May 1, 2026

LAND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

Letters to Industry

Fast Tracked Residential Permit Processing

As part of the county’s ongoing efforts to improve service delivery and reduce bottlenecks in the development review process, the Department of Land Development Services (LDS) implemented a targeted evaluation and reallocation of staffing resources to enhance building review efficiency. Latest efforts focused on significantly reducing residential Fast Track plan review timelines from 5 business days to 1 business day. Leadership is performing a similar evaluation of the commercial fast track program with results forthcoming.

The Fast Track Building Plan Review Program provides an expedited review of construction-ready plans for non-complex residential projects. Plans are reviewed by dedicated county staff on a first-come, first-served basis. Project eligibility for Fast Track is determined based on project scope, complexity, and code considerations. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact staff prior to submission to confirm whether their proposed project qualifies for Fast Track review.

Eligible residential projects include:

• One-story additions 500 square feet or less
• Decks
• Finished basements
• Retaining walls 4 feet or less in height (Segmented walls and tiered retaining walls are not eligible)
• Garages 500 square feet or less
• Sheds 500 square feet or less.  (Single-story sheds 256 square feet or less do not require a permit)
• Minor interior alterations
• Swimming pools
• Solar panels
• Truss shop drawings

Find out if your residential project is eligible for the Fast Track program by contacting LDS staff by phone at 703-222-0801, option 5, TTY 711, or by email at LDSBuildingPermits@fairfaxcounty.gov.

For additional program details, visit the LDS Fast Track webpage today!