Virginia’s state building codes and regulations are promulgated and regulated by the DHCD. Codes and regulations are adopted by the Board of Housing and Community Development and periodic amendments are utilized to update codes and incorporate new reference standards.
Virginia’s state building codes and regulations are administered through the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC), and its associated standards and regulations for industrialized or modular buildings, manufactured homes and amusement devices.
Effective Sept. 4, 2018, Virginia adopted the 2015 I-Codes as referenced in the Virginia Construction Code Part 1 and the 2014 National Electric Code.
The Virginia Building Codes are updated through the code development process. Virginia is a leader in building and fire code development, and stakeholder input is vital to Virginia’s code development process. Participation is encouraged and remote participation is made possible through cdpVA.
Find your local building official, fire official or property maintenance official for localities in Virginia.
The State Building Code Technical Review Board (SBCTRB) consists of 14 citizens appointed by the Governor to ensure Virginia’s building code is administered fairly and well-understood by the citizens of Virginia.
The Jack A. Proctor Virginia Building Code Academy delivers administrative and technical code training programs for mandated certification requirements for over 3,500 statewide professional certifications in various code enforcement disciplines including code official, inspection and plan review.
All training programs offered through the Jack A. Proctor Virginia Building Code Academy are available to local government and third-party code enforcement personnel seeking certification.
The state certification is a mandated program for all local governmental code enforcement personnel and independent third-party inspection agents who, per Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) and Virginia Certification Standards (VCS), are required to obtain certification to ensure consistent and technically accurate code interpretation and application.
Most of the programs required for certification are multiday classroom courses and are offered throughout the calendar year in various locations across the state. The academy also periodically offers a number of continuing education offerings on topics that are pertinent or relative to current issues in the code enforcement industry.
The Commonwealth of Virginia Learning Center (COVLC) allows code professionals to access web-based training offered by the Virginia Building Code Academy at any time, free of charge.
The statewide levy (currently at 2 percent) upon all local permit fees issued in accordance with Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC) is collected to support operations and programs of Virginia Building Code Academy for training and certification of local code enforcement personnel.
Manufactured homes, sometimes referred to as HUD code homes, are built, in a factory, on a permanent chassis, are transportable in one or more sections, are used as single family dwellings and may be sited with or without a permanent foundation.
The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) regulates Virginia’s manufactured housing industry through the Virginia Manufactured Home Safety Regulations (MHSR) and the Virginia Manufactured Housing Licensing and Transaction Recovery Fund Regulations (MHLTRFR).
The Code of Virginia directs the Virginia Manufactured Housing Board to promulgate necessary regulations to carry out the provisions for licensing in the manufactured housing industry. The licenses in the program are required for manufactured housing manufacturers, dealers, brokers, and salespeople. For more information about licensing click here.
The Code of Virginia directs the Virginia Manufactured Housing Board to promulgate necessary regulations to carry out the provisions for licensing in the manufactured housing industry. The licenses in the program are required for manufactured housing manufacturers, dealers, brokers, and salespeople. The regulations include warranty requirements, consumer complaint resolution procedures, restrictions on advertising practices, and provisions for dealer/manufacturer sales agreements. As provided for in the Code of Virginia, the regulations also establish a Transaction Recovery Fund and the administrative procedures to carry out this consumer protection program, including procedures for filing claims, hearings or conferences, payment of claims for damages, and possible disciplinary actions against license holders in the program. The Board is authorized to make case decisions to carry out the provisions of this program.
