Richmond does not charge general residential impact fees on ADUs because Virginia state law tightly limits municipal impact-fee authority. Costs are limited to PDR Building Permits fees, Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) water and sewer connection fees, and stormwater fees. Cash proffers apply only in connection with rezoning, not as-of-right ADU permits. The Richmond 300 rewrite may add affordable-ADU fee waivers but the existing baseline charges remain.
Virginia is among the most restrictive states for municipal impact fees. Va. Code Β§Β§15.2-2317 through 15.2-2329 (Road Impact Fees Act) authorizes road impact fees only for designated high-growth localities meeting specific population and density criteria β Richmond does not impose road impact fees on ADUs. Va. Code Β§Β§15.2-2298 through 15.2-2303.4 (Cash Proffer System) authorizes cash proffers only in connection with rezoning, not on as-of-right ADU additions. Project costs for a Richmond ADU are typically: (1) PDR Building Permits fees per the City Fee Schedule (scaled to construction valuation, typically $0.50-1.00 per square foot for residential); (2) zoning permit and plan review fees through PDR; (3) Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) water service connection fees if a new connection or meter is installed β shared utilities with the principal dwelling typically avoid these charges; (4) DPU wastewater connection fees (Richmond operates its own combined sewer system rather than being on HRSD); (5) DPU stormwater fees if new impervious surface exceeds Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act thresholds; (6) gas service connection fees through Richmond Gas Works (the municipal gas utility serving the City) when applicable. Property taxes are reassessed by the Richmond City Assessor. Affordable-ADU fee waivers may be added through the Richmond 300 zoning rewrite but were not adopted as of the latest publicly available drafts.
Building without permits to avoid fees: stop-work orders from PDR Building Permits, double permit fees on after-the-fact applications, and possible mandatory exposure of concealed work. Unpaid DPU water, sewer, or stormwater charges block service connection and can become liens under Va. Code Β§15.2-2118 (utility lien authority). Chesapeake Bay Act stormwater violations can carry substantial Virginia DEQ civil penalties under Va. Code Β§62.1-44.15:74.
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See how Richmond's adu impact fees rules stack up against other locations.
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