City Building Permits

Bon Air, VIRGINIA Building Permit Guide

How to apply for a building permit in Bon Air, Virginia. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.

Virginia Chesterfield County Updated March 2026

Permit Authority

Bon Air is a Chesterfield County CDP associated with the Richmond metro area, but it is not an incorporated town or independent city. For Bon Air properties in Chesterfield County, permit administration is through Chesterfield County. Public Bon Air-specific permit guidance is thin. Bon Air also has historic-resource sensitivity because Chesterfield maintains historic landmark and certificate-of-appropriateness processes for designated properties.

Department: Chesterfield County Department of Building Inspection
Address: 9800 Government Center Parkway, Chesterfield, VA 23832; Mailing: P.O. Box 40, Chesterfield, VA 23832
Phone: 804-751-4990
Email: Contact through county website: https://www.chesterfield.gov/223/Building-Inspection
Website: https://www.chesterfield.gov/223/Building-Inspection

Online Permit Portal

Open Enterprise Land Management (ELM)

Platform: Enterprise Land Management (ELM) citizen access portal • Account required: Yes • Submission: In-person only

Additional resources:

Application Process

Confirm whether the Bon Air property is within Chesterfield County and whether any local historic landmark or certificate-of-appropriateness review applies in addition to the building permit.
Check zoning, setbacks, easements, Chesapeake Bay limits, floodplain constraints, and utility issues through county resources.
Prepare and submit the county permit application and plans through ELM or at the county office.
Pay county fees and respond to county review comments.
If the property is subject to historic landmark controls, obtain the needed preservation approval through Chesterfield's certificate-of-appropriateness process.
Receive the county permit, post it on site, and complete required inspections through county channels.

Typical processing time: No Bon Air-specific or countywide standard building permit review timeline was found on the public pages reviewed.

Source: Chesterfield County Department of Building Inspection

General Requirements

Bon Air projects within Chesterfield County follow the same county permit triggers as other county locations, including structural work, additions, larger accessory buildings, demolition, regulated pools, retaining walls, and trade work.

Required Documents

County permit applications
Plans and plot plans or plats
Any preservation, environmental, or zoning support materials needed for the specific site

Permit validity: Six months from last county activity on the permit.
Building code: 2021 Virginia Construction Code for applications dated on or after January 18, 2025.
Owner-builder: Same county homeowner-applicant and Virginia exemption rules apply.
Contractor requirements: Same county and Virginia licensure and business-license rules apply.

Fees

Minimum permit fee: No Bon Air-specific fee schedule exists; county fees apply.
Plan check fee: No separate Bon Air plan-check fee was published.
Permit fee formula: County flat-fee residential schedule and valuation-based commercial schedule, plus state levy.
Reinspection fee: County reinspection, not-ready, reinstatement, and code-investigation fees apply
Penalty (no permit): County penalty fees for unpermitted work
Payment note: Pay through Chesterfield County cashiering or ELM online payment.

Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

County-listed exempt work for qualifying projects, including ordinary repairs, many window and door replacements without structural change, small sheds, many fences, low-voltage work, and qualifying fixture replacements

Inspections

How to Schedule

County ELM portal (online)
IVR (phone)

Inspection hours: County inspection hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Typical inspection sequence: County sequence based on project type; structural and trade work generally moves from rough-stage inspections to finals.

Additional Resources

Building code: 2021 Virginia Construction Code for applications dated on or after January 18, 2025.
Zoning information: View zoning info
Bon Air CDP Census Reference
Preservation Committee and Certificate of Appropriateness
Historic Landmarks Map
License lookup guide: Virginia Contractor License Requirements
Contract template: Virginia Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
Virginia hub: Virginia Contractor License & Permit Hub

Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the Chesterfield County Department of Building Inspection before applying.

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Important: This page is an educational resource provided by jaspector.com. It is not legal advice, and it does not substitute for official guidance from the permit authority listed above. Permit requirements, fees, and processes change frequently. Always verify current requirements directly with the issuing department before beginning any construction project. Use of this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. Jaspector assumes no liability for any outcomes arising from reliance on this information.

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