Roofing in Fairfax, Virginia

Required

The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (13VAC5-63), effective January 18, 2024. For detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, Section 310.6.1 of the Virginia Construction Code applies "The provisions of the IRC for detached one-family and two-family dwellings and townhouses as amended by VCC Section 310.8, also referred to as the Virginia Residential Code (VRC)"; work on existing buildings falls under Part II, the Virginia Existing Building Code, whose reroofing section reads "602.3.2.1 Reroofing. Materials and methods of application used for recovering or replacing an existing roof covering shall comply with Chapter 15 of the VCC, except as modified by Section 302.1 and this section." The statewide code supersedes local building codes (Code of Virginia Section 36-98: "Such building code shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions and state agencies."). City of Fairfax City Code Sec. 10-31(a) adopts it: "The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, as adopted by Virginia Board of Housing and Community Development and currently in effect or hereafter amended, is hereby adopted by the city and incorporated herein as if set out in its entirety." The City's own Typical Deck Details (Version 2021.0, 1/5/2024) are "Based on the 2021 Virginia Residential Code". Chapter 10 of the City Code (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, adds no technical roofing provision of its own; its Sec. 10-45 fills in the climatic design values of Table R301.2(1).

Confirm with the City before starting: whether a house reroof in the City of Fairfax needs a building permit is not settled by any published City statement. The statewide Virginia Construction Code 108.2 item 14.5 exempts "Replacement of an unlimited amount of roof covering or siding in Group R-3, R-4 or R-5 provided the building or structure is not in an area where the nominal design wind speed is greater than 100 miles per hour (44.7 meters per second)"; the City's climatic table (City Code Sec. 10-45) lists "Wind Speed 90 mph" without saying whether that figure is ultimate or nominal, and the Office of Code Administration's Permit FAQs only point to Section 108: "Repairs not exempted in Building Code Section 108" need a building permit, and "If you have any questions or are unsure whether a permit is needed, call Code Administration at 703-385-7830". Decking replacement is its own line: item 14.6 exempts only "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m2) or less of roof decking in Group R-3, R-4 or R-5", unless the decking was required to be fire-retardant-treated. The building official may require a permit for roofing "in buildings within a historic district designated by a locality pursuant to Section 15.2-2306 of the Code of Virginia" and "for any items exempted in this section which are located in a special flood hazard area" (the Code's two Exceptions); the City has historic overlay districts and mapped special flood hazard areas. An owner or the owner's agent may ask for a permit anyway: "when an owner or an owner's agent requests that a permit be issued for any of the following, then a permit shall be issued and any related inspections shall be required." Separately, in the City's historic overlay districts, the Old Town Fairfax Transition Overlay District and the Architectural Control Overlay District, a zoning certificate of appropriateness is required for "any material change in the appearance of a building" visible from public places; the Zoning Ordinance exempts "Replacing previously approved broken windowpanes, missing roof shingles, or missing features with matching in-kind materials". Where a permit is needed, residential building permits are applied for in the City's Permit Portal ("Building permit for residential demolition, new construction, additions, alterations, and relocatable buildings"); a residential zoning permit is applied for at the same time. The application asks for the contractor's Virginia licence, a City of Fairfax business license where the contractor passes the City's annual threshold, an asbestos affidavit for existing buildings, and, where the owner does the work, a notarized Owner Exemption Statement. The City's FY 2026 fee schedule lists "Replace roof" at $93.60 per installation plus .5% of cost over $1,000. Office of Code Administration, 10455 Armstrong Street, Suite 208, Fairfax; 703-385-7830.