Colonial Heights, Virginia Building Permit Guide

Colonial Heights is an independent city, and its Office of Building Inspections, a division of the Department of Planning and Community Development at City Hall, issues every building and trade permit inside the city. Applications are submitted as digital forms on the City website or as printed PDFs. The City says permits are processed within 2 weeks and inspections within 48 hours. A new home is charged a $75 base fee plus $0.20 per square foot, and commercial work $75 plus 1% of the contract price.

What requires a building permit in Colonial Heights?

The City’s answer is that a permit is required before work starts whenever you construct, reconstruct, enlarge, alter or demolish a structure. Its Residential Permit Requirements sheet then sorts common jobs by the permit they need.

The sheet notes that some of the exempt items are still covered by the building code and must be installed to it, and that apartments, townhouses and condominiums can differ. Fences have their own $50 Fence Permit, issued by the Planning Department.

Who issues building permits in Colonial Heights?

The Office of Building Inspections reviews and inspects the structural, electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems of every project in the city. Jim Canter is the Building Official. Because the office is part of Planning and Community Development, zoning, sign and fence permits are handled by the same department at City Hall.

Colonial Heights permit applications

The City offers its main applications two ways. Four are digital forms completed on the website, and the same four can be printed as PDFs along with several others.

• Digital forms: Building Permit Application, Electrical Permit Application, Mechanical Permit Application, Plumbing Permit Application, and a Request for City Clean Out Installation.
• Printable PDFs: the Residential/Commercial Building Permit Application, the three trade applications, the Swimming Pool Installation Permit Application, the Water and Sewer Connection Permit Application and the Special Inspections Report.
• Planning forms: Fence Permit, Permanent and Temporary Sign Permits, Short-Term Rental Permit, Site Plan Review, and the Certificate of Appropriateness for projects in a historic district.

The City names six residential permit types: building, electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing and demolition. Plans and other large files go by email to the siteplans address, with the property address in the subject line. Payment is made online or by check.

Colonial Heights permit fees

The City of Colonial Heights Schedule of Building and Related Permit Fees is written into section 109-7 of the City Code and posted as a PDF on the Building Inspections pages. Square footage is measured by the structure’s exterior dimensions, and a 2% state levy is added to every permit.

For example, a new 2,000 sq ft house is $75 + (2,000 × $0.20) = $475 for the building permit. Its electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are $195 each, which makes $1,060. The 2% levy adds $21.20, for a total of $1,081.20.

Two rules raise the bill. Fees are doubled when work has started without the required permit. And a $75 re-inspection fee is charged for each inspection beyond two when the extra visit was caused by work not being ready or corrections not being made.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits in Colonial Heights

Each trade has its own application and its own fee line, issued by the Office of Building Inspections.

Under the City Code, an electric company may not supply power to a building until it has confirmed that a building permit was issued and the necessary inspections are complete. Replacing a furnace with one that burns a different fuel takes a mechanical permit, plus an electrical permit if new wiring is needed and a gas permit if new gas piping is needed.

Fire Department: commercial site plans must show fire-flow calculations and hydrant locations, with a dedicated hydrant within 50 feet of any fire department connection. Hose connections use Colonial Heights / Petersburg threads, and fire access roads need a turning radius of 42 feet inside and 60 feet outside.

Colonial Heights application documents

The City’s Application Checklist for Residential New Construction and Additions lists what goes in with the form:

• Permit application
• Plans
• Land plat
• Erosion and sediment control agreement
• Soil analysis report, optional for single-story additions
• Sealed truss drawings and an enlarged truss layout
• LVL beam calculations
• An enlarged I-joist layout

Soil and footings: a soil analysis and a footing design by a Virginia professional engineer must be submitted for every new single-family dwelling and every addition with habitable space. The engineered design can be dropped for a new house where the soil analysis shows low shrink-swell potential and the City’s minimum standard footing is used: 24 inches deep, 16 inches wide and 10 inches thick, with two continuous #4 reinforcing bars. Additions outside the City’s shrink-swell soil policy areas can use the same standard footing without a soil analysis.

Commercial: the City issues plans review letters with the building permit and each auxiliary permit, and tells contractors that those letters hold the conditions the inspections will follow. A Special Inspections Report form is posted for projects that need it.

How to apply: 6-step Colonial Heights permit process

Colonial Heights inspections and final closeout

Building, plumbing, mechanical, gas and electrical inspections are scheduled by calling 804-520-9297 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. the day before the inspection is needed. The City says inspections take place within 48 hours. Keep the City-approved plans on site.

The City’s residential guidelines give the point at which each inspection is called:

• Footing: after the trench is dug and reinforcement is in, before concrete
• Foundation: after the crawl space is backfilled, before sill plates
• Floor slab: after the vapor barrier and any perimeter insulation, before concrete
• Drainage and waterproofing: before the foundation is backfilled
• Veneer: after sheathing, flashing, windows and doors, before the exterior wall covering
• Framing: after all trade rough-ins are approved, before drywall
• Insulation: after framing, before concealment
• Final: after every trade final and the other departments’ inspections are approved

Requesting the final building inspection automatically schedules the finals for Planning, Environmental Engineering, Utilities and Health where they apply. The City suggests calling those departments ahead of time so the Certificate of Occupancy is not held up: Engineering 804-520-9334, Utilities 804-520-9393 and Health 804-520-9380.

Local Colonial Heights permitting details

Overlay districts: the zoning ordinance, in effect since August 10, 2011, contains the City’s wetlands, flood damage prevention, and architectural and historic district rules. The City publishes maps of the Boulevard Overlay District, the Architectural Character District, the Chesapeake Bay Overlay and the FEMA floodplain.

Historic districts: projects there use the Planning Department’s Certificate of Appropriateness application, and the City says zoning applications are processed within 10 business days.

Sheds and garages: a shed over 256 sq ft or a detached garage without living space needs a footing at least 18 inches deep, 12 inches wide and 8 inches thick. Smaller sheds may sit on ground-contact pressure-treated supports on firm, level soil, anchored against wind.

Land disturbance: the erosion and sediment control agreement is a separate document from the zoning applications and is part of the residential checklist.

Water and sewer: connections have their own permit application, and a City clean-out can be requested through a digital form.

Signs and zoning certificates: a permanent sign permit is $75 per sign and a Certificate of Zoning Compliance is $100.

Virginia building code

Every Virginia locality enforces the 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

Official Colonial Heights permit resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Colonial Heights Office of Building Inspections
• Colonial Heights building permit applications
• Colonial Heights building permit fees schedule
• Colonial Heights permit fee schedule (PDF)
• Colonial Heights building construction codes and guidelines
• Colonial Heights Residential Permit Requirements
• Colonial Heights inspection guidelines for residential construction
• Colonial Heights zoning and other permit applications
• Colonial Heights City Code, Chapter 109, Building Construction

Colonial Heights building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Colonial Heights?

For a house, addition, garage or covered deck it is a $75 base fee plus $0.20 per square foot, and $0.15 per square foot for basements, unfinished areas and uncovered decks. Commercial permits are $75 plus 1% of the contract price. A 2% state levy is added.

How long does a permit take?

The City states that permits are processed within 2 weeks and that inspections are made within 48 hours.

Do I need a permit for a deck or shed?

A deck, porch or its steps needs a building permit. A tool shed needs one when it is over 256 sq ft.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof or siding?

No. The City’s residential requirements sheet lists re-roofing and re-siding among the jobs with no permit.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Yes, a Fence Permit from the Planning Department, which costs $50.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 804-520-9297 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. the day before you need it.

What happens if I start without a permit?

The permit fees are doubled.

Simplify Colonial Heights permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Virginia. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Colonial Heights permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.