Charlottesville, VA Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Under § 5-56, an application for any permit required by the Uniform Statewide Building Code, called a "building permit" in the ordinance, must be filed with the city's building official. City Council sets the fee schedule "from time to time," and the applicant must pay the required fees and charges before the city will accept the application; § 5-56(b) adds any surcharge the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development levies under Code of Virginia § 36-137, which the city remits to DHCD quarterly. No permit is issued until every required fee is paid, and fees go to the city treasurer, not the department.

Enforcement runs through two appointed officials created by § 5-28: the code official handles Part II of the USBC, and the building maintenance official handles Part III, covering existing structures. Both, along with their technical assistants, must hold the qualifications and certifications the USBC, Part 1, Chapter 1, Section 104 requires. Section 5-28(b) lets either official, or an authorized representative, enter any building, structure or premises in the city to carry out an inspection or other duty imposed by Chapter 5. If work proceeds contrary to the USBC or is otherwise dangerous, § 5-28(c) authorizes an immediate written stop-work notice to the owner, agent or person doing the work; in an emergency the notice does not need to be in writing.

An applicant or permit holder who disputes a building official's ruling can appeal to the building code board of appeals created by § 5-29, a five-member board serving five-year terms whose jurisdiction follows the USBC and can be expanded by city ordinance. Tradesmen working without the state license the building official finds required, or performing incompetently, get reported to the state board for contractors under § 5-57.