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Roofing in Fairfax, VA: which Fairfax is your roof in, the City or the County?
Fairfax, VA is two governments. The City of Fairfax and Fairfax County each run their own permit office and their own historic review, and a Fairfax mailing address does not say which one governs a roof. This guide compares the two, then covers overlay districts, housing and NOAA's storm record. To talk through a Fairfax roof, book a phone consultation.
- 2 permit offices: City Code Administration and County Land Development Services
- 57.4% of City homes were built before 1970, against 24.2% in the county
- 15 county historic overlay districts and 3 City overlay tiers
The two meanings of Fairfax, compared
A search for roofers in Fairfax, VA reaches two local governments. The City's own About page calls the City of Fairfax an independent city of six square miles, and the Census Bureau gives it its own county-level code, 51600, apart from Fairfax County's 51059. Each government prints a Fairfax, VA address for its permit office (City Hall 22030, the county's Land Development Services 22035), so the postal label says nothing about who regulates a roof.
| Question | City of Fairfax | Fairfax County |
|---|---|---|
| Building permits | Office of Code Administration, 703-385-7830 | Land Development Services (LDS), 703-222-0801 |
| Design review | Board of Architectural Review, through Community Development and Planning, 703-385-7930 | Architectural Review Board, through Planning and Development, 703-324-1380; 15 historic districts |
| Replacing shingles | The permit FAQ does not name roofs. It lists framing changes, rafters included, and "Repairs not exempted in Building Code Section 108" | The permit page lists "Replacement of roof shingles" under work that needs no permit |
| Re-roof or roof repair | No roof permit type on the City pages opened | "Re-Roof/Re-Line" and a roof repair type are listed permit types |
| Roof plywood | No figure given | Under 256 square feet (9 boards) needs no permit, unless fire rated, as on townhomes |
| Apartments and condos | The FAQ does not say how a multi-unit roof is handled | Treated as commercial; replacing under 100 square feet of roof covering needs no permit |
| Roof loads printed | None on the pages opened | Ground snow load 25 psf; ultimate wind speed 115 mph for residential |
| Solar on the roof | Listed as needing a building permit; Zoning may require its own permit | Listed as permit work |
Sources: City permit FAQs, contact page and flowchart (archived copies); county Land Development Services pages, opened October 18, 2026.
The county's permit page puts roof shingle replacement on its no-permit list, while its miscellaneous permit page names re-roofing as a permit type. The pages do not say how the two fit together, so ask LDS which applies.
That page also strongly recommends that a properly licensed contractor pull the permits. A residential permit needs a detached one- or two-family home or a townhouse of no more than three stories; apartments and condos are commercial. In Clifton and Vienna it adds separate town approvals.
The state rule underneath both
The City FAQ points to Building Code Section 108 for exemptions; in Virginia's code that list is 13VAC5-63-80. Item 14.5 exempts replacing an unlimited amount of roof covering in groups R-3, R-4 and R-5 where the nominal design wind speed is not above 100 miles per hour, and 100 square feet or less in all groups. Item 14.6 exempts 256 square feet or less of roof decking in R-3 to R-5, unless it had to be fire-retardant-treated or form a fire-rated wall termination.
Three details to read closely:
- The limit itself. The county pages say "less than" 256 and "less than" 100 square feet. The state text says 256 or less and 100 or less. They read differently at exactly the limit.
- Two wind measures. The county prints an ultimate wind speed (115 mph, residential); the state exemption uses a nominal design wind speed (100 mph). They are different measures, so ask the building official how they apply.
- Historic districts. Exception 1 lets the building official require a permit application for replacement roofing in a locally designated historic district.
Overlay districts: when a roof can need design review
The City ties design review to what the public can see; the county ties it to whether the work needs a permit.
Old Town Fairfax Historic Overlay District
The City's 2018 Design Guidelines add three single-site districts: Blenheim, Fairfax Public School and the John C. Wood House. Detached houses fall under review for significant visible changes; the Guidelines exempt them only "outside a HOD".
Transition Overlay District
A buffer around the historic core. Its chapter says the BAR must approve changes to your property, but the introduction exempts detached houses outside the historic district. Staff settle which applies.
Architectural Control Overlay District
The rest of the City. Signs, demolition, detached houses, and attached homes, duplexes and townhouses after initial construction are exempt. Review remains for corridors and commercial, institutional, industrial, mixed-use and multi-family buildings.
How a City certificate request runs
The City's application guide, updated July 6, 2026, starts with a pre-application request in the Permit Portal, after which staff rule the scope minor or major. The minor list names doorways, shutters, porches, awnings, skylights, antennas, lighting and screening; roofs are not on it, so staff decide where a re-roof falls. Staff review minor certificates in one to two weeks per the guide; major ones go to a public hearing.
The BAR flowchart gives the City's test: "Architectural review is required for improvements visible from the public realm." The Guidelines add that building permits may not be issued until the BAR approves. The National Register district is a separate list with slightly different boundaries.
What the Old Town roof chapter asks beyond material
- Solar collectors and antennas go on less visible parts of the roof; dormers, vents and skylights only inconspicuously at the rear.
- Gutters keep a minimum pitch of one-quarter inch per ten feet; hidden gutters can leak and rot adjoining wood. Entire chimneys are not removed, even when unused.
Fairfax County: 15 districts and the ARB
Where
Bull Run Stone Bridge, Centreville, Colvin Run Mill, Dranesville Tavern, Hollin Hills, Huntley, Lake Anne Village Center, Langley Fork, Mount Air, Pohick Church, Robey's Mill, St. Mary's Church, Sully, Wellington at River Farm and Woodlawn.
What triggers review
The county's January 2026 guidelines say "All exterior work requiring a permit within a HOD requires ARB review" before work begins. Its approval list names additions, decks and signs; its no-review list names fences, windows, gutters and driveways. Roofing is in neither. The ARB meets monthly, on the second Thursday. One county count conflict: the districts page says fifteen, while its FAQ page still says thirteen were created from 1970 to 1986; this page uses fifteen and does not resolve the difference.
Roof text
Recommended: replace roofing at the end of its service life with material consistent with the original appearance. Not recommended: changing roof shape, removing original chimneys, or incompatible cladding on highly visible slopes, including terra cotta tile, wood shake and visible EPDM or TPO.
Housing: the same name, a different mix
Census estimates for 2020 to 2024 count homes, not roofs, so they say nothing about roof age or material. The City has 9,313 homes and the county 430,047, which is 46 county homes for each City home.
| Measure | City homes | City share | County homes | County share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All homes, by building type | ||||
| Detached | 5,061 | 54.3% | 195,884 | 45.5% |
| Attached | 1,587 | 17.0% | 97,728 | 22.7% |
| 2 to 4 units | 209 | 2.2% | 9,349 | 2.2% |
| 5 to 19 units | 1,578 | 16.9% | 61,214 | 14.2% |
| 20 or more units | 878 | 9.4% | 63,352 | 14.7% |
| Mobile homes and other | 0 | 0.0% | 2,520 | 0.6% |
| Year built | ||||
| Built before 1970 | 5,345 | 57.4% | 104,271 | 24.2% |
| Median year built | 1967 | 1983 | ||
| Owner households, by building type | ||||
| In detached homes | 4,474 | 69.9% | 177,327 | 62.4% |
| In attached homes | 1,188 | 18.6% | 73,955 | 26.0% |
| In buildings of 5 or more units | 716 | 11.2% | 28,674 | 10.1% |
Shares in the last block are of 6,399 City and 284,195 county owner households; 2 to 4 unit and mobile homes are left out. Attached is the Census category "1, attached". Source: American Community Survey 2024 five-year estimates, tables B25024, B25032, B25034 and B25035, accessed October 18, 2026.
Houses and townhouses
Attached homes are 22.7% of county homes and 17.0% of City homes. The county's fire-rated plywood note speaks to that group; the permit office says whether a given building has such decking.
Apartment and condo roofs
City multi-unit homes sit mostly in buildings of 10 to 19 units (14.4% of City homes). In the county, 11.9% of homes are in buildings of 50 or more, against 7.2% in the City. About one owner in ten in both places lives in a building of five or more units, so ask who approves roof work.
NOAA's storm record for the two Fairfaxes
Counts come from NOAA's Storm Events Database yearly files for 2016 through 2026 (latest event June 2026). The database logs reports, not inspections or claims, and files the independent city under its own label, Fairfax (C).
- County wind: 396 thunderstorm wind entries on 138 dates. July holds 136 of them. The peak magnitude is 78 knots, an estimated gust.
- County hail and tornadoes: 40 hail entries, the largest 1.75 inches, and 5 tornadoes, all rated EF0.
- Roof mentions: only 5 of the 792 county entries name a roof. The clearest is June 22, 2026 near Burke, where the narrative estimates 90 mph and says several lakeside townhomes had "significant portions of their roofs lifted off".
- City label: six entries: three thunderstorm wind reports (2023 and 2025, 52 knots each, trees down) and three floods.
Six City entries are too few to compare. In the county, 379 of the 396 wind narratives mention trees, branches or limbs: the record is mostly about trees and water.
What to confirm for a Fairfax address
- Which government holds the parcel: ask Code Administration or LDS, giving the street address.
- How much roof plywood or decking will be replaced, and whether the building is a townhouse with fire-rated decking.
- Whether the address sits in a City overlay or a county historic district, and whether the new covering matches the old.
- For an apartment, condo or co-op: the county's commercial permit path and who approves the work.
- Whether solar, vents, skylights or chimney changes are in the scope.
- The contractor's Virginia license number, class and specialty, checked on the DPOR license lookup.
Roofers of Arlington installs, repairs and replaces roofs, including flat roof systems and metal roofing, in Arlington and nearby. Book a phone consultation to talk through a Fairfax roof; see also roof repair, roof replacement and services. Arlington County has its own rules, set out in the Arlington guide, and the service areas page lists the other nearby places.
Fairfax material pages
Sources for this page, with dates checked
City pages block automated downloads, so City text comes from archived copies. County, state, Census and NOAA sources were opened on October 18, 2026.
- City of Fairfax: Permit FAQs (archived September 21, 2026)
- City of Fairfax: Contact Us and Org Charts (archived July 12, 2026)
- City of Fairfax: About the City (archived September 18, 2026)
- City of Fairfax: applying for a BAR Certificate of Appropriateness (updated July 6, 2026) and the BAR flowchart (updated July 7, 2026)
- City of Fairfax: residential permits flowchart (archived copy)
- City of Fairfax Design Guidelines, 2018
- Fairfax County LDS: Does My Project Require a Permit? and the residential and commercial miscellaneous permit pages
- Fairfax County LDS: Codes and Standards
- Fairfax County: Historic Overlay Districts, Architectural Review Board and Historic Overlay District Design Guidelines (January 2026 final draft)
- 13VAC5-63-80, Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code
- Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 five-year estimates, Fairfax city and Fairfax County
- NOAA Storm Events Database, yearly files 2016 to 2026
Questions people ask
Is a Fairfax, VA address in the City of Fairfax or in Fairfax County?
The mailing label cannot settle it: City Hall prints a Fairfax, VA 22030 address and the county's Land Development Services a Fairfax, VA 22035 address. Give Code Administration (703-385-7830) or Land Development Services (703-222-0801) your street address.
Does the City of Fairfax require a permit to replace a roof?
The City's permit FAQ does not name roofing. It lists framing changes, rafters included, and "Repairs not exempted in Building Code Section 108" as permit work. Virginia's code lists roof covering replacement among the exemptions, with limits. Confirm your scope with Code Administration.
Does Fairfax County require a permit to replace roof shingles?
The county's permit page lists "Replacement of roof shingles" as work needing no permit and "roof repairs" as work that does. Its miscellaneous permit page also names "Re-Roof/Re-Line" as a permit type. The pages do not reconcile those lines, so ask Land Development Services.
Does a Fairfax townhouse roof follow different rules?
In the county, replacing under 256 square feet of roof plywood needs no permit unless it must be fire rated, such as on townhomes. The City permit pages opened do not mention townhomes. NOAA's entry for June 22, 2026 near Burke records lakeside townhomes with significant portions of their roofs lifted off.
Does the Old Town Fairfax overlay district cover roofs?
The City requires review of improvements visible from the public realm, and its Guidelines expect historic-district roofs to be repaired in kind or replaced with matching material. Staff decide whether a re-roof is a minor or major certificate.
Do Fairfax County's historic overlay districts review roofing?
The county guide says all exterior work requiring a permit in a district needs Architectural Review Board approval. Roofing is in neither its approval list nor its no-review list, and its roof text discourages visible EPDM and TPO on highly visible slopes. Ask Planning and Development staff at 703-324-1380.
What wind and snow loads does Fairfax County print for roofs?
Its Codes and Standards page lists a ground snow load of 25 psf and an ultimate wind speed of 115 mph for Risk Category II and residential buildings. The City pages opened print no table of their own.
Talk through your roof with Roofers of Arlington
Share the address, what you are seeing on the roof and the decision you need to make. We will tell you what to expect before anything is scheduled.