Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Virginia Beach, Virginia

At a glance

Building permit

Required for residential and commercial construction; issued by the city¹

Zoning

City zoning ordinance covers all land except city-owned rights-of-way²

Septic permits

Virginia Department of Health (Virginia Beach Department of Public Health)³

Well permits

Required from the health department; licensed driller only; $300 for a new well⁴

Owner-builder

Contractor-licensing exemption for one primary residence per 24 months; building code and permits still apply⁵

Tiny homes

State code allows an alternative for dwellings of 400 sq ft or less; city zoning still applies⁶

RV living

We could not confirm; ask Zoning Administration⁷

Property tax

About 0.8% effective rate (city-wide)⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Does Virginia Beach have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The City of Virginia Beach applies its own zoning ordinance, and the Planning Department states that all land in the city except city-owned rights-of-way has a designated zoning district⁷. The ordinance is Appendix A of the city code and is administered by the Zoning Administration office².

What you can do on a lot depends on its district. Setbacks, landscaping and allowable uses are all set district by district, and the city publishes zoning maps by grid on its Planning site⁹. Building height and size standards also sit in the ordinance, and accessory structures are subject to the same setback rules¹⁰. We could not confirm minimum lot sizes, minimum home sizes or the numeric setbacks for any district, so look up the parcel's district first and ask Zoning Administration for the figures that apply⁷.

A tiny home or a second dwelling does not escape zoning: the state building-code option for small dwellings does not override Virginia Beach's zoning-district use rules⁶.

Do you need a building permit in Virginia Beach, and who issues it?

Yes. Virginia Beach requires building permits for both residential and commercial construction, and the city's Permits & Inspections Division issues them under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code¹. The Division administers the state code and the city's own ordinances¹¹.

Small residential jobs can be reviewed at the counter: additions of 500 sq ft or less, alterations of 500 sq ft or less, accessory structures of 500 sq ft or less and uncovered decks of any size, each with a plan set of five pages or less¹. Everything else is submitted online, and online submissions take 15-45 business days for initial review¹².

Some small items are exempt statewide, including one-story detached sheds not exceeding 256 sq ft, but the building official can still require a permit for them in a special flood hazard area¹³. Fees are set by the city's own schedule, not the state¹⁴.

Owner-builders get no pass on permits. Virginia's owner-builder exemption covers contractor licensing for one primary residence in 24 months, but the work still must meet the building code⁵.

How do septic permits and wells work inside Virginia Beach?

The Virginia Department of Health, through its Virginia Beach Department of Public Health, permits septic systems and private wells inside the city; the city's building office does not³. All onsite sewage disposal systems require a Health Department permit where public sewage disposal is not available¹⁵.

Health Department staff evaluate the site and soil. If the site suits a conventional septic tank and drainfield, they can issue a permit and inspect the installation¹⁶. If not, an alternative system must be designed by a private-practice onsite soil evaluator or professional engineer¹⁵. Expect that to matter: only about 2.2% of Virginia Beach city's soils rate "not limited" for a conventional drain field, so most lots need a site evaluation and some need an engineered system¹⁷. The state's permit application fee for an onsite sewage permit is $75, with waivers and refunds in some cases¹⁸.

A new private well needs a permit, a licensed driller (owners cannot install their own) and a scaled site plan; the new-well fee is $300⁴. Many city addresses are on public sewer, and we could not confirm whether a new home must connect to public water or sewer when available, so ask Public Utilities before assuming a septic system is an option.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Virginia Beach?

We could not confirm whether the city allows living in an RV, temporary camping or a tiny home on private residential land. Zoning Administration answers these by district⁷.

Two state rules are easy to misread. Virginia's campground rules govern permitted campgrounds, not living in an RV on your own lot¹⁹. And the state building code's tiny-house alternative applies to dwellings of 400 sq ft or less, but it does not itself grant zoning approval, permits, or utility and septic approval⁶.

The one small-dwelling option we verified is the flex suite: a separate living unit with its own kitchen and toilet inside a single-family house, allowed only where single-family dwellings are permitted. It is limited to one per lot, 500 sq ft or 30% of the rest of the dwelling (whichever is greater), no transient stays and a flex suite permit from the Department of Planning²⁰.

Building a home in Virginia Beach: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district and what the ordinance allows with Zoning Administration⁹.
2. Ask the Floodplain Management office for a flood zone determination; the city says its elevation and proximity to water make it susceptible to flooding²¹.
3. If public sewer is not available, apply to the Virginia Beach Department of Public Health for a site evaluation and septic permit, and for a well permit if you need one¹⁵.
4. Apply for the building permit with Permits & Inspections, online for most projects¹. Applicants must show proof of contractor licensure, or state that they are not subject to licensure¹³.
5. For any driveway or other work in a city-owned right of way, obtain a right-of-way permit²².
6. Schedule the state-required inspections, from footings through final²³.
7. Obtain a certificate of occupancy before anyone moves in²⁴. The building official issues it within 5 working days after final inspection approval, if the building complies²⁵.

What to check before you buy land in Virginia Beach

Flood risk comes first. The city's floodplain office gives verbal and written flood zone determinations²¹, and state rules let the building official require a permit even for otherwise exempt items in a special flood hazard area²⁶.

This is a dense, urban city. Virginia Beach city has about 1,854 people per square mile²⁷, and a typical home is valued at $432,532²⁸. The effective property tax rate is 0.8%, with a median bill of $2,929 a year⁸²⁹. Typical home insurance runs about $2,104 a year³⁰. These figures are for the city as a whole.

We could not confirm whether a given lot has a driveway or curb-cut requirement beyond the city right-of-way permit, or any agricultural zoning exemption, so verify both with the city before you close.

Watch-outs

• Virginia Beach is its own city for these purposes: the county pages and county offices used for rural Virginia do not apply, and the city's Permits & Inspections Division and Zoning Administration are the offices to call¹².
• A septic permit is not a building permit: the Health Department permits septic systems and wells, while the city permits the building¹⁵¹.
• We could not confirm RV, temporary camping, tiny home, manufactured home, minimum lot size or minimum home size rules; ask Zoning Administration for the parcel's district before buying⁷.
• A lot in a special flood hazard area can need a building permit even for small items that are normally exempt²⁶.

Sources

1. City of Virginia Beach Planning Department - Building Permits (Virginia Beach), quoted and re-checked
2. City of Virginia Beach Planning Department - Zoning (Virginia Beach), quoted and re-checked
3. Virginia Department of Health - Virginia Beach Department of Public Health, Environmental Health (Virginia Beach), quoted and re-checked
4. Virginia Department of Health - Virginia Beach Department of Public Health, Environmental Health (Virginia Beach), quoted and re-checked
5. § 54.1-1101. Exemptions; failure to obtain certificate of occupancy; penalties, quoted and re-checked
6. 13VAC5-63-210. Chapter 3 Use and occupancy classification, quoted and re-checked
7. City of Virginia Beach, Zoning Administration (planning.virginiabeach.gov)
8. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
9. City of Virginia Beach Planning Department - Zoning (Virginia Beach), quoted and re-checked
10. City of Virginia Beach Planning Department - Zoning (Virginia Beach), quoted and re-checked
11. City of Virginia Beach, Permits & Inspections Division (planning.virginiabeach.gov)
12. City of Virginia Beach Planning Department - Building Permits (Virginia Beach), quoted and re-checked
13. 13VAC5-63-80. Section 108 Application for permit (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. 13VAC5-63-70. Section 107 Fees (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Virginia Department of Health - Virginia Beach Department of Public Health, Environmental Health (Virginia Beach), quoted and re-checked
16. Virginia Beach Department of Public Health, Environmental Health (vdh.virginia.gov)
17. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
18. 12VAC5-610-240. Permits; general (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Code of Virginia, Title 35.1 — Hotels, Restaurants, Summer Camps, and Campgrounds (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. City of Virginia Beach Planning Department - Zoning (Virginia Beach), quoted and re-checked
21. City of Virginia Beach, Planning & Community Development (Floodplain Management) (planning.virginiabeach.gov)
22. City of Virginia Beach, Permits & Inspections (Right of Way Permits) (planning.virginiabeach.gov)
23. 13VAC5-63-130. Section 113 Inspections (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
24. 13VAC5-63-160 Section 116 Certificates of Occupancy (Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code) (Virginia Beach), quoted and re-checked
25. 13VAC5-63-160. Section 116 Certificates of occupancy, quoted and re-checked
26. 13VAC5-63-80. Section 108 Application for permit (Virginia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
27. Population density: Bolthole Index county data
28. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
29. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
30. Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.