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Virginia Beach, VA building permit statistics

Data through September 2026 · updated 18 Oct 2026

34,177 building permits issued in Virginia Beach, October 2024 through September 2026: about 17,088 a year. The biggest kind of work is plumbing, with 8,227. 17,519 permits in the last 12 months (Oct 2025–Sep 2026), 5% more than the 16,658 in the 12 months before. 100% were permits for homes. The busiest month for permits is April.

34,177permits issued
17,519last 12 months
+5%vs the 12 months before
100%for homes
Aprbusiest month
Sep 2026records through

By kind of work

Permits issued October 2024 through September 2026. Last 12 months is Oct 2025–Sep 2026; the 12 months before is Oct 2024–Sep 2025. Homes is the share issued as residential permits. Busiest month is the calendar month with the most permits on average.

Kind of workPermitsShareLast 12 mo12 mo beforeChangeHomesBusiest month
Plumbing8,22724%4,0964,131−1%100%April
HVAC8,02423%4,3013,723+16%100%July
Electrical6,62119%3,2843,337−2%100%April
Remodels & repairs4,18912%2,1991,990+11%100%April
Solar2,5808%1,3131,267+4%100%April
Additions1,0103%458552−17%100%October
Pools & spas9713%514457+12%100%April
Roofing6972%389308+26%100%August
New homes4721%223249−10%100%March
Demolition3831%199184+8%100%September
Garages, sheds & shade structures277under 1%153124+23%100%October
Other7002%384316+22%100%April

Fewer than 100 permits, so no row: fences & walls (22), ADUs & casitas (4).

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By year

Permits issued in each calendar year of the window. Per year scales a part year to 12 months.

YearMonthsPermitsPer year
2024 (from October)33,91115,644
20251216,75216,752
2026 (through September)913,51418,019

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By month

Permits issued each month, October 2024 through September 2026. The tallest bar is the busiest month on file.

Oct 2024: 1,436Oct2024Nov 2024: 1,305Dec 2024: 1,170Jan 2025: 1,300Jan2025Feb 2025: 1,128Mar 2025: 1,403Apr 2025: 1,569May 2025: 1,411Jun 2025: 1,389Jul 2025: 1,513JulAug 2025: 1,591Sep 2025: 1,443Oct 2025: 1,545Nov 2025: 1,180Dec 2025: 1,280Jan 2026: 1,373Jan2026Feb 2026: 1,241Mar 2026: 1,656Apr 2026: 1,660May 2026: 1,468Jun 2026: 1,684Jul 2026: 1,538JulAug 2026: 1,517Sep 2026: 1,377
The same numbers as a table
MonthPermits
Oct 20241,436
Nov 20241,305
Dec 20241,170
Jan 20251,300
Feb 20251,128
Mar 20251,403
Apr 20251,569
May 20251,411
Jun 20251,389
Jul 20251,513
Aug 20251,591
Sep 20251,443
Oct 20251,545
Nov 20251,180
Dec 20251,280
Jan 20261,373
Feb 20261,241
Mar 20261,656
Apr 20261,660
May 20261,468
Jun 20261,684
Jul 20261,538
Aug 20261,517
Sep 20261,377

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When each kind of work is filed

Permits by calendar month, 100 = an average month (the thin line), October 2024 through September 2026. Kinds of work do not all peak together. Each month is counted twice (once a year), so one unusual month still moves these numbers.

Plumbing

8,227 permits · busiest April, quietest February

January: 103 (100 = an average month)February: 83 (100 = an average month)March: 111 (100 = an average month)April: 113 (100 = an average month)113May: 101 (100 = an average month)June: 108 (100 = an average month)July: 100 (100 = an average month)August: 100 (100 = an average month)September: 99 (100 = an average month)October: 101 (100 = an average month)November: 90 (100 = an average month)December: 90 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND

HVAC

8,024 permits · busiest July, quietest February

January: 98 (100 = an average month)February: 80 (100 = an average month)March: 103 (100 = an average month)April: 107 (100 = an average month)May: 95 (100 = an average month)June: 116 (100 = an average month)July: 118 (100 = an average month)118August: 115 (100 = an average month)September: 93 (100 = an average month)October: 93 (100 = an average month)November: 82 (100 = an average month)December: 99 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND

Electrical

6,621 permits · busiest April, quietest December

January: 98 (100 = an average month)February: 93 (100 = an average month)March: 109 (100 = an average month)April: 112 (100 = an average month)112May: 91 (100 = an average month)June: 110 (100 = an average month)July: 94 (100 = an average month)August: 112 (100 = an average month)September: 97 (100 = an average month)October: 110 (100 = an average month)November: 89 (100 = an average month)December: 84 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND

Remodels & repairs

4,189 permits · busiest April, quietest December

January: 90 (100 = an average month)February: 77 (100 = an average month)March: 107 (100 = an average month)April: 122 (100 = an average month)122May: 115 (100 = an average month)June: 102 (100 = an average month)July: 109 (100 = an average month)August: 106 (100 = an average month)September: 110 (100 = an average month)October: 102 (100 = an average month)November: 87 (100 = an average month)December: 74 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND

Solar

2,580 permits · busiest April, quietest December

January: 71 (100 = an average month)February: 80 (100 = an average month)March: 107 (100 = an average month)April: 124 (100 = an average month)124May: 104 (100 = an average month)June: 100 (100 = an average month)July: 124 (100 = an average month)August: 120 (100 = an average month)September: 101 (100 = an average month)October: 124 (100 = an average month)November: 83 (100 = an average month)December: 62 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND

Additions

1,010 permits · busiest October, quietest February

January: 87 (100 = an average month)February: 72 (100 = an average month)March: 125 (100 = an average month)April: 103 (100 = an average month)May: 119 (100 = an average month)June: 89 (100 = an average month)July: 97 (100 = an average month)August: 95 (100 = an average month)September: 100 (100 = an average month)October: 138 (100 = an average month)138November: 94 (100 = an average month)December: 81 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND

Pools & spas

971 permits · busiest April, quietest December

January: 84 (100 = an average month)February: 95 (100 = an average month)March: 114 (100 = an average month)April: 127 (100 = an average month)127May: 120 (100 = an average month)June: 116 (100 = an average month)July: 111 (100 = an average month)August: 85 (100 = an average month)September: 96 (100 = an average month)October: 100 (100 = an average month)November: 79 (100 = an average month)December: 72 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND

Roofing

697 permits · busiest August, quietest February

January: 57 (100 = an average month)February: 50 (100 = an average month)March: 84 (100 = an average month)April: 98 (100 = an average month)May: 69 (100 = an average month)June: 107 (100 = an average month)July: 107 (100 = an average month)August: 148 (100 = an average month)148September: 110 (100 = an average month)October: 138 (100 = an average month)November: 122 (100 = an average month)December: 110 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND
The same numbers as a table
Kind of workJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Plumbing10383111113101108100100991019090
HVAC98801031079511611811593938299
Electrical98931091129111094112971108984
Remodels & repairs90771071221151021091061101028774
Solar71801071241041001241201011248362
Additions87721251031198997951001389481
Pools & spas849511412712011611185961007972
Roofing5750849869107107148110138122110

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Homes and everything else

How the city classed each permit. Other covers commercial buildings, signs, towers and similar work.

Permit classPermitsShareLast 12 mo
Homes (residential)34,177100%17,519
Other00%0

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How many permits get finished

Permits issued Oct 2024–Sep 2025, so each has had at least 12 months to reach a final. Finished means the city recorded a final inspection or marked it complete; expired means it lapsed without one.

StatusPermitsShare
Finished13,43580.7%
Still open3,20719.3%
Expired160.1%

How long each kind of permit takes →

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By ZIP code

The 10 ZIP codes with the most permits, counted at the property's ZIP code. A ZIP code can cross into a city that runs its own permit office; only the city's permits are counted.

ZIP codePermitsShareTop kind of work
234566,18818%Plumbing (1,557)
234515,12615%Plumbing (1,557)
234545,07315%Plumbing (1,216)
234644,39113%HVAC (1,044)
234524,27713%Plumbing (959)
234554,09812%HVAC (998)
234622,8248%HVAC (732)
234531,6675%HVAC (383)
234574711%Electrical (119)
234636under 1%Roofing (6)

All 9 ZIP codes with 250+ permits →

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How Virginia Beach compares with other cities

From our cross-city data studies: the same measure, read the same way, for every city we cover.

How these numbers are made

Source: City of Virginia Beach Open Data, Building Permits Applications (data.virginiabeach.gov, ArcGIS layer Building_Permits_Applications_view), read 18 Oct 2026. We count permits issued October 2024 through September 2026; denied and withdrawn permits are left out.

Residential permits the City of Virginia Beach issues inside the city: building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas permits for homes, plus the city's roof and siding permits. Commercial permits, moving and hauling, utility, civil site work, fire, elevator and amusement permits in the same file are not counted. Norfolk, Chesapeake and the other Hampton Roads cities run their own permit offices and are not in this file.

  • The city's file names no contractor (its 'created by' field is a portal login), so there are no contractor lists, rankings or firm pages for Virginia Beach.
  • The file has no declared job value, so we show no costs.
  • Roof and siding permits are their own type in the file, with no homes-or-business split, so all of them are counted here. Solar, pools, fences, additions and sheds are sorted out of the city's broad 'addition and or alteration' building permits by their work description; decks, piers and bulkheads count under Other.
  • A permit counts as finished when the city marks it Final or Closed or gives it a final date. Closed also covers permits that needed no final inspection.
  • The data made available here has been modified for use from its original source, which is the City of Virginia Beach. Neither the City of Virginia Beach nor the Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) makes any claims as to the completeness, timeliness, accuracy or content of any data contained in this application; makes any representation of any kind, including, but not limited to, warranty of the accuracy or fitness for a particular use; nor are any such warranties to be implied or inferred with respect to the information or data furnished herein. The data is subject to change as modifications and updates are complete. It is understood that the information contained in the web feed is being used at one's own risk.

Counts are permits, not jobs: one job can need several permits. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. Sources and definitions →

Cite this page

Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0). Please credit Contractor Records and link to this page. Suggested citation:

Contractor Records, "Virginia Beach, VA building permit statistics", https://contractorrecords.com/virginia-beach/permit-statistics, data through September 2026, from the City of Virginia Beach Planning Department, Permits Division building-permit records.

Link to a table: By kind of work · By year · By month · When each kind of work is filed · Homes and everything else · How many get finished · By ZIP code.

Download the tables (CSV): Permits by kind of work · Permits by year · Permits by month · Permits by calendar month (index) · Homes and other permits · Finished, open and expired · Permits by ZIP code.

Common questions

  • How many building permits does Virginia Beach issue a year?About 17,088 a year in Virginia Beach: 34,177 permits over 24 months, October 2024 through September 2026. 17,519 permits in the last 12 months (Oct 2025–Sep 2026), 5% more than the 16,658 in the 12 months before.
  • Are building permits up or down in Virginia Beach?17,519 permits in the last 12 months (Oct 2025–Sep 2026), 5% more than the 16,658 in the 12 months before. HVAC permits grew most (3,723 to 4,301); home addition permits fell most (552 to 458).
  • What is the busiest month for permits in Virginia Beach?April, counting every kind of work (113 against an average month of 100). February is the quietest (83). Each kind of work has its own season; the charts above show them.
  • What share of Virginia Beach permits are for homes?100%: 34,177 of the 34,177 permits issued October 2024 through September 2026 were residential permits.
Virginia Beach permit data →How long permits take in Virginia Beach →Virginia Beach plumbing permits →Virginia Beach HVAC permits →Virginia Beach electrical permits →Browse Virginia Beach permits →