Building permits in Orange County, Virginia
Of the 13 common home projects we have verified in Orange County, 6 need a permit outright and 6 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 1 official source
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 13
- in Orange County
One thing Orange County does not make you permit
Worth knowing before you call anyone. Most jurisdictions we cover require all of these.
- Fence Permit
No permit required for this work.
Orange County Building Inspections
- 128 W. Main Street, Orange, VA 22960
- Phone: (540) 672-4574
- Official permit page
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Orange County
What needs a permit in Orange County
Of the 13 common home projects we have verified in Orange County, 6 need a permit outright and 6 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel Permit | It depends | Cosmetic and like-for-like work is exempt in Virginia | Bills as the residential Alteration category at $0.25 per square foot with a $150... |
| Deck Permit | Permit required | Any size | Billed at $0.15 per square foot with a $75 minimum under the residential deck, porch, or... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Any size | Billed under the residential Trades category at $0.15 per square foot with a $100... |
| EV Charger Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...home charger circuit bills under the residential Trades electric category at $0.15... |
| Fence Permit | No permit needed | Exempt | Flat $75 fee under the residential accessory structures fence and retaining wall line... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Any size | Billed under the residential Trades category for mechanical work at $0.15 per square... |
| Patio Permit | It depends | on-grade concrete or paver patios need no building permit; a permit is required for covered patios, patio covers, or slabs designed to support a future structure | Not published |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Any size | Billed under the residential Trades category for plumbing work at $0.15 per square foot... |
| Pool Permit | It depends | pools over 150 sq ft of surface area or 24 inches or more in depth require a building permit; smaller, shallower pools are exempt | Flat $100 for an above-ground pool or hot tub, or $200 for an in-ground pool, each... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | like-for-like replacement of roof covering on one- and two-family homes is exempt statewide in areas with nominal design wind speed of 100 mph or less; a permit is required when roof sheathing or framing is replaced, and may be required in historic districts or flood hazard areas | Most single family reroofs are permit-exempt under the Virginia residential code, so no... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | over 256 sq ft requires building permit; 150 to 256 sq ft requires zoning permit only; under 150 sq ft no permits required | Billed at $0.25 per square foot with a $75 minimum under the residential utility... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | Ground-mounted solar with electric is $0.10 per square foot with a $150 minimum |
| Water Heater Permit | It depends | A gas or oil fired water heater replacement requires a permit in Virginia: USBC Section... | ...or replacement bills under the residential Trades plumbing category at $0.15 per... |
Planning a project in Orange County?
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Schedule an inspection in Orange County
Permitted work is not finished until it passes inspection. The Inspection Information page lists inspection sheets and requirements.
Schedule or request a Orange County inspection
When the portal will not take the date you need, the office still books by phone: (540) 672-4574.
Checked . If the office has changed its process, report it.
Orange County permit fees compared with nearby Virginia localities
| Virginia locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County | Billed at $0.15 per square foot with a $75 minimum under... | ...Trades category for mechanical work at $0.15 per... | Billed under the residential Trades category at $0.15 per... |
| Arlington County | See schedule | See schedule | See schedule |
| Chesterfield County | $114 flat fee for a deck, carport, gazebo, or similar... | $114 for a new HVAC system installation or system... | $171 for a new single-family dwelling |
| Culpeper County | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Each cell is the opening clause of that Virginia jurisdiction's own fee schedule; the full wording and source sit on each permit page.
Orange County permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Orange County?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 13 permit types we have verified for Orange County, 6 always require a permit (for example a deck permit), 6 depend on size or scope (a bathroom remodel permit, for instance), and 1 needs no permit at all in Orange County. Each Orange County permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Orange County?
- Orange County publishes a fee for 12 of the 13 permit types we cover, each quoted on its page from the jurisdiction's own schedule (linked on every page that carries one). Fees are set by Orange County Building Inspections; we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Orange County?
- Orange County Building Inspections issues permits in Orange County, and takes questions at (540) 672-4574. The Orange County official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the Orange County pages were verified. 13 permit types, 3 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from Orange County Building Inspections or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Orange County is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.
Permitting activity in Orange County
In 2025, Orange County authorized permits for 339 new residential housing units, valued at $88M , down from 412 the year before. That works out to about 8.5 permits per 1,000 residents. It is a useful gauge of how busy the local permit office is.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual data · population 40,083.
About Orange County
Orange County has about 15,895 housing units. The median home is valued at $337,300, against a median household income of $94,175. About 78% of homes are owner-occupied, and the typical home was built around 1992.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year.