Richmond's Building Safety: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles building safety a little differently. In Richmond, Virginia, there are 5 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Elevator Maintenance

Richmond charges building owners an annual elevator routine test fee of $150.00 to $200.00 depending on the number of floors served, plus a separate $125.00 annual routine inspection and a $40.00 certificate processing fee. The Commissioner of Buildings enforces the Uniform Statewide Building Code's elevator standards citywide.

Key details: Cable elevator test fee, 1-4 floors: $150.00 annual. Cable elevator test fee, 5-10 floors: $175.00 annual. Annual routine inspection (no test): $125.00. Certificate processing fee: $40.00. New elevator final acceptance: $230.00.

Operating an elevator that is out of compliance with the Uniform Statewide Building Code, or missing a required annual test or inspection, is a violation of Section 5-3, punishable under Code of Virginia § 36-106. A unit that fails its scheduled test or inspection triggers a $50.00 reinspection fee per follow-up visit, and a new or modernized elevator cannot be placed into service until it passes the $230.00 final acceptance inspection administered by the Bureau of Permits and Inspections.

Building Inspections

Richmond requires a valid Bureau of Permits and Inspections permit before starting covered work; starting early still costs the full permit fee and can draw prosecution. Inspectors charge $32.00 to $63.00 for a missed or failed inspection, and $110.00 an hour for after-hours calls.

Key details: Reinspection fee, residential: $32.00 per visit. Reinspection fee, commercial: $63.00 per visit. After-hours inspection: $110.00 per hour. Cost affidavit deadline: Before final inspection, § 5-6. Enforcing office: Bureau of Permits and Inspections.

Commencing work without an approved permit is a violation of Section 5-9 that still requires payment of the full permit fee and can be separately prosecuted under the Uniform Statewide Building Code, punishable per Code of Virginia § 36-106 as referenced in Section 5-3. Failing to correct a previously cited violation, or failing to appear for a scheduled inspection, triggers a reinspection fee of $32.00 for residential or $63.00 for commercial work under Section 5-5 for every additional trip to the site.

Building Permits

Richmond requires a permit before construction, reconstruction, alteration, conversion, repair, maintenance or equipment installation on any building or structure. The Bureau of Permits and Inspections in the Department of Planning and Development Review issues permits under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, adopted locally by reference, with fees set by City Council based on the value of work.

Key details: Enforcing office: Bureau of Permits and Inspections. Residential permit base fee: $63.00 plus $6.07 per $1,000. Commercial permit base fee: $131.00 plus $8.50 per $1,000. Unpermitted work investigation fee: $400.00 per permit. Governing code: Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code.

Under Section 5-9, starting work that requires a permit before one is obtained does not excuse the fee: the owner must still pay for the entire scope of work covered by the permit once it is issued, and payment does not bar prosecution for commencing work without a permit under the USBC. Anyone issued a stop work order also owes a Council-set administrative fee covering the cost of issuing the order and any resulting legal action; the fee schedule lists a $400.00 investigation charge for work performed without a permit. Section 5-3 separately makes it unlawful to occupy, construct, alter, extend, repair, remove, demolish, maintain or use USBC-regulated buildings or equipment in violation of the code, punishable as set out in Code of Virginia § 36-106.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Every Richmond short-term rental must have carbon monoxide detectors installed in compliance with the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, alongside required smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher, and the operator must post a labeled floor plan showing where the detectors are located, under Section 30-697.1.

Key details: CO detector: Required per Virginia USBC. Smoke detector: Also required, § 30-697.1(5). Fire extinguisher: Also required, § 30-697.1(6). Floor plan: Must label detector locations, posted. Governing section: § 30-697.1(4),(5),(6),(7).

Operating a short-term rental without a working carbon monoxide detector, or without posting the required floor plan showing detector locations, violates Section 30-697.1 and is enforceable as a zoning violation under Section 30-1080. The offense is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, with escalating fines up to $2,000 for each ten-day period the violation continues uncorrected.

Lead Paint

Richmond City Code makes owners of pre-1978 dwellings and child-occupied facilities responsible for keeping painted surfaces free of peeling, chipping, cracking or flaking paint once lead hazards are confirmed, or removing or covering the leaded areas in a manner the City approves. The District Health Department enforces the duty through risk assessments, notices of violation, and reinspection deadlines.

Key details: Covered housing: Any dwelling built before 1978 ("target housing"). Lead-paint threshold: 1.0 mg/cm² or 0.5% by weight. Risk assessment fee: $350.00. Clearance testing fee: $225.00. Abatement window: 30 days, extendable to 90 days max.

Violating the removal or covering requirements of this article is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $2,500.00 under Sec. 15-107. If a court sets an abatement deadline and the hazard remains after that date, each additional day counts as a separate violation. A landlord who shows the court it cannot afford abatement can have the court order the affected rental agreement terminated, effective 30 days after the order, rather than face continued fines.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Richmond actively enforces its lead paint requirements.

The Bottom Line

Richmond's building safety rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Richmond is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Richmond's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.