This is the City of Virginia Beach only; Norfolk, Chesapeake and the other Hampton Roads cities run their own permit offices.
What needs a permit
The Planning Department's Trades Permits page (read 24 October 2026) lists, for residential plumbing:
- Connection or conversion to City water or sewer
- New plumbing fixtures or drains
- New or replacement testable backflow preventers (removing one needs a permit too, and the test report must be uploaded before the final)
- Replacement of water or sewer lines
- The ultra-low flush (ULF) toilet program
The City says the list "may not be applicable to, or inclusive of, all situations". Gas piping and gas appliances have their own gas permit. Water heaters sit on the mechanical list, not the plumbing one; the mechanical FAQ exempts "like for like" replacements but says that does not include "fueled fired equipment", so a gas water heater needs a permit.
Who can pull it
| Applicant | What the City asks for |
|---|---|
| Plumbing contractor | Plumbing permit application with a "Class A, B or C state contractor's registration number", company name, contract value, authorized signature, customer's name and property address |
| Owner | Name, address, "approximate cost of materials (enter this in the contract value)", signature, and any related permit number |
Both list the fixtures (new, replacement or relocation) and backflow preventers. A water or sewer conversion needs the Public Utilities receipt first. Check a plumber's registration with DPOR: how to check a contractor's license in Virginia.
What it costs
| Work | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plumbing permit | $50 plus $6 per fixture or drain |
| Water line conversion or replacement | $50 |
| Sewer line conversion or replacement | $50 |
| ULF toilet program | $30 for the first three toilets, $5 each after |
| Plan review | $50 |
| Re-inspection | $75 |
| Beginning work without a permit | $250 administrative fee |
| On every permit | 2% state levy plus a $10 technology fee |
A bathroom with a new toilet, sink and shower is $50 + 3 x $6 = $68, plus $1.36 levy and $10 technology fee: $79.36.
Inspections
| Work | Inspections |
|---|---|
| Home on a crawlspace, new, addition or alteration | Rough-in, shower pan, water, sewer, final |
| Home on a slab, new, addition or alteration | Slab, top out, shower pan, water, sewer, final |
| Sewer or water conversion or replacement | Water and/or sewer, final |
| ULF toilets | Final |
Book them in the City's online permitting system, which "allows contractors and homeowners to schedule, cancel, or reschedule inspections", up to five working days ahead and before 8 a.m. for the day you want.
How to apply
- For a ULF rebate, get the rebate form approved by Public Utilities first (757-385-4636).
- Fill in the plumbing application with fixture counts, and attach any Public Utilities receipt.
- Apply in the Accela portal or at Permits & Inspections, 2403 Courthouse Drive (757-385-4211), and pay.
- Book each inspection; the record turns Final when the last passes.
What 8,227 Virginia Beach plumbing permits show
| Measure | Virginia Beach residential plumbing and gas |
|---|---|
| Issued October 2024 to September 2026 | 8,227 (24% of residential permits): 5,547 plumbing, 2,680 gas |
| October 2024 to September 2025 / October 2025 to September 2026 | 4,131 / 4,096 |
| Finished, permits issued October 2024 to September 2025 | 86.5% |
| Usual days, issue to final (middle half) | 21 (6–107) |
| Busiest / quietest month (index, 100 = average) | April (113) / February (83) |
| ZIPs with the most | 23451 and 23456 (1,557 each), 23454 (1,216), 23452 (959), 23455 (954) |
Plumbing is the City's quickest trade to reach final: 21 days against 32 for electrical and 42 for HVAC. Filing is level year to year and across months. ZIPs 23451 and 23456 tie with 19% each. Monthly counts are on Virginia Beach plumbing permits, timing by category on how long a permit takes in Virginia Beach, all categories on Virginia Beach permit statistics, and rows on Virginia Beach permits.
Related
Look up earlier permits on the house with the Virginia Beach building permit search. Rules elsewhere: do I need a permit for plumbing repairs, a water heater, a sewer line and a gas line; prices in plumbing labor cost.
What this does not tell you
The City's file names no contractor and has no job value. Our plumbing count includes the City's gas permits, and Final and Closed both count as finished.
How we know this
The permit lists, applicant requirements, fees and inspection stages are quoted from the City of Virginia Beach Planning Department's Trades Permits page (Plumbing and Mechanical FAQs), read 24 October 2026. Our counts are the City's Building Permits Applications open data, read 18 October 2026: residential plumbing and gas permits issued October 2024 to September 2026; days to final are the median for permits issued October 2024 to September 2025.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to replace a toilet or faucet in Virginia Beach?
The City's plumbing list covers 'New plumbing fixtures or drains', so adding a fixture needs a permit; it does not list a like-for-like fixture swap. Replacing toilets under the ultra-low flush rebate program does need a plumbing permit, at $30 for the first three toilets plus $5 for each additional one.
- How much is a plumbing permit in Virginia Beach?
$50 plus $6 per fixture or drain. Replacing a water or sewer line is $50. Every permit adds a 2% state levy and a $10 technology fee, and starting work without a permit costs a $250 administrative fee.
- Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit in Virginia Beach?
Yes. The City's plumbing FAQ says an owner obtaining the permit gives a name, address, approximate cost of materials as the contract value, and a signature. A contractor gives its Class A, B or C Virginia registration number instead.
- Is a water heater a plumbing permit in Virginia Beach?
No, the City lists water heaters under mechanical permits. Its mechanical FAQ exempts 'like for like' replacements but says like for like does not include fuel-fired equipment or a change of refrigerant, so a gas water heater swap needs a mechanical permit and a final inspection.
- How long does a plumbing permit take in Virginia Beach?
For permits issued October 2024 to September 2025, the usual plumbing permit with a final date reached it 21 days after issue, the fastest of the City's trades; the middle half took 6 to 107 days. 86.5% were finished.
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
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Building a casita in Albuquerque: the 750 sq ft limit, rear-yard rule, parking, free plans, and who builds them
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Albuquerque? GB-2 or homeowner, the plan set and the fee
- Do I need a solar permit in Albuquerque? Building and electrical permits, the engineer triggers and the fee
- Trades Permits (Plumbing, Gas and Mechanical FAQs) — City of Virginia Beach Planning Department (2026-10-24)
- Plumbing Permit Application — City of Virginia Beach (2026-10-24)
- City of Virginia Beach Accela public portal (2026-10-24)
- Building Permits Applications — City of Virginia Beach Open Data (ArcGIS) (2026-10-18)