Building Setbacks & Zoning in Fairfax County, VA (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Fairfax County's R-1 District requires a 40-foot front setback, a 20-foot minimum side setback (40 feet total on both sides) and a 25-foot rear setback for conventional single-family lots. Table 2102.4 of the Zoning Ordinance sets those numbers, while subsection 5100.2.D spells out which structures the setback rules do and do not reach.
Fairfax County R-1 Yard Setback Minimums
Some RestrictionsFairfax County, VA, Zoning Ordinance § 2102.4, Table 2102.4 (R-1 District); § 5100.2.D(1)
Front setback, minimum: 40 feet [Conventional] / 30 feet [Cluster]. ... Side setback, minimum: 20 feet [total minimum 40 feet]. ... Rear setback, minimum: 25 feet. ... (a) Minimum setbacks are specified for each zoning district, except as may be further qualified by other provisions of this Ordinance. (b) Minimum setbacks apply to all buildings and structures as they relate to the lot lines and...
Structure Height Limits
Fairfax County caps building height at 35 feet in the R-1 District under conventional subdivision standards, rising to 60 feet for structures in an approved cluster subdivision. Table 2102.4 of the Zoning Ordinance sets the number, while subsection 5100.2.C defines what counts toward it and which rooftop features are exempt.
Fairfax County R-1 Building Height Limit
Some RestrictionsFairfax County, VA, Zoning Ordinance § 2102.4, Table 2102.4 (R-1 District); § 5100.2.C
Building height, maximum: 35 feet [Conventional] / 60 feet [Cluster]. ... (1) Maximum building height applies to all structures in the zoning district except those structures or features listed below and those structures assigned a different maximum height elsewhere in this Ordinance. (2) The height limitations of this Ordinance do not apply to accessory structures such as barns, silos, birdhou...
Lot Coverage Limits
Fairfax County's Zoning Ordinance caps lot coverage at 30 percent in the I-I Industrial Institutional District, the only zoning district where the code sets an explicit lot coverage percentage. Coverage is calculated under Section 9102 as building footprint, including porches and accessory structures, divided by gross lot area.
Fairfax County I-I District 30% Lot Coverage Cap
Some RestrictionsFairfax County, VA, Zoning Ordinance Table 2104.1 (§ 2104.1); § 9102 (Lot Coverage); § 8106.D(1)
Lot coverage, maximum 30 percent ... Lot Coverage Determined by dividing that area of a lot that is occupied or covered by the total horizontal projected surface of all buildings, including covered porches and accessory buildings, by the gross area of that lot. ... Except as otherwise provided by law, any violation of this Ordinance is deemed a misdemeanor and, upon conviction of such vi...
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