Residential additions and alterations include renovations, decks, finished basements and more but do not include apartment buildings and condos as they are considered commercial per the building code and therefore require commercial building permits. To be considered residential, the building must consist of a detached one- or two-family dwelling or townhouse and be no more than 3 stories high above ground level, as defined by code.
To determine whether your permit application requires an associated grading plan, visit our Land Disturbance 101 webpage.
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?
Property owners may obtain permits in their own name, however, it is strongly recommended a properly licensed contractor pull the permits as the responsible party so the county can better assist in gaining compliance for defective work.
PLAN AHEAD
Before submitting, ensure you are aware of all applicable regulations and conditions that could affect your project to avoid surprises during the review process. Some of those factors include:
- Zoning Information
- Design Codes and Standards and County Typical Details
- Do I Need to Hire a Registered Design Professional (RDP)?
- Floodplains
- Resource Protection Areas (RPA)
- Grading/Site Plans
- Parking Tabulation
- Types of Soils and Problem Soils
- Researching Site Conditions
To get a detailed description about each regulation and condition, visit our Plan Ahead page.
HOW DO I SUBMIT MY RECORD?
PLUS Application
Apply for your residential addition/alteration building record online in PLUS under the Building tab. If you are a first-time user, you must first register for an account.
Selecting Your Type of Work
When prompted in Step 2: Application Detail, select one of the following types of work based on the scope of your project.
- Additional Square Footage
Breezeway, Attached Carport, Deck, Dormer, Attached Garage, Attached Shed, One-story with Basement Below, One-story on Slab, One-story with Crawl Space, Screened Porch, Second-story Over Existing Structure, Sunroom, Three-story and Above, Two-story with Basement Below, Two-story on Slab - Interior Alterations
Carport Enclosure, Finished Basement, Interior Alterations with No Structural Changes, Interior Alterations with Structural Changes - Additional Square Footage with Interior Alterations
This record type will allow you to combine exterior and interior projects. By selecting “Additional Square Footage w/ Interior Alterations” as your “Type of Work,” the system will allow you to select an option from the “Type of Addition” and “Type of Interior Alterations” dropdowns.
Instructional Videos for PLUS
Helpful Instruction Guide:
Requirements
Depending on the scope of your project, one or more of the following may be required:
First Submission
- Fairfax Coversheet
- Uploaded separately from the plan coversheet contained within your architectural/structural drawings.
- Architectural/Structural Drawings
- Meeting plan minimum submission requirements or use one of our county typical details.
- House Location Plat or Grading Plan Submission Record Number
- Depends on the associated land disturbance proposed.
- Permit Authorization
- Required if the applicant is not the owner and is not a licensed contractor.
- Property Ownership Affidavit
- Required if the owner information does not match current tax records, often when there is a new owner.
- License Exemption Affidavit
- Required if a licensed contractor is not listed on the application.
- Projects located in the towns of Clifton or Vienna require separate approvals from the respective towns.
- Approval documentation from the appropriate township must be uploaded to your PLUS record, via the Digital Plan Room, and named accordingly (e.g., Town of Vienna Approval).
Subsequent Submissions
If corrections are required, you will receive an email with links and instructions to make corrections and resubmit.
- “Issues” are comments from reviewers, which require an applicant response before resubmitting. Please respond to each “open” comment.
- Prior to responding to comments and uploading revised plans/documents, navigate to the “Fees” tab and pay any outstanding resubmission fees.
- Once complete, respond to all “open” issues, upload updated plans and/or documents, if needed, and complete your resubmission.
For further assistance, please refer to the below videos for step-by-step guidance on the resubmission process:
Helpful Videos:
Reviewing Issues, Conditions, & Notes in PLUS - YouTube
Upload Corrected Plans in PLUS - YouTube
Helpful Instruction Guides:
What's Next?
To get a step-by-step guide on PLUS statuses and what they mean, see our What is My PLUS Status? Building Plans Infographic
Review Process
Staff from the Permit Application Center, Health Department (if on well or septic), Building Plan Review, Site Technician Review team, Fire Marshal’s Office, Wastewater and Zoning may review your package for completeness and compliance with the building code and county ordinances. You will be notified of any deficiencies. Plan corrections, resubmission fees and additional supporting documents may be required.
- Queue Times
- Fees
- Residential building common plan comments
- Workflow Routing Slip to track review and plan assignment
For a detailed summary of application progress, to include the name(s) of assigned review staff, click on “Reports” in the top-right corner of the PLUS screen, when you are in a specific record, and select “Workflow Routing Slip Report.”
Permit Issuance
Once all reviews are approved and fees have been paid, your permit card and approved plans (if applicable) will be available to download from PLUS. You will also receive a link via a PLUS email notification.
Helpful Video:
Access Approved Plans in PLUS - YouTube Video
Associated Trade Permits
If your project includes electrical, plumbing or mechanical (often referred to as “trades”) work, separate trades permits may be required. When associated with the same project, the trades permits should be related to the main building permit (the “parent” permit) as “child” permits.
- Electrical (ELER) and Plumbing (PLBR) Permits
These permits can be obtained after the building permit has been issued. Plans are not required. Identify that there is a Parent Permit in the Step 2: Application Detail.
Input the building permit number in Step 2: Application Detail, when prompted for the Related Parent Record Entry.
- Mechanical (MECHR) Permits
These permits are applied for in the same manner as the electrical and plumbing permits. If you are installing a new HVAC system, you must upload a Residential HVAC Certification prior to issuance of the mechanical permit. Additionally you will need to submit an Air Leakage/Duct Leakage Test form online. It must be reviewed/approved prior to calling for a final inspection.
Building Inspections
Once the permit is issued and you begin construction, you are required to obtain inspections from the county for your project. The county must be notified when the stages of construction are reached that require an inspection. For more information, see our inspections webpage.
Helpful Video:
Building Inspections (an overview on how to schedule an inspection) - YouTube Video
Occupancy
A Residential Use Permit (RUP) is the occupancy permit issued for a residential unit after all permits receive final inspections and all conditions are met. Occupancy is coordinated with your inspector and is scheduled via email to LDSBuildingInspections@fairfaxcounty.gov.
