You need a Temporary Use Permit from the Zoning Office.

If you need assistance call 703-385-7820, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong Street, Ste 207A.

As part of the application review staff will determine if replacement is required.

See the Tree Removal Guide for more information.

If you need assistance call 703-385-7820, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong Street, Ste 207A.

For each office suite you need a Zoning Permit for Commercial Use and Occupancy from the Zoning Office.  You will only need to pay the application fee of $70 for one suite and a permit will be issued for both suites. 

If you need assistance call 703-385-7820, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong Street, Ste 207A.

• You need a Zoning Permit/Non-Land disturbing from the Zoning Office.
• You need a Certificate of Appropriateness for architectural approval from the Zoning Office.
• You need a Building Permit from the Office of Building Code Administration.

 If you need assistance call 703-385-7820, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong Street, Ste 207A.

You need to call the Commissioner of Revenue, 703-385-7885, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong St, Ste. 224.

Information:

• The owner of the sign must either remove the sign or replace it with a blank face within 60 days of the business closing.

You need a Zoning Permit for Commercial Use and Occupancy from the Zoning Office.

If you need assistance call 703-385-7820, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong Street, Ste 207A.

Information:

• The owner of the sign must either remove the sign or replace it with a blank face within 60 days of the business closing.

With an account you will have the added benefits of applying for a permit, seeing a complete history of applications, access to invoices and receipts, view details on the review status of applications in your collection, and more from the convenience of your home or office, 24 hours a day. Account registration is not required for a general search the status of projects and applications.  The search results will provide the project location and review status.

1. Open your web browser and navigate to Permit Portal homepage.
2. On the login page, click “New Users: Register for an Account”.
3. After reading the registration disclaimer, click on the check box to accept the terms for online access to Public Portal and click the Continue Registration to continue the registration process.
4. Complete your account details with the required information. Fields marked with the asterisk symbol (*) are required and must be entered to continue.
5. Click Add New to add your contact information.
   1. Select your Contact Type and click Continue Registration. “Individual” refers to a single-person applicant. “Organization” refers a company, firm, or similar group acting as an applicant.
   2. Complete contact information and click Continue.
6. Once you have completed you contact information, you will be prompted to complete a security check.
7. Click Continue Registration.
8. After the registration is complete you will receive an email confirming the registration process.
9. You may return to the login page and log into your account.

• Commercial Land Disturbing (for changes to area outside of buildings)
• Commercial Non-Land disturbing (for changes to existing buildings only)
• Commercial Use & Occupancy (for businesses in commercial buildings)
• Minor Home Occupation (for businesses at home)
• Accessory Dwelling Unit (for two residences in one home)
• Keeping Chickens (eggs for personal use)
• Keeping of Honey Bees (honey for personal use)
• Permanent Sign (for businesses)
• Tree Removal (for single-family lot)
• Tree Removal (other than for single-family lot)

For applications not currently available through this system visit the applications for download webpage. Over the coming months, we will continue to incorporate additional permit types to this portal. 

Before finalizing the online submission process you will be prompted to pay applicable fees using either Visa, American Express, Mastercard, Discover or your checking account.

• Commercial Land Disturbing - $70
• Commercial Non-Land disturbing - $70
• Commercial Use & Occupancy - $70
• Minor Home Occupation - $35
• Accessory Dwelling Unit - $35
• Keeping Chickens - $35
• Keeping of Honey Bees - $35
• Tree Removal (single family lot) - $20
• Tree Removal (other) - $75

To confirm applicable fees, please check the Development & Zoning Fee Schedule page.

Please be advised that the Permit Portal website does not currently support  smartphones and tablets.  To register for a user account, submit a permit request, and track progress, please use a personal computer.

1. Open your web browser and navigate to the Permit Portal homepage
2. You do not need to be registered to search permit/address/parcel/owner information in permit portal.
3. Use the keyword search field.
4. Enter the address The search result can be refined by using the drop-down field next to “Records”. Click on the record number to view record details.
5. Searching on the building or planning tab will return only those types of permits.
6. Applications you have created in the permit portal will display in the “Records” section.

For additional information, please reference the Public Portal User Guide.

For applications not currently available through this system visit the applications for download webpage. Over the coming months, we will continue to incorporate additional permit types to this portal.

Subdivision is a process that requires professionals (such as a civil engineer, surveyor, arborist, and attorney) to prepare subdivision construction plans, plat and deed demonstrating compliance with City zoning and subdivision ordinances as well as the Public Facilities Manual. The construction plans will need to show that the required curb, gutter and 5-foot wide sidewalk either currently exist or will be provided. The construction plans will also need to show compliance with State-mandated stormwater quality improvements (called Best Management Practices), required utility connections, design for  adequate stormwater outfall, compliance with the 10-year tree canopy requirements and appropriate erosion & sediment control measures.

Zoning ordinance §3.6 lists minimum lot size and lot width requirements for each zoning district. In most cases the lot width requirement will be the constraining factor rather than lot size.

 If you need assistance call 703-385-7820, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong Street, Ste 207A.

Depends on how long the renter is going to stay. 

• If you own your home and would like to offer rentals for up to 14 days you’ll need a Special Use Permit to operate a Bed & Breakfast.  You can obtain the special use permit through the Zoning office.  It may take 4-6 months to obtain the final approval and the application fees begin at $600. 

• Rentals that are less than 30 days are not allowed.  These types of rentals are frequently made available through websites  such as an Airbnb, Flipkey, and HomeAway, just to name a few. 

• Rentals of more than 30 days are allowed.  You will need to obtain a Business License from the Commissioner of the Revenue before advertising your rooms are for rent.  You will also need to obtain a Rental Occupancy Permit from the Building Code office.

 If you need assistance call 703-385-7820, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong Street, Ste 207A.

You need a Zoning Permit for Accessory Residential Use & Occupancyfrom the Zoning Office.  If you need assistance call 703-385-7820, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong Street, Ste 207A.

Information:

• Only an area of the home not exceeding 20% of the first floor can be used for business purposes such as a minor home occupation (MHO). 

• Allowed activities include providing business information and accepting requests for services by phone or internet, and handling billing and payments. 

• Only a family member residing in the home can be involved in the business activity. 

• The MHO activity cannot change the outside appearance of the home or generate more traffic than normal for a single-family home. 

• Under certain conditions student instruction can be allowed as an MHO, otherwise, clients and customers may not be accepted at the home. 

• In-home commercial kitchens require approval from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/dairy-kitchen-food-services-businesses.shtml .

• One commercial vehicle of a weight less than 9,000 pounds or one commercial trailer can be kept on a surfaced area such as the driveway of the MHO property.

In most cases a tree removal permit is required. See the Tree Removal Guide for more information.

If you need assistance call 703-385-7820, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong Street, Ste 207A.

A plat is a surveyor’s drawing of a property, its boundaries and all pertinent structures. Usually a plat from the title company is provided to the purchaser of property during the sales transaction closing process. If not, you will probably need to contact a Virginia state licensed surveyor to prepare one. The City does not generate plats.

Sheds are 80 square foot or smaller one-story storage structures. If they are not located in a floodplain or a Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area and the property is zoned RL, RM or RH, they can be placed on your property in any part of the side (interior) or rear yard behind the rear wall of the principal dwelling without City approval provided the shed does NOT exceed 8 feet 6 inches in height.

See the Information Guide for Sheds & Storage Structures for more information. 

If you need assistance call 703-385-7820, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong Street, Ste 207A.

If the property is located in the RL, RM or RH zoning district, see the Information Guide for Sheds & Storage Structures in Residential Districts (RL, RM and RH). If the property is not in one of these districts, contact Zoning staff who will need to research to see if different rules were adopted back with the original rezoning case.

If the property comes under the Information Guide, is not located in a floodplain or a Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area (RPA), does not require a building permit and all the zoning requirements are met, no zoning permit is needed.

Any other accessory structure such as an attached carport, detached garage or private outdoor recreation building over 256 square feet in area will require both zoning and building permit approval.

If you need assistance call 703-385-7820, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong Street, Ste 207A.

You need a Zoning Permit for a Permanent Sign.

 If you need assistance call 703-385-7820, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong Street, Ste 207A.

Information: The only sign allowed on the sidewalk is called an “A-frame” or “sandwich board” sign that is constructed of durable materials and has two flat faces, with or without changeable copy.

Regulations

• Up to six square feet per face
• One per business or use
• Placed adjacent to the business’ front building wall and up to 10 feet from the wall
• Not allowed on grass or in parking area
• Not on display when store is closed
• Not allowed if business is in residential areas

Temporary sign permits are not required for any site, business or use that has a direct public entrance on a building frontage in a nonresidential district. Up to 32 square feet of temporary message signage may be displayed for up to 90 days per year without a permit.  More information.

If you need assistance call 703-385-7820, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong Street, Ste 207A.

Electronic “Open/Closed” signs are allowed without getting a permit.  The sign may be up to two square feet in size.  Signs with letters and lights that move in any way (ie blink, spin, flash or otherwise move) are not allowed.

If you need assistance call 703-385-7820, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong Street, Ste 207A.

• You need a Permanent Sign Permit from the Zoning Office.
• You need a Certificate of Appropriateness for architectural approval from the Zoning Office if the building is in the Old Town Fairfax Historic and Transition Districts. 

If you need assistance call 703-385-7820, or visit the office at 10455 Armstrong Street, Ste 207A.