Where to search Norfolk permits
The City of Norfolk permits work inside the city. Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and the other Hampton Roads cities run their own permit offices.
| Tool | Search by | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Permits (open data) | Any column: address, permit number, GPIN, type, status | Type, work type, status, application, issue, expiration and finaled dates, fees, project cost; our source |
| E-Permit Portal | Your account | The permits and applications linked to you; apply, pay fees, schedule inspections |
| Permits and Inspections | Browse | What needs a permit, forms, fee schedule, contacts |
How to look up the permits on a Norfolk address
- Open the Permits dataset and choose to view the data as a table.
- Filter Address for your street number and name. The GPIN column is the parcel number if the address is written differently.
- Read each row's Type (Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing) and Work Type. A new house or big renovation gets a separate permit for each trade.
- Read the Status and Finaled Date (table below). Each row also has an Expiration Date.
- For questions about a permit, call the City on 757-664-6565 or email planreviewpermits@norfolk.gov. Portal password resets go to 757-664-4752 or planning@norfolk.gov.
What the statuses mean
| Status in the City file | How we count it |
|---|---|
| Finaled, C/O Issued, Completed, Closed | Finished |
| Issued and other in-process statuses | Open |
| Expired, Abandoned | Expired |
| Cancelled, Revoked, Withdrawn, Denied, Void | Left out |
Of the residential permits issued October 2024 to September 2025, 80% had finished, 18% had expired and 2% were still open by our 19 October 2026 snapshot. The usual one took 43 days from issue to its finaled date (middle half 12 to 116 days).
When the record is not online
The open file goes back to applications made in December 2015. For older records, or plans and documents, file a Virginia Freedom of Information Act request through the City's FOIA public portal. The Commonwealth's Attorney's records page says that office is "not the custodian of records for property information, permits, inspections" and sends those requests to the City's portal (read 24 October 2026).
What our Norfolk pages add
Our Norfolk page counts the residential permits the City issued, October 2024 to September 2026:
| Kind of work | Permits (Oct 2024–Sep 2026) | Finished (Oct 2024–Sep 2025 permits) | Expired | Usual days to final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 3,913 | 87.0% | 12.6% | 44 |
| HVAC | 3,708 | 73.7% | 25.1% | 32 |
| Plumbing | 2,609 | 80.3% | 18.3% | 16 |
| Remodels and repairs | 1,327 | 77.4% | 19.5% | 56 |
| Solar | 624 | 87.8% | 12.2% | 57 |
| New homes | 490 | 76.5% | 11.9% | 219 |
| Additions | 282 | 67.3% | 25.5% | 164 |
| Demolition | 140 | not shown | not shown | not shown |
One HVAC permit in four issued October 2024 to September 2025 expired without a final, so on an HVAC job it is worth asking the installer to request the final inspection. ZIP code 23518 had the most permits, 2,176, in the same window. The permit statistics page has year and month counts, how long permits take has the time to final by kind of work, permits by ZIP code splits them by area, and browse permits lists the rows. To check a contractor's DPOR license, see How to check a contractor's license in Virginia.
What this does not tell you
The City's file has no contractor column, so we have no firm lists for Norfolk. It files roof replacements and rooftop solar under one work type; we count one as solar when the City issued an electrical permit under it. The value is the project cost declared on the permit, not the final cost.
How we know this
Dataset description and columns are from the City of Norfolk Open Data Permits page, the portal and contacts from the City's Permits and Inspections page and E-Permitting account guide, and the records route from the Commonwealth's Attorney's Records Requests page and the City's JustFOIA portal, all read 24 October 2026. Our counts are the Permits dataset, read 19 October 2026: residential permits issued October 2024 to September 2026.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I find out if a permit was pulled on my house in Norfolk?
Open the City's Permits dataset on data.norfolk.gov and filter the Address column for your street address. It lists permits from the Development Services Center with type, status, issue date and finaled date, and the City updates it daily on weekdays.
- Can I search the Norfolk E-Permit Portal without an account?
The City describes the portal as the place to apply for permits, pay fees and schedule inspections, and its account guide says the dashboard shows the permits linked to your account. For permits on someone else's job, use the open data file or call 757-664-6565.
- How long does a Norfolk permit take to final?
The usual residential permit issued October 2024 to September 2025 took 43 days from issue to its finaled date (middle half 12 to 116 days). Plumbing took 16 days, new homes 219.
- What does Expired mean on a Norfolk permit?
The permit lapsed without a final inspection. 18% of the residential permits Norfolk issued October 2024 to September 2025 had expired or been abandoned by October 2026, including 25% of HVAC permits.
- How do I request old Norfolk permit records?
File a Virginia FOIA request through the City's public portal at norfolk.justfoia.com. The Commonwealth's Attorney's Office notes that it is not the custodian of permit and inspection records and points those requests to the City's portal.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
Related guides
- Adams County, CO building permit search: the e-Permit Center, statuses and CORA
- Alachua County building permit search: Citizenserve, statuses and old records
- Anaheim building permit search: Anaheim NEXT and the Building Permit Report
- Arlington, VA building permit search: Permit Arlington lookups and FOIA requests
- Sioux Falls building permit search: the Building Permit Database and older records
- Sonoma County building permit search: Permit Sonoma's record and document searches
- Permits — City of Norfolk Open Data (fahm-yuh4) (2026-10-24)
- Permits and Inspections — City of Norfolk (2026-10-24)
- How to: Create an Account in the E-Permitting Portal — City of Norfolk (2026-10-24)
- Records Requests — Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney's Office (2026-10-24)
- City of Norfolk FOIA public portal (JustFOIA) (2026-10-24)