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Building Permits, City of Falls Church, VA
Building Permits
 Please see below for information on building permits. For convenient service, send an email to permits@fallschurchva.gov.
Permit Turn-Around Times- Residential Permit Turn-Around Time: 2 to 4 weeks
- Projects with Grading Plans: 4 to 6 weeks
- All times are approximate
Important Process Changes as of May 2012
Several changes have been made to the process for obtaining permits. These changes are not yet reflected in the handouts about permit requirements. If you plan to obtain a permit, please note the following changes:
- Business License Check-In
Prior to obtaining each permit, for any value of work, contractors must check in with the Commissioner of the Revenue's Office. They will have you report the address of your work and the contract price. You will receive a stamped piece of paper with this information. You must bring that piece of paper to the Development Services Counter in order to receive your permit.
- Fence Permits No Longer Required
There is no longer a requirement to obtain a permit to place a fence. However you must still follow the same application procedure and await the completion of reviews before installing a fence. This allows the City to make sure the proposed fence meets City codes and is placed where it is allowed. There is no fee for this review.
- Apply for Certificate of Occupancy at the Start of a Project
When any project will require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO) to be issued at completion, an application for the CO must be submitted along with the initial building permit. This affects new single-family dwellings, build-outs for new tenants in commercial spaces, and new commercial buildings. The fee for this CO must be paid at application, $200 for commercial locations, $100 for residential.
When is a Permit Required?
If you are contemplating any work on your house, you need to know if you should obtain a building permit. While a full, detailed breakdown of when a permit is needed can be quite involved, here are a few guidelines. If you have any questions, please call 703-248-5080 (TTY 711), or email permits@fallschurchva.gov.
What Can I Do Without a Permit?
On a single family house, most routine work does not require a permit. You can:
- Paint, add or replace carpet, tile or hardwood floors, replace cabinets, and even replace paneling and drywall without a permit.
- Replace your windows and doors, as long as you don't change the size of the opening in the wall.
- Replace your roof, as long as you are not replacing rafters or a major portion of the decking.
- Replace plumbing fixtures, such as a sink, disposal or toilet, as long as the new fixture remains in the same place so you do not need to run any pipe.
- Replace electrical fixtures, such as an outlet, switch or ceiling light fixture.
When Do I Need A Permit?- Any time you change a wall, you need a permit. It does not matter if the wall is load-bearing or not. If you add walls, remove walls or even change the height of a wall, you need a permit. The same is true if you want to add an opening, or change the size of an existing opening, such as to put in a larger window. Anything involving the framing or other structure of a wall requires a permit. This also goes for floors, ceilings and rafters.
- If you plan to move any plumbing fixture, or add one, you need a permit.
- If you plan to add electrical fixtures, you need a permit.
- Any work involving gas, even just replacing a stove or fireplace insert, requires a permit.
- Replacing mechanical units, such as a furnace or air conditioner, requires a permit.
Please note that the permit requirements for multifamily and commercial construction differ from the above. Contact the Building Safety Division if you have any questions. |
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Permits Counter
703-248-5080 (TTY 711)
703-248-5214 fax
permits@fallschurchva.gov
Monday-Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Building Safety Division
300 Park Avenue
Suite 300 West
Falls Church, VA 22046
Doug Fraser, Building Official
703-248-5087 (TTY 711)
703-248-5214 fax
dfraser@fallschurchva.gov
Monday-Friday,
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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