Separation permits are used in commercial construction when a portion of the approved and permitted work is not ready for final inspection, but the rest of the project is complete. Life safety elements and code-required items cannot be separated from the area intended to occupy and inspected later. Additionally, separation permits are not intended to allow phased occupancy or phased construction. Phased occupancy and phased construction projects should be determined prior to submission of the initial permit application and coordinated with staff in advance.

Prior to applying for your separation permit, please schedule a routine building inspection in PLUS noting the reason under the Requestor Comment and including the requested area(s) of separation. This will allow the inspection team to verify whether the proposed separation is approvable and provide any notes under the associated PLUS record for permit intake staff to access, preventing unintended delays with both permit processing and final inspection coordination.

As a reminder, when applying for a separation permit record, please call out the rooms and/or areas that are ready for final inspection in the Description of Work field. Building and trade separation permits must be obtained prior to calling for final inspection. For information on how to submit separation permits in PLUS, see the Separation (SEPRT) permit library guide.

For additional information or to confirm whether your request meets the requirements for separation, please email Permit Services at LDSbuildingpermits@fairfaxcounty.gov or call 703-222-0801, TTY 711.