York County, Virginia Building Permit Guide

The York County Division of Building Safety, part of Planning and Development Services, issues building, electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits for the whole county from 100 County Drive, Suite B, Yorktown (757-890-3522). York County has no incorporated towns, so there is no town office to deal with. A new house is charged $0.17 per square foot under roof plus a $5 technology fee; the $90 residential plan review fee paid at application is credited to the permit fee when the permit is issued within 90 days. Inspections must be requested through the County’s online portal.

What requires a building permit in York County?

The County’s rule of thumb is that a permit is needed whenever you construct, reconstruct, enlarge, alter or demolish a structure. Its residential pages list the common cases on both sides of the line:

Retaining walls holding back more than 4 ft of fill need engineering. For emergency repairs or equipment replacement, such as lost heat or hot water, work can start first, but the permit must be obtained the next working day.

Who issues York County permits?

Building Safety reviews residential and commercial plans for structural, plumbing, mechanical and electrical requirements, collects the fees and inspects all construction in the county. Corian (Cory) Carney, CBO, is the Building Official and Deputy Director of Planning & Development Services (757-890-3571).

The county contains no incorporated towns: Yorktown, where the County offices are, is not a separate municipality, so Building Safety is the only building department for every address in York County. The neighboring cities of Poquoson, Williamsburg, Newport News and Hampton are independent and run their own offices, and James City County has its own as well.

Other County offices take part in the review. Planning & Development Services and Stormwater approve their parts before Building Safety reviews the plans, and the Department of Fire and Life Safety (757-890-3600) reviews fire alarms, commercial kitchen hoods and sprinkler systems, although it does not issue permits.

Local requirements in York County

Zoning comes first: the County Code bars Building Safety from issuing a building permit until the zoning administrator has issued a certificate of zoning compliance. Commercial projects need an approved site plan from the Division of Development Services, though building plans can be submitted for review at the same time.

Shrink-swell soils: 2 copies of an engineered soil report, prepared by a soil scientist or geotechnical engineer, are required with the plans for every new house. For garages with living space above and similar structures the report is required where the property is in the Triassic Basin, the part of the county with a higher risk of shrink-swell soil.

Land disturbance and stormwater: a new residence needs a Land Disturbing Activity (LDA) permit, which must be issued and have its initial inspection completed before the building permit is released. It costs $110, and another $110 every 2 years until the Certificate of Occupancy. The residential stormwater (VSMP) application is free to file, with a $290 fee due at permit issuance if a VSMP permit turns out to be required.

Sewer and septic: the application needs the receipt for sewer connection fees paid to the Hampton Roads Sanitation District and York County, or the septic permit approval showing the tank, drain field and 100% reserve drain field. Septic permits are issued by the Virginia Department of Health, whose Hampton & Peninsula Health Districts serve York County. All local and Hampton Roads utility connection fees must be paid before a permit is issued.

Floodplain: a Flood Elevation Certificate goes in with the plans when the site is in the floodplain, and HVAC submittals must show elevations in a flood zone.

Contractor business licence: for 2026 the County required contractors to submit an updated business licence by March 1, and Building Safety stopped issuing permits to those who had not.

York County applications and the online portal

York County uses 2 main application forms, both on the Building Permit Forms page: the Building Permit Application and the Trade Permit Application for electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical work. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work is never covered by the building permit itself.

Other forms the County publishes there:

• LDA (Erosion) Permit Application and VSMP (Residential Stormwater) Permit Application
• Contractor License Exemption, for a homeowner or property owner taking out permits under a state licensing exemption
• Accessory Dwelling Disclosure, required with detached garage, carport and shed applications
• Asbestos Inspection Certification and Utility Disconnection for Demolition
• Statement of Special Inspections and Statement of Third Party Inspection
• Expedited Code Modification Request
• Sign, Temporary Sign and Amusement permit applications
• VDOT Private or Commercial Entrance Permit Application

The County’s Customer Service Request Portal is used to track permits and request inspections. Contractors and homeowners register through a County form; once the account is active, existing projects are linked to it and inspections have to be requested there. Paying fees by card in the portal is listed as coming soon.

An owner may do additions, alterations and repairs on the single-family house they live in, with all the required permits. The County advises that if you hire a contractor, the contractor should pull the permit, because an owner who pulls it takes responsibility for all the work.

Electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits

Each trade is a separate permit on the Trade Permit Application. Fees are set in section 7.1-8 of the County Code:

What triggers each permit:

• Electrical: new service or wiring, a service upgrade, a permanent generator tied to the panel, and any new or replaced wiring, panel board or disconnect.
• Plumbing: new piping or fixtures, replacement of supply, drainage, well, septic or County water and sewer connection piping, and a lawn irrigation backflow preventer.
• Gas: removing, replacing or installing any gas appliance or piping, including gas logs, water heaters, furnaces, cooktops and ranges, and a new or relocated propane tank.
• Mechanical: new equipment, a replacement fuel-fired furnace, hydronic piping, ductwork, flues and vents. Replacing a like-for-like electric condensing unit or air handler needs no permit.

New residential HVAC systems need ACCA Manual J, Manual D and Manual S submittals with the trade application. Building Safety coordinates power and gas connections with Dominion Energy and Virginia Natural Gas.

Application documents and plan requirements

For a new residence the County asks for:

• Building Permit Application
• 4 copies of a plot plan showing the whole property with dimensions, existing and proposed structures, setbacks to each property line, the road name, and all buffers and easements
• 2 copies of the construction plans; one comes back with the permit
• 2 copies of the engineered soil report
• LDA (Erosion) Permit Application and VSMP Application
• Sewer connection fee receipts or the septic permit approval
• Land Use Permit from VDOT
• $90 plan review fee, plus $110 if the LDA permit is applied for at the same time

Plans must be numbered, to architectural scale, legible without handwritten notes and full size. They need footing and foundation, floor, attic and roof framing plans, at least one through-structure section and 2 elevations. The County lists further details it checks:

• Every beam and garage door header identified, with the column shown at each end of any beam carrying more than 4,000 lb
• Braced wall lines and panel methods with calculations on each floor plan
• Walls over 12 ft tall engineered by a registered design professional
• Truss layout and truss detail sheets, which must be sealed by the time of inspection

Do not submit mechanical, electrical or plumbing drawings for a house, or cabinetry and stair details. The County’s plan reviewers do not review them; the field inspectors check those items.

Commercial: a new commercial building needs the approved site plan with proof that its conditions are met, 2 or more plan sets on sheets of at least 21 by 34 inches, 2 soil reports, one copy of the specifications, the sewer or septic documentation, a Statement of Special Inspections under the Hampton Roads guidelines where it applies, and the $280 plan review fee.

Building permit fees and plan review

York County’s fees are written into section 7.1-8 of the County Code and were last revised by Ordinance 25-9(R), adopted May 6, 2025. Since July 1, 2025 every permit except LDA, VSMP and temporary amusement device permits also carries a $5 technology fee.

For example, a new house with 2,000 sq ft under roof is $340 plus the $5 technology fee, or $345, before the trade permits, the $110 LDA permit and any utility connection fees. $90 of that is paid at application as the plan review fee and counts toward the permit fee if the permit is issued within 90 days; after 90 days it is neither refunded nor credited. A $20,000 kitchen renovation is $140 plus 3 further steps of $55, or $305.

If a permit is cancelled before construction, the County refunds the fee less a $60 service fee and the $90 plan review fee. After construction has started it also keeps $90 for each inspection already made. The request must be in writing, and no refund is made more than 12 months after the permit was issued.

How to apply: 6 steps in York County

Inspections, occupancy and closeout

Once your portal account is active, inspections must be requested in the Customer Service Request Portal: log in, pick the permit from My Dashboard and click Request Inspection next to the stage that is ready. Results and the inspector’s comments appear on the same screen. The office can help with portal access at 757-890-3522.

The County sets out when to call for each building inspection:

• Footing: trench dug and reinforcement in, before the footing is placed.
• Slab: vapor barrier and perimeter insulation in, and any under-slab trade inspections already approved.
• Foundation: block laid and the first floor system framed but not yet sheathed.
• Framing: all structural members in and every trade rough-in approved.
• Exterior moisture: sheathing, flashing, windows and doors installed, before the siding goes on.
• Insulation: after framing is approved, before concealment.
• Final building: after all trade finals and other departmental inspections are approved.

Schedule the electrical meter release together with the electrical rough inspection; booking it separately can bring a $90 re-inspection fee. Third-party inspectors are allowed only as an exception, for instance when a County inspector cannot reach the site within 2 working days, and must be approved in advance.

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 York County permitting resources

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

• York County Building Permit Fees
• Residential Permits & Inspections
• Building Permit Forms
• York County Division of Building Safety
• York County Customer Service Request Portal
• Customer Service and Permit Portal User Guide
• Residential Building Permits: projects and inspections
• New Residence submission requirements
• Accessory Structures
• Homeowner Information
• Commercial Permits & Inspections
• New Commercial Building
• Building Safety FAQs
• Third-Party Inspections
• York County Code, Chapter 7.1: Building Regulations

York County building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in York County?

The York County Division of Building Safety, at 100 County Drive, Suite B, Yorktown. There are no incorporated towns in the county, so it covers every York County address, Yorktown included.

How much is a building permit for a house in York County?

$0.17 per square foot under roof with a $90 minimum, plus a $5 technology fee. A 2,000 sq ft house comes to $345 before the trade permits and the $110 land disturbance permit; the $90 plan review fee paid at application is credited to that total if the permit is issued within 90 days.

Do I need a permit for a shed in York County?

At 257 sq ft or more, yes. A one-story shed of 256 sq ft or less is exempt if it is outside a flood zone, its eaves are no higher than 10 ft and its floor is no more than 18 inches above grade.

Do I need a permit for a deck or a new roof?

Every deck needs a building permit, including replacement and structural repairs, at $0.15 per square foot with a $90 minimum. Re-roofing is treated as an ordinary repair and needs no permit.

Can a homeowner pull a permit?

Yes, with the Contractor License Exemption form. The County recommends doing so only if you are doing the work yourself, since the permit holder is responsible for it.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Through the County’s Customer Service Request Portal. An account is required, and once it is active inspections have to be requested online.

What is the re-inspection fee?

$90 when an inspection is called before the work is ready, the inspector cannot get safe access or the address is not posted. When a properly requested inspection fails, the first re-inspection is free; if the work keeps failing, the County Code sets $90 for the third and each later re-inspection. The fee can also be charged if the electrical meter release is not scheduled with the electrical rough inspection.

Does York County charge a technology fee?

Yes, $5 per permit since July 1, 2025, except on land disturbance, stormwater and temporary amusement device permits.

Simplify York County 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 York County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.