Building permits in Chesapeake are issued by the city’s Department of Development and Permits, on the 2nd floor of City Hall, 306 Cedar Road, and through its eBUILD online system. Chesapeake was formed in 1963 by the merger of Norfolk County and the City of South Norfolk.
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 Chesapeake.
Chesapeake is an independent city and sits in no county. It adjoins Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach, and every one of those is also an independent city with its own building department. No county sits above these cities, so confirm from the parcel record which one holds the work.
What requires a permit in Chesapeake?
The City of Chesapeake Department of Development and Permits issues building permits for work inside the city of Chesapeake.
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
Chesapeake’s local conditions that survive state preemption under § 36-98 include its Floodplain Ordinance, together with proffered conditions on rezoned land.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake?
Chesapeake is an independent city — not part of any county — and it sits in a corner of Hampton Roads where several independent cities meet. Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach all adjoin it, and every one of them is its own building authority with its own portal and fee schedule; to the south it borders North Carolina.
Chesapeake is the second-largest city in Virginia by land area, and the city says most of it is susceptible to some level of flooding. Its Floodplain Ordinance, required by FEMA, regulates development in the 100-year (AE) and 500-year (X) flood zones. Local floodplain regulations adopted as a condition of participating in the National Flood Insurance Program are expressly preserved from state preemption under § 36-98, so they operate independently of the building code and are administered by the city. Where they apply, elevation certificates are required at two points in the building process.
Zoning Administration is a separate function at 306 Cedar Road, on 757-382-2489.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | City of Chesapeake Department of Development and Permits |
| Main line | 757-382-6018 |
| Inspection requests | eBUILD, or 757-382-2489 (757-382-CITY) |
| Zoning administration | 757-382-2489 |
| Offices | 306 Cedar Road, 2nd Floor, Chesapeake, Virginia 23322 |
| Published hours | Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| Jurisdiction type | Independent city — not part of any county |
| Governing code | 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code |
| Floodplain | Local NFIP regulations, preserved under § 36-98 |
| Appeals | Local Board of Building Code Appeals, then the state Review Board |
In 2025, building permits issued in Chesapeake authorized 846 new privately owned housing units, 551 of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
State-owned buildings, and buildings on state-owned property, are permitted by the Virginia Department of General Services rather than Chesapeake (§ 36-98.1). State-owned projects in Virginia
Permit types
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →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, Chesapeake’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 Chesapeake 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
Chesapeake permit costs and fees
Permit fees in Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake. 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 a Chesapeake building permit
Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach all adjoin and are each independent cities with their own departments.
The Floodplain Ordinance regulates development in the AE and X zones and survives state preemption.
Zoning Administration is a distinct function at 306 Cedar Road with its own line.
The class controls project value and the classification controls scope — both have to be right at intake.
Apply through eBUILD, with the lien agent decision made on one- and two-family work.
Keep the permit posted and an approved set of plans available on site.
If Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake
Development and Permits schedules building and trade inspections inside the city limits. Inspections are requested through eBUILD at any time or by calling 757-382-2489 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In a flood zone, elevation certificates are required at two points in the building process.
Chesapeake enforces the Statewide Fire Prevention Code itself; the state’s directory of local fire officials lists its fire official’s number as 757-382-6161.
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
Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake Development and Permits
- 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
What county is Chesapeake in?
None. Chesapeake is an independent city, and in Virginia cities are independent of counties entirely. Development and Permits is the building authority inside the city limits.
How do I know whether my parcel is in Chesapeake or Norfolk?
From the parcel record rather than the mailing address. Chesapeake adjoins Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk and Virginia Beach, all independent cities with their own building departments.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Does the floodplain rule override the building code?
It sits alongside it. Local floodplain regulations adopted for NFIP participation are expressly preserved from state preemption under § 36-98, so they impose requirements independently of the building code and are administered by the city.
Which building code applies in Chesapeake?
The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, effective since 18 January 2024 and required for every application submitted from 18 January 2025. The city does not adopt its own edition — § 36-98 makes the statewide code supersede local building codes.
Do I need a local business licence as well as a state contractor licence?
Generally yes. A DPOR contractor licence does not replace Chesapeake’s business licence. A business licence from another Virginia locality is honoured until the contractor’s work in Chesapeake reaches $25,000 in a calendar year, and under § 54.1-1111 the permit applicant must show that local license taxes are paid.
Can inspection be waived on a small job?
Possibly. Where construction cost is under $2,500, § 36-105 allows the inspecting authority to waive inspection at its discretion. It is permissive rather than automatic, and it does not remove the permit requirement itself.
Simplify Chesapeake permitting with Alliance Permitting
In Chesapeake the local questions are which city holds the parcel and the floodplain rules. Alliance Permitting prepares, files and tracks Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We confirm the parcel against the city record before anything is filed.
- We check floodplain rules before the building submission.
- We separate the zoning track from the building track at the outset.
- We keep state licence and local business registration aligned at intake.
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.
Ready to break ground in Chesapeake sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Chesapeake permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Virginia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Chesapeake permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.