Zoning Report
Richmond, VA Zoning
Richmond regulates land use through Chapter 30 of the City Code, supported by an official GIS-based zoning map and reviewed through a planning and zoning administration framework. The city’s zoning purpose statement emphasizes managing growth, reducing congestion, protecting health and safety, and preserving historic areas while supporting economic development. Available source material confirms that Richmond uses a formal rezoning, special permit, and variance structure, but the research set provided here does not include a complete current district-by-district use table or dimensional tables from the adopted ordinance.
Last researched June 2026
Zoning Districts in Richmond, VA
Single-Family Residential
The residential guide describes this category as intended to promote and preserve residentially oriented uses on relatively large lots with lower population density, with single-family housing as the principal land use.
Allowed uses: single-family housing, accessory and incidental residential uses, required recreational facilities, religious facilities, educational facilities
UB District
Referenced in the nonconforming rules as a district where certain nonconforming dwellings may continue with limited enlargement.
Allowed uses: unclear from provided sources
UB-2 District
Referenced in the nonconforming rules as a district where certain nonconforming dwellings and other uses may continue with limited enlargement.
Allowed uses: unclear from provided sources
B District
Referenced in the nonconforming rules as a business district where nonconforming dwellings may continue subject to limits.
Allowed uses: unclear from provided sources
B-5 District
Referenced in the nonconforming rules as a district where uses made nonconforming by district inclusion may continue with limited expansion.
Allowed uses: unclear from provided sources
B-6 District
Referenced in the nonconforming rules as a district where uses made nonconforming by district inclusion may continue with limited expansion.
Allowed uses: unclear from provided sources
OS District
Referenced in the nonconforming rules as a district where certain nonconforming dwellings may continue subject to limits.
Allowed uses: unclear from provided sources
Recent Zoning Changes
The Municode code library indicates Richmond’s online code was updated on October 2, 2025 and codified through Ordinance No. 2025-100, enacted September 22, 2025. The only zoning-related adopted ordinance specifically visible in the provided research set is Ordinance No. 2025-265, adopted January 12, 2026, amending City Code § 30-930.9 to establish a civil penalty for the razing, demolition, or moving of historic landmarks.
Overlay Districts in Richmond, VA
Historic landmark / historic property controls
Richmond has code provisions affecting demolition or moving of historic landmarks, and an adopted 2026 ordinance established a civil penalty tied to those actions.
Flood risk / floodplain constraints
State flood risk resources are available and Richmond’s zoning purpose statement expressly references protection from flood and other danger, indicating flood-related review is relevant even though the detailed local flood overlay text was not provided here.
Richmond, VA Zoning FAQ
What zoning districts are in Richmond, VA?
Richmond, VA includes districts such as Single-Family Residential, UB District, UB-2 District, B District, B-5 District, B-6 District, OS District.
Are there flood zones or overlay districts in Richmond, VA?
Flood-related constraints are the clearest environmental issue supported by the provided sources. The zoning purpose language explicitly includes protection from flood and other danger, and state flood risk tools are available for parcel screening.
Have there been recent zoning changes in Richmond, VA?
The Municode code library indicates Richmond’s online code was updated on October 2, 2025 and codified through Ordinance No. 2025-100, enacted September 22, 2025. The only zoning-related adopted ordinance specifically visible in the provided research set is Ordinance No.
Common questions about Richmond, VA zoning
Zoning Guides
- How to Check Zoning Before You Buy→
- Zoning Due Diligence Checklist→
- ADU Zoning Laws Explained→
- Variance vs. Special Use Permit→
- Zoning Red Flags Investors Miss→
- What Is a Nonconforming Use?→
New to zoning research? Learn what a zoning report covers, how to check the zoning of any property, or run zoning due diligence before your next deal.
More Virginia Zoning Reports
View all Virginia zoning reports →Full investor analysis
Deal-fit, approval path & risk flags for Richmond, VA
Get the complete report with feasibility by project type, approval complexity, constraint flags, and policy direction — generated from Richmond, VA's own zoning code and board records. First town report is free.
Get the full Richmond, VA report free →Sources
- City of Richmond - Zoning Ordinance - July 2020 — Provided the adopted zoning ordinance framework, purpose statement, official zoning map references, and general legal structure, though the extract did not include full district regulations.
- Code of Ordinances | Richmond, VA | Municode Library — Confirmed code freshness, codification through September 22, 2025, and listed adopted ordinances not yet codified, including a 2026 zoning-related amendment.
- DIVISION 1. - NONCONFORMING USES | Code of Ordinances | Richmond, VA | Municode Library — Provided current nonconforming use continuation and expansion rules, including the ten percent floor area limit in specified districts.
- Planning Commission | Richmond — Identified Planning Commission meeting cadence, powers, and role in rezonings, SUPs, CUPs, CUP plans, and subdivisions.
- City of Richmond - Planning Commission — Confirmed Planning Commission exists in Legistar with calendar records, though specific case details were not extracted.
- Board of Zoning Appeals | Richmond — Provided BZA authority, limitations, filing requirements, application materials, and 2026 meeting schedule.
- City of Richmond - Board of Zoning Appeals — Confirmed BZA department presence and calendar tracking in Legistar.
- A Citizens Guide to Residential Zoning Districts & Regulations — Gave a plain-English description of single-family residential intent and typical residential uses, but expressly states it is not the legal ordinance.
- Virginia Flood Risk Information System — Supports parcel-level flood risk screening and environmental due diligence.
This summary is AI-generated from public municipal sources and is not legal, engineering, or land-use advice. Always verify zoning with Richmond, VA officials before making decisions.