Portsmouth, VA Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)

Section 7-133 sets out the electrical permit fee structure administered by the department of permits and inspections. Beyond a flat minimum permit fee, the schedule charges by increments of 50 amperes for new single-phase or three-phase electrical services, with three-phase service billed per 50 amperes up to the first 1,000 amperes and at a different rate for amperage beyond that threshold. Temporary service connections get their own tier, split between 60-ampere and 100-ampere temporary hookups and a separate rate for temporary construction power regardless of amperage.

Changing an existing service is billed the same way as a new service, per 50 amperes, with any additional circuits added during the change billed under the separate additions-and-repairs schedule, which covers each piece of equipment connected and each circuit or feeder installed, extended, relocated or repaired. Pool wiring gets two dedicated line items, pool inspection and pool grounding, plus a fee for inspecting a temporary release. All of these amperage-based fees, per subsection (b), are charged per piece of electrical apparatus inspected rather than added up across a building's total amperage.

Failing to pull this permit before starting electrical work is enforced the same way as any other trade permit: § 7-102 makes commencing electrical work before obtaining the necessary permit a misdemeanor.