Building permits in Alexandria are issued by the city’s Department of Code Administration, through the APEX online portal and the Permit Center on the 2nd floor of 4850 Mark Center Drive, in the city’s West End. Alexandria’s Old and Historic Alexandria District, created in 1946, is the third oldest historic district in the United States.
This guide covers the department and how to reach it, the local conditions that survive state preemption, what permits cost and who may pull them, and how inspections are booked. Rules that apply everywhere in Virginia are summarized in each section, with a link to the full statewide explanation.
This guide covers work inside the city of Alexandria.
An Alexandria mailing address can mean Fairfax County, not the City of Alexandria. The city is independent and sits in no county, while parts of adjoining Fairfax County use Alexandria addresses and are permitted by Fairfax County Land Development Services. Check the parcel record.
What requires a permit in Alexandria?
The City of Alexandria Department of Code Administration issues building permits for work inside the city of Alexandria.
Permit required
- New residential and commercial construction, additions and remodels
- Structural alterations, relocation and demolition
- Electrical service changes, panel work and new circuits
- Plumbing, gas piping, water heaters and fixture work
- Mechanical installations and equipment replacements
- Solar photovoltaic systems and battery storage
- Re-roofing and re-siding, except on houses and townhouses where the design wind speed is 100 mph or less
- Renovation or demolition of a pre-1985 building, with asbestos certification first
Typically exempt
- Purely cosmetic finish work that alters no regulated system
- Ordinary repairs the USBC lists: same-size window and door replacement, replacing plumbing fixtures without altering the piping, and replacing switches, receptacles, light fixtures and ceiling fans in homes
- One-story sheds and playhouses of 256 square feet or less, fences other than pool barriers, and retaining walls holding back less than 3 feet of fill
- Farm buildings and structures, which § 36-99 exempts from the code
- Other work the building official deems minor and ordinary that does not affect public health or safety
Alexandria’s local conditions that survive state preemption under § 36-98 include its two local historic districts under § 15.2-2306, floodplain regulations along the Potomac River and its tributaries, and zoning conditions attached to special use permits.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Alexandria enforces Virginia’s Uniform Statewide Building Code, 2021 edition, in effect since 18 January 2024. No Virginia locality can adopt its own building code or amendments, so what varies locally is zoning conditions, historic districts and flood plain rules. How Virginia’s statewide code works
Who handles permitting in Alexandria?
Alexandria is an independent city in no county. Fairfax County lies to its south and west and Arlington County to its north, and parts of Fairfax County carry an Alexandria mailing address; Fairfax County’s own Franconia District office is at an Alexandria address. A parcel with an Alexandria address may be in Fairfax County and permitted by Land Development Services rather than by the city.
Alexandria has two local historic districts, Old and Historic Alexandria and Parker-Gray, regulated by the city’s Board of Architectural Review. The Old and Historic Alexandria District, established in 1946, is the third oldest historic district in the United States. Historic districts created under § 15.2-2306 are one of the categories § 36-98 expressly preserves from state preemption, and historic review is a separate track from building review, before its own board and against criteria unrelated to structural or life-safety provisions.
Section 36-105 adds a related power that matters in a historic city: a locality may require by ordinance that a landmark, building or structure contributing to a designated district not be razed, demolished or moved until the review board — or the governing body on appeal — approves, unless the maintenance code official determines it is such a hazard that it must come down. Demolition in a contributing district can therefore need review board approval as well as a demolition permit.
The second feature is age. Census survey data for 2019–2023 put about 61 percent of Alexandria’s housing units as built in 1979 or earlier. For a building first permitted before 1985, the § 36-99.7 asbestos certification is a bar on issuance of a renovation or demolition permit, not a review comment, unless an exemption applies.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | City of Alexandria Department of Code Administration |
| Phone | 703-746-4200 |
| Offices | Permit Center, 4850 Mark Center Drive, Suite 2013 (2nd floor), Alexandria, Virginia 22311 |
| Published hours | Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m., closed noon–1 p.m.; same-day service ends 4:15 p.m. |
| Online filing and inspections | APEX portal |
| Jurisdiction type | Independent city — not part of any county |
| Historic districts | Old and Historic Alexandria and Parker-Gray, preserved under § 36-98 |
| Governing code | 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code |
| Appeals | Local Board of Building Code Appeals, then the state Review Board |
In 2025, building permits issued in Alexandria authorized 17 new privately owned housing units, all of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →State-owned buildings, and buildings on state-owned property, are permitted by the Virginia Department of General Services rather than Alexandria (§ 36-98.1). State-owned projects in Virginia
Permit types
Residential permits
| Work | Permit |
|---|---|
| New single-family dwelling | Building permit, plus trade permits for each system |
| Addition or structural alteration | Building permit; existing building code provisions apply |
| Interior remodel touching a system | Building permit plus the relevant trade permits |
| Deck, porch or accessory structure | Building permit, except one-story sheds and playhouses of 256 square feet or less; zoning setbacks checked separately |
| Re-roofing and re-siding | No permit on houses and townhouses where the design wind speed is 100 mph or less; otherwise a building permit (in a historic district the building official may require one) |
| Solar photovoltaic and battery storage | Building and electrical permits |
| Demolition | Demolition permit; asbestos certification first on pre-1985 buildings |
The permit is a lien document in Virginia
On a one- or two-family dwelling, Alexandria’s building department prints the mechanics’ lien agent on the permit itself. Virginia Code § 36-98.01 requires that a building permit issued for any one- or two-family residential dwelling unit contain, at the time of issuance and at the applicant’s request, the name, mailing address and telephone number of the mechanics’ lien agent as defined in § 43-1. If the applicant does not request a designation, the permit must state, in those words, “None Designated.”
Commercial permits
| Work | Permit |
|---|---|
| New commercial construction | Building permit with full plan review |
| Tenant fit-out or change of use | Building permit; occupancy classification drives scope |
| Structural or facade alteration | Building permit under the existing building code |
| Fire protection and sprinkler systems | Permit required |
| Mechanical, electrical and plumbing | Trade permits by classification-licensed firms |
| Elevators and conveyances | Inspected and enforced by the locality (§ 36-105) |
| Signage | Building permit unless exempt under Appendix H of the construction code; zoning approval is separate |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Pre-1985 buildings: a hard permit prerequisite
Statewide rules also shape every Alexandria filing: the permit records the mechanics’ lien agent designation on one- and two-family dwellings, buildings first permitted before 1985 need asbestos certification before renovation or demolition, annual permits and code modifications are available, and single-family construction drawings are exempt from FOIA disclosure. Virginia rules that shape a submittal
Alexandria permit costs and fees
Permit fees in Alexandria are set locally and may fund only the building department (§ 36-105). A 2.0 percent state levy is collected on local permit fees (USBC Section 107.2), and inspection may be waived on work costing under $2,500. Take plan review charges from the current adopted fee schedule for Alexandria. How Virginia permit fees work
Trade permits and who may pull them
Trade permit required
- Electrical work, by a firm holding the electrical classification
- Plumbing and gas piping, by a firm holding the plumbing classification
- Mechanical and HVAC work, including equipment changeouts
- Fire protection and sprinkler work
Usually no trade permit
- Replacing plumbing fixtures without altering the supply, drainage or vent piping
- Replacing a mechanical appliance that does not burn gas or oil, in a home
- Wiring under 50 volts, such as thermostats, unless it is part of a fire alarm or other life-safety system
- Replacing switches, receptacles, light fixtures and ceiling fans in homes
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Virginia’s contractor licence is held by the business: the Board for Contractors issues Class A, B or C licences with trade classifications, individual tradesmen hold separate tradesman licences, and a permit cannot issue without the required state licence or a written statement of exemption (§ 54.1-1111), plus proof that the locality’s license taxes are paid. Virginia contractor licensing
How to apply for an Alexandria building permit
Parts of Fairfax County carry Alexandria mailing addresses and are permitted by Fairfax County.
Board of Architectural Review approval is a separate track from building review in the two local historic districts.
Under § 36-105 a locality may require review board approval before a contributing building is razed, demolished or moved.
For a building first permitted before 1985 it is a bar on issuance under § 36-99.7, unless an exemption applies.
Have the licence classification and, on one- and two-family work, the lien agent decision ready at filing.
Inspections are scheduled, tracked and reported online through the city’s APEX portal.
If Alexandria denies an application it must explain the reasons in writing (§ 36-105), and a full re-review of the resubmission is lawful. Appeals go to the local Board of Building Code Appeals before the State Building Code Technical Review Board. Denials, corrections and appeals in Virginia
Inspections in Alexandria
Code Administration schedules building and trade inspections inside the city limits. Inspections are scheduled online through the APEX portal, where results are also posted.
Alexandria enforces the Statewide Fire Prevention Code itself; the state’s directory of local fire officials lists its fire official’s number as 703-746-4247.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Statewide rules also apply: the permit must be posted and the approved plans kept on site, a stop work order must state the violations and the conditions for resuming work (§ 36-97), and code violations carry penalties under § 36-106. Inspections and enforcement in Virginia
Alexandria permit search and official resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and portal procedures change, so confirm the position for your filing date.
- City of Alexandria Code Administration
- Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (DHCD)
- Virginia DHCD building codes and regulations
- Code of Virginia § 36-98, statewide code supersedes local codes
- Code of Virginia § 36-98.01, mechanics’ lien agent on the permit
- Code of Virginia § 36-105, enforcement, appeals and permits
- Code of Virginia § 36-99.7, asbestos inspection before renovation or demolition
- Virginia DPOR Board for Contractors
Frequently asked questions
Is my Alexandria address actually in the City of Alexandria?
Not always. Alexandria is an independent city in no county, but parts of adjoining Fairfax County use Alexandria mailing addresses and are permitted by Fairfax County Land Development Services. Check the parcel record rather than the address.
How does historic district review work?
It runs as a separate track from building review, before the Board of Architectural Review, against criteria unrelated to the building code. It applies in the city’s two local historic districts, Old and Historic Alexandria and Parker-Gray.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Can I demolish a building in a historic district?
Not without approval. Section 36-105 allows a locality to require by ordinance that a landmark, building or structure contributing to a designated district not be razed, demolished or moved until the review board or, on appeal, the governing body approves — unless the maintenance code official determines it is a hazard requiring removal.
Will my renovation need asbestos certification?
If the building was first permitted before 1985, yes, unless an exemption applies. Section 36-99.7 bars issuance of a renovation or demolition permit for any building whose initial permit was issued before 1 January 1985 until certification is received. Single-family and four-or-fewer-unit residential work is exempt unless it is for commercial or public development purposes.
Which building code applies in Alexandria?
The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. Under § 36-98 the statewide code supersedes local building codes, so the city does not adopt its own edition — historic district requirements sit outside the code entirely and are preserved from preemption.
Is a rehabilitation judged against new-construction rules?
No. The Virginia Existing Building Code governs rehabilitation, and § 36-99.01 records the General Assembly’s finding that applying new-construction requirements to rehabilitation had imposed costly requirements that reduced how much rehabilitation actually happened.
Simplify Alexandria permitting with Alliance Permitting
In Alexandria the local questions are city versus Fairfax County, historic district review and asbestos certification on older buildings. Alliance Permitting prepares, files and tracks Alexandria permits through issuance.
Trusted by leading builders, developers, and national contractors — 21+ years of filing in the jurisdictions we write about.
Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Alexandria because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We confirm city versus Fairfax County from the parcel record, since the address misleads.
- We check historic district status before filing.
- We resolve asbestos certification before it bars issuance.
- We frame rehabilitation against the existing building code rather than new construction.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and expediting service in Virginia. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice, and we are not the permitting authority.
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More Virginia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Alexandria permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.