Virginia Beach, VA Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)
Key Facts
- Reinspection fee
- $75 per extra visit
- Enforcing office
- Division of Permits and Inspections
- Fee due
- Before final approval of work
- Triggers
- Faulty work, premature or blocked request
- Underlying code
- Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code
Summary
Virginia Beach's Division of Permits and Inspections can bill $75 for each extra inspection visit caused by uncorrected faulty work, a premature request, or blocked site access, due before final approval.
Whenever an inspector for the division of permits and inspections shall determine that inspections, in addition to those required in this division, are necessary owing to the failure of a contractor or other person to properly correct faulty work, or where a contractor or other person has requested an inspection before the work to be inspected has been completed to the degree required, or where the inspector cannot obtain reasonable access to the work to be inspected, he may assess a service charge of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) for each additional inspection visit. Such charge shall be chargeable to the holder of the permit covering such work and shall be paid to the city at the division of permits and inspections prior to final approval of such work.
(Code 1965, § 8-2; Ord. No. 939, 4-23-79; Ord. No. 2247, 10-12-93; Ord. No. 2528, 5-11-99; Ord. No. 3499, 4-18-17)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 170 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, adopted at City Code § 8-26, sets the technical inspection stages (framing, rough-in, final, etc.) statewide, so Virginia Beach layers its own process on top rather than writing separate stage rules. Under § 8-56, if a contractor fails to fix faulty work, calls for an inspection before the work is actually ready, or blocks an inspector's reasonable access, the division of permits and inspections may charge $75 for each additional visit. The permit holder owes that charge, payable to the city before final approval of the work.
Violations & Fines
Unpaid reinspection charges are billed to the permit holder and must be settled before the division of permits and inspections signs off on final approval; separately, working after a stop order or connecting service without the required certificate of inspection is a code violation under Article II.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was I billed extra for a reinspection in Virginia Beach?
Who sets the actual inspection stages like framing and final?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Virginia Beach
Compare Virginia Beach to another location·View the Virginia building safety overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.