Building Permit Fees in Alexandria, VA (2026)

What common projects cost

Kitchen or bath remodel

$25,000 value, remodel 300 sq ft

$599.10

$450.00 building permit + $63.00 administrative + $56.43 permit center + $28.47 information technology + $1.20 training program

Room addition

$75,000 value, addition 400 sq ft

n/a

No building-permit formula for this project type.

New single-family home

$350,000 value, new single-family 2,400 sq ft

$3,379.92

$1,800.00 building permit + $194.00 electrical permit, new residential unit + $194.00 plumbing permit, new residential unit + $194.00 mechanical permit, new residential unit + $156.75 residential certificate of occupancy (per dwelling unit) + $355.43 administrative + $318.36 permit center + $160.63 information technology + $6.75 training program

How Alexandria calculates your permit fee

The city charges a building permit fee using $0.75 per square foot, with a $95.00 minimum. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work gets its own permits.

The fee table

Residential new construction (Virginia Residential Code)

$0.75 per square foot, with a $95.00 minimum.

Residential · remodels and alterations

$0.30 per square foot, or $18.00 per $1,000 of project value, whichever is greater, with a $95.00 minimum.

Commercial · new construction, additions

$7.50 per $1,000 of project value, with a $95.00 minimum.

Commercial · remodels and alterations

$0.48 per square foot, or $19.75 per $1,000 of project value, whichever is greater, with a $95.00 minimum.

Added to every matching permit

Electrical permit, new residential unit: a flat $194.00 (Residential · new construction)
Plumbing permit, new residential unit: a flat $194.00 (Residential · new construction)
Mechanical permit, new residential unit: a flat $194.00 (Residential · new construction)
Residential certificate of occupancy (per dwelling unit): a flat $156.75 (Residential · new construction)

Surcharges

Administrative fee: 14% of the fee total
Permit Center fee: 11% of the fee total
Information technology fee: 5% of the fee total
Training program fee: 0.2% of the fee total

What counts as project value

Floor area (square feet). Residential new construction is priced per square foot (including basements, garages, roofed carports). Valuation-based fees use the total contract price (labor and materials at retail market value plus overhead and profit); new construction cost is computed from ICC Building Valuation Data Table 1 x gross area.

Worked example: a $350,000 new home

Building permit fee: 2,400 sq ft × $0.75 = $1,800.00
Electrical permit, new residential unit: flat fee = $194.00
Plumbing permit, new residential unit: flat fee = $194.00
Mechanical permit, new residential unit: flat fee = $194.00
Residential certificate of occupancy (per dwelling unit): flat fee = $156.75
Administrative fee: 14% of $2,538.75 = $355.43
Permit Center fee: 11% of $2,894.18 = $318.36
Information technology fee: 5% of $3,212.54 = $160.63
Training program fee: 0.2% of $3,373.17 = $6.75
Total before trade permits: $3,379.92.

Fees people miss

Fee	Amount
Permit application deposit	35% of total estimated permit fee (credited)
Plan revision/resubmittal, new constructionWhen: revisions after approval or beyond one resubmittal	$100.00 per trade discipline
Plan revision/resubmittal, alterationsWhen: revisions	$50.00 per trade discipline
Advanced plan review (residential)When: optional pre-permit review	$0.05 per sq ft, max $10,000
Virginia Training Academy levy	state levy on all permit fees
Payment processing feeWhen: card/electronic payment	vendor rate

Trade permits are separate. Electrical: New residential unit $194; alterations/additions $19.50 per $1,000 or minimum $95, whichever greater; service equipment first 200 A $92. Plumbing: New residential unit $194; alterations/additions $19.50 per $1,000 or minimum. Mechanical: New residential unit $194; alterations/additions $19.50 per $1,000 or minimum. Gas piping base $40 residential + $20 per outlet.

How to apply

Gather your plans and your project's total value and floor area.
Submit to Department of Code Administration - Alexandria Permit Center through APEX.
Pay the permit and plan review fees when invoiced.

Source record

Effective: 2025-07-01
Verified: 2026-11-05
Issuer: Department of Code Administration - Alexandria Permit Center
Valuation: Floor area (square feet)
Confidence: high

What this page does not cover (4)

Virginia Training Academy state levy applies to all permit fees but its rate is not stated in the schedule; not modelled
No explicit residential addition formula: the $0.75/sq ft rule names only 'residential new construction' (additions mentioned only for cost computation); additions not modelled
Whether the 14% administrative, 11% Permit Center, 5% IT and 0.2% training fees compound or are each computed on base fees is not stated; modelled each on the subtotal
Trade permit fees for alterations ($19.50 per $1,000) not in the calculator total for remodels

Separate electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire, impact, utility and school fees are usually not included unless they are listed. BuildingPermitCost is not a government permit office, and this is not legal advice.

Report an error · How we verify fees

How Alexandria compares

A $25,000 remodel costs $599.10 in Alexandria: 58% above the national median of $380.00, and the highest of 7 places we cover in Virginia (state median $224.40).

A $350,000 new home costs $3,379.92 in Alexandria: 16% above the national median of $2,918.63, and the highest of 7 places we cover in Virginia (state median $524.01).

Same standard projects everywhere, including plan review and required surcharges. All Virginia places · Compare side by side

Alexandria permit fee FAQ

How much is a building permit in Alexandria, VA?

A $25,000 remodel: $599.10. A $350,000 new single-family: $3,379.92. These include every fee the schedule applies to that project; trade permits are separate.

Is plan review included in the Alexandria permit fee?

Alexandria lists no separate plan review fee for these projects.

How does Alexandria determine project value?

Floor area (square feet). Residential new construction is priced per square foot (including basements, garages, roofed carports). Valuation-based fees use the total contract price (labor and materials at retail market value plus overhead and profit); new construction cost is computed from ICC Building Valuation Data Table 1 x gross area.

Are electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits included?

No. They are separate permits. Electrical: New residential unit $194; alterations/additions $19.50 per $1,000 or minimum $95, whichever greater; service equipment first 200 A $92. Plumbing: New residential unit $194; alterations/additions $19.50 per $1,000 or minimum. Mechanical: New residential unit $194; alterations/additions $19.50 per $1,000 or minimum. Gas piping base $40 residential + $20 per outlet.

When did these Alexandria fees take effect?

The schedule is effective Jul 1, 2025 (“Fee Schedule Effective July 1, 2025, City Council Resolution 3287”). We last checked it against the official source on Nov 5, 2026.