Land Development Services

CONTACT INFORMATION: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Friday, 9:15 a.m. - 4 p.m. Please note that visitors may not be added to in-person queues past 3:45 p.m.
703-222-0801 TTY 711
12055 Government Center Pkwy
Fairfax, VA 22035
Bill Hicks
Director

Household Appliance (HAPL) - Residential

A Household Appliance permit may be used for the replacement and first-time installation of appliances, including fuel-fired appliances, within a residence that requires one final inspection only. Please note, if you are installing new gas piping with an appliance, apply for a Residential Plumbing permit, not a Household Appliance permit.
 

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
  • 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 household appliance building permit online in PLUS under the Building tab. If you are a first-time user, you must first register for an account.

application tab

 

 

Instructional Videos for PLUS

 
 

 

 

 

Requirements

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

  • Chimney Vent Certification
    • Required for the replacement and installation of all fuel-burning appliances and equipment in existing buildings. 
  • 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).

 

 

What's Next?

Below are the necessary steps to follow after your application is accepted in PLUS.

Permit Issuance

The county does not perform a review for Household Appliance applications. Once you successfully submit all required information and pay fees, your permit will be automatically issued and will be available to download from PLUS.

 

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.

red arrow in gray box Building Inspections (an overview on how to schedule an inspection) - YouTube Video

red arrow in gray box Scheduling Building Inspections (a deeper dive into scheduling inspections, including common issues) - YouTube Video

 

 

Additional Resources

 

 

Need More Assistance?

For questions or additional information, please contact staff via telephone at 703-222-0801, TTY 711.

 

 

Back to Top

 

 

Was this guide helpful? Tell us by completing this feedback form.

Fairfax Virtual Assistant