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Building Code Complaints
Complaints filed against contractors for incomplete construction or disputes about compliance with the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) for an ongoing project. The Post Occupancy Enforcement and Public Outreach (POEPO) branch of Land Development Services (LDS) responds to these complaints.
Post Occupancy Complaints
Complaints can be submitted to LDS within two years of an approved final building inspection or the issuance of a Residential Use Permit/Certificate of Occupancy, whichever is later. Post occupancy inspections are performed by the county for compliance with the USBC. The POEPO branch of LDS responds to these complaints.
Examples of building code and post occupancy complaints:
- Insulation incorrectly installed
- Tile and fixtures incorrectly installed
- Roof incorrectly installed or repaired
- Deck does not meet code requirements
- Electrical wiring does not meet code requirements
- House framing does not provide enough support
Unlicensed Contractor Complaints
If someone believes they may have been a victim of construction fraud, file a complaint with the Fairfax County Police Department.
If you have a complaint regarding an unlicensed contractor, please file a complaint with the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR).
Conservation Easement Complaints
When the county acquires an easement for the Open Space/Historic Preservation Easements Program, a deed of easement is recorded that contains provisions regarding the right of the easement holder to monitor easement compliance by inspecting the property and enforcing the terms of the easement as provided by law. If an easement is not being maintained per the recorded provisions, a complaint can be submitted to LDS. The Department of Code Compliance (DCC) responds to these complaints.
Resource Protection Area (RPA) Complaints
The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance (CBPO) was adopted to protect our local streams and one of the world's most productive estuaries, the Chesapeake Bay, from pollution due to land use and development. All of Fairfax County stormwater drains into the Potomac River and, ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay. To protect and improve the quality of these waterways, Fairfax County designated environmentally sensitive areas known as Resource Protection Areas (RPA). RPAs are characterized by one or more of the following, according to Chapter 118 of the County of Fairfax County, the CBPO:
- Tidal wetland.
- Tidal shore.
- Water body with perennial flow.
- Nontidal wetland connected by surface flow and contiguous to a tidal wetland or water body with perennial flow.
- Buffer area that includes any land within a major floodplain and any land within 100 feet of a feature listed in bullet points 1-4.
If an RPA is being illegally developed, degraded or otherwise encroached upon, a complaint can be submitted to DCC.
Land Disturbance Complaints
Land disturbance is any man-made change to the land surface that may result in soil erosion from wind or water and the moving of sediments into our waterways and neighboring lands according to Chapter 124.1 of the Fairfax County Code, the Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance.
Vegetation, such as groundcover, turf and plants, protects and stabilizes our soil, preventing sediment from leaving a site. Removing vegetation, including trees, is also considered land disturbance and is further defined by Chapter 124.1 as clearing.
If land is being illegally disturbed, a complaint can be submitted to DCC.
If land is being disturbed with a land disturbance permit but necessary controls to prevent erosion and sediment discharges are not implemented correctly, a complaint can be submitted to LDS. The Site Development and Inspections Division (SDID) of LDS responds to these complaints.
Submitting a Complaint
You can submit a complaint to LDS using the Planning and Land Use System (PLUS).
What is the purpose of filing a report online using PLUS?
PLUS enters your information into the LDS complaint tracking system. Staff will review your report and assign your case to an inspector for follow-up, if necessary.
What if I do not want to use the online reporting system?
You can call us at 703-324-1300, TTY 711, on Mondays-Thursdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Fridays 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
If no one answers the phone, please leave a message to include information about the complaint, the address, and the telephone number so someone can contact you for additional details.
