As stewards of the county’s land development and building construction codes and regulations, Land Development Services facilitates the safe and sustainable building of our communities. We achieve service excellence by building partnerships with stakeholders to create a thriving Fairfax County. We enforce the standards set forth in applicable codes such as:

• the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code
• Fairfax County ordinances (e.g., subdivision, stormwater, Chesapeake Bay, zoning
• the Public Facilities Manual

Our Work

We protect the health, safety, welfare, and environment for those who live in, work in, and visit Fairfax County by:

• Reviewing all site, subdivision and building plans, and issuing all applicable site and building permits
• Conducting all required inspections of new structures and alterations to existing ones
• Processing bonds and agreements
• Providing technical training
• Conducting customer outreach programs to help homeowners, builders, engineers and contractors comply with land development and building codes
• Taking action against non‐compliant construction and land disturbing activities
• Fairfax County has been awarded the highest achievable rating for building code effectiveness under the current Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. Read more.

Specialties

Review staff in LDS are assigned according to their specialties and the corresponding permit types.

For site review, the specialties include residential grading plans (i.e., infill lot grading plans) stormwater, geotechnical, streetlights, sewer, on-site wastewater, forestry, and fire safety.

For building review, the specialties include residential plan review, life safety, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing review for commercial tenant fit outs and new commercial buildings, elevators, special inspections, and solar review.

Additional Training

LDS staff attend annual training courses that exceed the specific training requirements of Fairfax County and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Two training specialists facilitate various LDS training events each year. Examples of annual training courses include IBC training, county specific training (e.g., PLUS, safety), and training on specific products (e.g., solar shingles).

Our Guiding Principles

As members of the Land Development Services team, we accomplish our mission by embracing racial and social equity and protect the health and well-being of each other and the public.

Mission

Facilitate the safe and sustainable building of our communities

Vision

Be the best partner in creating a thriving Fairfax County

Values

• Accountability: Fulfill your obligations and expect others to do the same
• Collaboration: Work together towards a common goal and support innovation
• Empowerment: Trust and support employees to lead and make decisions that align with our mission
• Integrity: Consistently demonstrate honesty, sincerity, openness and moral uprightness
• Respect: Value others by demonstrating fairness, appreciation and understanding
• Safety: Adhere to safe working practices on and off the job
• Environmental Stewardship: promote environmentally responsible development

Customer Bill of Rights

We value our partnership with the public and the building industry.

Recourses Are Available to Developers If the Jurisdiction Misses a Deadline

If your project takes significantly longer than the estimated time, there are options available to help your permit move forward through the permitting process. These options include:

• LDS’ Third-Party Review Program is available to customers applying for residential building permits.
• Several site record types have timelines mandated by the Code of Virginia, county code and Zoning Ordinance. These include major site plans, rough grading plans, infill lot grading plans, and conservation plans.
• Contact us:
  • Email staff member listed in PLUS communication.
  • Call Customer Experience Team (CET) Staff: 703-222-0801, TTY 711.
  • Use the LDS Staff Directory and organizational chart to determine the correct contact for your record type.

Review Comment Policies

As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, Land Development Services (LDS) conducts ongoing audits of plan review comments for both site and building reviews. This process helps ensure consistent, clear, and efficient communication with our customers. Audit results inform staff coaching and process improvements, leading to measurable gains in quality. The chart below is updated quarterly to provide transparency into our performance and progress.

• Permitting and Code Administration Division
• Site Development and Inspection Division
• Building Division

Subscribe