The Occupancy Inspection record is required when a pre-occupancy or post-occupancy inspection is mandatory by the Office of the Fire Marshal as part of the dependency for issuance of a Nonresidential Use Permit (Non-RUP) and/or the Statewide Fire Prevention Code.
ON THIS PAGE
This information is the most common for how to obtain the necessary approval for your project and is not representative of all the conditions you may encounter.
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Application depends on the jurisdiction in which the inspection should take place and the type of inspection required (pre- vs post-occupancy).
Pre-occupancy inspections should be submitted through the Citizen Portal.
Post-occupancy inspections are auto generated in PLUS from the Certification of Use and Occupancy record when required. Properties within the Towns of Clifton, Herndon, and Vienna must submit an Occupancy Inspection record through the Citizen Portal.
The applicant should be the property owner, business owner, property management company, or tenant.
PLAN AHEAD
Before submitting your application, ensure you are aware of all applicable regulations and conditions that could affect your project.
HOW DO I SUBMIT MY RECORD?
PLUS Application
Apply for your Occupancy Inspection record online in PLUS under the Fire tab. If you are a first-time user, you must first register for an account.
Instructional Video for PLUS
- Reference the parent or related building permit number for the NonRUP or Building Commercial or Residential record.
- Post-occupancy inspections for the Shell development process will require Days and Hours of Operations to be listed.
- The Use Group for the occupancy must be known. For assistance, use and occupancies are defined in Chapter 3 of the Virginia Construction Code.
Upon submission, the record number provided will start with FOCC.
After acceptance of the record, the record number will be "masked" to include the inspection type being requested as outlined in the chart below.
| Pre-occupancy - PRE |
| Post-occupancy - POST |
Requirements
Once created, the FOCC record will be listed in your PLUS account.
Submission
- Documents are not required at submission.
What's Next?
To get a step-by-step guide on PLUS statuses and what they mean, see our What is My PLUS Status? infographic.
Below are the necessary steps to follow after your application is accepted in PLUS.
County Review
Staff will review your record to confirm inspection requirement and accuracies of contact information. You will be notified of any deficiencies.
Inspection
After your submission is processed and accepted, a notification will be sent requesting to schedule the inspection.
Additional Resources
- The Billable Services & Fees page, section General Fire Inspection Fees outlines the cost for pre- and post-occupancy inspections.
- Development Process - see steps 5 & 6
Need More Assistance?
For questions or additional information, please contact staff:
Permit Application Process and Fees >> Call the Revenue & Records Branch at 703-246-4803, TTY 711 or email Fire.revenuepermits@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Inspections >> Call the Fire Prevention Inspections Section at 703-246-4849, TTY 711 or email Fire.inspections@fairfaxcounty.gov.