Building permits in King George County are issued by the Department of Community Development, which handles applications, plan review and inspections, and the county has no incorporated towns with their own process. Applications are accepted in person, by fax, by email or by mail, with paper or digital plans. Under the fees in force since July 1, 2026, a new house costs $0.40 per square foot with the trade permits included, and a $500 non-refundable deposit is due with the application.
What requires a permit in King George County?
Community Development requires a permit before construction or demolition of a building or structure, including putting in, altering, removing or adding any wall or structural component, and before altering a required means of egress, electric wiring, fire protection, mechanical or fuel supply systems. Its residential fee schedule shows the permits it issues most often:
Homes
- New single-family dwellings
- Additions to a structure
- Interior remodels and finished basements
- Finishing a bathroom
- Single-wide, double-wide and triple-wide manufactured homes
- Demolition
Accessory and site work
- Carports and prefabricated sheds greater than 256 sq ft
- Stick-built garages, barns, sheds and boat houses
- Decks and piers
- Pools with electric, and hot tubs on grade
- Retaining walls and bulkheads
- Generators and photovoltaic (solar) systems
- Underground and aboveground tanks and lines, and tank removal
- Exterior egress steps and stoops
A one-story detached tool or storage shed needs a building and zoning permit once it exceeds 256 sq ft. A shed on skids must rest fully on firm ground or a gravel bed, not on piers, and has to be anchored to the ground.
Who issues permits in King George County?
The County’s Department of Community Development administers the building code and also manages planning and zoning enforcement, environmental reviews and site plan approvals, so the building permit, the zoning review and the land disturbance permit are handled in one office. King George County has no incorporated towns, so the County is the permitting authority for every address in the county.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Community Development, 10459 Courthouse Drive, Suite 104, King George, VA 22485 |
| Phone | 540-775-7111 (press 1 for inspections) |
| Fax | 540-775-3139 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Applications | In person, fax, email or mail |
| Well and septic permits | Virginia Department of Health (VDH) |
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Get a free quote →King George County permit applications
There is no online portal. The County publishes four PDF applications, and each one has an “Other” space for permit types that are not printed on the form:
- New Single Family Dwelling Permit Application, a packet that also contains the Owner Builder Affidavit, the Tradesman Affidavit, the land disturbance form and the stormwater agreement in lieu of a plan.
- General Permit Application, for additions, remodels, sheds, garages, decks, piers, pools, hot tubs, generators, solar, retaining walls, bulkheads and tanks.
- Demolition Permit Application.
- Commercial Building Permit Application.
For a manufactured home, the County asks applicants to contact Community Development for the next steps. Requirement sheets are posted for decks, finished basements, pools and spas, and storage sheds.
King George County permit costs and fees
The rates below took effect on July 1, 2026 under King George County Ordinance O-07-26. A 2% state levy is added to the building fee, and a $500 non-refundable deposit is taken with a single-family or commercial application.
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New single-family dwelling: finished or unfinished area, deck and porch | $0.40 per sq ft, $200 minimum; electrical, mechanical and plumbing included |
| New dwelling: grading | $300 |
| New dwelling: plan review | $100, plus $50 for each additional comment letter |
| New dwelling: 911 address issuance | $50 |
| Zoning | $125 |
| Addition: finished or unfinished area | $0.25 per sq ft, $175 minimum |
| Interior remodel (trades included) | $0.25 per sq ft, $175 minimum |
| Finished bath only | $175 |
| Garage, barn, shed or boat house, stick built | $0.20 per sq ft, $175 minimum |
| Carport or prefabricated shed over 256 sq ft | $150 |
| Deck or pier | $175 |
| Pool with electric | $250 |
| Retaining wall or bulkhead | $175 |
| Manufactured home | $225 single wide; $325 double wide; $400 triple wide |
| Demolition | $100 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →For example, the listed charges for a new 2,000 sq ft house are $800 for the area, $16 state levy, $300 grading, $100 plan review, $50 for the 911 address and $125 zoning, which comes to $1,391 before any land disturbance or utility fees.
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New construction or addition | $0.25 per sq ft, $350 minimum |
| Remodel or unfinished shell | $0.15 per sq ft, $250 minimum |
| Plan review | $0.10 per sq ft, $200 minimum |
| Pool | $0.15 per sq ft, $350 minimum |
| Cell tower | $1 per foot, $200 minimum |
| Construction trailer | $200 |
| Solar | 1% of project cost, plus a $200 plan review fee and the state levy |
| Tent | $100 each |
On the residential schedule, the after-the-fact fee for work done before the permit is double the permit cost, not to exceed $300; a notice of violation or stop work order adds $100; a fast track review costs $200 for up to 5 elevations and $50 for each one more; and a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy is $90 for each 7-day period. The commercial schedule lists the after-the-fact fee as double the permit cost with no cap, a $100 reinspection fee and a $100 Temporary Certificate of Occupancy.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits
Electrical, mechanical and plumbing work is included in the fee for a new single-family dwelling, and the interior remodel rate of $0.25 per sq ft is also marked as including trades. The schedule then lists each trade on its own line:
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Stand-alone residential electrical, mechanical or plumbing permit | $80 each |
| Each trade in the addition and remodel tables | $0.05 per sq ft, $80 minimum |
| Commercial electrical, mechanical or plumbing | $0.10 per sq ft each, $225 minimum |
| Residential generator | $160 |
| Commercial generator | $300 |
| Residential photovoltaic (solar) system | $255 |
| Underground or aboveground tank and line; tank removal | $100 each |
| Commercial fuel tank, install or removal | $100 per tank |
| Commercial temporary service pole | $200 |
| Site lighting | $75 for the first pole, $25 for each additional pole |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →On a new house, the electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors each sign the County’s Tradesman Affidavit and submit an unexpired contractor’s licence or tradesman card. The County will not issue the building permit until it has them.
Construction documents and application requirements
The County does not accept incomplete application packages. For a new house the packet asks for:
People and approvals
- Every owner’s address, phone number and email
- Tax map number, acreage and zoning of the site
- Unexpired general contractor’s licence and the King George business licence slip or receipt
- Owner Builder Affidavit, signed and notarized, if the owner is the builder (the office can notarize it)
- Tradesman Affidavits and licences for the trades
- VDH well and septic permit, or the Service Authority deposit receipt
- VDOT permit for a site on a state road or route
- Signed certification that real estate taxes on the property are paid in full
Plans
- Site plan and building plans, each as 1 physical copy and 1 digital copy
- Site plan showing the structure, existing structures, drainfield, driveway, limits of clearing and distances to all 4 property lines
- Waterways, streams, wetlands and Resource Protection Areas, with the County’s required RPA notes
- Area and square footage of land disturbance
- Building plans at a minimum scale of 1/8 inch, with a detailed footing and foundation plan
- Completed land disturbance form and the stormwater pollution prevention plan or agreement in lieu
Setbacks are measured from the furthest projection of the structure, such as roof overhangs, porches, steps and decks. For public water or sewer, 25% of the Service Authority fee is paid when the permit is applied for, and new connections need County Administration’s approval in advance, which takes 10 to 14 days.
Rather not deal with the King George County building department?
Get a free quote →How to apply for a King George County permit
Obtain the VDH well and septic permit or the Service Authority deposit receipt, and the VDOT permit if the lot is on a state road.
Use the New Single Family Dwelling packet, the General Permit Application, the Demolition application or the Commercial application, with every signature and affidavit.
Provide the site plan and building plans in both forms, with the land disturbance and stormwater documents.
File in person at Suite 104, or by fax, email or mail, and pay the $500 deposit on a house or commercial project.
The first comment letter is covered by the plan review fee; each further letter costs $50.
Start within 6 months, keep the permit card visible from the public right-of-way and call before 3 p.m. the day before each inspection.
King George County inspections
Every inspection has to be requested by phone on 540-775-7111 before 3 p.m. one day in advance, with the permit number and the owner’s or contractor’s name. Requests left by voicemail or email are not honored. To get a 2-hour window, call between 8 and 8:30 a.m. on the day, press 1 for inspections, then 2 for a building inspection window or 3 for an erosion inspection window. Cancel by 8:30 a.m. that day if the job will not be ready.
The permit card must be visible from the public right-of-way and the County-approved plans must be on site at all times. The County’s list of residential inspections runs in this order:
- Erosion and sediment controls, first
- Footings and piers, before concrete
- Foundation, retaining wall, waterproofing and drain tile, before backfill
- Plumbing groundworks and all slabs, before concrete
- Water line, public sewer, underground electric and LP gas tank and line, before backfill
- All rough-ins, before insulation
- Veneer, wall bracing and house wrap, before siding or brick
- Insulation, before drywall; drywall for braced wall inspections only
- Shower pans and tiled shower walls; fireplaces and flues
- Final building, final erosion and sediment control, and bond release
A $75 reinspection fee is charged on a third trip or when the project is not ready. An after-hours inspection, if the Building Official approves it, is $125 per hour with a 2-hour minimum.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Important local requirements in King George County
Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas: the county has 131 miles of shoreline on the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers. Resource Protection Areas are the 100 ft vegetated buffers next to water bodies and wetlands, and land disturbance of more than 2,500 sq ft inside a preservation area triggers County environmental review. Development in an RPA is limited to water-dependent facilities or redevelopment.
Land disturbance: a permit or agreement in lieu of a plan for under 1 acre costs $300, and a single-lot residential erosion bond is $2,500. Above 1 acre, an erosion and sediment control plan costs $850 plus $20 per disturbed acre, on top of the site plan review fee. The County’s stormwater fee is $156 for less than 1 acre.
Septic systems: on-site systems in Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas must be pumped out or inspected every 5 years, and a 100% reserve drainfield is required.
Shoreline work: bulkheads, piers and other work on tidal shorelines go to the King George County Wetlands Board on a Joint Permit Application; the Wetlands Board permit is $900.
Taxes: under Section 2-6-1 of the County’s Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance, the applicant certifies that real estate taxes on the property are paid in full before a permit is issued.
Certificate of occupancy: before one is issued, disturbed areas must be stabilized or an erosion and sediment bond posted.
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 King George County permit resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →- King George County Building Inspections
- King George County residential permit applications and fees (effective July 1, 2026)
- King George County commercial permit applications and fees (effective July 1, 2026)
- King George County requirement checklists
- King George County residential required inspections
- New Single Family Dwelling Permit Application
- King George County environmental permit applications and fees
King George County building permit FAQs
How much is a building permit for a new house in King George County?
$0.40 per sq ft with a $200 minimum, electrical, mechanical and plumbing included, plus $300 grading, $100 plan review, $50 for the 911 address, $125 zoning and a 2% state levy. For 2,000 sq ft that is $1,391.
Can I apply online in King George County?
There is no portal, but applications are accepted by email as well as in person, by fax and by mail, and digital plans are accepted.
Do I need a permit for a shed in King George County?
Yes, once a one-story detached storage shed exceeds 256 sq ft. A prefabricated shed over that size is $150 plus the $125 zoning fee.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call 540-775-7111 before 3 p.m. the day before. Voicemail and email requests are not accepted.
Can a homeowner act as the builder?
Yes, with the County’s Owner Builder Affidavit, signed and notarized. The Community Development office can notarize it.
How much is a deck permit?
$175 for a deck or pier, plus the $125 zoning fee and the 2% state levy.
What does it cost if I start without a permit?
The residential fee schedule lists the after-the-fact fee as double the permit cost, not to exceed $300, and a notice of violation is $100 plus the permit fees. On commercial work it is double the permit cost with no cap.
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More Virginia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about King George County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.