City of Alexandria, Virginia - City Development Fees
City of Alexandria | Independent City | Northern Virginia / Inner Beltway | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA
The City of Alexandria is an independent city in inner-Beltway Northern Virginia. The City of Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning administers Special Use Permit, Development Special Use Permit, rezoning, subdivision, and Board of Zoning Appeals fees through the FY2026 Department of Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2025. The Department of Code Administration administers building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permit fees through a separate Permit Center fee schedule. Alexandria does not impose statutory road impact fees under Va. Code 15.2-2317, does not maintain a per-unit cash proffer schedule under Va. Code 15.2-2303, and does not administer water tap or wastewater connection fees - water service is provided by Virginia American Water Company and wastewater treatment by Alexandria Renew Enterprises.
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning Application Fees (SUP, DSUP/DSP, Rezoning, Subdivision, BZA, BAR) | Confirmed | SUP $575; DSUP/DSP $3,300 + $15/100sf max $80,000 + 5.2%; Rezoning $3,000 + $300/half-acre over 1 acre + 5.2%; BZA Residential $335 / Commercial $785 / Commercial-Industrial $1,035 | July 1, 2025 (FY2026) |
| Statutory Road Impact Fees (Va. Code 15.2-2317) | Not applicable | Alexandria is not a designated high-growth locality / urban transportation service district under Va. Code 15.2-2317; no road impact fee program adopted | - |
| Per-Unit Cash Proffers (Va. Code 15.2-2303.4) | Not applicable | Cash proffer applicability under Va. Code 15.2-2303.4 (post-2016 HB 770) is statutorily narrowed and does not extend to independent cities like Alexandria for new residential construction; no per-unit Cash Proffer Policy schedule on alexandriava.gov | - |
| Utility Tap / Water and Wastewater Connection | Not administered by the City | Water service provided by Virginia American Water Company (regulated by Virginia State Corporation Commission); wastewater treatment by Alexandria Renew Enterprises (independent public service authority); the City itself does not administer water tap or wastewater connection fees | - |
| Special District Fees (CDA / TIF) | Does not apply | No Community Development Authority under Va. Code 15.2-5152 or equivalent development-side service-district fee schedule. Existing geography-bounded levies (Old Town BID, Eisenhower Partnership BID, Del Ray BID, Visit Alexandria) operate as ongoing member assessments, not as one-time development fees | - |
Department of Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule (FY2026)
The City of Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning publishes its FY2026 fee schedule effective July 1, 2025. The schedule covers Land Use and Development / Planning Commission, Historic Preservation / Board of Architectural Review, and Zoning Services / Board of Zoning Appeals. Footnoted surcharges: $75 added to SUP and preliminary development site plan fees; $200 added to DSUP fees; $35 added to BZA Variance/Special Exception and BAR fees; 5.2 percent surcharge on cases associated with development. Short Term Residential Rental fees take effect September 1, 2025. The Grading Plan fee transition takes effect upon FY2026 Budget adoption (April 30, 2025). Administered by: City of Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning.
Special Use Permit (SUP) Fees
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| SUP requiring hearing by Planning Commission and City Council | $575.00 |
| Administrative SUP - Change of Ownership | $250.00 |
| Administrative SUP - Amendment and New Use | $325.00 |
| Administrative SUP for Outdoor Display | $125.00 |
| SUP for Non Profit, Child Care, Single Family Residential Uses, Parking Reductions | $325.00 |
| SUPs with Development Cases, Coordinated Sign Programs, Density Increase Requests | $1,075.00 |
| Each SUP requested with a DSUP or DSP | $1,075.00 |
Development Site Plan (DSP) and Development Special Use Permit (DSUP)
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| DSP / DSUP base | $3,300 plus $15 per 100sf, max $80,000, plus 5.2% of total calculated fees |
| DSP/DSUP resubmission beyond 1st completeness | additional $2,000 |
| DSP/DSUP revised application | additional $500 |
| DSP/DSUP deferred application | additional $500 |
| Final Site Plan Review - first submission | $3,300 plus $15 per 100sf, max $80,000, plus 5.2% of total calculated fees |
| Final Site Plan Review - each review beyond 2nd submission | $2,104.00 |
| Development Site Plan / SUP Amendment and Extensions base | $2,104.00 |
| DSP/SUP amendment with request for additional floor area | $2,000 plus $10 per 100sf |
Coordinated Development District (CDD) Concept Plans
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| CDD Concept Plan | $3,300 plus $15 per 100sf of site area, max $80,000, plus 5.2% of total calculated fees |
| CDD Concept Plan minor amendment | No charge |
| CDD Concept Plan medium amendment | Original fee up to max $15,000 plus 5.2% of total calculated fees |
| CDD Concept Plan full amendment | Original fee up to max $30,000 plus 5.2% of total calculated fees |
| Transportation Management Plan SUP | $120 per 1,000sf of site area, max $60,000, plus 5.2% of total calculated fees |
Rezoning, Master Plan Amendment, and Subdivision
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Rezoning | $3,000 plus $300 per each 1/2 acre over 1 acre, plus 5.2% of total calculated fees |
| Master Plan Amendment | $3,000 plus $300 per each 1/2 acre over 1 acre, plus 5.2% of total calculated fees |
| Preliminary Subdivision (SUB) - less than 10 lots | $2,000 plus $500 per lot |
| Preliminary Subdivision (SUB) - more than 10 lots | $3,000 plus $500 per lot |
| Final Subdivision (SUB) - less than 10 lots | $1,000 plus $500 per lot |
| Final Subdivision (SUB) - more than 10 lots | $2,000 plus $500 per lot |
| Subdivision review beyond 2nd submission | $250.00 |
| Encroachment (ENC) | $500.00 |
| Vacation (VAC) | $500.00 |
| Grading Plan | $1,000.00 |
| Extension of Grading Plan Approval | $100.00 |
Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) and Board of Architectural Review (BAR)
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| BAR Administrative Approvals - Residential | $110.00 |
| BAR Administrative Approvals - Non Residential | $185.00 |
| BAR Administrative Approvals - Signs | $110.00 |
| BZA Variance / Special Exception - Residential | $335.00 |
| BZA Variance / Special Exception - Commercial | $785.00 |
| BZA Variance / Special Exception - Commercial/Industrial | $1,035.00 |
| Appeal to BZA | $385.00 |
| Accessory Dwelling Unit Application Fee (Zoning Administrative Permit) | $135.00 |
| Zoning Compliance Letter | $500.00 |
| Zoning Determination Letter | $500.00 |
Short Term Residential Rental, Site Plan Bonds, and Other Fees
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Short Term Residential Rental - Owner-unoccupied (annual permit, eff. 2025-09-01) | $350.00 |
| Short Term Residential Rental - Owner-occupied (annual permit, eff. 2025-09-01) | $100.00 |
| Appeal of Site Plan, Subdivision, Chesapeake Bay Issues to City Council | $150.00 |
| As-Built Site Plan inspection and processing | $1,000.00 |
| Bond Review and Processing (total value $20,000 or greater) | $2,000.00 |
| Bond Review and Processing - Reduction (total value $20,000 or greater) | $1,000.00 |
| Green Building Review Fee (third-party sustainability review) | $200 per hour |
| Affordable Housing Contribution Review Fee | $250 per hour |
| King Street Outdoor Dining | $100 plus $1.50 per sf of public land |
| Commercial Antenna - installation on existing structure | $1,995.00 |
| Commercial Antenna - construction of tower or monopole | $5,250.00 |
Source: City of Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2025 (FY2026), 4 pages, 244,129 bytes, SHA-256 9ea2e56c3188e6b96c8bf8e68bde71aa49ef41e8380f584b34d7a732bb6d91e3, accessed 2026-05-09.
Coverage Notes - What This Page Does Not Cover
Per ZoneFee's Partial-Verified Publication Standard, the items below were closed via official-source review without finding an applicable fee schedule. They are disclosed here rather than estimated or omitted silently.
Statutory Road Impact Fees (Va. Code 15.2-2317)
Virginia road impact fees under Va. Code Section 15.2-2317 are restricted to localities formally designated as urban transportation service districts or high-growth localities. Alexandria, an independent city in the inner Beltway with negligible greenfield capacity, is not a designated road-impact-fee locality. The City uses density bonuses and DSUP-attached site-specific contributions in lieu of impact fees. No impact fee resolution surfaces on alexandriava.gov fee landings. Closed-search outcome: fee_family_does_not_apply.
Per-Unit Cash Proffer Schedule (Va. Code 15.2-2303.4)
Cash proffer applicability under Va. Code Section 15.2-2303.4 (post-2016 HB 770) is statutorily narrowed and generally does not extend to independent cities like Alexandria for new residential construction. Alexandria instead uses DSUP-attached conditions, voluntary developer-affordable-housing-contribution commitments through the Office of Housing, and density-bonus-linked public-benefit packages negotiated through Small Area Plans. The Department of Planning and Zoning fee schedule lists no per-unit cash proffer category. No standalone Cash Proffer Policy schedule surfaces on alexandriava.gov. Closed-search outcome: fee_family_does_not_apply.
Utility Tap / Water and Wastewater Connection
Water service in Alexandria is provided by Virginia American Water Company, an investor-owned utility regulated by the Virginia State Corporation Commission. Wastewater treatment is provided by Alexandria Renew Enterprises, an independent public service authority. The City of Alexandria itself does not administer water tap fees or wastewater treatment connection fees - those rates lie with the regulated utility and the separate authority. Local sanitary sewer collection lateral connections may interact with City Department of Transportation and Environmental Services on a project-permit basis but are billed through APEX permit fees (Code Administration), not as a stand-alone utility tap fee schedule on alexandriava.gov. Closed-search outcome: not_administered_by_this_jurisdiction.
Special District Fees
Alexandria does not administer a Community Development Authority under Va. Code Section 15.2-5152 or any equivalent development-side service-district fee schedule. Existing geography-bounded levies (Old Town BID, Eisenhower Partnership BID, Del Ray BID, Visit Alexandria, Potomac Yard small-area-plan affordable-housing contribution) operate as ongoing member assessments or programmatic contributions linked to DSUP conditions, not as one-time development fees with a published per-unit schedule. No CDA / TIF development-side fee schedule located on the official City fee landings. Closed-search outcome: fee_family_does_not_apply.
Building, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical Permit Fees (Code Administration)
The Department of Code Administration administers building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permit fees through its own Code Administration Fee Schedule. Trade-permit fees and Permit Application fees are listed on the official Code Administration landing and on the Permit Application Fees landing. These are administrative review fees outside ZoneFee's jurisdiction-master scope of zoning, impact, utility tap, proffer, and special-district fees. The FY26 Code Administration Permit Center Fee Schedule PDF was located during the 2026-05-09 verification pass but not extracted for this jurisdiction-master scope.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| City of Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning | Special Use Permit, Development Special Use Permit, Development Site Plan, rezoning, subdivision, Board of Architectural Review, Board of Zoning Appeals, CDD Concept Plan, Transportation Management Plan SUP, Short Term Residential Rental, Accessory Dwelling Unit, zoning compliance/determination letters, Coordinated Sign Programs | alexandriava.gov/planning-and-zoning |
| City of Alexandria Department of Code Administration | Building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permit fees; trade-permit fees; Permit Application fees (administered separately from ZoneFee jurisdiction-master scope) | alexandriava.gov/code-administration |
| Virginia American Water Company (regulated utility) | Water tap and connection fees; ongoing volumetric and base service charges (regulated by Virginia State Corporation Commission, not by the City of Alexandria) | amwater.com/vaaw |
| Alexandria Renew Enterprises | Wastewater treatment connection charges; ongoing wastewater service rates (independent public service authority, not administered by the City of Alexandria) | alexrenew.com |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2025 (FY2026, 4-page PDF) | City of Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning | 2026-05-09 |
| Planning and Zoning Applications, Forms, Fees, and Schedules landing | City of Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning | 2026-05-08 |
| Code Administration Fee Schedule and Payment Methods landing | City of Alexandria Department of Code Administration | 2026-05-08 |
| Permit Application Fees landing | City of Alexandria Permits Division | 2026-05-08 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-05-09. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the City of Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the City of Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning FY2026 Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2025 (verbatim 4-page PDF). ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. Footnoted surcharges apply to specific fee categories: $75 added to SUP and preliminary development site plan fees; $200 added to DSUP fees; $35 added to BZA Variance/Special Exception and BAR fees; 5.2 percent surcharge on cases associated with development. Short Term Residential Rental fees take effect September 1, 2025; the Grading Plan fee transition takes effect upon FY2026 Budget adoption. Virginia road impact fees under Va. Code Section 15.2-2317 do not apply to Alexandria (not designated as a high-growth locality / urban transportation service district). Per-unit cash proffers under Va. Code Section 15.2-2303.4 do not apply to Alexandria as an independent city for new residential construction. Water tap and wastewater connection fees are administered by Virginia American Water Company and Alexandria Renew Enterprises, not by the City. No Community Development Authority, TIF zone, or service-district development-side fee schedule exists on the official City website. Building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permit fees are administered by the Department of Code Administration through a separate Permit Center fee schedule and are outside this page's jurisdiction-master scope. Verify all current rates with the City of Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning before relying on this data for land acquisition, project budgeting, or any financial decision. This page is for research and due diligence reference only - it is not legal or financial advice.