Virginia Tech® home

Frequently Asked Questions

Concrete table and seating area outside the Smith Career Center on a sunny autumn day, with new larger concrete pads surrounding it so that it is accessible to all.
November 6, 2020 - The outdoor tables behind Smith Career Center were renovated to be more accessible.

Check out this page for information on getting started: Starting a New Project.

A work order can be initiated for renovation project by submitting and Interdepartmental Service Request (ISR) in Hokiemart.

Generally projects $50,000 and under last approximately 4-5 months plus construction time, $50,000-$300,000 last 5-6 months plus construction time, and $300,000+ and last 6-7 months plus construction.

University Building Official permit costs are based on project value. Please see the chart below to find the project’s estimated value and the resulting permit cost.

Permit costs

Min project cost Max project cost Cost for permit
$0 $4,000 $40
$4,001 $10,000 $60
$10,001 $25,000 $100
$25,001 $50,000 $250
$50,001 $100,000 $500
$100,001 $250,000 $1,500
$250,001 $3,000,000 $3,500

Projects above $3 million are considered capital projects. Permit costs are billed at $142/hour.

Aside from the base cost of delivering the project scope, additional costs include:

  1. Management fee: 7.53% of project cost.
  2. Contingency: 10% of project cost (see below).
  3. Permit fees: see table above.
  4. Lead and asbestos review.

The contingency starts at 10% of the project cost. The value remaining after delivering the base project scope will be returned when the project is closed by Renovations.

All projects that are attached to the existing building or infrastructure, or are changes to building finishes such as carpet and paint goes through our division. If you have questions please contact renovations-g@vt.edu.

Projects that have one or more of the following characteristics require permits:

  • major architectural changes
  • structural changes
  • mechanical, electrical, or plumbing changes
  • life safety changes

The AARB (Art & Architectural Review Board) is a State of Virginia, Governor-appointed board that reviews any project, no matter the size or price, that affects the exterior appearance of an existing state agency structure, or the construction of a new, permanent structure on university property.

The BOV (Virginia Tech Board of Visitors) is a Governor-appointed board that, among many other responsibilities, reviews existing building demolitions or larger selected projects deemed appropriate by the Office of University Planning.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality requires an Environmental Impact Report for any new construction over $500,000 in value and/or disturbs more than an acre, regardless of project type.