Contractor Records
Home › Fairfax County › Remodels & repairs

Remodel and repair permits in Fairfax County, VA

Data through May 2026 · updated 19 Oct 2026

9,936 remodel and repair permits were issued in Fairfax County, June 2024 through May 2026: about 4,968 a year and 55% of all permits. 4,819 remodel and repair permits in the last 12 months on file (Jun 2025–May 2026), 6% fewer than the 5,117 in the 12 months before. The busiest month is October. The usual one took 86 days from issue to the county's final. 20171 has the most, 496.

What this file covers: The county publishes its building permits only; electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other trade permits are not in the file.

9,936permits issued
4,819last 12 months on file
Octbusiest month
86days, usual issue to final
86%finished
May 2026records through

Remodel and repair permits by month

Permits issued each month, June 2024 through May 2026.

Jun 2024: 460Jun2024Jul 2024: 477JulAug 2024: 442Sep 2024: 479Oct 2024: 466Nov 2024: 361Dec 2024: 375Jan 2025: 392Jan2025Feb 2025: 360Mar 2025: 399Apr 2025: 466May 2025: 440Jun 2025: 419Jul 2025: 412JulAug 2025: 400Sep 2025: 403Oct 2025: 505Nov 2025: 362Dec 2025: 370Jan 2026: 310Jan2026Feb 2026: 349Mar 2026: 424Apr 2026: 420May 2026: 445
The same numbers as a table
MonthPermits
Jun 2024460
Jul 2024477
Aug 2024442
Sep 2024479
Oct 2024466
Nov 2024361
Dec 2024375
Jan 2025392
Feb 2025360
Mar 2025399
Apr 2025466
May 2025440
Jun 2025419
Jul 2025412
Aug 2025400
Sep 2025403
Oct 2025505
Nov 2025362
Dec 2025370
Jan 2026310
Feb 2026349
Mar 2026424
Apr 2026420
May 2026445

Download this table (CSV)

When remodel and repair permits are filed

By calendar month, 100 = an average month (the thin line). October is the busiest (117), January the quietest (85). A busy month at the permit counter usually means a longer wait for a contractor.

January: 85 (100 = an average month)February: 86 (100 = an average month)March: 99 (100 = an average month)April: 107 (100 = an average month)May: 107 (100 = an average month)June: 106 (100 = an average month)July: 107 (100 = an average month)August: 102 (100 = an average month)September: 107 (100 = an average month)October: 117 (100 = an average month)117November: 87 (100 = an average month)December: 90 (100 = an average month)JFMAMJJASOND
The same numbers as a table
MonthIndex
January85
February86
March99
April107
May107
June106
July107
August102
September107
October117
November87
December90

Download this table (CSV)

How long a remodel and repair permit takes

Permits issued Jun 2024–May 2025, at least 12 months before the file ends. Usual days is the middle permit among the 4,392 with a final date.

MeasureValue
Permits issued Jun 2024–May 20255,117
Finished85.8%
Usual days, issue to final86
Middle half, days47–152

Download this table (CSV)

ZIP codes with the most remodel and repair permits

Counted at the property's ZIP code. Share is the part of the county's 9,936 remodel and repair permits.

ZIP codePermitsShare
201714965%
220154505%
220034384%
221013834%
220393724%
221823614%
220323524%
221803383%
201203363%
221533353%

Download this table (CSV)

Other kinds of work here

How Fairfax County compares with other cities

From our cross-city data studies: the same measure, read the same way, for every city we cover.

Nearby permit data

Remodel and repair permits for other places in Washington, DC. Each permit office keeps its own file, so the numbers are not added together.

How these numbers are made

Source: Fairfax County Open Data, Building Records PLUS (Land Development Services), read 19 Oct 2026. We count permits issued June 2024 through May 2026; denied and withdrawn permits are left out.

Building permits Fairfax County Land Development Services issues for the county and the towns it serves (Vienna, Herndon and Clifton), including places such as Reston, McLean, Springfield, Annandale, Centreville and Chantilly. The independent cities of Fairfax and Falls Church run their own permit offices and are not in this file (a Fairfax or Falls Church mailing address outside those cities is). The county does not publish its electrical, plumbing, mechanical or other trade permits.

  • The county's file names no contractor, so there are no contractor lists, rankings or firm pages for Fairfax County.
  • The file has no declared job value, so we show no costs.
  • The county publishes only building permits: residential and commercial new construction and additions or alterations. Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing and other trade permits are not in the file, so those kinds of work do not appear here.
  • The file has no work description. Home additions, sunrooms, garages and sheds are picked out from the short project name on the permit; decks, porches, basements, kitchens, baths and other alterations count as remodels and repairs.
  • Permits issued from June 2026 on were still arriving in the county's file when it was pulled in October 2026, so the window ends in May 2026.
  • A final date is the date the county closed the permit. Certificates of occupancy are left out.

Counts are permits, not jobs: one job can need several permits. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can. Sources and definitions →

Cite this page

Free to reuse with attribution (CC BY 4.0). Please credit Contractor Records and link to this page. Suggested citation:

Contractor Records, "Remodel and repair permits in Fairfax County, VA", https://contractorrecords.com/fairfax-county/remodel-permits, data through May 2026, from Fairfax County Land Development Services building-permit records.

Link to a table: By month · Season · Days to final · By ZIP code.

Download the tables (CSV): Remodels & repairs permits by month · Remodels & repairs permits by calendar month (index) · Remodels & repairs permits: days to final · Remodels & repairs permits by ZIP code.

Common questions

  • How many remodel and repair permits does Fairfax County issue a year?About 4,968 a year in Fairfax County: 9,936 permits issued June 2024 through May 2026, 4,819 of them in the last 12 months on file (to May 2026).
  • How long does a remodel and repair permit take in Fairfax County?The usual one took 86 days from issue to the county's final inspection, and the middle half took 47 to 152 days (4,392 permits issued Jun 2024–May 2025 that reached a final). The wait to get the permit issued is not in this file.
  • When do people in Fairfax County file the most remodel and repair permits?October (117 against an average month of 100); January is the quietest (85). If you can choose, a quiet month at the permit counter can mean contractors have more room in their schedules.
  • Which ZIP code has the most remodel and repair permits in Fairfax County?20171, with 496 of the 9,936 (5%); then 22015 (450).