Prince William County, VA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Sec. 5-16 adopts the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) by reference under state authority at Va. ' Two cross-referenced sections act as hard prerequisites before the county building official can issue a permit for a building designed for human occupancy: Sec. 23-2 blocks issuance until the health director gives written authorization that safe, adequate sewage disposal is or can be made available, and Sec. 24-22 blocks issuance of both the building permit and any later occupancy permit until the owner or developer has obtained an official street address from the division of geographic information systems, with a fresh address again required if the structure is later modified in use or design.

Permit and inspection fees are set by the fee schedule the board of county supervisors adopts under Sec. 5-19, rather than fixed in the code text itself. Sec. 5-17 sets the enforcement teeth: violating the adopted USBC, or building in violation of an approved plan, permit, or the building official's directive, is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $2,500, and if the violation involves a residential unit still uncorrected at conviction, the court must order it abated within six months absent good cause. A local enforcement officer may ticket a residential lessor or sublessor directly for a Sec. 5-17 violation, as long as the owner is also served notice.