Albemarle County, VA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Issuing office
- Building Inspection Office, Dept. of Community Development
- New home under 1,500 sf
- $500 permit fee
- New home over 7,500 sf
- $4,000 permit fee
- Accessory structure
- $0.18/sq ft, $35 minimum
- Demolition permit
- $110 flat fee
- Violation penalty
- Class 1 misdemeanor, § 5-106
Summary
Albemarle County requires a permit before most construction, administered by the Building Inspection Office under County Code § 5-102. Fees are set by a detailed schedule in § 1-501, for example $500 for a new single-family home under 1,500 square feet.
B.Building Fee Amounts. Each of the following applications, permits, or activities is subject to the following fee(s): ... Building— ... New Single-Family Residential (less than 1,500 sq. ft.) $500 ... A.Powers and duties. The Building Inspection Office shall be charged with administering and enforcing the Building Code and this chapter, reviewing and acting on plans, inspecting buildings and structures, and issuing related permits and certificates.
Full Breakdown
" Chapter 5 makes the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code applicable to construction, alteration, repair, addition, demolition, and removal of structures countywide, and § 5-103 places a County-Executive-appointed Building Official in charge of that office. Permit fees are not buried in Chapter 5 itself; § 5-200 and § 5-201 both point to the fee table set out in Chapter 1, Article 5. That table, County Code § 1-501(B), lists fees by project type and size. 00. An owner or applicant who is denied a permit, or disputes the Building Inspection Office's application of the Building Code, can appeal to the county's five-member Board of Appeals under § 5-105.
Operating without a required permit, or otherwise violating Chapter 5, is punishable under § 5-106 as a class 1 misdemeanor when the violation is not itself a Building Code violation, while a Building Code violation is punished and abated as provided in Virginia Code § 36-106.
Violations & Fines
Building without a required permit, or another violation of Chapter 5 that is not itself a Building Code violation, is a class 1 misdemeanor under § 5-106(A). A violation of the Building Code itself is punished and abated as provided in Virginia Code § 36-106, and appeals from Building Inspection Office decisions go to the county's Board of Appeals under § 5-105.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues building permits in Albemarle County?
How much does a building permit cost for a new house in Albemarle County?
What if the Building Inspection Office denies my permit application?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Albemarle County
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