York County, Virginia - County Development Fees
York County | County | Hampton Roads / Virginia Peninsula (Historic Triangle) | Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA | County seat Yorktown | FIPS 51199
York County is a county in the Hampton Roads / Virginia Peninsula region, with its county seat at Yorktown in the Historic Triangle. Its development-side fees come from three county sources: the Building Safety Division, which administers building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire-protection, sign, and land-disturbance permit fees codified in Sec. 7.1-8 and Sec. 7.1-9 of the Code of York County; the Planning Division, which publishes filing fees for rezoning, special use permits, special exceptions, and Yorktown Village Activity permits; and the Finance / Utility Billing function, which administers sewer connection fees codified in Sec. 18.1-64 of the Code of York County. Water service in York County is provided by Newport News Waterworks (City of Newport News), a separate authority not administered by York County.
Current Schedule
York County building permit fees codified in Sec. 7.1-8 and Sec. 7.1-9 of the Code of York County are effective July 1, 2025, with a $5 technology fee added to all permits per Ordinance 25-9(R). Captured line items include new residential and commercial building permits, alteration and renovation permits, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and sign permits, commercial and residential plan review, Planning Division filing fees for rezoning and special use permits, and the codified sewer connection fees by water meter size under Sec. 18.1-64 (most recently amended by Ord. No. 23-14, effective October 17, 2023). Verify current amounts with the County before relying on them.
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permit, Plan Review, and Zoning Application Fees | Confirmed | New residential $0.17/sq ft ($90 min); new commercial $0.15/sq ft (first 30,000 sq ft); rezoning $750 + $20/acre over 5 acres (max $5,000); $5 technology fee per permit | 2025-07-01 |
| Sewer Connection Fees (Sec. 18.1-64) | Confirmed | 5/8" meter: $3,700 initial / $8,625 regular; scales by meter size to 2" ($29,700 initial / $34,500 regular); 2"+ and compound meters per AWWA capacity | 2023-10-17 |
| Impact Fees (Va. Code 15.2-2317) | Not administered by this jurisdiction | No impact fee chapter exists in the Code of York County; York County has not adopted a Va. Code 15.2-2317 transportation impact fee program | - |
| Cash Proffers (Va. Code 15.2-2303) | Unavailable via published sources | York County is an active Virginia proffer jurisdiction; proffers are applicant-initiated and project-specific with no published cash-proffer rate schedule | - |
| Special District Fees | Not administered by this jurisdiction | The Marquis Community Development Authority is a bond-issuing public body for infrastructure financing, not a developer-facing fee-levying district | - |
Building, Plan Review, and Zoning Application Fees - Current Operative Schedule
Source: York County Building Safety Division Building Permit Fees, codified in Sec. 7.1-8 and Sec. 7.1-9 of the Code of York County (SHA-256 4c2d3f4e...), and the York County Planning Division filing fees (SHA-256 99a2eea7...). Building permit fees are effective July 1, 2025; a $5 technology fee is assessed on all permits per Ordinance 25-9(R), except Land Disturbance (LDA), VSMP, and non-permanent Amusement Devices.
Building Permits (Sec. 7.1-8)
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| New Residential Construction Under Roof | $0.17 per sq ft; $90 minimum |
| New Commercial Construction Under Roof - first 30,000 sq ft | $0.15 per sq ft |
| New Commercial Construction Under Roof - over 30,000 sq ft | $0.13 per sq ft |
| Structures NOT Under Roof (patios, decks, ramps, loading docks) | $0.15 per sq ft; $90 minimum |
| Building Alteration/Renovation/Repair - value $0-$1,000 | $90 |
| Building Alteration/Renovation/Repair - value $1,001-$5,000 | $120 |
| Building Alteration/Renovation/Repair - value >$5,000 | $140 plus $55 for each additional $5,000 or fraction thereof over $5,000 |
Plumbing, Electrical, Mechanical, and Sign Permits (Sec. 7.1-8)
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plumbing Permit - New Residential per Dwelling Unit | $130 for first 3 fixtures; $2 per fixture over 3 |
| Plumbing Permit - Water/Sewer Connection | $90; +$45 if abandoning septic |
| Electrical Permit - New Residential (<200 Amps) | $130 per dwelling unit |
| Electrical Permit - New Commercial (<200 Amps) | $160 minimum |
| Mechanical Permit - New Residential | $130 + $20 per each additional system |
| Mechanical Permit - New Commercial | $130 + $55 per each additional system |
| Sign Permit - Erection or Relocation | $80 base; plus area surcharge: 0-50 sqft $40, 51-100 sqft $50, 101-300 sqft $60, >301 sqft $80 |
Plan Review and Technology Fee (Sec. 7.1-9)
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Commercial Building Plan Review | $280 |
| Residential/Other Plan Review | $90 |
| Technology Fee (assessed on all permits except LDA, VSMP, non-permanent Amusement Devices) | $5 per permit (effective July 1, 2025 per Ordinance 25-9(R)) |
Planning Division Filing Fees (Zoning Applications)
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Rezoning or Planned Development | $750 plus $20 per acre over 5 acres; maximum $5,000 |
| Special Use Permit - Home Occupations and Accessory Apartments | $500 |
| Special Use Permit - All Other Types or Major Amendments | $750 plus $10 per acre over 5 acres; maximum $5,000 |
| Minor Enlargement or Expansion of a Special Use | $130 |
| Special Exception | $250 |
| Yorktown Village Activity Permit | $750 plus $10 per acre over 5 acres; maximum $5,000 |
Planning Division applications are due the first business day of each month. The Planning Division filing fee schedule is current as of the page's last review (2026-06-25); an explicit effective date is not stated on the Planning page.
Sewer Connection Fees - Code of York County Sec. 18.1-64
Source: Code of York County Sec. 18.1-64 (Connection Fees Established), Chapter 18.1 Sewage Disposal and Sewers, Article V Public Sewer Connections and Connection Fees, codified in Municode and most recently amended by Ord. No. 23-14 (effective October 17, 2023; SHA-256 6df5e124...). York County administers its own sanitary sewer system; the connection fee schedule is based on water meter size using AWWA standards. Water service in York County is provided by Newport News Waterworks (a separate City of Newport News authority); water connection and tap fees are not codified in the York County Code and are not covered in this schedule.
Sewer Connection Fees by Water Meter Size
| Water Meter Size | Initial Connection Fee | Regular Connection Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 5/8" | $3,700 | $8,625 |
| 3/4" | $5,600 | $10,075 |
| 1" | $9,300 | $15,825 |
| 1-1/2" | $18,500 | $23,000 |
| 2" | $29,700 | $34,500 |
| 2"+ and Compound Meters | $150 per gallon-per-minute of water meter capacity (per AWWA Standards) | Capacity (gpm) + $17,250 |
Connection Fee Surcharges
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Vacuum system lot surcharge (where Public Sewer Extension Agreement approved for vacuum system) - Note 1 | $2,500 per lot (in addition to all required connection fees) |
| Grinder pump residential subdivision lot surcharge - Note 2 | $2,500 per lot (in addition to all required connection fees) |
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.
Water Connection / Tap Fees - Newport News Waterworks (separate authority)
Water service in York County is provided by Newport News Waterworks, a City of Newport News utility authority. Water connection and tap fees are not set by York County and are not codified in the York County Code. Developers connecting to water must contact Newport News Waterworks directly. The sewer connection fees on this page (Sec. 18.1-64) are administered by York County; the water side is outside York County's administrative purview and is therefore disclosed here rather than represented as a York County fee.
Impact Fees (Va. Code 15.2-2317)
York County has not adopted a Va. Code Section 15.2-2317 transportation impact fee program. The full York County Code of Ordinances contains no Impact Fees or Capital Improvements chapter, the Building Permit Fees page references no impact fee, and the Development Services review process references no impact fee. Closed-search outcome: not administered by this jurisdiction. Re-open if York County adopts a Va. Code 15.2-2317 transportation impact fee program in a future supplement.
Cash Proffers (Va. Code 15.2-2303)
York County actively uses the Virginia voluntary proffer system under Va. Code Section 15.2-2303 during rezoning proceedings. At the sole discretion of the applicant, proffers or conditions on the use of the property may be voluntarily offered to the County. However, no published proffer schedule or standard cash proffer rate exists; amounts are negotiated case by case per project. Three substitute paths were probed (the Rezoning page, the Planning page, and the codified Chapter 24.1 Zoning); none surfaced a standing cash-proffer rate. Closed-search outcome: unavailable via official sources (active proffer mechanism, no published schedule).
Special District Fees
York County has one Community Development Authority, the Marquis Community Development Authority, but it is a bond-issuing public body for infrastructure financing (Va. Code Section 15.2-5152 et seq.), not a developer-facing fee-levying special district. It does not impose developer application fees or special assessments on development. The York County Code of Ordinances contains no PID, special tax district, or developer assessment fee chapter. Closed-search outcome: not administered by this jurisdiction. Re-open if York County establishes a new PID or developer-assessment special district.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| York County - Building Safety Division (Sec. 7.1-8 Code of York County) | Building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire-protection-system, sign, and land-disturbance permit fees | yorkcounty.gov/2241/Building-Permit-Fees |
| York County - Planning Division | Rezoning application fees, special use permit fees, variance fees, Yorktown Village Activity fees | yorkcounty.gov/161/Planning |
| York County - Finance / Utility Billing (Sec. 18.1-64 Code of York County) | Sewer connection fees | library.municode.com/va/york_county (codified Code of York County) |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Building Permit Fees {Sec. 7.1-8 Code of York County} (SHA-256 4c2d3f4e...) | York County, Virginia - Building Safety Division | 2026-06-25 |
| Planning - Filing Fees table (SHA-256 99a2eea7...) | York County, Virginia - Planning Division | 2026-06-25 |
| Code of York County Sec. 18.1-64 Connection Fees Established (Ord. No. 23-14; SHA-256 6df5e124...) | York County, Virginia - Code of Ordinances (Municode, official codifier) | 2026-06-25 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-06-25. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with York County Building Safety Division, the Planning Division, and the codified Code of York County before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the York County Building Permit Fees schedule codified in Sec. 7.1-8 and Sec. 7.1-9 of the Code of York County (SHA-256 4c2d3f4e...), the York County Planning Division filing fees (SHA-256 99a2eea7...), and the codified sewer connection fees under Sec. 18.1-64 of the Code of York County, most recently amended by Ord. No. 23-14 (SHA-256 6df5e124...). ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. York County has not adopted a Va. Code 15.2-2317 transportation impact fee, uses the Virginia voluntary proffer system under Va. Code 15.2-2303 with no standing cash-proffer schedule, and has no developer-facing special district fees (the Marquis Community Development Authority is a bond-issuing public body only). Water service is provided by Newport News Waterworks, a separate City of Newport News authority not administered by York County. Verify all current rates directly with York County and Newport News Waterworks 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.