The Revenue and Records Branch is responsible for the collection of fees for services outlined in Chapter 61 and Chapter 62 of the Code of the County of Fairfax. Staff processes all Fire Prevention Code Permits and all Freedom of Information Act requests pertaining to fire protection systems, fire prevention code permits, building fire inspections, tanks and hazardous materials. The customer service counter receives over 8,000 visitors every year.
PAYMENTS FOR FEES
Methods Accepted: || CASH || CHECK || MONEY ORDER || CREDIT CARD ||
- Checks/Money Orders. Checks and money orders should be made out to COUNTY OF FAIRFAX
- Credit Cards Accepted. Credit cards accepted include American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa.
- Credit Card Transactions. Credit cards may only be used over the telephone and in person at our office. Online or web-based credit card payment services are not available.
- Credit Card Convenience Fees. A convenience fee applies to each credit card payment transaction as follows:
- Payments up to and including $40 will be charged a flat fee of $1
- Payments over $40 will be charged 2.5% of the credit card transaction amount
Authority to Charge Fees. Authority to charge fees originates from Chapter 61 and Chapter 62 of the Fairfax County Code and §2.2-3704 of the Code of Virginia.
Questions related to fee payments for billable services provided by the Office of the Fire Marshal should be directed to the Revenue & Records Branch at 703-246-4803.
INSTALLATION PERMIT FEES
- Base FPD Permit Fee: $108 (Fire Protection Equipment and Systems, Special Locking Arrangements, Fire Lanes)
- Base FPD Permit Fee: $150 (Fuel Storage Tanks)
- Base Land Development Trade Permit Fee: $108 (Low-Voltage and Mechanical; Additional fees may be required for mechanical permits)
- Technology Fee: A 4% technology surcharge will apply to installation permits.
For permit applications and information about installation permits required by the Office of the Fire Marshal, visit the Installation Permit Requirements area of our website.
PLANS REVIEW FEES
Plans Review Fees - All Plan Types, All Review Time
- Regularly Scheduled Workdays, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (Excluding Holidays) - $156 per hour, per reviewer or $39 per quarter hour or part thereof, per reviewer
Fees are due upon completion of the plan review process. Question related to plan review fees should be directed to the Revenue & Records Branch at 703-246-4803. Questions related to the plans review process and review status should be directed to the Engineering Plans Review Branch at 703-246-4806.
ACCEPTANCE TESTING FEES
Acceptance Testing and Inspection Fees. Fees are based on an hourly charge of $156 per hour calculated on the quarter hour or part thereof, per inspector. Fees for fire protection equipment and systems performance tests and inspections, other equipment and systems performance tests and inspections, occupancy or pre-occupancy inspections, fire lanes and required retesting or re-inspections shall be imposed at the rate of $156 per hour calculated on the quarter hour or part thereof, per required inspector. This fee requirement is found in Chapter 61 of the Fairfax County Code.
- Regularly Scheduled Workdays, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (Excluding Holidays) - $156 per hour, per inspector or $39 per quarter hour or part thereof, per inspector
- After-hours/Overtime (Excluding Holidays) - $312 per hour, per inspector or $156 per half hour or part thereof, per inspector
Questions about acceptance testing and inspection fees should be directed to the Revenue & Records Branch at 703-246-4803.
RE-INSPECTION FEES & GUIDELINES
Retesting of Existing Fire Protection Equipment and Systems. A re-inspection fee, based on hours reserved, shall be assessed when a scheduled test and re-inspection of existing fire protection equipment and systems is not cancelled more than 10 business days prior to the scheduled appointment. The re-inspection fee will be charged at the rate of $156 per hour calculated on the quarter hour or part thereof, per required inspector, and will be invoiced to the responsible company/party. This fee requirement is found in Section 901.6.3.1 of the Fire Prevention Code (as amended by Fairfax County).
Acceptance Tests. Re-inspection fees shall be based on the hours reserved to perform the test and will be charged at the rate of $156 per hour calculated on the quarter hour or part thereof, per required inspector. The following matrix is to serve as a guideline in determining when a re-inspection fee is required for acceptance testing and retesting. A minimum notice of 24 hours (one full business day) for test cancellation is required. The fee is charged when an inspection is not cancelled in time to save an unnecessary trip by inspectors. This fee requirement is found in Chapter 61 of the Fairfax County Code.
| ACCEPTANCE TEST/INSPECTION DISPOSITION / SITUATION | STATUS OF WORK | TEST PERFORMED? | FEE ASSESSED? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspection/Test Cancelled More Than 24 Hours Prior to Appointment * | N/A | No | No |
| Inspection/Test Cancelled Less Than 24 Hours Prior to Appointment * | N/A | No | Yes |
| Contractor Shows - Other Associated Companies/Trades Not on Site | Cannot Start Inspection/Test | No | Yes |
| Inspector(s) Arrive - Nobody On Location to Facilitate Inspection/Test | Cannot Start Inspection/Test | No | Yes |
| Inspection/Test Cancelled While Inspector(s) On Location - Test Not Started | Not Ready to Inspect/Test | No | Yes |
| Regular Inspection/Test - Started But Not Completed | Not Ready or Failed - Fault of Contractor | Yes | Yes |
| Regular Inspection/Test - Started But Not Completed | Not Ready or Failed - No Fault of Contractor | Yes | Yes |
| Regular Inspection/Test - Started | Substantially Compliant - Minor Deficiencies | Yes | Yes |
| Final Inspection | Deficient | Yes | Yes |
* 24 hours = 1 business day
FIRE PROTECTION RETESTING FEES
Retesting Fees. Fees for witnessing the testing and re-inspection of existing fire protection equipment and systems are known as retesting fees. This fee requirement is found in Section 901.6.3 of the Fire Prevention Code (as amended by Fairfax County). To avoid a re-inspection fee, a minimum of 10 business days is required to cancel or reschedule any retesting inspection/test appointment.
- Regularly Scheduled Workdays, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (Excluding Holidays) - $156 per hour, per inspector or $39 per quarter hour or part thereof, per inspector
- After-hours/Overtime (Excluding Holidays) - $312 per hour, per inspector or $156 per half hour or part thereof, per inspector
Questions about acceptance testing and inspection fees should be directed to the Fire Protection Systems Branch at 703-246-4821.
GENERAL FIRE INSPECTION FEES
- Occupancy Inspections. Pre- and post-occupancy inspections in all use groups: $156 per hour, per inspector or $39 per quarter hour or part thereof, per inspector
- State License Inspections. Fire safety inspections in State Regulated Care Facilities (SRCF): $25 flat fee which includes one follow-up inspection
- OFC Inspections. Fire safety inspections in Home Child Care Facilities: No Fee
- Technical Inspections: All other inspections not specifically identified: $156 per hour, per inspector or $39 per quarter hour or part thereof, per inspector
- Non-Compliance Inspections. Two or more follow-up inspections resulting from non-compliance: $156 per hour, per inspector or $39 per quarter hour or part thereof, per inspector
- After-hours/Overtime (Excluding Holidays) - $312 per hour, per inspector or $156 per half hour or part thereof, per inspector
FAULTY FIRE ALARM INSPECTION FEES
Faulty Fire Alarm Inspections, Follow-ups, and Reinspection. A faulty or nuisance alarm is deemed to occur whenever the fire official or fire department officer in charge responding to a fire alarm call shall determine, after investigation, that faulty equipment initiated the alarm. Whenever faulty or nuisance fire alarm activations occurring in any occupancy exceed 3 in a 90 day period, the fire official may require the owner or occupant to conduct a witnessed test of the fire protection system causing the faulty or nuisance alarm. Witnessed testing shall be in accordance with Section 901.6.3.1 of the Fire Prevention Code (as amended by Fairfax County). Inspection fees shall be as in Table 107.2 and Section 109.6 of the Fire Prevention Code (as amended by Fairfax County) as follows:
- Regularly Scheduled Workdays, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (Excluding Holidays) - $156 per hour, per inspector or $39 per quarter hour or part thereof, per inspector
- After-hours/Overtime (Excluding Holidays) - $312 per hour, per inspector or $156 per half hour or part thereof, per inspector
Questions about faulty fire alarms and associated inspections/tests should be directed to the Fire Protection Systems Branch at 703-246-4821.
OPERATIONAL PERMIT FEES
Section 108.1 of the Fire Prevention Code authorizes the Office of the Fire Marshal to require operational permits (i.e., Fire Prevention Code Permits) for activities, processes, and occupancies regulated by the Fire Prevention Code. Once issued, Fire Prevention Code Permits (FPCP) allow the permit applicant to (i) conduct activities involving the handling, storage, or use of substances, materials, or devices regulated by the Fire Prevention Code, (ii) conduct processes regulated by the Fire Prevention Code which produce conditions hazardous to life or property, (iii) and/or to establish a place of assembly. Operational permits are also issued for the closure of fuel storage tanks (i.e., remove or abandon in place).
In Fairfax County and the towns of Clifton, Herndon, and Vienna, operational permits are known as "Fire Prevention Code Permits" (FPCP). FPCP requirements originate from Table 107.2 of the Fire Prevention Code (as amended by Fairfax County). The full list of the 2015 Fire Prevention Code Permit Requirements and fees is available in PDF format for your convenience and ease of reference.
For permit applications and information about operational permits required by the Office of the Fire Marshal, visit the Operational Permit Requirements area of our website.
DOCUMENT & FOIA RECORDS FEES
Fees for copies and/or research of any document and/or information available under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
- Records Request Fees. A public body is permitted to make reasonable charges not to exceed the actual cost incurred in accessing, duplicating, supplying, or searching for the requested records. Example of charges may include staff research time, postage, and a per page copying fee of .13 cents (8 ½ x 11) and .14 cents (8 ½ x 14). Copying fees for large oversized plans are outsourced and exact fees are passed onto the requestor. The requestor may be required to make a deposit if the estimate is over $200. Fees are non-refundable. For any check returned for non-sufficient funds (NSF), a $50 fee will be charged.
Questions related to obtaining information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) should be directed to the Revenue & Records Branch at 703-246-4803.
