Fairfax County building department

Fairfax County Land Development Services (LDS) reviews building, site, and subdivision plans in Fairfax County and issues the county’s building and site permits. That includes building permits, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trade permits, and land disturbance permits. Zoning, the Health Department, and VDOT issue their own approvals separately. LDS also handles some services for towns under memoranda of understanding. In the Town of Vienna, for example, the county does addressing and building permit review, approval, and inspections, and the town reviews site-related plans such as grading plans. Building applications for Vienna properties still go through the county’s PLUS system.

What needs a permit in Fairfax County

The county’s “Do I need a permit?” page goes further than most jurisdictions. It requires a permit for direct replacement of household appliances, such as stoves, ovens, water heaters, and HVAC equipment. It also requires one for new, repaired, or relocated electrical, mechanical, gas, or plumbing fixtures, including EV chargers, hose bibs, and range hoods. Other residential work that needs a permit:

• interior renovations, including kitchens, finished basements, bathroom remodels, and new or removed walls (even non-load-bearing ones)
• additions such as decks, porches, dormers, and garages
• detached structures
• new homes
• pools, solar panels, and retaining walls
• demolition, including filling in a pool

Residential work the county lists as not needing an LDS permit:

Item	Exempt when
Detached storage shed	256 sq ft or less and one story
Fences	always, except pool barriers
Concrete/masonry walls	6 ft or less in height
Retaining walls	holding less than 3 ft of earth, not tiered, no surcharge
Roof work	shingle replacement; less than 256 sq ft (9 boards) of roof plywood, unless fire-rated (e.g., townhomes)
Windows, doors, siding	direct replacement / similar material
Temporary ramps	30 inches high or less
Flagpoles	30 ft or less
Tents	under 900 sq ft and fewer than 50 persons

Like-for-like trade replacements with no change in location, patios, driveways, cabinets, countertops, and flooring are also exempt. The county notes that items marked exempt may still need zoning (setbacks), site, or VDOT approval. Sheds over 256 sq ft are filed as a residential “New Building – Detached Structure” record. Retaining walls holding more than 3 ft but less than 4 ft of earth can use a simplified residential retaining wall record if they are non-tiered and have level backfill. The shed permit guide covers the general concepts.

Land disturbance and site approvals

Fairfax is subject to the Chesapeake Bay Act. Any land disturbance equal to or greater than 2,500 sq ft, including adding fill dirt, falls under the Erosion and Stormwater Management Ordinance (Chapter 124.1). That work needs a land disturbance permit and an approved grading or site-related plan before you dig. Other approvals may apply:

• Resource Protection Area (RPA) approval for work inside an RPA
• a Floodplain Use Determination for work in a floodplain (engineers at 703-324-1720)
• an existing grading plan must be formally released before any new disturbance, and a Residential Use Permit does not count as release

The Engineer of the Day is at 703-324-2258.

Applying in PLUS

PLUS (Planning and Land Use System) is the county’s Accela Citizen Access portal. Applications in PLUS are called “records.” You need a PLUS account to apply. The LDS Permit Library has a guide for each record type, such as Household Appliance, New Building, Addition/Alteration, Miscellaneous, Demolition, Solar, and trade records. It also links to the Digital Plan Room upload instructions and the “Which Record is Right for Me?” guides. Before you submit, you can request a pre-submission building conference or a meeting with staff. The Plan Ahead page covers zoning proffers, when you need a registered design professional, county BPOL business licensing, floodplains, and RPAs.

LDS fees are set in Appendix Q of the County Code. The county’s codes page links to the fee schedule effective July 1, 2026.

Codes in effect

Fairfax enforces the Virginia USBC and Statewide Fire Prevention Code. Since January 18, 2025, all applications must meet the 2021 USBC. Local design criteria include a 25 psf ground snow load and an ultimate wind speed of 115 mph for Risk Category II and residential buildings. The Fire Marshal enforces the USBC for fire protection systems.

Inspections

The permit holder schedules inspections in PLUS:

• Next-day deadline: submit requests before 11:59 p.m. for the next business day.
• Rescheduling: cancel the existing request, then book a new date.
• Combination inspections: Fairfax requires related inspections, such as all concealment or all final inspections, on the same day. Failing to bundle them, or calling for an inspection before the work is ready, can lead to a reinspection fee.
• Arrival window: on the morning of the inspection, you get an email with a two-hour arrival window and the inspector’s name and phone number.
• Video inspections: you can request one in the comments field, but they are at the inspector’s discretion.
• On site: have ladders or scaffolding for access, plus the approved building plans, site plan, and shop drawings.
• Sewer video: required before the plumbing final in some cases, such as reusing an existing lateral for a new home.

For occupancy, the Residential Use Permit (RUP), often called the certificate of occupancy, is requested by email by noon the day before the inspection. Include your name, phone number, address, and permit number. Commercial projects end with a Non-Residential Use Permit (Non-RUP).

Contractor licensing

Fairfax requires its own Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) license. It applies to DPOR Class C contractors and to contractors below the Class C threshold, which is contracts under $1,000. You apply in PLUS with:

• your DPOR license number, if you have one
• a Fairfax County BPOL number
• two business references
• your contract template
• a financial statement
• a surety bond: $5,000 for contracts under $1,000, or $10,000 for contracts over $1,000

Mail or deliver the original bond to HIC Licenses, Suite 334 at the Government Center address.

Office hours and contact

Walk-in service is in Suite 324 of the Herrity Building, 12055 Government Center Parkway. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday, 9:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors may not be added to the queue after 3:45 p.m. You can also call 703-222-0801 (TTY 711) or email [email protected]. Zoning is at 703-222-1082, and Health Department permits are at 703-246-2201.