Digital permit application gateway
Start with the issuing authority’s own submission lane. A complete application package, accurate valuation, and accessible inspection path are the fastest route through statutory plan review.
Recommended first click
Use the official digital gateway to submit plans, monitor review comments, pay required charges, and request inspections when the permit is issued. If the link is unavailable, use the agency website or phone number on the administrative profile to confirm the current lane.
Typical review lane
Application completeness and sufficiency review is generally completed within 2 business days. Technical review time varies by permit type, completeness, outside-agency reviews, corrections, and workload; Fairfax publishes live residential and commercial building metrics rather than one fixed permit turnaround.
Treat this as a planning signal, not a guaranteed approval date. Completeness, corrections, resubmittals, and agency workload control the actual clock.
Verify the parcel is inside this agency’s service area and note whether a city, state, fire marshal, septic authority, or utility district also has approval authority.
Prepare legible plans, site information, project valuation, ownership authorization, contractor information, and any energy, floodplain, zoning, or utility documentation the issuing office requires.
Keep the permit number, approved plan set, correction comments, fee receipts, and inspection results together. Those records establish the compliance trail for the next trade.
Application documents
Before submission, call 703-222-0801 if the project involves a change of occupancy, structural alteration, accessory structure, demolition, or work near a regulated environmental feature.
Source trail
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Fairfax County Land Development Services is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 703-222-0801.
Application completeness and sufficiency review is generally completed within 2 business days. Technical review time varies by permit type, completeness, outside-agency reviews, corrections, and workload; Fairfax publishes live residential and commercial building metrics rather than one fixed permit turnaround.
Schedule or cancel building and trade inspections through PLUS. Requests submitted before 11:59 PM are eligible for the next business day. Related combination inspections must be bundled for the same day; otherwise the inspection may fail and incur a reinspection fee. The applicant and onsite contacts receive an email on the inspection morning with a two-hour arrival window, inspector name, and phone number, followed by the result. Virtual inspections may be requested in the PLUS comments and are allowed at the inspector's discretion.
2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and 2021 Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code: 2021 Virginia Construction, Residential, Existing Building, Maintenance, Energy Conservation, Mechanical, Plumbing, and Fuel Gas Codes; 2020 National Electrical Code; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code; and 2017 ICC A117.1 accessibility standard, with Virginia amendments. Fairfax local criteria include a 25-psf ground snow load, 24-inch frost depth, and published county wind, seismic, weathering, termite, decay, and ice-barrier design values. Fairfax lists these common residential permit exemptions: non-pool fences; like-for-like windows, doors, and electrical/plumbing/mechanical replacements without relocation; similar-material siding; roof shingles and less than 256 square feet of roof plywood; one-story detached storage sheds no larger than 256 square feet; gutters, cabinets, counters, tile, flooring, paint, and wallpaper; playground equipment; on-grade patios and driveways; concrete or masonry walls no higher than 6 feet; non-tiered retaining walls holding less than 3 feet of earth with no surcharge; temporary ramps no higher than 30 inches; qualifying low-voltage work; flagpoles no higher than 30 feet; and tents under 900 square feet with fewer than 50 persons. Zoning, site, floodplain/RPA, health, and VDOT approvals may still apply.
What makes an application complete
Before you click submit, make sure the drawings agree with the site plan, project description, valuation, ownership authorization, and contractor information. If the work changes structure, occupancy, drainage, fire protection, energy performance, or utility demand, describe that scope plainly. Ambiguous narratives create correction cycles and delay the field schedule.
Save the confirmation number, payment receipt, uploaded plan set, and every correction comment. Those records are the backbone of a defensible compliance file when multiple trades or agencies share responsibility.
Submission quality check
Site: address, parcel, access, setbacks, and existing conditions are consistent.
Scope: structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, and energy work is identified.
Closeout: inspection contacts and the final approval path are understood before work begins.