Building permits in Fairfax County, Virginia
Of the 13 common home projects we have verified in Fairfax County, 6 need a permit outright and 5 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 1 official source
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 13
- in Fairfax County
2 things Fairfax County does not make you permit
Worth knowing before you call anyone. Most jurisdictions we cover require all of these.
- Fence Permit
No permit required for this work.
- Patio Permit
On-grade paver and concrete patios are explicitly exempt from permit requirements
Fairfax County Land Development Services
- 12055 Government Center Pkwy Fairfax VA 22035
- Phone: 703-222-0801
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Fairfax County
Fairfax County permit records are public, and you can check a property's permit history online.
What needs a permit in Fairfax County
Of the 13 common home projects we have verified in Fairfax County, 6 need a permit outright and 5 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel Permit | It depends | Cosmetic and like-for-like work is exempt in Virginia | as an interior alteration it falls to the schedule's $141.75 base fee minimum, plus... |
| Deck Permit | Permit required | Any size | Billed as an addition under Table 1's area-based residential rate, $0.15 to $0.28 per... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Any size | Residential addition or alteration electrical work starts at the $141.75 base fee for... |
| EV Charger Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...under Residential Addition/Alteration Electrical Installation Fees at the $141.75... |
| Fence Permit | No permit needed | Exempt | Not published |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Any size | Direct replacement of HVAC equipment is a household appliance permit, $78.75 for one... |
| Patio Permit | No permit needed | Exempt | Not published |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Any size | Residential addition or alteration plumbing work starts at the $141.75 base fee for... |
| Pool Permit | It depends | pool over 150 sq ft surface area, over 5000 gallons, or over 24 inches deep requires a building permit | Building permit to construct a swimming pool is a flat $83.50 per Appendix Q effective... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | replacing 256 sq ft or more of roof plywood (decking) requires a permit; shingle-only replacement and under 256 sq ft plywood replacement are exempt | ...are billed at 3 percent of the estimated cost of construction with the $141.75 base... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | single-story shed 256 sq ft or larger requires a building permit; under 256 sq ft no permit required | ...over 256 square feet are billed as a new building under Table 1's area rate, $0.15... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | See schedule |
| Water Heater Permit | It depends | A gas or oil fired water heater replacement requires a permit in Virginia: USBC Section... | Billed as a household appliance permit, $78.75 for one appliance per Ch. 61-1-3(d)13... |
Planning a project in Fairfax County?
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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
When the portal will not take the date you need, the office still books by phone: 703-222-0801.
Checked . If the office has changed its process, report it.
Fairfax County permit fees compared with nearby Virginia localities
| Virginia locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County | ...under Table 1's area-based residential rate, $0.15 to... | ...equipment is a household appliance permit, $78.75 for... | ...or alteration electrical work starts at the $141.75... |
| Arlington County | See schedule | See schedule | See schedule |
| Chesterfield County | $114 flat fee for a deck, carport, gazebo, or similar... | $114 for a new HVAC system installation or system... | $171 for a new single-family dwelling |
| Culpeper County | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Each cell is the opening clause of that Virginia jurisdiction's own fee schedule; the full wording and source sit on each permit page.
Fairfax County permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Fairfax County?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 13 permit types we have verified for Fairfax County, 6 always require a permit (for example a deck permit), 5 depend on size or scope (a bathroom remodel permit, for instance), and 2 need no permit at all in Fairfax County. Each Fairfax County permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Fairfax County?
- Fairfax County publishes a fee for 11 of the 13 permit types we cover, each quoted on its page from the jurisdiction's own schedule (linked on every page that carries one). Fees are set by Fairfax County Land Development Services; we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Fairfax County?
- Fairfax County Land Development Services issues permits in Fairfax County, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at 703-222-0801. The Fairfax County official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the Fairfax County pages were verified. 13 permit types, 9 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from Fairfax County Land Development Services or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Fairfax County is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.
Permitting activity in Fairfax County
In 2025, Fairfax County authorized permits for 2,862 new residential housing units (740 single-family, 2,122 in multi-family buildings), valued at $490M , up from 2,861 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, 2025 annual data · population 1,167,873.
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.