Fairfax County encourages green building through its Green Building Policy for county-funded projects targeting LEED Silver, but imposes no mandatory green-code requirements on private development beyond the Virginia USBC energy provisions.
Fairfax County's Green Building Policy applies to new and substantially renovated county-funded buildings, requiring LEED Silver certification or equivalent for projects over 10,000 square feet. Private development is subject to the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code energy chapter, which references the International Energy Conservation Code, but the county cannot impose stricter green-code mandates due to Virginia Dillon's Rule. The county encourages voluntary participation through expedited permit review for LEED-registered projects and incentives for solar, EV charging, and stormwater best practices. The Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan guides voluntary developer engagement.
No private penalty for non-green construction; county-funded projects failing LEED targets face contract remediation or design-team penalties.
Fairfax County, VA
Fairfax County's Zoning Ordinance limits front-yard fences and walls to 4 feet on most residential lots, while side and rear yards may go up to 7 feet. Lots ...
Fairfax County, VA
Fairfax County requires a building permit from Land Development Services for any private pool, spa or hot tub with a surface area greater than 150 sq ft, cap...
Fairfax County, VA
Fairfax County does not allow detached backyard tiny homes on most residential lots. The Zoning Ordinance treats a second dwelling as an Accessory Living Uni...
Fairfax County, VA
Fairfax County treats a carport as a freestanding accessory structure under the Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 112), Article 4 use rules and Article 5 dimensional...
Fairfax County, VA
Fairfax County enforces residential pool barriers under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC, 13VAC5-63), which adopts the International Swimm...
Fairfax County, VA
Fairfax County permits Accessory Living Units (ALUs) under Zoning Ordinance Section 4102.7. Interior ALUs (within the principal dwelling) may be approved by ...
See how Fairfax County's green building code rules stack up against other locations.
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