A rough grading plan is required when land disturbance will exceed 2,500 square feet and the proposed clearing and grading will not be depicted on a site plan, subdivision plan, infill lot grading plan or conservation plan. Rough grading plans may also be submitted prior to site plan approval to allow early grading and utility work as described in Land Development Notice 11/22/16 – Reminder of Required Practice for Submitting a Rough Grading Plan in Advance of Site Plan approval and prior to final plan approval for large, complex projects approved for Modified Processing.
Depending on the scope of your project, you may need to apply for a separate building permit record in PLUS. To determine whether your project requires a permit, visit When a Permit is Required. Once you determine the appropriate record type, review the associated Permit Library guide to find details regarding the submission and review process.
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?
Landowners, developers, or their duly authorized agents may submit rough grading plans, however, the plan itself must be certified by a professional engineer, land surveyor, architect or landscape architect licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia and meeting the respective code requirements.
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.
HOW DO I SUBMIT MY RECORD?
PLUS Application
Apply for your rough grading plan online in PLUS under the Site tab. If you are a first-time user, you must first register for an account.
Submission Guidelines
Visit our Site-Related Submission Guidelines page for information on how to submit your plan, including strongly encouraged naming conventions.
Tutorial on Uploading Plans and Documents in PLUS
Helpful Instruction Guide:
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
- Coversheet
- Rough Grading Plan Minimum Submission Checklist
- Rough Grading Plan Checklist (if related to a major plan)
- Stormwater Management Plan Completeness Checklist (with professional signature/seal)
- Erosion and Sediment Control Checklist (with professional signature/seal)
- Pro Rata Share Assessment Form
- Surety Value Estimate Sheet (Pg. 5 only; not required for Residential)
- Fairfax County Priority Rating Form for E&S Control Inspections (within the plan)
- Notices of Violation and/or Corrective Work Orders - when applicable, include a copy of any Notices of Violation and/or Corrective Work Orders from the respective agency (within the plan).
- Zoning applications - when applicable, any associated zoning applications must be referenced in the Plan Approval Information block on the coversheet and listed as a related record in PLUS.
- If related to an approved zoning case, follow and complete the 17-02 Proffer Compliance Narrative Standards to the Proffer Coordination team. For more information, visit the Proffer Compliance page.
- 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:
Reviewing Issues, Conditions, & Notes in PLUS - YouTube
Upload Corrected Plans in PLUS - YouTube
Helpful Instruction Guides:
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. Narrative should be uploaded to the Digital Plan Room via PLUS, under the “plans” document type.
- 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:
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, Minimum Submission Review team, Health Department (if on well or septic), 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.”
Plan and Permit Issuance
Once all reviews are approved, fees have been paid and all associated post-approval conditions have been satisfied, your land disturbance permit and approved plans will be available to download from PLUS.
Visit the Meeting Approval Condition web page to learn more about your plans specific approval conditions, including where to locate them in PLUS and to get the appropriate form for each condition. Once completed, submit all required documents using this form.
Once you obtain your issued land disturbance permit and approved site-related plan, you may proceed with your associated building permit record(s). For more information on building record types to include when a permit is required and how to apply, visit When a Permit is Required.
Helpful Video:
Access Approved Plans in PLUS - YouTube Video
Site Inspections
Before beginning any land disturbing activities associated with your approved site/grading plan and land disturbance permit, you are required to request a pre-construction meeting. Before requesting your pre-construction meeting, certain items must be completed such as an approved Virginia 811 ticket. To review all required items, visit the Site Inspection web page.
Conservation/Bond Release
The release of the associated conservation deposit is coordinated with your site inspector upon project completion. The assigned site inspector will notify Bonds and Addressing staff to initiate the conservation escrow release process. Any associated building permit records must have a passed final inspection.
For process details, click the below graphic. For any process-related questions, please contact the Bonds and Agreements Center via email or phone at 703-222-0801, TTY 711.
