Arlington County, VIRGINIA Building Permit Guide

Permit Authority

Arlington County administers building, trade, zoning, historic, right-of-way, land-disturbing, floodplain, and related local reviews within county limits under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and local ordinances.

Department

Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development (CPHD), Inspection Services Division (ISD)

Address

Permit Arlington Center, Ellen M. Bozman Government Center, 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 1000, Arlington, VA 22201

Phone

703-228-3800

Website

https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Building

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Confirm permit type and whether zoning, land-disturbing activity, floodplain, historic preservation, or other parallel approvals are required; consult Arlington's permit library and permit-type pages.
2. Prepare the submission package in Permit Arlington with application, applicant and property details, scope of work, plans and drawings, and any required supporting affidavits or outside-agency approvals.
3. Submit online through Permit Arlington; Arlington performs an initial completeness check and returns incomplete applications for correction.
4. After completeness acceptance, the application enters discipline review by building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, zoning, fire, environmental, and site-related reviewers as applicable.
5. Respond to review comments and revisions requested in Permit Arlington.
6. After reviews are complete, Arlington verifies contractor information and calculates fees.
7. Pay the assessed fees through Permit Arlington / Paymentus; permit and placard are provided digitally in Permit Arlington.
8. Post the permit, schedule required inspections, and complete work with final approval.

Typical processing time: Commercial new construction and additions: approximately 15 business days; Commercial interior alteration: approximately 10 business days; Express commercial: 2-5 business days. Note: These are approximate review times and do not include process-in and process-out time, typically 2 business days each.

Source: Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development (CPHD), Inspection Services Division (ISD)

General Requirements

Arlington requires permits for building construction, addition, alteration, repair, demolition, many trade installations, and other work regulated by the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and local ordinances. Electrical permits are required for all electrical work except minor repair work. Historic districts require a Certificate of Appropriateness for most exterior alterations, new construction, and demolition. Land-disturbing activity, right-of-way use, floodplain development, and Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area review can create separate or parallel approvals depending on site conditions.

Required Documents

• Permit application through Permit Arlington
• Plans and drawings sized per Arlington online submission guidance
• Scope of work and valuation/area information appropriate to the permit type
• Permit Authorization Affidavit when required; notarization is required and Arlington accepts electronic notaries
• Contractor information before permit issuance when applicable
• Additional property-owner letters, corporate authority records, design professional seals, or project-specific support documents depending on the filing
• Certificate of Appropriateness application with supporting materials for historic district work

Permit validity

Permit fees must be paid before the permit is valid. Permit validity is governed by the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code unless a permit type has a separate local rule. Temporary electrical installation permits are issued for 60 days and may be renewed for one additional 30-day period if necessary.

Building code

Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and applicable referenced codes and local ordinances

Owner-builder

Arlington allows an owner to be permit holder in some cases with residential limits. An owner can only be the permit holder on one residential address within a two-year period. If the owner is an LLC, the permit generally cannot be issued with the owner as permit holder for a residential property unless it is an existing rental property and proof is provided. For electrical permits in one- and two-family detached dwellings and townhouses not more than 3 stories above grade, permits may be issued to a person, whether registered or not, if that person is the bona fide owner or the owner's agent.

Contractor requirements

The contractor licensed in Virginia for the scope of work on the permit does not need a permit authorization affidavit. Contractor information must be provided before permit issuance where applicable, and the County verifies that the contractor is licensed as required by state and local laws. State contractor and trade licensing are regulated through Virginia DPOR; applicants should expect state licensing compliance plus any local business tax/registration obligations for operating in the County.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

One- and two-family detached dwellings and qualifying townhouses: $196; All other buildings and structures: $695. Electrical permits: $181 minimum for residential (one- and two-family and qualifying townhouses), $264 minimum for all other buildings. Gas permit base fee: $135.

Plan check fee

No separate standalone building plan-check fee; filing fee equal to 50% of the total permit fee is due at application filing, included in the total permit fee. Plan revision fees: $0.36 per square foot for certain one- and two-family residential revisions; $0.37 per square foot for certain commercial new construction and addition revisions.

Permit fee formula

Building new construction: per gross square foot; Building additions: per gross square foot; Residential alterations/repairs/re-roofing/qualifying fences: $0.61 per square foot or linear foot; Other building repairs: contract cost multiplied by $0.029; Demolition: flat fee; Trade permits: mixed flat-fee and unit-based schedule. Arlington adds a 2% fee levy for Code Academy activities and a 10% automation enhancement surcharge to permit categories covered by the ISD schedule.

Reinspection fee

Work without a permit: $349 per occurrence in addition to other fees. Fire sprinkler permit reinspection due to failure: $578.

Penalty (no permit)

Work without a permit: $349 per occurrence in addition to other fees

Payment note

All required fees must be paid prior to permit release. The filing fee paid at application is not refunded if no permit is issued. If work has not started, a 50% refund is available on written request before commencement. If work has started, prorated refunds may be available for remaining uncompleted work if requested within 6 months after permit issuance. Payment is made online through Permit Arlington / Paymentus after final fee assessment.

Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule (effective FY2026).

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

• Minor repair work under the electrical permit rules
• Routine maintenance, repairs, and replacements using the same materials within a local historic district, plus interior alterations and paint colors, for purposes of Certificate of Appropriateness review
• Ordinary repairs that do not involve structural replacement
• Certain small detached accessory structures within Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code size limits
• Certain finish work such as painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, and similar finish work
• Temporary uses and minor site features in categories the USBC exempts

Important: Even when a building permit is exempt under the USBC, separate zoning, floodplain, Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area, right-of-way, tree, or historic review may still apply depending on site and scope.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• Permit Arlington customer portal (online)
• Contact assigned inspector on the morning of inspection after Arlington emails the inspector name and phone number (phone)

Inspection hours

Permit Arlington Center is open for in-person assistance Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with modified hours on the third Wednesday of each month. Inspections use a 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. inspection-day timeframe for scheduling.

Time windows

Applicant and contacts on the application receive assigned inspector information after 7 a.m. on the day of inspection; the inspector provides a more specific arrival window.

Typical inspection sequence: Typical sequence varies by permit type. Common building and trade sequencing includes footing or foundation as applicable, rough building/rough trade inspections, insulation or concealment-stage approvals where required, and final inspection. For fire protection permits, acceptance testing and satisfactory system operation are part of the final path.

Additional Resources

• Building code: Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and applicable referenced codes and local ordinances
• Verify contractor license: Virginia DPOR License Lookup
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• Owner-builder rules: View rules
• Permit Types and Applications
• Certificate of Appropriateness / Historic Review
• Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance and RPA Resources
• Floodplain Maps and Guidance
• Environmental Permits Overview
• Site Inspections and LDA/Stormwater Overview
• FY2026 ISD Fee Schedule
• Zoning Fee Schedule
• DES Consolidated Fee Schedule
• License lookup guide: Virginia Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: Virginia Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
• Virginia hub: Virginia Contractor License & Permit Hub