Loudoun County building department

The Loudoun County Department of Building and Development oversees construction across the county. It reviews and approves construction and site plans, handles subdivision of land, issues residential and commercial permits, inspects work during construction, and gives final approval for occupancy or use. Before starting work, it helps to know which office has authority over your parcel, because in Loudoun that depends on whether the property is inside an incorporated town.

County vs. town: who issues what

The department issues building permits and grading permits for the entire county, including properties inside the incorporated towns. It issues zoning permits only for properties outside the incorporated towns. If your lot is inside one of the incorporated towns, the county still handles the building permit, but zoning approval comes from the town. The county also reminds applicants that its approvals don’t replace other required federal, state, or town approvals, and that you are responsible for any HOA or POA review. See city or county: who issues your building permit for more on split jurisdictions.

Projects that need permits

The county’s permitting page says decks and finished basements require permits. It also lists residential pools, sheds and agricultural structures, and residential additions and alterations as projects that require permits, with a separate how-to page for each. Under a notice posted on the department’s site, some residential fuel gas permits have required plan review since October 1, 2025.

Some parcels need extra steps before you apply:

• Well and septic lots: get approval from the Loudoun County Health Department before applying for permits.
• Stormwater easements: email the county’s Stormwater Team before applying.
• Environmentally sensitive areas: expect a longer review and possible requests for more information.
• Conservation easements: these can limit what may be built. For Board of Supervisors-held easements, contact the Office of Mapping & Geographic Information at 703-771-5778. Copies of recorded easements come from the Clerk of the Circuit Court (703-737-8775) at $0.50 per page.
• Digging: call Miss Utility at 800-552-7001 at least 48 hours before excavating.

Applying in LandMARC

LandMARC (Land Management, Applications, Research, Coordination) is Loudoun’s online land management system. It runs on Tyler Technologies’ EnerGov self-service platform at loudouncountyvaeg.tylerhost.net. In LandMARC you can:

• submit permit, land development, and legislative applications
• upload electronic plans
• track status and request pre-application meetings
• pay invoices and request inspections
• search public permit and plan records

The county publishes step-by-step PDFs and videos for registering an account, choosing the correct application type, applying for a permit or plan, paying an invoice, and submitting third-party inspection reports. Because permit and plan names changed when LandMARC replaced the older LMIS system, there is also a cross-reference document that maps old names to new ones. All electronic plans must follow the county’s Electronic Submission Guidelines. If you plan to submit a large project of more than 100 permits, notify the county ahead of time using its online form. Paper application forms are still available for mail-in submission. For LandMARC help, call 703-777-0220.

Codes

As in every Virginia locality, Loudoun enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. According to the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, the 2021 USBC (based on the 2021 I-codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code) took effect January 18, 2024.

Inspections

You schedule building, electrical, fire protection, alarm, gas, mechanical, and plumbing inspections in LandMARC, where you can also see the assigned inspector, date and time, cancel a request, and get results. Requests for the next workday must be in by 12 midnight. You can book for a future date, but not for weekends or county holidays. Inspections take place between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the county may charge a re-inspection fee when work isn’t ready. For questions about code, plan review, or inspections, call the Building Code Enforcement/Inspections Division at 703-777-0220, option 1. Inspectors are in the office from 8 to 8:30 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

Offices and hours

• Permitting and Land Development Counters: Government Center, 1 Harrison St. SE, Second Floor, Leesburg, VA 20175. Open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Building Plan Review & Inspections: Rehau Facility, 1503 Edwards Ferry Road NE, Suite 300, Leesburg, VA 20176. Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Phone: 703-777-0220 for general permitting, permit status, and inspections. You can also use the online Permit Status Inquiry form or a Loudoun Express Request.
• Mailing address: P.O. Box 7000, Leesburg, VA 20177-7000