Bathroom Remodel Permit in Orange County, Virginia
By Mario Bailey Last checked 2026-07-12 · 1 official source
Verified against official sources Based on building codeIt depends
Quick answer
Cosmetic and like-for-like work is exempt in Virginia; relocation work is not. Exempt as ordinary repairs: replacing plumbing fixtures without altering the water supply, drainage, or vent systems; replacing switches, dimmers, standard receptacles, light fixtures, and ceiling fans in dwellings; floor finishes; interior wall or ceiling finishes; cabinetry and trim; paint and wallpaper. A permit is required for removing or adding any wall or partition, any structural component, alterations to water supply, drainage, or vent piping, or electric wiring. So moving a toilet, shower, or sink drain, adding circuits, or removing walls triggers a permit; swapping fixtures in place with new tile and paint does not.
Who is pulling this permit?
Apply yourself
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Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
- Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?
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What bathroom remodel permit costs in Orange County
Bills as the residential Alteration category at $0.25 per square foot with a $150 minimum, plus separate Trades permits at $0.15 per square foot ($100 minimum) for plumbing or electrical work, plus Virginia's 2% state surcharge, per the FY27 Tax and Fee Schedule.
How Orange County compares in Virginia
No Virginia jurisdiction we have verified sets a size threshold for this permit, so what actually differs between them is the fee.
| Jurisdiction | Permit needed? | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield County | It depends | Falls under renovation, alteration or conversion: $114 if square footage does... |
| Fairfax County | It depends | No single line item; |
| Fauquier County | It depends | Billed as a residential alteration at $0.16 per square foot with a $100 minim... |
| Henrico County | It depends | Falls under the existing-dwelling building permit formula of $100 for the fir... |
| Loudoun County | It depends | Billed as a residential alteration: building permit fee is 1% of construction... |
| Orange Countythis page | It depends | Bills as the residential Alteration category at $0.25 per square foot with a... |
| Prince William County | It depends | No dedicated line item; |
How to apply in Orange County
A bathroom remodel that creates a new bathroom or touches its plumbing, wiring, or walls needs a building permit application, typically filed as separate building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits submitted together and backed by a floor plan showing the fixture layout. A simple like-for-like fixture swap with no other work is often exempt.
What most bathroom remodel permit applications include:
- Creating a new bathroom or toilet room, or altering, moving, or replacing a plumbing, electrical, gas, or mechanical system as part of the remodel, is regulated work that requires a permit before work starts, usually filed as separate building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permit applications submitted together (IRC R105.1).
- The permit application itself must identify and describe the work, describe the site, state the intended use, be accompanied by construction documents, state the valuation of the work, and be signed by the applicant or their agent (IRC R105.3).
- Those construction documents have to show the location, nature, and extent of the proposed work, which in practice means a scaled existing and proposed floor plan showing every fixture, outlet, switch, and vent fan, including the code-mandated clearances around fixtures such as the water closet (IRC R106.1.1; R307.1 fixture clearances).
- A bathroom needs ventilation: mechanical exhaust ducted to the outside where the required openable window is absent, sized in the range of 50 cubic feet per minute intermittent (IRC R303.3; M1505).
- New or relocated bathroom receptacles must be ground-fault circuit-interrupter protected (IRC E3902.1 / NEC 210.8(A)(1)).
- Tub and shower walls have to be finished with a nonabsorbent, waterproof surface extending to a minimum height above the floor (IRC R307.2).
- Routine maintenance items such as towel bars, mirrors, paint, or floor coverings done alone are commonly permit-exempt, but that exemption ends once the work relocates fixtures or opens up wiring, piping, or walls, so a like-for-like fixture swap should be checked against the local exemption list rather than assumed (IRC R105.2).
General submittal guidance from International Residential Code (IRC), 2021 edition, Sections R105, R106, R303.3, R307, and E3902. Source. Orange County Building Inspections sets the exact checklist for Orange County.
Where to apply in Orange County:
Orange County Building Inspections
- 128 W. Main Street, Orange, VA 22960
- Phone: (540) 672-4574
Inspections and closing out your permit
Once the permit is issued, the work stays subject to inspection at each stage, and the plumbing, mechanical, and electrical rough-in must be inspected and approved before the walls are closed up. A final inspection, made after everything required by the permit is done, closes out the job.
- Any construction or work covered by the permit stays subject to inspection and must remain accessible and exposed until the building official approves it (IRC R109.1).
- The plumbing, mechanical, and electrical rough-in has to be inspected and approved before it is covered or concealed, before fixtures or appliances are installed, and before the framing inspection, so the trade work behind the walls is signed off before drywall closes them up (IRC R109.1.2, R109.1.4).
- Work cannot proceed past the point covered by the last approved inspection without the building official's sign-off (IRC R109.4).
- Scheduling is on the permit holder: it is their duty to notify the building official when work is ready and to provide access for each inspection (IRC R109.3).
- A final inspection, covering everything required by the permit including items such as GFCI protection, closes out the job once all the permitted work is complete (IRC R109.1.6).
Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Call Orange County at (540) 672-4574 to schedule.
Inspection sequence from International Residential Code (IRC), 2021 edition, Section R109 (Inspections). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Bathroom Remodel Permit checklist for Orange County
- Confirm the requirement. Sometimes, depending on the project.
- Budget the fee. Bills as the residential Alteration category at $0.25 per square foot with a $150 minimum, plus separate Trades permits at $0.15 per square foot ($100 minimum) for plumbing or electrical work, plus Virginia's 2% state surcharge, per the FY27 Tax and Fee Schedule. Official fee schedule.
- Apply. A bathroom remodel that creates a new bathroom or touches its plumbing, wiring, or walls needs a building permit application, typically filed as separate building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits submitted together and backed by a floor plan showing the fixture layout. A simple like-for-like fixture swap with no other work is often exempt. Start at the official Orange County permit page.
- Keep the office details handy. Orange County Building Inspections. Phone: (540) 672-4574. Address: 128 W. Main Street, Orange, VA 22960.
- Plan for inspections. Once the permit is issued, the work stays subject to inspection at each stage, and the plumbing, mechanical, and electrical rough-in must be inspected and approved before the walls are closed up. A final inspection, made after everything required by the permit is done, closes out the job.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked 2026-07-12.
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Permitting activity in Orange County
In 2024, Orange County authorized permits for 412 new residential housing units (410 single-family, 2 in multi-family buildings), valued at $104M, down from422 the year before. That works out to about 10.6 permits per 1,000 residents.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual data · population 38,986.
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.
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a bathroom remodel permit in Orange County?
- Cosmetic and like-for-like work is exempt in Virginia; relocation work is not. Exempt as ordinary repairs: replacing plumbing fixtures without altering the water supply, drainage, or vent systems; replacing switches, dimmers, standard receptacles, light fixtures, and ceiling fans in dwellings; floor finishes; interior wall or ceiling finishes; cabinetry and trim; paint and wallpaper. A permit is required for removing or adding any wall or partition, any structural component, alterations to water supply, drainage, or vent piping, or electric wiring. So moving a toilet, shower, or sink drain, adding circuits, or removing walls triggers a permit; swapping fixtures in place with new tile and paint does not. Always confirm with the Orange County Building Inspections before starting.
- How much does a bathroom remodel permit cost in Orange County?
- Bills as the residential Alteration category at $0.25 per square foot with a $150 minimum, plus separate Trades permits at $0.15 per square foot ($100 minimum) for plumbing or electrical work, plus Virginia's 2% state surcharge, per the FY27 Tax and Fee Schedule. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a bathroom remodel permit in Orange County?
- Apply through the Orange County Building Inspections. The official permit page and contact details are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a bathroom remodel permit themselves in Orange County?
- Under Virginia law (Va. Code 54.1-1101(A); 13VAC5-63-80 (USBC Sections 108.3, 108.4)): Yes. Va. Code 54.1-1101(A) exempts any person who performs or supervises construction, removal, repair, or improvement of no more than one primary residence owned by them and for their own use during any 24-month period. The exemption covers the whole licensing chapter, including tradesman licensing for electrical, plumbing, and HVAC, so it reaches trade work on the owner's own primary residence. Under the USBC the permit applicant may be the owner or the owner's agent, and an applicant may file a written statement that they are not subject to licensure instead of proof of license. Limits: one primary residence per 24 months, for the owner's own use; rental and investment property work is not covered. Confirm how Orange County applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in Orange County
Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Billed at $0.15 per square foot with a $75 minimum under the residential deck, porch, o... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Billed under the residential Trades category at $0.15 per square foot with a $100 minim... |
| EV Charger Permit | Permit required | Not specified | No EV-specific line; |
| Fence Permit | No permit needed | Not specified | Flat $75 fee under the residential accessory structures fence and retaining wall line,... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Billed under the residential Trades category for mechanical work at $0.15 per square fo... |
| 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 | Not specified | 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 incl... |
| 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 buildi... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Ground-mounted solar with electric is $0.10 per square foot with a $150 minimum; |
| Water Heater Permit | It depends | Not specified | No water-heater line; |
Bathroom Remodel Permit in other Virginia localities
Official sources
Verified by a person against the sources above on 2026-07-12, not confirmed with Orange County Building Inspections. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: 2026-07-12Report an error on this page
Compare Bathroom Remodel Permit requirements across Virginia localities