virginia Beach Commercial Building Permit Fees and Residential Building Permit Fees (revised July 2025, effective July 1, 2025; SHA-256 6f54917c... and f4c46ede...), the Development Services Center Development Plan, Plat, Permit, Inspection and Recording Fees schedule (revised August 2025; SHA-256 feabdcf3...), and the standard Conditional Use Permit fee published by Planning and Community Development (SHA-256 c4ea74ac...). A 2 percent state levy and a $10.00 technology fee apply to building permits.
Building Permits
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Commercial building permit - new construction and additions | $50 base + $8 per 100 sq ft ($58 for 100 sq ft up to $146 for 1,200 sq ft) |
| Commercial building permit - alterations | $50 + $5 per $1,000 of construction value |
| Residential building permit - new construction and additions (heated area) | $50 base + $7 per 100 sq ft ($57 for 100 sq ft up to $134 for 1,200 sq ft) |
| Residential building permit - non-heated area | $50 + $4 per 100 sq ft |
| Residential building permit - alterations | $50 + $5 per $1,000 of construction value |
| Demolition Permit | $50 per structure (+ $250 administrative fee if begun without a permit; $75 re-inspection) |
| Storage Tank Permit (underground/aboveground) | $55 to $110 tiered by $1,000-$12,000 construction value |
| State levy and technology fee (all building permits) | 2% state levy + $10 technology fee |
Plan Review, Inspection, and Certificate of Occupancy
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Commercial Plan Review | $200 |
| Commercial Minor Plan Review | $100 |
| Counter Plan Review | $50 |
| Plan Review Revision (commercial) | $100 |
| Special Use and Occupancy Review | $400 |
| Residential Plan Review | $100 |
| Residential Counter Plan Review | $25 |
| Residential Plan Review Revision | $25 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | $75 |
| Re-inspection | $75 |
Other Permits and Charges
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Right of Way permit (building permit schedule) | $35 |
| Water Service Line / Sewer Service Line | $50 each |
| Tent Permit | $50 per tent |
| Cell Site | $100 + $50 per additional |
| Administrative fee (work without a permit) | $250 |
Site Plan Review (by Land-Disturbing Area)
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Site Plan - commercial/office/industrial/multi-family/mixed-use, 1 to under 5 acres | $1,944 stormwater plan review + $1,000 site plan review (plus $200 watershed modification and $400 stormwater permit where applicable) |
| Site Plan - 5 to under 10 acres | $2,448 stormwater plan review + $1,333 site plan review |
| Site Plan - 10 to under 50 acres | $3,240 stormwater plan review + $2,847 site plan review |
| Site Plan - 50 to under 100 acres | $4,392 stormwater plan review + $5,877 site plan review |
| Site Plan - over 100 acres | $6,912 stormwater plan review + $7,560 site plan review |
| Site Plan - 2,500 sq ft to under 1 acre (Chesapeake Bay) | $600 stormwater plan review + $900 site plan review |
| Minor Site Plan | $84 |
| Land Disturbing Activity Plan (Erosion and Sediment Control only) | $100 |
| Post Approval Plan Revision or Field Change | $168 per revised sheet (not to exceed the original review fee) |
Subdivision and Plat
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Preliminary Subdivision Plat - Residential 2 lots | $336 |
| Preliminary Subdivision Plat - Residential 3 to 5 lots | $840 + $168 per lot |
| Preliminary Subdivision Plat - Residential 6 or more lots | $1,188 + $7 per lot above 5 |
| Preliminary Subdivision Plat - Non-Residential | $1,182 + $51 per lot |
| Resubdivision Plat (residential) | $84 |
| Resubdivision Plat (non-residential) | $336 |
| Amended Subdivision / Resubdivision | $84 |
| All Dedications / All Easements (public or private) | $84 each |
| Vacation of Subdivision Plat | $150 |
Land Disturbing, Stormwater, and Right-of-Way
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Land Disturbing / Stormwater Permit Fee | $75 (+ inspection 1.5% of cost of stormwater construction + $500 per acre of land-disturbing area; $50 minimum) |
| Right-of-Way Permit (land development) | $100 permit + $10 technology fee + civil inspection 1.5% of cost of construction ($50 minimum) |
| Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area (CBPA) Administrative Variance | $150 |
Conditional Use Permit
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Conditional Use Permit (standard) | $1,090 |
Virginia Beach does not codify rezoning, variance, or conditional use application fee dollar amounts in the City Zoning Ordinance (Appendix A); these discretionary application fees are set administratively by the Planning Department and the Development Services Center schedule. The standard Conditional Use Permit fee shown above is published on the city Conditional Use Permits page.
Department of Public Utilities - Water and Sewer Capital Recovery Fees
Source: City of Virginia Beach City Code Sec. 37-7.1 (Water Capital Recovery Fee) and Sec. 28-4.1 (Sewer Capital Recovery Fee), codified in Municode and most recently amended by Ordinance No. 3737 (effective July 1, 2023; SHA-256 cd683574... and 1eb2b5d6...). Water tap and meter installation (Sec. 37-7) is charged at the actual cost of installation, determined annually by the Department of Public Utilities. The Capital Recovery Fees are the fixed developer-side capacity charges that reserve water and sewer system capacity, scaled by meter size. The vbgov.com and publicutilities.virginiabeach.gov domains are not reachable by automated clients; the codified City Code on Municode is the official substitute source.
Water and Sewer Capital Recovery Fees by Meter Size
| Meter Size | Water Capital Recovery Fee | Sewer Capital Recovery Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 5/8" (single-family/duplex/triplex per unit; all non-residential) | $2,900.00 | $2,521.00 |
| 1" | $7,251.00 | $6,302.00 |
| 1.5" | $14,502.00 | $12,603.00 |
| 2" | $23,203.00 | $20,165.00 |
| 3" | $43,506.00 | $37,809.00 |
| 4" | $72,509.00 | $63,016.00 |
| 6" | $145,019.00 | $126,032.00 |
| 8" | $232,030.00 | $201,650.00 |
| 10" | $333,543.00 | $289,872.00 |
Tap Installation and Capital Recovery Fee Adjustments
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Water tap and meter installation (Sec. 37-7) | Actual cost of installation (average installation cost determined annually by the Department of Public Utilities) |
| Multiple-family dwellings (water and sewer) | 70% of the applicable fee per dwelling unit |
| Irrigation meters (water only) | 25% of the applicable fee |
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 Beach is statutorily eligible for road impact fees under Va. Code Section 15.2-2317 (it is on the Commonwealth Transportation Board high-growth-locality list), but it has not adopted a transportation or road impact fee ordinance. The consolidated Development Services Center fee schedule enumerates no impact fee, and the codified City Code contains no impact-fee chapter. Growth-related water and sewer infrastructure cost is recovered through the Water and Sewer Capital Recovery Fees captured above, not a separate impact fee. Closed-search outcome: not administered by this jurisdiction (no ordinance enacted).
Cash Proffers (Va. Code 15.2-2303)
Virginia Beach uses voluntary conditional-zoning proffers. Per the official Rezoning page, an applicant voluntarily proffers, in a written document, the conditions under which a property may be developed (typically allowable-use, site-layout, and building-design conditions). These are negotiated case by case, not a published standing cash-proffer rate schedule. Three substitute paths were probed (the Rezoning page, the Development Services Center schedule, and the codified City Zoning Ordinance Appendix A); none surfaced a standing per-unit cash-proffer rate. Closed-search outcome: unavailable via published sources.
Special District Fees (SSD)
Virginia Beach special service districts - the Sandbridge Special Service District (City Code Chapter 35.1), the Neighborhood Dredging Special Service Districts (Chapter 35.3), and the Town Center and Old Beach SSDs - are ad valorem special-service-district tax assessments levied on the real-estate tax roll (an additional tax rate per $100 of assessed value), not developer-side development fees. They appear in the City Code under the taxation chapters, not in any development fee schedule. Closed-search outcome: not administered by this jurisdiction as a development fee.
Codified Water-Line and Sewer-Line Charges
The City Code Chapters 37 and 28 also contain additional water-line and sewer-line availability charges that were observed in the codified tables but are not itemized on this page; the Water and Sewer Capital Recovery Fees shown above are the primary developer-side capacity charges. Monthly minimum service availability charges under Sec. 37-46 are recurring utility billing rates, not one-time development fees, and are outside ZoneFee's developer-fee scope. Closed-search outcome: primary capacity charges captured; ancillary line charges not itemized.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| City of Virginia Beach Planning and Community Development - Permits and Inspections Division | Building, demolition, and storage-tank permits; plan review; certificate of occupancy | planning.virginiabeach.gov |
| City of Virginia Beach Development Services Center (DSC) / Planning and Zoning Administration | Site plan, subdivision construction plan, plat, conditional use permit, land-disturbing and stormwater, right-of-way | planning.virginiabeach.gov |
| City of Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities | Water and sewer capital recovery fees; water tap and meter installation | library.municode.com/va/virginia_beach (codified City Code) |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit Fees (rev. Jul-2025; SHA-256 6f54917c...) | City of Virginia Beach - Permits and Inspections Division | 2026-05-13 |
| Residential Building Permit Fees (rev. Jul-2025; SHA-256 f4c46ede...) | City of Virginia Beach - Permits and Inspections Division | 2026-05-13 |
| Development Plan, Plat, Permit, Inspection and Recording Fees - DSC (rev. Aug-2025; SHA-256 feabdcf3...) | City of Virginia Beach - Development Services Center | 2026-06-01 |
| Conditional Use Permits - standard CUP $1,090 (SHA-256 c4ea74ac...) | City of Virginia Beach - Planning and Community Development | 2026-06-01 |
| City Code Chapter 37 Sec. 37-7.1 Water Capital Recovery Fee (Ord. No. 3737; SHA-256 cd683574...) | City of Virginia Beach City Code (codified in Municode) | 2026-06-01 |
| City Code Chapter 28 Sec. 28-4.1 Sewer Capital Recovery Fee (Ord. No. 3737; SHA-256 1eb2b5d6...) | City of Virginia Beach City Code (codified in Municode) | 2026-06-01 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-06-01. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the City of Virginia Beach Department of Planning and Community Development and Department of Public Utilities before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the City of Virginia Beach Commercial and Residential Building Permit Fee schedules (rev. Jul-2025; SHA-256 6f54917c... and f4c46ede...), the Development Services Center Development Plan, Plat, Permit, Inspection and Recording Fees schedule (rev. Aug-2025; SHA-256 feabdcf3...), the Conditional Use Permit fee published by Planning and Community Development (SHA-256 c4ea74ac...), and the codified City Code Water Capital Recovery Fee (Sec. 37-7.1) and Sewer Capital Recovery Fee (Sec. 28-4.1) under Ordinance No. 3737 (SHA-256 cd683574... and 1eb2b5d6...). ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. Virginia Beach has not adopted a Va. Code 15.2-2317 road impact fee, uses voluntary conditional-zoning proffers under Va. Code 15.2-2303 with no standing cash-proffer schedule, and administers its special service districts as ad valorem tax-roll assessments rather than developer fees. Verify all current rates directly with the City of Virginia Beach 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.