Building permits in Richmond are issued by Permits and Inspections in the city’s Department of Planning and Development Review, at City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Room 108. Richmond is the state capital, and state-owned buildings inside the city are permitted by the Department of General Services, not the city.
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 Richmond.
Not every building inside Richmond is permitted by Richmond. Under § 36-98.1 the Department of General Services acts as the building official for state-owned buildings and for anything built on state-owned property. Establish whether the site is state property before assuming the city is the authority.
What requires a permit in Richmond?
The City of Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review, Permits and Inspections issues building permits for work inside the city of Richmond.
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
Richmond’s local conditions that survive state preemption under § 36-98 include its Old and Historic Districts, created under § 15.2-2306, together with zoning, proffered conditions and floodplain regulations along the James River.
Richmond 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
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Get a free quote →Who handles permitting in Richmond?
Richmond is an independent city surrounded by Henrico to the north, east and west and Chesterfield to the south, and it is part of neither. Each of the three has its own building department, so confirm from the parcel record which one holds the work.
Richmond’s distinguishing feature as a permitting jurisdiction is that it is the seat of state government. Under § 36-98.1, state-owned buildings and any building constructed on state-owned property are not permitted by the local building department at all — the Department of General Services, acting through its Division of Engineering and Buildings, functions as the building official for that work, reviewing plans and granting modifications. Check who owns the site before filing.
Where the Department of General Services delegates inspections to the city, the state agency pays the same fees a private applicant would. And a public institution of higher education may separately be authorised to contract with the local building official for its inspections — so a campus project may or may not run through the city’s inspectors depending on the arrangement in place.
The city’s Commission of Architectural Review reviews all exterior changes to structures in its Old and Historic districts, separately from building review, and for a building first permitted before 1985 the § 36-99.7 asbestos certification is a bar on issuance rather than a review comment. The walk-in permit counter is open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays, and the phone line 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | City of Richmond Permits and Inspections |
| Permits help desk | 804-646-4169 |
| Inspection scheduling | 804-646-1628 |
| Offices | City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Room 108, Richmond, Virginia 23219 |
| Published permit counter hours | Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–1 p.m. walk-in; phone line to 5 p.m. |
| Online filing | Online Permit Portal |
| Jurisdiction type | Independent city — not part of any county |
| State-owned buildings | Permitted by the Department of General Services, not the city |
| Governing code | 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code |
| Appeals | Local Board of Building Code Appeals, then the state Review Board |
State-owned buildings are not permitted by the locality. Under § 36-98.1, the Department of General Services, acting through its Division of Engineering and Buildings, functions as the building official for state-owned buildings and for any building constructed on state-owned property — reviewing and approving plans and granting modifications. Where that department delegates inspections to a local building department, the state agency pays the same fees a private applicant would. A public institution of higher education may separately be authorised to contract with the local building official for its inspections, so a campus project may or may not run through this jurisdiction's inspectors. A public university with a management agreement with the Commonwealth may instead designate its own building official (§ 23.1-1016).
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →In 2025, building permits issued in Richmond authorized 2,681 new privately owned housing units, 368 of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
Permit types
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, Richmond’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 Richmond 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
Richmond permit costs and fees
Permit fees in Richmond 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 Richmond. How Virginia permit fees work
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →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
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 Richmond building permit
Under § 36-98.1 the Department of General Services, not the city, is the building official for state-owned buildings and anything built on state-owned land.
Henrico and Chesterfield border the city, and each has its own building department.
For a building first permitted before 1985, asbestos certification is a bar on issuance under § 36-99.7.
Commission of Architectural Review approval is separate from building review and survives state preemption under § 36-98.
The walk-in permit counter is open weekdays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Have the classification correct and the lien agent decision made on one- and two-family work.
If Richmond 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 Richmond
Permits and Inspections schedules building and trade inspections inside the city limits. Inspections are scheduled by day rather than by time, between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on weekdays, with scheduling help on 804-646-1628. On state-owned property, inspections sit with the Department of General Services unless it asks the city to perform them.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Richmond enforces the Statewide Fire Prevention Code itself; the state’s directory of local fire officials lists its fire official’s number as 804-646-5453.
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
Richmond 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 Richmond Permits and Inspections
- Virginia Department of General Services, Division of Engineering and Buildings
- 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 Richmond in?
None. Richmond is an independent city and sits in no county. Henrico surrounds it to the north, east and west and Chesterfield adjoins to the south, but the city is part of neither.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Does the city permit state government buildings?
No. Under § 36-98.1 the Department of General Services, through its Division of Engineering and Buildings, is the building official for state-owned buildings and for anything built on state-owned property.
What are the Richmond permit counter hours?
The walk-in permit counter at City Hall is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the phone line 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Inspection scheduling has its own line, 804-646-1628.
Will my renovation need asbestos certification?
If the building was first permitted before 1985. Section 36-99.7 bars issuance of a renovation or demolition permit for a building whose initial permit was issued before 1 January 1985 until certification is received. Single-family and four-or-fewer-unit residential work is exempt unless it is for commercial or public development purposes.
Which building code applies in Richmond?
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 city does not adopt its own edition.
How does historic district review work here?
Separately from building review: the Commission of Architectural Review reviews all exterior changes to structures within the city’s Old and Historic Districts. Historic districts created under § 15.2-2306 are expressly preserved from state preemption by § 36-98, so their requirements apply independently of the building code.
Simplify Richmond permitting with Alliance Permitting
In Richmond the first question is whether the city is the building authority for the site at all; then come historic district review and asbestos certification. Alliance Permitting prepares, files and tracks Richmond 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 Richmond because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- We establish state-owned property status before assuming the city is the authority.
- We confirm city versus Henrico versus Chesterfield from the parcel record.
- We start historic review and asbestos certification at the front of the programme.
- We plan counter-dependent steps around published morning hours.
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.
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More Virginia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Richmond permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.