ARTICLE II. PERMITS, FEES AND INSPECTIONS 

Sec. 7.1-9. General requirements and procedures.

(a) By whom applications are made; transferability. Applications for permits shall be made by the owner or lessee of the building or agent of either, or by the licensed professional engineer, architect, contractor or subcontractor, or their respective agents, employed in connection with the proposed work. Prior to the issuance of the permit, the applicant shall furnish evidence either of a license issued in accordance with chapter 11 of Title 54.1 of the Code of Virginia or acceptable evidence that the applicant is exempt from the provision of this chapter. Once issued, permits shall not be transferable to another owner, lessee or professional.

(b) Application to be accompanied by plats and other documentation. Applications for permits shall be accompanied by a plat plan showing, to scale, the size and location of all proposed new construction, distances from lot lines, the established street grades and the proposed finished grade consistent with the approved development plan and location of private and public easements and rights-of-way. Construction within easements and rights-of-way shall be prohibited unless the applicant provides evidence that the owner or beneficiary of the easement or right-of-way has authorized the construction.

(c) When permit becomes invalid; extensions of time. Any permit issued shall become invalid if work on the site authorized by the permit is not commenced within six (6) months after issuance of the permit, or if the authorized work on the site is suspended or abandoned for a period of six (6) months after the time of commencing the work, the failure to complete enough work to schedule an inspection during any six-month period may be grounds for finding that work has been abandoned or suspended; however, permits issued for building equipment such as plumbing, electrical and mechanical work shall not become invalid if the building permit is still in effect. Upon written request, and for good cause shown, the building code official may grant one (1) or more extensions of time not to exceed six (6) months per extension. The fee shall be $50.00 per extension.

(d) Plan examination fee. Where plans bearing a licensed architect's or engineer's seal are required to be submitted pursuant to the standards set forth in section 54.1-402 et.seq., Code of Virginia, and in the case of plans for multi-family dwellings, and in other situations where the building code official deems it necessary to require the submission of plans bearing the seal of a licensed architect or engineer, a non-refundable plan examination fee of $150.00 shall be charged. For all other building permits applied for that require a review a plan review fee of $50.00 shall be paid at time of application. This plan review fee shall be applied towards the permit fee if building permit is issued within 90 days from date of application. If permit is not issued by the aforementioned time frame, the plan review fee shall not be refunded nor applied towards a permit fee.

(e) Reinspection fee. Whenever the building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical inspector is required to make a reinspection of work because the permittee has requested an inspection before the work is ready for the inspection, or when the inspector cannot obtain reasonable and safe access to the work to be inspected, or address has not been posted on the construction site, there shall be a $50.00 reinspection fee. Such fee shall be charged to the holder of the permit covering the work and shall be paid to the county at the office of Building Regulation prior to the re-inspection of such work.

(f) Submission of detailed cost estimate. Where the provisions of this section require the payment of a fee based on the current value of all service, labor and materials, the building code official may require that a detailed cost estimate be submitted for review and approval as a prerequisite to the issuance of a permit.

(g) Conditions constituting basis for refunding of permit fee. The building code official may authorize the refunding of any permit fee paid pursuant to this chapter upon application by the person who paid such fee, under the following conditions:

     (1) If an applicant requests in writing the cancellation of a permit prior to the start of construction or to requesting any inspections, the permit fees, less a service charge of $30.00 and a plan review fee of $50.00, if applicable, shall be refunded.

     (2) If an applicant requests in writing the cancellation of a permit after the work authorized by the permit has begun and inspections have been made, the permit fees, less a $30.00 service charge, a $50.00 charge for each inspection made and a $50.00 plans review fee, if applicable, shall be refunded.

     (3) The above provisions notwithstanding, no refund shall be made if six (6) months have expired since the issuance of the permit(s).
(Ord. No. 04-18(R), 7/13/04)