Code Compliance

Under the Zoning Ordinance, front yard coverage limitations apply on certain residential properties. This affects how much driveway pavement can be in the front yard. Below is a guide to help you find out if your property is subject to these limitations. You have to abide by a maximum front yard coverage if: your property is developed with a single-family detached dwelling; your lot size is 36,000 square feet or less; and your property is zoned R-1, R-2, R-3, or R-4. If all of the above apply, the percentage of your front yard that can be surfaced area for vehicle or trailer parking is: 25 percent if your lot is in the R-1 or R-2 District; and 30 percent if your lot is in the R-3 or R-4 District. This informational flyer is available as a resource for determining the zoning district for your lot. Additional information, including what counts as surfaced area and exceptions to these regulations, can be found on the Department of Code Compliance (DCC) Yard Coverage flyer (see under Front Yard Regulations). If you’re seeking a contractor to repair or modify your driveway, the Department of Cable and Consumer Services has a page with quick tips on hiring a contractor. DCC is here to help – if you have questions, want to make a report, or if you are the subject of enforcement and need to contact us. You can report problems online, learn about what happens during an investigation, reach us via email, phone (703-324-1300 / TTY 711), or visit us in person at 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 1016, Fairfax, VA 22035.  

Fairfax County needs plumbers, electricians, general contractors, landscapers, arborists, and similar trades or service providers to ensure that our homes, offices and industrial properties are well maintained. These types of service providers are considered “contractor’s offices and shops” under the Zoning Ordinance. A contractor’s office and shop is allowed in the C-8, Commercial District; the I-3, I-4, I-5, and I-6 Industrial Districts; and, in the PTC, Planned Tysons Corner Urban District. Contractor’s offices and shops are also subject to the general standards for all commercial and industrial use, as well as additional use-specific standards. For example, outdoor storage of commercial equipment, vehicles, materials and supplies is a common feature of this use and is regulated as follows. In the I-3 and I-4 Districts, outdoor storage may not exceed 2,000 square feet in area; In the C-8 District, outdoor storage may not exceed 1,000 square feet in area; and In all districts where the use is permitted, outdoor storage cannot be located in any front yard, and must be contained within an area enclosed by a solid fence or wall of at least six feet in height. If the contractor only needs a space to store their vehicles and equipment, and there are no onsite business functions, the use is likely considered a storage yard rather than a contractor’s office and shop. Storage yards are permitted in the I-3, I-4, I-5, and I-6 Districts. It is important to remember that establishing a use requires County approval of a nonresidential use permit (certificate of occupancy), site plan, and/or construction permits. Please plan ahead. If you have questions, want to make a report, or if you are the subject of enforcement and need to contact us, DCC is here to help. You can report problems online, learn about what happens during an investigation, reach us via email, by phone (703-324-1300 / TTY 711), or visit us in person at 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 1016, Fairfax, VA 22035.