Albemarle County, VA Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Under County Code § 1-501, the Board of Supervisors' fee schedule lists "Building—Tents and Residential Swimming Pools, Hot Tubs, or Spas" at a flat $60 permit fee, separate from the $360 fee for a commercial swimming pool. A companion electrical fee of $35 covers wiring for "Swimming Pool, Hot Tub, or Spa" service. Fees are set under authority the Board cites from Virginia Code §§ 15.2-2241 and 36-105 and apply countywide outside the independent City of Charlottesville and the incorporated Town of Scottsville, which administer their own permits.

The Building Inspection Office, established within the Department of Community Development under § 5-102, is charged with "administering and enforcing the Building Code and this chapter, reviewing and acting on plans, inspecting buildings and structures, and issuing related permits and certificates." The Building Official, appointed by the County Executive under § 5-103, directs that office and enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, which the county applies under § 5-100 to all construction, alteration, and addition of structures, including pool equipment. Applicants must pay the required fee in full at the time of application, and no application is considered complete until it is paid, per § 1-500.

If work begins before a permit is pulled, the fee schedule imposes an "Administrative Fee for Working Without A Permit" of $250, on top of the standard permit cost. Any refund of a building fee follows Virginia Code § 13VAC5-63-70. A property owner who disagrees with the Building Inspection Office's application of the Building Code, including a pool permit denial, may appeal to the county's five-member Board of Appeals under §§ 5-104 and 5-105.