Third Party Plan Review in Virginia: AHJ Acceptance Rules

Jordan Lovell
Meridian Compliance Group

An outside plan review can produce useful comments before a permit application is filed. In Virginia, however, a private review report is not the same thing as a local building department’s review or permit decision. Before commissioning one, ask the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) how it handles third-party reports for the specific project and scope.

What Virginia’s code says

Virginia’s rules address both the local building official’s role and reports from outside reviewers. Code of Virginia § 36-105.1 assigns review and approval of building plans for enforcement of the Uniform Statewide Building Code to the appropriate local building inspectors. 13VAC5-63-90 says the building official must examine or cause construction documents to be examined. It also says the official may accept a report from an approved person or agency stating that documents were examined and conform to the USBC; the official may set requirements for that report and may expedite permit issuance where such a report is submitted.

13VAC5-63-60 separately allows a building official to delegate powers and duties, subject to limits imposed by the local government, while keeping responsibility for assuring that delegated work follows the code. These provisions should not be read as a blanket guarantee that an outside reviewer will be accepted, that every permit type is eligible, or that a reviewer can issue a permit or approval. The AHJ’s procedures and the applicable law govern the project. When the legal effect of a proposed arrangement is uncertain, seek direction from the AHJ and qualified legal counsel.

Confirm the review path before hiring a reviewer

The statewide provision refers to an “approved person or agency” and allows the building official to establish requirements. It does not establish one universal credential list or report package for every Virginia locality and project. Before engaging a reviewer, ask the AHJ—in writing when practical—to clarify:

1. Whether the process applies: Does the AHJ accept reports from outside reviewers for this project type, permit, and discipline? Is prior approval of the reviewer or agency required?
2. Who may perform the review: What qualifications, registrations, certifications, experience, or approval steps does this AHJ require for this scope? Do not assume that a PE license, an ICC credential, a trade license, or any combination is universally required or sufficient.
3. What the report must cover: Which drawings and disciplines are in scope? What format, code citations, signatures, supporting materials, or submission method does the AHJ require? Confirm whether revisions or responses must be included.
4. Which rules apply: Which Virginia code edition, local amendments, and project-specific procedures apply to this application? Confirm the answer for the project rather than relying on a generic checklist.
5. What happens next: Does the AHJ conduct its own examination, and how does it use the report? Ask whether the process changes review fees, intake steps, or expected timing. Do not assume it will shorten review or reduce cost.

These questions are a planning aid, not an official acceptance form. The AHJ determines its process and makes official decisions within its authority. A verbal conversation may help identify the right contact, but retain the jurisdiction’s written instructions or confirmation with the project record.

Keep the report and project documents aligned

If the AHJ confirms that it will consider an outside report, agree on the review scope before work starts. Identify the exact drawing set and revision, disciplines included, code basis requested by the AHJ, report format, and how comments or revised documents will be transmitted. Treat any sample checklist or proposed report package as a starting point only; the AHJ’s directions control.

Keep the report with the document revision it addresses. Track each comment to its sheet or detail, the person responsible for the response, the revised document, and its disposition. Route design judgments, proposed alternatives, and unresolved code interpretations to the responsible design professional and/or AHJ. Do not use an advisory comment log to make or seal design decisions that belong to a responsible licensed professional.

Virginia’s construction-document rule calls for engineered documents and related computations to be sealed by the registered design professional responsible for the design where that requirement applies. An independent coordination review does not replace the responsible professional’s duties, the AHJ’s examination, inspection, or enforcement, or the permit applicant’s submission obligations.

Where Meridian fits

Meridian offers independent advisory plan-review support. It is not an AHJ and does not issue permits or governmental approvals. A Meridian review should not be represented as an AHJ-accepted report unless that AHJ has confirmed the applicable process for the specific project. Review scope, any deliverables, and limitations should be agreed before work begins.

For service details, visit Meridian’s Plan Review page. For an issue needing documented code research, review Written Code Analysis. These services are advisory; neither link implies AHJ acceptance or promises a permit-path, timing, or cost outcome.

Bottom line

Virginia’s USBC contains a path for a building official to consider reports from an approved person or agency, while state law assigns plan review and approval responsibility to local building inspectors. The sources do not establish a universal approval process, credential set, report checklist, or time-and-cost result for every project. Confirm the applicable process with the AHJ before paying for or relying on a third-party review.

This article is general educational information, not legal advice, a project-specific code determination, design service, permit application, or guarantee of acceptance, approval, timing, or savings. The applicable AHJ retains official authority for interpretation, review, acceptance, permitting, inspection, and enforcement. Responsible licensed professionals retain their professional duties and judgments within their scopes.

Sources checked October 15, 2026

• Code of Virginia, § 36-105.1, Inspection and review of plans of buildings under construction.
• Virginia Administrative Code, 13VAC5-63-90, Section 109 Construction documents, including §§ 109.3, 109.4, 109.4.1, and 109.5.
• Virginia Administrative Code, 13VAC5-63-60, Section 106 Powers and duties of the building official, including § 106.2.
• Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, Codes, which identifies the Virginia 2021 code editions and January 18, 2024 effective date.
• Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, 2021 Virginia Construction Code, the official publication labeled effective January 18, 2024. Confirm the code edition, amendments, and local process applicable to a specific project with its AHJ.