Building permits in Chesterfield County are issued by the county’s Department of Building Inspection at 9800 Government Center Parkway. Chesterfield has no incorporated towns, so the department is the building authority throughout the county.
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 Chesterfield County.
A Richmond mailing address does not mean the City of Richmond. Chesterfield and Henrico Counties both adjoin the independent city of Richmond, and Richmond mailing addresses reach into both counties. The city is in neither county — it is independent of both — and each of the three has its own building department, portal and fee schedule. Confirm jurisdiction from the parcel record rather than the address.
What requires a permit in Chesterfield County?
The Chesterfield County Department of Building Inspection issues building permits for work inside Chesterfield County.
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
Chesterfield’s local conditions that survive state preemption under § 36-98 include proffered conditions on rezoned land, its floodplain regulations along the James and Appomattox Rivers and the county’s creeks, and its Airport Overlay districts.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Chesterfield County 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 Chesterfield County?
Chesterfield lies just south of the City of Richmond, and there are no incorporated towns inside the county. If the parcel is in Chesterfield County, the county’s Department of Building Inspection is the building authority, apart from state-owned and federally owned buildings.
The boundary questions are with four independent cities: the City of Richmond to the north, and Colonial Heights, Hopewell and Petersburg. None is part of Chesterfield, and each has its own building department. Richmond mailing addresses reach into Chesterfield and Henrico, so a Richmond address may sit in the city or in either county; check the parcel record.
Beyond that, a Chesterfield project runs on the same statewide code as everywhere else in Virginia. The variables are the ones § 36-98 leaves local: proffered conditions on rezoned land, conditions attached to special exceptions and variances, airport overlay requirements and floodplain regulation along the county’s river and creek corridors, alongside zoning.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Chesterfield County Department of Building Inspection |
| Phone | 804-751-4990 |
| Inspection scheduling | 804-751-4444, seven days a week |
| Online portal | Enterprise Land Management (ELM) citizen access portal |
| Offices | 9800 Government Center Parkway, Chesterfield, Virginia 23832 |
| Published hours | Monday–Friday 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| Governing code | 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code |
| Adjoining independent cities | Richmond, Colonial Heights, Hopewell and Petersburg, separate authorities |
| Appeals | Local Board of Building Code Appeals, then the state Review Board |
In 2025, building permits issued by Chesterfield County authorized 2,194 new privately owned housing units, 1,576 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 Chesterfield County (§ 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, Chesterfield County’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 Chesterfield County 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
Chesterfield County permit costs and fees
Permit fees in Chesterfield County 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 Chesterfield County. 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 Chesterfield County 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 Chesterfield County building permit
A Richmond mailing address may sit in the city or in Chesterfield or Henrico, and Colonial Heights, Hopewell and Petersburg are separate cities.
Proffered conditions and special exception conditions survive state preemption under § 36-98 and are handled locally.
Local floodplain regulations are preserved from state preemption under § 36-98.
If the building predates 1 January 1985, certification must be in hand before a renovation or demolition permit can issue.
Have the contractor licence classification and, on one- and two-family work, the lien agent decision ready.
Keep the permit posted and an approved set of plans on site throughout.
If Chesterfield County 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 Chesterfield County
The Department of Building Inspection schedules building and trade inspections across the county. Inspections are booked through the automated scheduling line, 804-751-4444, seven days a week and up to five business days ahead.
Chesterfield County enforces the Statewide Fire Prevention Code itself; the state’s directory of local fire officials lists its fire official’s number as 804-768-7439.
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
Chesterfield County 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.
- Chesterfield County Building Inspection
- 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 the City of Richmond part of Chesterfield County?
No. Richmond is an independent city and is in no county at all — not Chesterfield and not Henrico. Richmond mailing addresses reach into both counties, so the mailing address is not a reliable guide to which building department holds jurisdiction.
Are there towns inside Chesterfield County?
No incorporated towns sit inside Chesterfield. If the parcel is in the county, the county’s Department of Building Inspection is the building authority.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Which building code applies in Chesterfield County?
The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, effective since 18 January 2024 and required for every application submitted from 18 January 2025. Under § 36-98 the statewide code supersedes local building codes, so the county does not adopt its own edition.
What can the county actually impose beyond the code?
Zoning, proffered conditions on rezoned land, conditions attached to special exceptions and variances, airport overlay requirements and local floodplain regulation. Section 36-98 preserves those categories from state preemption; the technical building provisions it does not.
Where do my permit fees go?
Under § 36-105, permit fees defray the cost of enforcement and appeals and may be used only to support the functions of the local building department. A statewide levy — currently 2 percent — rides on top of every local permit fee to fund the Virginia Building Code Academy.
Can I appeal straight to the state?
No. Appeals go to the local Board of Building Code Appeals first, and no appeal to the State Building Code Technical Review Board may be taken until the local board has made a final determination.
Simplify Chesterfield County permitting with Alliance Permitting
In Chesterfield the first question is whether a parcel is in the county or one of the four adjoining independent cities. Alliance Permitting prepares, files and tracks Chesterfield County 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 Chesterfield County because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We confirm the parcel against the county record rather than the mailing address.
- We identify proffers and zoning conditions on rezoned land before filing.
- We check floodplain status along the river and creek corridors.
- We resolve pre-1985 asbestos certification ahead of renovation permits.
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 Chesterfield County sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Chesterfield County permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Virginia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Chesterfield County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.