Fairfax County issues permits for the county and the towns of Vienna, Herndon and Clifton. The City of Fairfax and the City of Falls Church run their own permit offices.
What needs a permit and what does not
LDS's When is a Permit Required? page (read 24 October 2026):
| Needs a permit | No permit needed |
|---|---|
| Kitchen renovations, bathroom remodels, finished basements | Kitchen cabinets and/or countertops |
| Removing an existing wall, building new walls (including non-load-bearing) | Bathroom countertops and/or vanity |
| New window or door openings | Direct replacement of existing windows and doors |
| New, repaired or relocated electrical, plumbing, gas or mechanical fixtures | Direct like-for-like replacement of electrical, plumbing and mechanical work in the same location |
| Direct replacement of household appliances such as stoves, ovens and water heaters | Replacing flooring or tiles; painting and wallpaper |
| Decks, sunrooms, screen porches (as additions) |
The exemptions hold only when the job is on its own. New counters as part of a gutted kitchen ride on the remodel's permit. Zoning setbacks, site approvals and VDOT right-of-way permits can apply on top.
Who can pull it
The county's Addition/Alteration (Residential) page covers detached one- and two-family homes and townhouses up to three stories; apartments and condos need commercial permits. Owners "can apply in their own name", but LDS "strongly recommends" hiring a licensed contractor to pull the permits as the responsible party. The fee schedule also licenses home improvement contractors under County Code Chapter 61-3, separately from the state. Check a contractor's state license with the steps in how to check a contractor's license in Virginia.
What you submit
Requirements "depend on the scope of your project". A first submission can include:
- A Fairfax Coversheet, uploaded separately from the drawings
- Architectural or structural drawings that meet the minimum submission requirements, or one of the county's typical details
- A House Location Plat or Grading Plan record number, depending on land disturbance
- Forms such as a Permit Authorization, Property Ownership Affidavit or License Exemption Affidavit
Electrical and plumbing trade permits do not require plans.
What it costs
From the county's Appendix Q fee schedule (amendment adopted 5 May 2026):
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base fee, the minimum for any permit | $141.75 |
| Basement finishing, house or townhouse | $141.75 (base fee) |
| Residential alteration electrical permit, 1 to 100 fixtures, circuits and equipment | Base fee |
| Residential alteration plumbing permit, 1 to 7 fixtures (8 to 12: $179.55) | Base fee |
| Resubmission of residential alteration plans, per discipline | $141.75 |
| Re-inspection | $141.75 |
| Filing fee, single-family projects, paid before plan review | 50% of the permit fee |
| Code Academy levy on building fees | 2.0% |
A basement finish usually needs a building permit plus separate electrical and plumbing permits, each at least the base fee. Residential roof repairs and re-siding are charged differently, at 3.00% of the estimated cost.
How to apply
- Confirm the house is not in the City of Fairfax or the City of Falls Church.
- In PLUS, the county's online permit system, register and start a residential addition/alteration record under the Building tab; in Step 2 choose Interior Alterations, Additional Square Footage, or both.
- Upload the coversheet and drawings; pay the filing fee; answer any plan corrections.
- Add the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits the work needs.
- Notify the county at each stage that needs an inspection; the record closes after the final.
What 9,936 Fairfax County remodel permits show
| Measure | Fairfax County remodel and repair building permits |
|---|---|
| Issued June 2024 to May 2026 | 9,936 (55% of building permits) |
| June 2024 to May 2025 / June 2025 to May 2026 | 5,117 / 4,819 (6% fewer) |
| Closed, permits issued June 2024 to May 2025 | 85.8% |
| Usual days, issue to close (middle half) | 86 (47–152) |
| Busiest / quietest month (index, 100 = average) | October (117) / January (85) |
| ZIPs with the most | 20171 (496), 22015 (450), 22003 (438), 22101 (383), 22039 (372) |
Remodels are more than half the county's building permits, and they spread widely: the top ZIP, 20171, has only 5%. The usual remodel closes in about three months, against 177 days for an addition in the county's file. Filing peaks in October and slows from November to February. Monthly counts are on Fairfax County remodel permits, timing by category on how long a permit takes in Fairfax County, all categories on Fairfax County permit statistics, and rows on Fairfax County permits.
Related
Find earlier permits on the house with the Fairfax County building permit search. Rules elsewhere: do I need a permit for a home remodel, a kitchen remodel and a bathroom remodel; prices in home remodel cost.
What this does not tell you
The county's file holds building permits only, so the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits on the same remodel are not counted. It has no work description; we sort permits by their short project name, and decks, porches and basements count as remodels here. It names no contractor and has no job value.
How we know this
The permit and exemption lists are quoted from Fairfax County LDS's When is a Permit Required? page and its Addition/Alteration (Residential) permit library page, and fees from Appendix Q as amended 5 May 2026, all read 24 October 2026. Our counts are the county's Building Records PLUS open data, read 19 October 2026: residential remodel and repair building permits issued June 2024 to May 2026; days to close are the median for permits issued June 2024 to May 2025.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to remodel my kitchen in Fairfax County?
Yes, if it is more than new cabinets and counters. Land Development Services lists 'Interior alterations/renovations' including 'kitchen renovations, finished basements, bathroom remodels, removing an existing wall, building new wall(s)' as permit work. Kitchen cabinets and countertops alone are exempt, but not when they are part of a larger remodel that needs a permit.
- Do I need a permit to finish a basement in Fairfax County?
Yes. Finished basements are on the county's interior-alteration list. The building permit fee for basement finishing on a house or townhouse is the base fee, $141.75, in the fee schedule adopted 5 May 2026, and electrical and plumbing permits are separate.
- What remodeling can I do without a permit in Fairfax County?
The county exempts replacing flooring and tiles, painting and wallpaper, kitchen cabinets and countertops, bathroom countertops and vanities, and direct replacement of windows and doors. Direct like-for-like replacement of electrical, plumbing and mechanical items in the same place is exempt too, but replacing a water heater, stove or oven still needs a permit.
- Can a homeowner pull a remodel permit in Fairfax County?
Yes. The county's residential addition and alteration page says property owners can apply in their own name, though it strongly recommends a licensed contractor pull the permits as the responsible party. Apply in PLUS under the Building tab.
- How long does a remodel permit take to close in Fairfax County?
For remodel and repair permits issued June 2024 to May 2025 that closed, the usual one took 86 days from issue; the middle half took 47 to 152 days. 85.8% of them had closed.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
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- When is a Permit Required? — Fairfax County Land Development Services (2026-10-24)
- Addition/Alteration (Residential) — Fairfax County Permit Library (2026-10-24)
- Appendix Q Land Development Fee Schedule, amendment adopted 5 May 2026 — Fairfax County (2026-10-24)
- PLUS Citizen Access, Building search — Fairfax County (2026-10-24)
- Building Records PLUS — Fairfax County Open Data (2026-10-19)