General building work permit checklist — Fairfax County, Virginia
Assembled from Fairfax County’s own published permit rules. Every line below is quoted from a city document and linked to it. Nothing here is generated, estimated, or inferred from another jurisdiction.
Do you need a permit?
Fairfax County requires a permit for general building work.
The county's Does My Project Require a Permit? page lists residential work that does not need a permit; items include direct replacement of existing windows and doors, re-siding with similar material, gutters, kitchen cabinets and countertops, bathroom countertops and vanities, replacement of tiles and flooring, painting and wallpaper, playground equipment, on-grade paver and concrete patios (including wood patios), driveways, temporary ramps no more than 30 inches high, and flagpoles 30 feet or less in height. Depending on size and location, zoning, site-related, or VDOT approvals may still be necessary.
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Sources
- building — permit rules ↗verified August 2026
Other permits Fairfax County publishes rules for
Listed because the city publishes a separate rule for each type — not because this project necessarily triggers one. Whether it does depends on your scope of work.
- Deck permit checklist
- Fence permit checklist
- Shed permit checklist
- Water heater permit checklist
- Re-roof permit checklist
- Retaining wall permit checklist
- Electrical work permit checklist
BuildSpec is a reference, not the authority having jurisdiction. Confirm requirements with Fairfax County before you build.