A geotechnical report is required to determine the character and physical properties of soil deposits for use as structure foundation or material for earthwork construction purposes. The requirements and procedures for geotechnical investigations are found in the Public Facilities Manual Chapter 4. Procedures for minor projects, such as small residential additions, sheds, retaining walls, etc., are discussed on the Soil Requirements for Minor Construction Projects webpage. Approval of a geotechnical report may be required prior to approval of a site-related plan for development.
 

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 or their duly authorized agents may submit geotechnical reports, however, the planning of soils exploration, sampling and testing programs, and close supervision of the work must be performed by a geotechnical engineer who has experience in this type of work and who is licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia and meeting the respective code requirements. Geotechnical reports must be prepared and certified by, or under the direction of, a professional authorized by the Commonwealth to perform such work.

• Verify License on DPOR Website
• Hiring a Contractor

 

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
• Do I Need to Hire a Design Professional?
• 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.

To review the county’s geotechnical guidelines as outlined in the Fairfax County Public Facilities Manual.

 

HOW DO I SUBMIT MY RECORD?

PLUS Application

Apply for your geotechnical report online in PLUS under the Site tab. If you are a first-time user, you must first register for an account.

 

 

Tutorial on Uploading Plans and Documents in PLUS

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Helpful Instruction Guide:

• Uploading Plans and Documents

 

 

Requirements

Depending on the scope of your project, one or more of the following may be required:
 

First Submissions:

• Digital signature – verifiable digital signature of the licensed design professional
• Upload the Geotechnical Report meeting the guidelines of Chapter 4 of the Public Facilities Manual
• Upload relevant plan sheets from the associated site-related plan
• Review fee

 

Subsequent Submissions:

• Digital signature – verifiable digital signature of the licensed design professional
• Applicant responses – enter responses to all open issues in the PLUS Digital Plan Room
• Review fee

Helpful Videos:

 Respond to Issues - YouTube

 Upload Corrected Plans - YouTube

Helpful Instruction Guides:

• Corrections Required
• VOID Sheet Process

 

Revisions to previously approved plans (per the PFM):

• Digital signature - verifiable digital signature of the licensed design professional
• Revision narrative - separate letter detailing the revision and referencing its general location
• Revision block - updated revision block incorporated as part of the plan or profile sheet
• Certification of No Change - certification that no other changes have been made to the plan or profile except those previously approved
• Changes circled in red
• Review fee

Helpful Videos:

 Submitting Revisions in PLUS - YouTube

Helpful Instruction Guides:

• Uploading Plans and Documents
• VOID Sheet Process

 

What's Next?

To get a step-by-step guide on PLUS statuses and what they mean, see our What is My PLUS Status? Site Plans Infographic.

 

Review Process

Staff from the Site Application Center and Site Development and Inspections Division will review your package for completeness and compliance with applicable codes and county ordinances. You will be notified of any deficiencies. Plan corrections, resubmission fees and additional supporting documents may be required.

• Queue times
• Fees
• Common plan comments for site review
• 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.”

Approval

Once all reviews are approved and fees have been paid, your approved geotechnical report will be available to download from PLUS.

Helpful Video:

 Approved Plans - YouTube Video