Norfolk, VA Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- Virginia USBC, adopted by § 11.1-1
- 0-200 amp permit fee
- $50
- 201-400 amp permit fee
- $100
- Per-circuit fee (first 100)
- $3 per circuit
- Surcharge on all fees
- 2% plus $15 processing
- Discontinued service reinspection
- Required after 90+ days
Summary
Norfolk regulates electrical work through the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, adopted citywide by City Code § 11.1-1, and charges permit fees by amperage and circuit count under the Electrical Fee Schedule in § 11.1-3. Discontinued residential service must be reinspected before restoration.
Electrical Fee Schedule Electrical Service (Single-Phase or Three Phases) 0—200 AMP $50 201—400 AMP $100 401—600 AMP $150 Each additional 100 AMP up to 1000 AMP $25 Each additional 100 AMP over 1000 AMP without limit $50
For each piece of equipment and each circuit or feeder installed, extended, relocated, or repaired $3 per circuit up to 100 circuits, then $4 per circuit... The code official shall require reinspection before service may be restored to a residential electrical installation from which electrical service has been discontinued for a period of ninety (90) days or more, and prior to reconnection of any change in service to a commercial installation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 166).
Full Breakdown
1. 1-3 charges permit fees on a sliding scale by service size: $50 for 0-200 amp single- or three-phase service, $100 for 201-400 amp, $150 for 401-600 amp, then $25 for each additional 100 amps up to 1,000 amps and $50 for each additional 100 amps beyond that. Work involving individual pieces of equipment or circuits is billed per circuit or feeder installed, extended, relocated, or repaired: $3 per circuit for the first 100 circuits, then $4 per circuit thereafter. Miscellaneous electrical work carries its own fees: pool grounding is $50, a temporary release is $50, and a temporary electrical construction pole permit is $50.
1-3 to fund Building Code Academy training as required by Va. Code § 36-137, plus a flat $15 processing charge. 1 requires the code official to reinspect a residential electrical installation before service can be restored once it has been discontinued for 90 days or more, and requires reinspection before reconnecting any change in service to a commercial installation. Property owners who let service lapse past that 90-day mark cannot simply flip the power back on; they must schedule and pass a code official inspection first.
Working without an electrical permit exposes an owner or contractor to the administrative fee for work begun without a permit, separate from the underlying electrical permit fee itself.
Violations & Fines
Performing electrical work without the required permit triggers a $150 administrative fee for work begun without a permit, on top of the underlying electrical permit fee, under the § 11.1-3 fee schedule. General USBC violations are enforceable by the code official under § 11.1-2.1, and unpermitted or noncompliant work can be ordered corrected or abated, with costs charged back to the responsible party. Reconnecting an electrical service after a 90-day-plus discontinuance, or changing commercial service, without the reinspection required by § 11.1-11.1 leaves the installation out of compliance until the code official signs off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Norfolk require a permit for electrical work?
How much does an electrical permit cost in Norfolk?
Can I turn electrical service back on myself after it was shut off for months?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norfolk
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