General building work permit checklist — Richmond, Virginia
Assembled from Richmond’s own published permit rules. Every line below is quoted from a city document and linked to it. Nothing here is generated, estimated, or inferred from another jurisdiction.
Do you need a permit?
Richmond requires a permit for general building work.
The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code governs in Richmond, and what is exempt from a residential building permit comes from Section 108.2 of the Virginia Residential Code, not from any city ordinance. The usual exempt items: detached single-story garden sheds, playhouses and similar buildings at 256 square feet or less; fences at any height, except where one is there for pedestrian safety or serves as a pool barrier; concrete or masonry walls rising 6 feet or less above finished grade; retaining walls holding back under 3 feet of unbalanced fill; pools of 150 square feet or less with water shallower than 24 inches; flagpoles at 30 feet or under; a temporary ramp to a dwelling entrance sitting 30 inches or less above grade; and ordinary repairs — swapping a window or door for the same size without touching the framed opening, changing out a plumbing fixture without reworking supply, drainage or vent lines, floor finishes, cabinetry and trim, and paint or wallpaper. Two limits apply on top of that list: in a City Old and Historic District, replacing siding, roofing or windows still needs a permit, and work in a special flood hazard area may need one even when it would otherwise be exempt.
Loading the full checklist…
Sources
- building — fee schedule ↗verified August 2026
Other permits Richmond publishes rules for
Listed because the city publishes a separate rule for each type — not because this project necessarily triggers one. Whether it does depends on your scope of work.
- Deck permit checklist
- Fence permit checklist
- Shed permit checklist
- Re-roof permit checklist
- Retaining wall permit checklist
- Electrical work permit checklist
BuildSpec is a reference, not the authority having jurisdiction. Confirm requirements with Richmond before you build.