Virginia Beach, Virginia · Tax exemption
Energy-Efficient Buildings Tax Reduction (City of Virginia Beach)
Run by City of Virginia Beach Real Estate Assessor's Office and Planning Department Office of Permits and Inspections
Virginia Beach lowers the real estate tax rate by $0.15 per $100 of building value for homes and commercial buildings certified as energy efficient (30% better than the state energy code, ENERGY STAR, LEED, EarthCraft or Green Globes).
Amounts
How much you get
The building (not the land) is taxed at a rate $0.15 per $100 of assessed value lower than the regular rate, so the saving is building value / 100 x $0.15. City Council reviews the rate every year in the budget. No page says how many years a building keeps the lower rate.
Eligibility
Do I qualify?
You need to meet all 5 of these.
Your home is in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Owner of a residential or commercial building in Virginia Beach.
The building exceeds the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code energy standards by 30%, or meets Green Globes, LEED, EarthCraft House, or ENERGY STAR standards.
What to doBuild or upgrade to one of these standards.
Certified energy-efficient by a qualified architect, professional engineer or licensed contractor who isn't related to you.
What to doHire an unrelated licensed engineer, architect or contractor to certify the building. Get a quote from a contractor
You must not be behind on any payments owed to the City.
What to doPay any amounts owed to the City before applying.
Equipment
What equipment counts
Applying
How to apply
No deadline published.
- Get the building certified energy efficient by an unrelated qualified professional.
- Submit the application and documentation to Permits and Inspections.
Office of Permits and Inspections / Department of Planning, 2875 Sabre Street, Suite 500, Room 109, Virginia Beach, VA 23452 (757-385-4211, option 3). Include proof the building beats the code by 30% (or meets a listed rating) and the prior fiscal year's assessment.
- Permits and Inspections reviews and inspects.
You're notified of the decision within 30 days.
- Bring the approved application to the Real Estate Assessor's Office.
Municipal Center, 2424 Courthouse Drive, Building 18.
Application for City Code §35-41 Energy Efficient Buildings Tax Reduction
Certification the building exceeds the energy code by 30% or meets a listed rating
Prior fiscal year assessment
Forms and instructionsEnergy-Efficient Buildings · Energy-Efficient Buildings FAQ
Questions about applying757-385-4601 or Assessor@vbgov.com
Stacking
Use it with
Your address
Next steps
Check that it covers your address. Then, if you want, ask for a contractor quote.
Is it available at your address?
Before anything else
Your quote request is in If a contractor we work with serves your ZIP, they can contact you. We take one request per person; contact us to change it.
Get an email if this program changes
We'll write if its amount, status or deadline changes. Nothing else.
FAQ
Questions
How much does Energy-Efficient Buildings Tax Reduction (City of Virginia Beach) pay?
The building (not the land) is taxed at a rate $0.15 per $100 of assessed value lower than the regular rate, so the saving is building value / 100 x $0.15. City Council reviews the rate every year in the budget. No page says how many years a building keeps the lower rate.
Do renters qualify?
Owner of a residential or commercial building in Virginia Beach.
Do I have to use a contractor?
Yes. Certified energy-efficient by a qualified architect, professional engineer or licensed contractor who isn't related to you.
What’s the deadline?
No fixed deadline. Apply any time while it’s open.
Is it still available?
Yes. It was open when we last checked, on October 20, 2026.
Is there a fee for the application itself?
The city's Planning Permits and Inspections office says it charges only for the building permit, about $120.70, with no separate application fee.
Plain words
Words used on this page
References
Sources
This page is built from these official pages, run by the program itself.
- Energy-Efficient Buildings
- Energy-Efficient Buildings FAQ
- Application for City Code §35-41 Energy Efficient Buildings Tax Reduction
When one of these pages changes, we re-check this page against it.
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