A Residential Miscellaneous permit is required for the following residential projects:

Don’t see your project listed? Review the Residential Addition/Alteration permit page.

To determine whether your permit application requires an associated grading plan, visit our Land Disturbance 101 webpage.

Note: Some residential properties (example: apartment buildings and condos) are considered commercial per the building code and therefore require commercial building permits. To be considered residential, a project must consist of a detached one- or two-family dwelling or townhouse and be no more than three stories high above ground level, as defined by code.
 

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.

• Hiring a Contractor
• Verify License on DPOR Website

 

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 residential miscellaneous building record online in PLUS under the Building tab. If you are a first-time user, you must first register for an account.

 

 

Instructional Videos for PLUS

 

 

 

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 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

 Void a Plan Sheet - YouTube

 Upload Corrected Plans in PLUS - YouTube

Helpful Instruction Guides:

• Corrections Required
• 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? 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 Trades 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

 Scheduling Building Inspections (a deeper dive into scheduling inspections, including common issues) - 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.