Land Development Services

Reminder - effective July 1, 2024, the countywide Stormwater Pro Rata Share Assessment rate changed from $26,713.59 to $27,342.66 per increase in impervious acre; the maximum water quality credit increased from 61.7% to 61.9%; and the maximum water quantity credit decreased from 38.3% to 38.1%. These revenues, collected during the development process and combined countywide, pay for the drainage infrastructure that is required to reduce harm to receiving waters in Fairfax County, the Potomac River, and the Chesapeake Bay. They also stop the deterioration of the current drainage systems and flood damage. The county determines the Pro Rata Share assessment for an individual development project as a proportion of the total estimated cost of the drainage improvement program. The assessment is based on the stormwater impact of the project measured by its increase in impervious cover discounted by any applicable credit for on-site stormwater management facilities and best management practices provided as part of the new construction. Once collected, the assessment fees will be allocated to the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services for the program. Learn more about typical community improvement projects supported by funding from the Pro Rata Assessment fee and other funding sources by visiting the Stormwater Management page. For more information on Pro Rata Share Assessment, refer to Public Facilities Manual (PFM) § 6-0600. If you have any questions, please contact the Site Application Center at 703‑222-0801, TTY 711.  

County staff continue to implement additional improvements to the Planning and Land Use System (PLUS) to serve you better. Check out these new PLUS fixes for Land Development Services (LDS) customers. PLUS Enhancement LDS Customer Benefit Updates to Building LDS FY2025 Fee Updates Updated permitting fees to align with the July 1, 2024, fee increase adopted by the Board of Supervisors. For more information, read our News Release. New Air/Duct Leakage Test Amendment Customers can now submit their air/duct leakage reports through PLUS under this new “Air/Duct Leakage Test” amendment type, under the associated residential building permit (BLDR) record. This enhancement replaces the previous Nintex form submission. For more information, visit the Air/Duct Leakage Test Amendment permit library guide. On-Site Contact Required on Commercial Building Records An on-site contact is now required as part of the initial application process when creating a building record in PLUS for all commercial projects. Updated Commercial and Residential Plumbing Equipment The equipment lists for residential and commercial plumbing records were updated to allow customers to select either Backflow Preventer – Testable Assembly or Backflow Preventer – Non-Testable Device. This allows applicants to better identify the type of device being installed and in turn, ensure staff determine whether it needs to be part of the annual inspection process. Accessory Living Unit (ALU) or Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Question on Residential Building Records On Residential New, Residential Addition/Alteration and Residential Miscellaneous building records, a new yes/no question was added so an applicant can identify whether their application includes a proposed Accessory Living Unit (ALU) or Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU).  This also ensures intake staff are aware of any proposed ALU or ADU and can coordinate with appropriate review agencies at the time of submission and identify any deficiencies earlier on in the process. Elevator Updates Various elevator updates were performed to include the “Red Tag” status which is set by staff and visible to the applicant via PLUS, updating the FFXID when ownership changes and updates to the Vertical Transportation Inspection report. Update to Site LDS FY2025 Fee Updates Updated permitting fees to align with the July 1, 2024, fee increase adopted by the Board of Supervisors. For more information, read our News Release. FY2025 Pro Rata Share Assessment Rate Increase Effective July 1, the countywide Stormwater Pro Rata Share Assessment rate increase went into effect requiring updates to the corresponding rates in PLUS. The assessment is based on the stormwater impact of individual development projects and is measured by their increase in impervious cover, discounted by any applicable credit for on-site stormwater management facilities and best management practices provided as part of the new construction. All site records with unpaid Pro Rata share fees were updated to 2024 rates on July 1, 2024. Signature Set Review Cycle Signature Set submissions for site-related plans will now carry a base and per-sheet fee for submissions over 5 sheets. Signature Set submissions modifying 5 or less plan sheets, will not be assessed a separate fee. For more information, see our Fee Schedule. Updates to the RPA Minor Addition Walk Through Waiver The WAIV application for minor residential additions has been updated to streamline the submission process with better prompts, automation and help text while also eliminating the need to upload the PDF application with duplicative information. For details on the submission process, visit the WAIV permit library guide. Updates to the Hazardous Tree Program The Hazardous Tree inspection type and related checklist is now available for staff to use for better reporting and tracking of any hazardous tree complaints reported via the PLUS enforcement tab. For more information on when and how to report, click here.   We welcome your feedback on future PLUS enhancements. If you have ideas to improve the system, please take a moment to enter them here: LDS Customer PLUS Feedback Form.