Permit guide
Do I need a permit? Northern Virginia county permit guide
Usually yes for a deck, usually no for a patio on the ground, and it depends on height for a retaining wall. Fences and grading depend on the county. Virginia sets the building code, but each county adds its own zoning, setbacks and land disturbance rules, so the same project can be treated differently on either side of a county line.
What does the state require, and what do counties add?
Two layers of rules apply to almost every outdoor project here. The first is the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, the USBC. The state housing department lists the 2021 edition as effective January 18, 2024. It covers how structures are built: footings, framing, guards, stairs. It is the same in every county.
The second layer belongs to each county or city. Counties add zoning and setbacks, lot coverage, easements, Chesapeake Bay rules for land near streams (Resource Protection Areas, or RPAs), and land disturbance rules for projects that open up a lot of ground. Fairfax County's zoning FAQ says its zoning rules apply regardless of whether a building permit is required. So no building permit never means no rules. Our four-county deck overview shows how the same deck differs by county.
Which projects need a permit in each county?
What each county's own pages state as of fall 2026. Tiers change, so confirm on the county page before you design.
| Project | Fairfax | Loudoun | Prince William | Arlington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | Yes. Residential addition permit through PLUS. | Yes. Building and zoning permit for all decks, through LandMARC. | Zoning always. Building permit at 16.5 in. or more above grade, or if it carries extra load such as a hot tub. | Building permit, filed online through Permit Arlington. Plat required; elevations over 4 ft high. |
| Patio on the ground | On-grade paver and concrete patios are exempt from a building permit. Zoning still applies. | Not listed on the residential permit page. Ask zoning. | No building permit for slabs on grade, but zoning approval is required. | No patio rule on the permit pages. Patios count toward land disturbance. Check the county page. |
| Retaining wall | Exempt under 3 ft with no added load and no tiers. Permit above that. | Zoning permit from 2 ft, building permit from 3 ft, sealed plan from 4 ft (2021 county memo). | Permit above 3 ft of unbalanced fill, or any height with load from a structure above. | Fence or Retaining Wall permit. Walls over 4 ft sealed by an engineer. |
| Fence | Exempt from a building permit, except pool barriers. Zoning setbacks apply. | Check the county page. | No building permit, except barriers. Zoning approval is required. | Permit for any new or replacement fence not part of a larger project. |
| Drainage and grading | Land disturbance permit and grading plan at 2,500 sq ft or more. | Grading permit at 5,000 sq ft or more, less in sensitive areas. | Land disturbance plan review at 2,500 sq ft or more. | Permit at 2,500 sq ft or more. Survey and silt fence from 2,000 sq ft. |
Square footage means ground disturbed, not finished size. Fairfax and Loudoun include a 10 ft work zone and the access path.
Where do I check my own address?
Start with the official page for your county. Fairfax County publishes Does My Project Require a Permit. Prince William County has Do I Need a Permit. Arlington explains its Fence or Retaining Wall permit, and Loudoun lists its deck requirements. The independent cities run their own offices, so a city address does not use the county portal.
Then read our county articles, each built from that county's published pages: Fairfax County decks, Loudoun County decks, Prince William County decks and Arlington County decks. For patios, walls and land disturbance, see patio and retaining wall permits.
How does the permit process work, step by step?
The portal and fees differ by county. The order is much the same.
Find out what applies
Pull the plat from your closing file, then check the county's maps for easements, floodplain and RPA. Measure deck height, wall height and how much ground the work will open up.
Prepare the package
Counties typically ask for a plat with the project drawn on it, plus drawings or the county's standard details. HOA approval, if you have one, usually comes first.
Apply and respond to comments
Applications go through the county portal: PLUS in Fairfax, LandMARC in Loudoun, the county ePortal in Prince William, Permit Arlington in Arlington. Reviewers may send comments back.
Have utilities marked
Virginia 811 must be called before digging. It marks public utilities only, not private lines like invisible fences or the water line from the meter, so tell us what is buried.
Build and pass inspections
A deck typically has three inspections: footing before concrete, framing before decking, and a final. Nothing gets covered until the inspector has seen it. Each county schedules them its own way.
What should I have ready before applying?
Gathering these first keeps applications from coming back.
- Your house location plat or survey, with room to draw the project on it
- Project height, size and distance from each property line, measured
- A check of the county map for easements, floodplain and RPAs
- Written HOA approval if your community has an architectural review board
- The contractor's license number, checked yourself in the Virginia DPOR lookup
- A note of anything buried that Virginia 811 will not mark
What do we handle, and what do you sign as the owner?
We treat the permit as part of the build, but some paperwork is only yours to sign.
What we do
We confirm what your address requires, handle the county application and inspections for work that needs a permit, provide the drawings, and have utilities marked before we dig.
What you do as the owner
You provide the plat, sign any owner authorization or ownership form a county asks for, and submit the HOA application, which usually has to come from you.
What neither of us controls
Review times, inspector availability and HOA meeting calendars. We do not start work until the approvals that apply are in hand.
Is an HOA approval the same as a county permit?
No. They are separate approvals that look at different things. The county checks structure against code and the plat against zoning. An association checks appearance against its guidelines. A county permit does not satisfy your HOA, and an HOA letter cannot waive a county easement or setback.
For a deck or porch in a planned community you usually need both, with the HOA review generally first. Our HOA approval guide covers what a complete package contains. If your project is a new deck, a retaining wall or a fence, we will tell you at the estimate which approvals we expect before we price it.
Common questions
Do I need a permit for a deck in Northern Virginia?
Almost always. Fairfax requires a residential addition permit, and Loudoun states that a building permit and zoning permit are required for all decks. Prince William requires a building permit at 16.5 inches or more above grade, and zoning approval always.
Does a paver patio need a permit?
A patio on the ground generally needs no building permit. Zoning, lot coverage, land disturbance and RPA rules can still apply. Prince William requires zoning approval for every patio, whatever its size.
How high can a retaining wall be without a permit?
Fairfax and Prince William exempt walls holding less than 3 feet of soil, as long as nothing adds load behind them, such as a driveway or patio. Loudoun's 2021 memo starts a zoning permit at 2 feet, so confirm current tiers. Arlington requires a permit for any standalone wall.
Can I pull the permit myself and skip the contractor's fee?
Fairfax says owners may pull permits in their own name but strongly recommends a licensed contractor do it as the responsible party. Ask whose name goes on the permit before you sign.
How long does a permit take?
It varies by county, project and season, so we do not promise a number. Some counties, such as Loudoun, publish processing dashboards, and an HOA adds its own meeting cycle. Check the county page the day you apply, and plan spring projects over the winter.
Related services
Custom Deck Building
Custom deck building is the design and construction of a new pressure-treated wood or composite deck sized to your house and yard.
Paver Patios
A paver patio is an outdoor floor of concrete, porcelain or natural-stone units laid over a compacted stone base instead of a poured slab.
Retaining Walls
A retaining wall holds back soil so a slope becomes level, usable ground.
Fence Installation
Fence installation is building a new wood, vinyl, aluminum or composite fence on a residential lot.
Let's talk about your yard.
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