Virginia Beach permits: Permits and Inspections, 757-385-4211, 2403 Courthouse Drive. Online review takes 15 to 45 business days. Zoning: 757-385-8074.
Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Virginia Beach Planning Department’s permits pages, its zoning pages and the pages for the Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals.
Building permits, inspections and zoning in Virginia Beach are handled by the city’s Planning Department, all in Building 3 of the Municipal Center, 2403 Courthouse Drive, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Most applications are filed through the city’s online permitting portal, where you can also schedule inspections.
Who to call
- Building permits and inspections: Permits and Inspections, 757-385-4211
- Zoning questions: Zoning Administration, 757-385-8074
- Variances and appeals of zoning decisions: 757-385-7664
- Rezoning and Planning Commission comments: Planning Department, 757-385-8673
- Waterfront, wetlands and Chesapeake Bay areas: Waterfront@vbgov.com
What needs a permit
Virginia Beach administers the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. The city’s residential permits page lists work that needs a permit, including:
- cutting into walls or structural beams, or changing exits
- converting a garage or screened porch to living space
- foundation repairs, and new windows or doors where the frames change
- roofing or siding replacement
- additions, garages, carports and screened porches
- decks, chimneys, driveways and fences
- sheds and other detached structures over 256 square feet
- pools and hot tubs that hold at least 24 inches of water
- bulkheads, piers, boat lifts and other waterfront work
- demolition, and moving a lot line that affects a building
Work in the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area, a flood zone or the Southern Rivers watershed may need environmental approval before a permit is issued. Fees are in the city’s residential permit fee schedule (PDF).
How long it takes
Online submissions get a first review in 15 to 45 business days; revisions take about half that, the permits page says. Smaller plan sets, five pages or fewer, can be reviewed at the counter in Building 3:
- residential additions, alterations and accessory buildings of 500 square feet or less
- uncovered decks of any size
- commercial alterations of 2,500 square feet or less with no change of use
Inspections
Schedule inspections online up to five working days ahead. For a same-day inspection, book before 8 a.m.; the city advises booking by 7 a.m. Inspectors take calls from 8 to 9 a.m. on inspection day. A typical new building or addition gets setback and footing, foundation, framing and insulation, and final inspections. You must provide a ladder if the inspector needs to reach the attic or roof.
Zoning
Every piece of land in Virginia Beach except city rights-of-way has a zoning district under the Zoning Ordinance, which sets setbacks, landscaping and allowed uses. Town Center and the Oceanfront resort area follow form-based codes, and land near Naval Air Station Oceana falls under the Air Installation Compatible Use Zone rules. Call Zoning Administration at 757-385-8074 to confirm what is allowed on a lot. Short-term rentals have their own rules on the zoning pages.
Rezoning and the Planning Commission
Rezonings, conditional use permits, street closures and plan amendments go to the Planning Commission, an 11-member board appointed by the City Council. It meets at noon on the second Wednesday of each month in the City Council chamber, second floor of Building 1, 2401 Courthouse Drive, with staff briefings at 9 a.m. Staff reports are posted five days ahead. The commission’s vote is a recommendation; the City Council decides.
Speak in person by signing up in the chamber before the meeting, or register for WebEx and contact the Planning Department at 757-385-8673 by 5 p.m. the day before. Hearings air live on VB NOW, Cox channel 48 and Verizon channel 45, and on the city’s YouTube channel. Application deadlines are in the 2026 schedule (PDF).
Variances: the Board of Zoning Appeals
The seven-member Board of Zoning Appeals hears variance requests and appeals of the zoning administrator’s decisions on the first Wednesday of each month, with an informal session at 1 p.m. in Room 2034 of Building 1 and the public hearing at 2 p.m. in the Council chamber. The remaining 2026 meetings are Wednesday, Nov. 4, and Wednesday, Dec. 2. State law lets the board grant a variance only for an undue hardship not shared by nearby properties. Call 757-385-7664 to apply.
What this means for you
- Check the permit list before you hire a contractor; roofing, fences and sheds count.
- Allow up to nine weeks for an online plan review.
- Waterfront lots need an environmental check first.
Related: property taxes and assessments, road construction and closures and who to call at City Hall.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit for a fence in Virginia Beach?
Yes. The city’s residential permit list includes fences, decks, driveways, sheds over 256 square feet, pools and hot tubs that hold 24 inches of water or more, and roofing or siding replacement.
How long does a building permit take in Virginia Beach?
The first review of an online submission takes 15 to 45 business days, and revisions take about half as long. Small residential jobs, such as additions of 500 square feet or less and uncovered decks, can be reviewed at the counter.
Where is the Virginia Beach permit office?
Permits and Inspections is in Building 3 of the Municipal Center, 2403 Courthouse Drive, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The main number is 757-385-4211.
When does the Virginia Beach Planning Commission meet?
At noon on the second Wednesday of each month in the City Council chamber, Building 1, 2401 Courthouse Drive. Its recommendations go to the City Council for a final vote.
How do I get a zoning variance in Virginia Beach?
Call 757-385-7664 for instructions. The Board of Zoning Appeals hears variances at 2 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month; its next meetings are Nov. 4 and Dec. 2.
Have your say