BUILDING PERMITS

Building a new home in Fairfax County requires the following permits. 

• Building permit for architectural and structural elements.
• Electrical permit for all electrical installations.
• Mechanical permit for installations of heating and air conditioning systems.
• Plumbing permit for installations of plumbing and gas piping systems.
• Virginia Department of Transportation permit when your property is located on a state road.
• Well/septic permit for private water or sewage systems.

BUILDING PLANS

You must submit the following during the permit application process.

• Three sets of building plans.
• One copy of the grading plan.

Building plans must meet the current building code and local design criteria like snow load and wind speed. For a full list of plan requirements, please refer to our Building a New Home (PDF) publication.

INSPECTIONS

To learn more about the required inspections for a new home and the stage of construction at which the inspections are required, please refer to our New Home Inspections (PDF) publication.

RELATED PUBLICATIONS

The following companion publications offer more information regarding the permit and inspection process for a single family dwelling: Residential Demolition Permit, Masterfile Plans, Grading Plans, Energy Conservation and New Home Inspections.

CONTACT US

If you have any questions, please e-mail us or call 703-222-0801, TTY 711 during our hours of operation. The permit, plan review and inspection processes can also be accessed through the Fairfax Inspections Database Online (FIDO).