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

Retaining Wall (WALLR) - Residential

A residential Retaining Wall permit is required for construction of residential retaining walls retaining more than three feet of earth but less than four feet of earth, non-tiered, non-stacked and non-segmental with level backfill and no surcharge loading. If retaining over four feet of earth, a commercial retaining wall permit is required.

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

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 retaining wall building record 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

 
 

 

 

 

Helpful Instruction Guide:

 

Requirements

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

First Submission

 

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:

red arrow in gray box Reviewing Issues, Conditions, & Notes in PLUS - YouTube

red arrow in gray box Void a Plan Sheet - YouTube

red arrow in gray box 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
  • 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.”

workflow routing slip

 

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:

red arrow in gray box Access Approved Plans in PLUS - YouTube Video

 

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:

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.

 

 

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