Building permits in Hopewell are issued by the City’s Division of Building Code & Property Maintenance, part of the Department of Planning & Development at 300 N Main Street; the application forms still call it the Division of Code Enforcement. There is no online portal: forms are dropped off on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., mailed, or saved and emailed to permits@hopewellva.gov. The residential building fee printed on the application is a $25 minimum plus $0.22 per square foot, plus the state surcharge.
What requires a building permit in Hopewell?
The Division permits all new construction, alterations, repairs, removal and demolition in the city. The City’s Zoning & Permitting FAQs spell out the common residential cases:
Building permit
- Sheds, outbuildings and other accessory structures over 256 sq ft
- Carports over 256 sq ft
- Porches and decks
- Swimming pools, hot tubs and spas larger than 150 sq ft in surface area, holding over 5,000 gallons, or 24 inches or more deep, whether in-ground, above-ground or inflatable
- Demolition of a structure
Other City permits
- Fence permit, before a fence is erected, relocated or repaired along 10% or more of its length
- Sign permit, for new signs and for refacing or replacing existing ones
- Home occupation zoning approval, for any home business including a home office
- Sewer connection permit and utility permit
- Work in the Right-of-Way permit
- Land disturbance permit
Zoning rules apply to a shed or carport even when it is too small to need a building permit: it must sit in the rear yard, 5 ft from any building, and stay under 18 ft in height (15 ft for a metal carport).
Who issues building permits in Hopewell?
Hopewell is an independent city, so no county building department has jurisdiction inside the city limits. The Division of Building Code & Property Maintenance reviews building plans, issues permits and conducts inspections, and its staff includes the Building Official, a permit technician and two combination inspectors. It is one of four divisions of the Department of Planning & Development, alongside Planning & Zoning, whose Zoning Official also signs each building application.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Department of Planning & Development, 300 N Main Street, Ground Floor, Hopewell, VA 23860 |
| Building matters and permit technician | 804-541-2226 (extension 362) |
| Planning and zoning | 804-541-2220 |
| Email for saved forms | permits@hopewellva.gov |
| Application drop-off | Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except holidays |
| Department hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Fire Marshal | 804-541-2290 |
Visitors reach the department through the DMV Select door of the building. Signs in that lobby lead to a doorbell for Development, and a lobby phone dials the permit technician on extension 362. Appointments can be requested by phone, but same-day appointments are not guaranteed.
Hopewell permit applications
Each kind of work has its own PDF application on the City’s Application & Permit Forms page. Fillable forms can be completed, saved and emailed.
- Building Permit Application, for new work and alterations to residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
- Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical and Gas Permit Applications. Separate permits are required for electrical, plumbing, fire alarm, sprinkler, mechanical and sewer work.
- Demolition Permit Application, filed with the Asbestos Certification Form and the City’s procedure for removing unsafe structures.
- Fence Permit Application and Sign Permit Application, processed by both Development and the building division.
- Sewer Connection Permit Application and Utility Permit Application.
- Land Disturbance Application – Single Family, with the single-family agreement in lieu of a plan, handled by Public Works Stormwater Management.
- Amusement Device Application, Work in the Right-of-Way Permit Application and the commercial and home occupation zoning approval forms.
Commercial projects that need a site plan use the City’s Site Plan Application, checklists and process guidelines before the building permit.
Hopewell permit fees and payments
Hopewell prints its fee basis on each application form. The current state surcharge is added to building, trade and sign permit fees.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Building permit, residential | $25 minimum permit fee, plus $0.22 per sq ft |
| Building permit, commercial | $100 minimum permit fee, plus 1% of labor and materials |
| Demolition | $40 minimum residential; $100 commercial; $500 bond |
| Sign | $50 per sign; $100 per billboard |
| Sewer connection to an existing approved lateral | $250 |
| New sewer lateral for a single residential dwelling | $2,026 |
| Utility permit | $25 |
The Sewer Connection Permit Application lists other connection charges by building type, such as $2,026 per unit for a duplex and $6,078 for a restaurant.
Payment is by check or money order only, made out to the City of Hopewell. A building, trade or sign permit expires if work has not started within 6 months of issue; a demolition permit is void if work has not started within 30 days.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work in Hopewell
The four trade applications are separate forms filed with the same division, and each one carries the same fee line:
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential trade permit | $25 minimum permit fee, plus $0.04 per sq ft, plus the state surcharge |
| Commercial trade permit | $100 minimum permit fee, plus 1% of labor and materials, plus the state surcharge |
Plans and specifications are required with every trade installation. The sewer connection permit covers the connection only, so a plumbing permit is still needed for the pipework on private property, and every sewer tap has to be inspected and approved. An illuminated sign may need its own electrical permit. A pool needs an electrical permit and, if it is gas heated, a gas permit.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Hopewell application documents
With the building application
- 2 sets of building plans or specifications, where applicable
- 3 plot plans
- Copy of the state contractor’s licence and the business licence, which must be on file before a permit is issued
- Estimated cost of labor and materials
- Floor area, occupancy classification, occupant load, stories, type of construction, height, basement and fire suppression; the City does not accept the application with this section blank
A plot plan must show
- Property lines of the whole property (the edge of the road pavement is usually not a property line)
- Existing structures, including the house, sheds and carports
- The proposed structure, its dimensions and overall height
- Distances to existing structures and setbacks to each property line
- Adjacent roads and alleys
- Buffers, easements, Chesapeake Bay areas and floodplains, where no structure may be placed
The office keeps 1 set of building plans and 1 plot plan. Plot plans should be drawn on a house location survey, plat or other scale drawing, and the City may require a licensed surveyor’s survey.
A new single-family house also needs a Residential Lot Plan with a notarized Affidavit of Responsibility. In it the owner accepts responsibility for correcting the lot drainage if the City finds it is not working within 12 months of the Certificate of Occupancy.
A pool application adds the pool and barrier permits, construction drawings, the swimming pool affidavit and a copy of the pool’s manual.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →How to apply: 6-step Hopewell process
Look up the parcel’s zoning district, and whether it is in a historic district, a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area or the 100-year floodplain; each is marked on the building application.
Take the building application and each trade, fence, sign, sewer or demolition form the job needs from the Application & Permit Forms page.
Assemble 2 plan sets and 3 plot plans, with the contractor’s state and business licences.
Bring the package to 300 N Main Street between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on a weekday, mail it, or email saved fillable forms to permits@hopewellva.gov.
The Zoning Official and the Building Official each sign the application. Pay by check or money order.
Work may not begin until the permit is issued, and the permit lapses if work has not begun 6 months later.
Hopewell building inspections and closeout
The Division’s combination inspectors carry out the inspections for permitted work; the building desk is 804-541-2226. Sewer taps are made to the City’s engineering specifications and must be inspected and approved by the division.
Before the City issues a Certificate of Occupancy for a residential group home, both a Building Official inspection and a Fire Marshal inspection are scheduled. The Development Department (804-541-2220) books the Building Official’s visit, and the Fire Marshal’s office is called directly on 804-541-2290.
For a demolition, the utility releases for every service connection to the structure and the asbestos certification are handed in with the permit application, and the $500 bond is posted at the same time.
Local Hopewell requirements that matter
Historic districts: Hopewell has two, the B-1 Downtown Central Business District and the TH-1 Tourist/Historic District around City Point. Any exterior change visible from a public street or alley needs a Certificate of Appropriateness first. That includes additions, replacement roofing, siding, doors or windows, new paint colors, sheds, fences, signs, decks and demolition. Exact in-kind repairs are excluded. Applications are due at least 10 days before the next review meeting.
Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas: the City maps Resource Protection Areas and Resource Management Areas and has designated no Intensely Developed Areas. The building application records whether the parcel is in either area, and plot plans must show them.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Water and sewer: Planning & Development does not hold availability information. Water comes from American Water (1-800-452-6863) and sewer from Hopewell Water Renewal (804-541-2210).
Fences: permitted heights and materials depend on the zoning district and are attached to the fence permit application. Gates may not swing into the public right-of-way, and a 3 ft clear space must be kept around fire hydrants.
Rental and vacant buildings: the same division runs the City’s Rental Inspection Program and its Vacant Building Registry.
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 Hopewell permit resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
- Hopewell Application & Permit Forms
- Hopewell permit drop-off, mail and payment instructions
- Hopewell Property Maintenance
- Hopewell Division of Building Code & Property Maintenance
- Hopewell Building Permit Application and plot plan requirements
- Hopewell Zoning & Permitting FAQs
- Hopewell Historic Districts and Certificates of Appropriateness
- Hopewell Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Hopewell building permit FAQs
Does Hopewell issue its own building permits?
Yes. Hopewell is an independent city, and its Division of Building Code & Property Maintenance reviews plans, issues permits and inspects work inside the city limits.
How much is a building permit in Hopewell?
The application sets a $25 minimum permit fee plus $0.22 per sq ft for residential work, and a $100 minimum plus 1% of labor and materials for commercial work, each plus the state surcharge.
Can I apply for a Hopewell permit online?
There is no permit portal. Fillable forms can be saved and emailed to permits@hopewellva.gov, or applications can be mailed or dropped off at 300 N Main Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.
Do I need a permit for a shed in Hopewell?
A building permit is needed for a shed or other accessory structure over 256 sq ft. Smaller sheds still have to meet the zoning rules on location and height.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Hopewell?
Yes. A fence permit is required before a fence is put up or moved, and for repairs to 10% or more of its length.
How can I pay?
By check or money order made out to the City of Hopewell.
Do I need approval to change the outside of a building downtown or in City Point?
Yes, if the change can be seen from a public street or alley. Both areas are historic districts where a Certificate of Appropriateness is required first.
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More Virginia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Hopewell permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.