Digital permit application gateway
Start with the issuing authority’s own submission lane. A complete application package, accurate valuation, and accessible inspection path are the fastest route through statutory plan review.
Recommended first click
Use the official digital gateway to submit plans, monitor review comments, pay required charges, and request inspections when the permit is issued. If the link is unavailable, use the agency website or phone number on the administrative profile to confirm the current lane.
Typical review lane
Published plan-review targets are 20 business days for commercial and multifamily projects and 10 business days for one- and two-family residential projects unless eligible for walk-through review. Minor walk-through projects are scoped for a 20-minute Code Administration review; Permit Center support inquiries are answered within 24 hours or one business day.
Treat this as a planning signal, not a guaranteed approval date. Completeness, corrections, resubmittals, and agency workload control the actual clock.
Verify the parcel is inside this agency’s service area and note whether a city, state, fire marshal, septic authority, or utility district also has approval authority.
Prepare legible plans, site information, project valuation, ownership authorization, contractor information, and any energy, floodplain, zoning, or utility documentation the issuing office requires.
Keep the permit number, approved plan set, correction comments, fee receipts, and inspection results together. Those records establish the compliance trail for the next trade.
Application documents
Before submission, call 703-746-4200 if the project involves a change of occupancy, structural alteration, accessory structure, demolition, or work near a regulated environmental feature.
Source trail
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
City of Alexandria Department of Code Administration / Alexandria Permit Center is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 703-746-4200.
Published plan-review targets are 20 business days for commercial and multifamily projects and 10 business days for one- and two-family residential projects unless eligible for walk-through review. Minor walk-through projects are scoped for a 20-minute Code Administration review; Permit Center support inquiries are answered within 24 hours or one business day.
Schedule and track inspections online through APEX; the Permit Center page also links a Daily Inspection Viewer with step-by-step scheduling instructions. If APEX is unavailable, call 703-746-4200 during regular business hours for scheduling assistance. Occupied-dwelling residential inspections may be conducted virtually by video call under the city's current operations notice.
The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code became effective January 18, 2024. Alexandria administers the 2021 Virginia Construction, Residential, Existing Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation, and Property Maintenance codes with Virginia amendments; the city's current plan-review requirements direct electrical designs to the 2023 National Electrical Code. Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 exemptions include qualifying one-story detached sheds, playhouses, and similar structures not over 256 square feet; fences unless used for pool barriers or required for construction-site pedestrian safety; swimming pools not over 150 square feet and less than 24 inches deep; qualifying low-voltage wiring; limited roof-deck replacement of 256 square feet or less on R-3/R-4/R-5 buildings; floor finishes; qualifying interior wall or ceiling finishes; cabinetry and trim; paint and wallpaper; and other minor ordinary repairs approved by the building official. Exempt work remains subject to all other applicable code and zoning requirements.
What makes an application complete
Before you click submit, make sure the drawings agree with the site plan, project description, valuation, ownership authorization, and contractor information. If the work changes structure, occupancy, drainage, fire protection, energy performance, or utility demand, describe that scope plainly. Ambiguous narratives create correction cycles and delay the field schedule.
Save the confirmation number, payment receipt, uploaded plan set, and every correction comment. Those records are the backbone of a defensible compliance file when multiple trades or agencies share responsibility.
Submission quality check
Site: address, parcel, access, setbacks, and existing conditions are consistent.
Scope: structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, and energy work is identified.
Closeout: inspection contacts and the final approval path are understood before work begins.