Virginia / Arlington County

Patio Permit in Arlington County, Virginia

By Mario Bailey Last checked 2026-07-19 · 4 official sources

Verified against official sources From an official source

It depends

Quick answer

Arlington County publishes no patio specific building permit type, and the statewide building code lists no express patio exemption, so minor at grade work falls to the building official to classify. Patio and paver areas count toward land disturbance, and a Land Disturbing Activity/Stormwater permit from the Department of Environmental Services is required when total disturbance reaches 2,500 square feet. Projects disturbing 2,000 to 2,499 square feet require a certification and perimeter erosion controls. Confirm project specifics with the Permit Arlington Center.

Typical threshold: Arlington lists no patio building permit type; a Land Disturbing Activity/Stormwater permit is required when total land disturbance equals or exceeds 2,500 square feet.

2,500 sq ftfootprint
Threshold illustrated: 2,500 sq ft. Whether Arlington County requires a permit above or below this measurement is stated in the verdict on this page, verified 2026-07-19.

Who is pulling this permit?

Apply yourself

Apply on the Arlington County permit portal

Hire it out

Before you sign, ask the contractor:

  • Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
  • Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
  • Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?
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When a permit is usually needed

Patio work disturbing 2,500 square feet or more of land

What your patio permit must meet in Virginia

The 2021 Virginia Residential Code, effective January 18, 2024, adds a dedicated Patio Covers section that routes a covered patio's construction to the model code's Appendix AH rather than the code's ordinary framing chapters.

  • The 2021 VRC adds a section, R332, dedicated specifically to patio covers (13VAC5-63-210, item adding Section R332).
  • That section requires patio covers to comply with Appendix AH, the model code's prescriptive patio-cover standard (VRC R332.1).

Based on 2021 Virginia Residential Code, Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code 13VAC5-63-210 (Sections R332/R332.1). Read the code. Local amendments can be stricter; confirm the current requirement with your office before you build.

What patio permit costs in Arlington County

LDA/SWM fees per FY27 DES fee schedule; online payment is the only option for LDA/Stormwater permits.

Official fee schedule

How Arlington County compares in Virginia

JurisdictionPermit needed?Threshold
Arlington Countythis pageIt dependsArlington lists no patio building permit type; a Land Disturbing Activity/Stormwater permit is required when total land disturbance equals or exceeds 2,500 square feet.
Chesterfield CountyIt dependson-grade concrete or paver patios need no building permit; a permit is required for covered patios, patio covers, or slabs designed to support a future structure
Culpeper CountyIt dependson-grade concrete or paver patios need no building permit; a permit is required for covered patios, patio covers, or slabs designed to support a future structure
Fauquier CountyIt dependson-grade concrete or paver patios need no building permit; a permit is required for covered patios, patio covers, or slabs designed to support a future structure
Henrico CountyIt dependson-grade concrete or paver patios are exempt; a permit is required for a patio cover, roofed patio structure, or an addition built over or attached to the patio
Prince William CountyIt dependsbuilding permit required only if slab is designed to support a future building addition; standard grade-level patio slabs are exempt
Virginia BeachIt dependsRoofed or screened patio additions require a building permit; the city's published permit list does not address open at-grade patios and the state exemption list has no patio entry.

Closest patio permit thresholds outside Virginia

Jurisdictions we cover whose limit sits nearest Arlington County's 2500 sq ft.

  • Pasco County, Florida, Non structural concrete flatwork under 500 square feet per parcel that will not be built on is exempt outside special flood hazard areas; slabs intended for a future structure require a permit with sealed plans.
  • San Diego, California, patio cover accessory to a dwelling under 300 sq ft of projected roof area and no taller than 12 ft and not in a yard setback does not require a permit
  • Dallas, Texas, detached patio covers of 200 sq ft or less on single-family or duplex premises are exempt; attached patio covers and those over 200 sq ft require a permit
  • Gilbert, Arizona, Only one-story detached non-habitable accessory structures up to 200 square feet are exempt from permit; attached patio covers and larger structures require a building permit.

How to apply in Arlington County

Applying for a patio permit means submitting a site plan and framing plans for a roofed patio cover, since a cover is treated as its own permitted structure regardless of size. A plain concrete or paver patio slab at or near grade is, by contrast, often exempt from that same building permit requirement.

What most patio permit applications include:

  • Filing a permit application with the local building department, which only the property owner or an authorized agent may sign, since a patio cover is treated as its own permitted structure regardless of size (IRC R105.1).
  • A scaled site plan showing the new patio cover's size and location relative to the house and other existing structures, with dimensioned distances to all property lines so required setbacks can be verified before the permit is approved (IRC R106.2).
  • Construction documents such as a framing plan and elevation, showing rafter or beam sizes and spacing, the distance between supporting posts, and the method of attachment to the house, drawn with enough clarity for the building official to confirm the work will conform to the code (IRC R106.1).
  • For the roof structure itself, plans showing compliance with the patio cover appendix's structural limits, such as adequate footing sizes for the applied post loads, since a shallow slab on grade may substitute for a deeper footing only in limited cases up to about 750 pounds of load per post (IRC Appendix AH, Section AH105.2).
  • By contrast, an at grade concrete or paver patio that is not attached to the dwelling and stays within the code's small flatwork thresholds, similar to a sidewalk, driveway, or low deck under 200 square feet and 30 inches high, commonly needs no building permit at all, so none of the plan review steps above apply (IRC R105.2).

General submittal guidance from 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), Sections R105 and R106, with Appendix AH Patio Covers (named Appendix H in the 2012, 2015, and 2018 editions). Source. Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Inspection Services Division sets the exact checklist for Arlington County.

Where to apply in Arlington County:

Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Inspection Services Division

  • Permit Arlington Center, First Floor, 2100 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201
  • Phone: 703-228-3800

Inspections and closing out your permit

A permitted patio cover follows the same footing, frame, and final inspection sequence used for any small accessory structure, since the posts and roof framing have to be checked before they are covered and again once the work is done. An at grade patio slab that qualifies as exempt flatwork usually needs no building inspection at all, because inspections only attach to work that required a permit in the first place.

  1. A footing inspection once the excavation, forms, and any reinforcing steel are in place but before concrete is poured, confirming the posts supporting a patio cover will bear on adequate footings (IRC R109.1.1).
  2. A frame inspection after the rafters, beams, posts, and any required rough in work are in place but before the roof sheathing or covering material conceals them, since a solid patio cover roof cannot be signed off once it is covered without this check (IRC R109.1.4).
  3. A final inspection once all permitted work, including roofing and post anchorage, is complete, which the code requires before the structure may be used (IRC R109.1.6).
  4. An at grade concrete or paver patio that qualifies as exempt flatwork under the permit rules is not subject to any of these inspection stages, since the inspection sequence only attaches to work that required a permit in the first place (IRC R105.2).
  5. Each inspection has to be requested by the permit holder rather than happening automatically, and the approved plans and permit card need to be on site and available when the inspector arrives (IRC R109.3).

Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Arlington County permit portal or by phone at 703-228-3800.

Inspection sequence from 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), Section R109 (Inspections). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a patio permit in Arlington County?
Arlington County publishes no patio specific building permit type, and the statewide building code lists no express patio exemption, so minor at grade work falls to the building official to classify. Patio and paver areas count toward land disturbance, and a Land Disturbing Activity/Stormwater permit from the Department of Environmental Services is required when total disturbance reaches 2,500 square feet. Projects disturbing 2,000 to 2,499 square feet require a certification and perimeter erosion controls. Confirm project specifics with the Permit Arlington Center. Arlington lists no patio building permit type; a Land Disturbing Activity/Stormwater permit is required when total land disturbance equals or exceeds 2,500 square feet. Always confirm with the office before starting.
How much does a patio permit cost in Arlington County?
LDA/SWM fees per FY27 DES fee schedule; online payment is the only option for LDA/Stormwater permits. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
Where do you apply for a patio permit in Arlington County?
You can apply through the Arlington County permit portal or contact the Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Inspection Services Division directly. The links are listed on this page.
Can a homeowner pull a patio permit themselves in Arlington County?
Under Virginia law (Va. Code 54.1-1101(A); 13VAC5-63-80 (USBC Sections 108.3, 108.4)): Yes. Va. Code 54.1-1101(A) exempts any person who performs or supervises construction, removal, repair, or improvement of no more than one primary residence owned by them and for their own use during any 24-month period. The exemption covers the whole licensing chapter, including tradesman licensing for electrical, plumbing, and HVAC, so it reaches trade work on the owner's own primary residence. Under the USBC the permit applicant may be the owner or the owner's agent, and an applicant may file a written statement that they are not subject to licensure instead of proof of license. Limits: one primary residence per 24 months, for the owner's own use; rental and investment property work is not covered. Confirm how Arlington County applies this before you apply.

From the Library

What else needs a permit in Arlington County

Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.

ProjectPermit needed?ThresholdTypical fee
Deck PermitPermit requiredNo size exemption is published for decks; new decks and deck modifications are treated as additions requiring a Residential Building Permit.Fees per FY27 ISD fee schedule;
Electrical PermitPermit requiredLike for like replacement of switches, receptacles, lighting fixtures and similar elements of the same type, size and location is exempt unless located in plenums or penetrating fire rated or smoke protected construction.Fees per FY27 ISD fee schedule;
Fence PermitPermit requiredArlington requires a fence permit for any new or replacement fence not part of a larger permitted project; the state building code exempts fences from a building permit unless they serve as a swimming pool barrier or are required for pedestrian safety.Fees per FY27 Planning and Zoning fee schedule;
HVAC PermitPermit requiredReplacement of mechanical equipment of the same type, size and location is exempt unless the equipment is fueled by gas, in which case a Plumbing/Gas Permit is required; outdoor equipment locations still need zoning approval.Fees per FY27 ISD fee schedule;
Plumbing PermitPermit requiredReplacement of fixtures, appliances or piping of the same type, size and location on equipment not fueled by gas is exempt; work on gas fueled equipment always requires a permit and inspections.Fees per FY27 ISD fee schedule plus DES drainage fixture unit fees where applicable;
Pool PermitIt dependsUnder USBC 108.2 a swimming pool is exempt only when its surface area is not greater than 150 square feet and it is less than 24 inches deep; otherwise building and trade permits are required.Fees per FY27 ISD fee schedule;
Roof Replacement PermitIt dependsReplacing roof covering alone or with less than 256 square feet of roof decking replaced needs no permit; replacing more than 256 square feet of decking requires a building permit, and decking originally required to be fire retardant treated always requires a permit.Fees per FY27 ISD fee schedule;
Shed PermitIt dependsOne story detached tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar structures are exempt from a building permit when the building area does not exceed 256 square feet.Fees per FY27 ISD fee schedule;
Solar PermitPermit requiredResidential solar electric systems require both an electrical permit and a building permit; no size exemption is published.Fees per FY27 ISD fee schedule;

Patio Permit in other Virginia localities

Official sources

Verified by a person against the sources above on 2026-07-19, not confirmed with Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, Inspection Services Division. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.

Last checked: 2026-07-19Report an error on this page

Compare Patio Permit requirements across Virginia localities