Cost data
Most cost guides quote a national survey and adjust it for the region. This one reads Virginia Beach's own building permits: 1,796 residential permits, each carrying the job value the contractor declared to the city, sorted into 12 project types.
Among the project types we could classify, the most-permitted were electrical panel / service upgrade, swimming pool and home addition. For each project type below you get the number of permits, the range the middle half fell in, and the median — and a plain statement of what the data could not support.
BidBro Editorial Team·Published ·Updated
One row per project type with at least 30 permits. “Middle 50%” is the range the central half of permits fell inside — a quarter declared less, a quarter declared more.
| Project type | Permits | Middle 50% of declared values | Median | Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical panel / service upgrade | 274 | $1,200 – $5,000 | $2,500 | February 2020 – July 2024 |
| Swimming pool | 245 | $23,000 – $54,000 | $39,000 | January 2020 – August 2024 |
| Home addition | 212 | $25,000 – $85,000 | $50,000 | January 2020 – June 2024 |
| Re-roof or roof repair | 180 | $4,900 – $14,500 | $6,500 | January 2020 – July 2024 |
| HVAC installation (new system or ductwork) | 171 | $3,500 – $15,000 | $7,500 | February 2020 – July 2024 |
| Water heater replacement | 168 | $900 – $2,800 | $1,500 | February 2020 – July 2024 |
| Deck build, rebuild or repair | 116 | $4,700 – $26,000 | $10,000 | January 2020 – July 2024 |
| New single-family home | 99 | $190,000 – $460,000 | $250,000 | January 2020 – June 2024 |
| Kitchen remodel | 89 | $1,500 – $35,000 | $12,000 | February 2020 – July 2024 |
| HVAC system replacement | 87 | $5,800 – $15,900 | $10,000 | April 2020 – June 2024 |
| Standby generator | 83 | $1,500 – $10,000 | $3,900 | February 2020 – July 2024 |
| Bathroom remodel | 72 | $5,000 – $25,000 | $10,000 | February 2020 – July 2024 |
Read it as a floor, not a price. The value on a permit is what the applicant declared for the permitted construction work. It often leaves out finishes, fixtures and appliances, and it is not audited against the final invoice — so a quote above the median is not a sign of overcharging. What it does tell you is what work of that kind was actually filed at in Virginia Beach, which no published price survey does.
On Virginia Beach building permits filed from 2020 to 2024, the median declared value for a re-roof or roof repair was $6,500, and the middle half of 180 permits fell between $4,900 and $14,500. Declared values cover the permitted work and are often below the final invoice, so treat them as a floor when comparing quotes.
The median declared value on 87 Virginia Beach HVAC replacement permits (2020–2024) was $10,000, with the middle half between $5,800 and $15,900.
Across 245 Virginia Beach pool permits from 2020 to 2024, the median declared value was $39,000 and the middle half ran $23,000 to $54,000. Decking, fencing and landscaping around the pool are often permitted separately and are not in these figures.
The median declared value on 212 Virginia Beach residential addition permits (2020–2024) was $50,000; the middle half fell between $25,000 and $85,000. Size, a second story and flood-zone foundation requirements move a project across that range.
A permit carries the value the applicant declares for the permitted construction work, and permit fees rise with it. Finishes, fixtures, appliances and anything that needs no permit are usually left out, and the figure is not audited against the final bill. A quote above the permit median is normal; one far below the bottom of the range deserves a question about scope.
From public building-permit records for the City of Virginia Beach, as held in the BidBro contractor database: 1,796 residential permits issued 2020–2024, counted once per permit number, classified by their own work descriptions, with any project type under 30 permits left out. The full method is on this page.
A permit median is a reference point; your project’s price depends on its scope. Post your project once and compare bids from Virginia Beach contractors side by side, or browse by trade:
Nearby: Chesapeake home project costs from building permits.
Pricing, process, and market snapshots from the BidBro editorial team.
