Virginia

Fairfax County permits

By Mario Bailey Last checked 2026-07-12 · 1 official source

Verified against official sources

Fairfax County Land Development Services

Look up a permit in Fairfax County

Fairfax County lets you look up permit records and application status for a property online. The PLUS portal's building record search works without login.

Look up Fairfax County permit records

Or search the Fairfax County permit portal

Screenshot of the Fairfax County permit portal
The Fairfax County permit portal as captured 2026-07-22.

Planning a project in Fairfax County?

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?
Want a pro to handle this permit? Request free help

Tell us where your project stands. Free to ask; no obligation.

Where we have a vetted local pro who handles permits in Fairfax County, we connect you; otherwise we reply with the exact steps and office links for your situation. PermitNotebook is not a government agency and does not file permits. This is a free referral request; we may earn a fee if you hire a pro we introduce. Partners never influence our permit data. Privacy policy.

Planning several things at once? Check your whole project

Schedule an inspection in Fairfax County

Permitted work is not finished until it passes inspection. The Building and Trade Inspections page covers how to schedule inspections through the PLUS system.

Schedule or request a Fairfax County inspection

Checked 2026-07-12. If the office has changed its process, report it.

Permitting activity in Fairfax County

In 2024, Fairfax County authorized permits for 2,861 new residential housing units (1,032 single-family, 1,829 in multi-family buildings), valued at $498M , down from3,248 the year before. That works out to about 2.5 permits per 1,000 residents. It is a useful gauge of how busy the local permit office is.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual data · population 1,160,925.

About Fairfax County

Fairfax County has about 428,352 housing units. The median home is valued at $699,700, against a median household income of $150,113. About 68% of homes are owner-occupied, and the typical home was built around 1983. Older housing stock usually means more renovation, electrical, and plumbing permits.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year.

Permit types in Fairfax County

From the Library

Other permit offices in Virginia