Inspections for New Residential Building Construction

How do I know when to call for an inspection?

New residential building construction requirements:

Inspection Type	Permit Type	Preparation
Footing	Building Permit	Before pouring concrete, the property must be flagged in such a manner that the building inspector can verify the general setback requirements. Dig your footing trench, install grade stakes to show the depth of concrete to be poured. Some footings may require additional reinforcement which must be in place at the time of inspection. After approval of the footing inspection you may proceed with the placement of concrete and the framing of your structure.
Water/Sewer	Plumbing Permit	When tapping mains/before backfill Note: Well water and septic tank must contact the Health Department for permit.
Rough-In	Electrical Permit Plumbing Permit Mechanical Permit	Have the work inspected and approved before covering the wall. Inspector will inspect duct work and rough-in of all equipment and fixtures.
Gas Pressure Test	Gas Permit	Have work inspected before concealing gas piping.
Framing	Building Permit	All framing must conform to the approved plans. The exterior walls and roof may be covered (dried-in). The interior of the structure shall be left open and unfinished. DO NOT INSTALL INSULATION UNTIL APPROVAL RECEIVED ON ALL ROUGH-INS AND FRAMING INSPECTION.
Insulation Inspection		The insulation may be installed after the approval of the framing and all required rough-in inspections by each discipline.
Final	Mechanical Permit Electrical Permit Plumbing Permit Gas Permit	After work is complete
Final	Building Permit	Inspector will check the following items:
Final	Building Permit	Attic insulation Crawl space Grade around the house Grade underneath the house Handrail	Landscape Posted house numbers Smoke detector Stairs Under-house insulation
Lot Grading Certificate	Builder/Owner	Must be received in the Development & Permits Department Office.
Flood Zone Letter	Builder/Owner	Must provide a FEMA flood zone letter. *for the property in flood zone
Septic	Builder/Owner	Must deliver the Septic and Well Approval Letter from the Health Department to Development & Permits Department.
Print above chart – Required Steps pdf format

Who should I call to request an inspection?

The City will make every effort to provide inspections on your requested date. However, please be aware the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code allows two working days from the date of request to perform the inspection.

You can request your inspections by mail, email, phone, fax (contact info below) or online. See instructions.

Process for Requesting Inspections

You may request inspections by telephone, email, fax, mail and our new online inspection requests service.

All phone-in inspection requests should be directed to the City’s Customer Contact Center at 757-382-CITY (2489). You may also submit your inspection request online via the City of Chesapeake Customer Contact Center. On-line submittals may be made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Next-business-day inspection requests by phone, fax, mail or email must be received by 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Any requests after 3 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be scheduled for Tuesday.

Instructions for Requesting an Inspection:

Request by phone
Request by fax
Request by mail
Request by email
Request online – Online inspection requests temporarily unavailable while we switch our systems to eBUILD. Please call 382-CITY (2489) to request an inspection.

Request by Phone

All inspections by phone should be directed to the City’s Customer Contact Center at 382-CITY (2489). Operator on duty - Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Callers must be prepared to provide specific required information when requesting an inspection.

Permit Number
Property Address
Type of Inspections – See Required Steps pdf format
Contractor’s Name
Phone Number
Requestor Name

Request by Fax

By completing our inspection request form, you may fax your inspection requests at 757-382-8448.

Request by Mail

By completing our inspection request form, you may mail your inspection requests to:

City of Chesapeake
Department of Development & Permits
P.O. Box 15225
Chesapeake, VA 23328

Request by email

You may send us an email to request your inspection(s): develop-permits@cityofchesapeake.net

How do I know if my inspection was approved?

The Department of Development & Permits issued standard operating procedures for residential inspection stickers. (find out more about the procedures)
- Two stickers will be posted at the construction site at all times during the construction process.
  - YELLOW – Rough-In, Framing & Insulation Inspection,
  - GREEN – Final Inspections
- When approved, the inspectors will sign the inspection sticker on-site.
Call 757-382-6018 for your inspections results.
Normally, the Code Compliance inspectors will leave a yellow inspection card at the job site to notify the permit holder if the inspection is approved or rejected information or the reason for rejection.

When can I move in to my new home?

All new residential dwellings are required to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy after the completion of all required construction inspections.

As required by Section §116.1 of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, any building or structure constructed under this code shall not be used until a Certificate of Use and Occupancy has been issued by the building official.

What can I do if my inspections are not finalized and I must move in?

You may contact the Building Code Official in the Department of Development & Permits and apply for a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy. However, the following are guidelines to apply for a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy:

The building permit holder is the only party eligible to request a temporary certificate of occupancy.
All inspections (plumbing, electrical, mechanical, gas) except building final must be finalized. A final building inspection must be done before applying.
If the property is located in the flood zone, the FEMA letter is required.
Septic tank and /or well water approval letters must be received in this office.
A review of any rejected or outstanding issues will be considered prior to issuing a temporary certificate of occupancy.

Should the applicant fail to renew and/or complete inspections/conditions of a permit authorized a temporary occupancy, this privilege will be suspended until full compliance is achieved.