Why does Fairfax County send residential plan sets back?

Fairfax County sends residential plans back when the sheets do not show enough to confirm code compliance. The county's own residential comment list is mostly "show it" comments: wall bracing, escape openings, alarm locations, room uses, insulation values, framing and load path, ledger attachment, and designer information. ^S1 Most of these are fixed on the sheet, not in the field.

Where does this list come from?

Fairfax Land Development Services (LDS) publishes a "Residential Problem Codes" list. It is the set of standard comments reviewers use on residential building plans. ^S1 The residential list is a PDF on the county's Building Plan Review page, alongside lists for commercial, electrical, mechanical and fire. ^S2

Two cautions. The residential list cites the 2015 IRC in most entries, and some entries have blank section references. ^S1 Virginia now enforces the 2021 codes, so section numbers below are checked against the 2021 Virginia Residential Code (VRC) where we could, and are labeled "county cites 2015" where we could not. ^S3S4 The county's residential comment list still cites the 2015 IRC, so confirm with LDS how a given comment maps to the 2021 codes.

LDS also published a September 28, 2026 memo of common intake and plan review comments, to help applicants "reduce review cycles." ^S5 Its building section is written mostly around commercial work. ^S5

Is the wall bracing shown correctly?

Wall bracing is the first group on the county's residential list. ^S1 The county writes comments such as "wall bracing inadequate," "panel location and details," and "wind calcs do not comply." ^S1 It asks for the location and length of braced panels and for all braced wall lines and panels to be clearly shown. ^S1 Fairfax also asks for the wall bracing method and worksheet as part of the minimum submission. ^S6

County cites 2015 IRC R602.10 for bracing. ^S1

Are the escape openings, alarms and room uses on the plans?

Several frequent comments on the county's list are about life safety items that are easy to forget on the sheet:

In the 2021 VRC, R305.1 requires habitable space to have a ceiling height of at least 7 feet. ^S3

The county's checklist also says every room must be labeled with its proposed use, and window and door sizes must be shown. ^S7

Are the insulation values and energy method on the plans?

The county's list has separate comments for wall, floor, ceiling, basement wall, slab and crawl space R-values, and for missing U-factors. ^S1 It also asks you to note the energy compliance method on the plans, and says the U.S. DOE REScheck tool is an acceptable method. ^S1 The minimum submission requires insulation R-values and U-factors. ^S6

Current values are on the county's Energy Conservation page. For a new home or addition: walls R-15 or R-13 plus 1 inch continuous, floors R-19, windows and doors at a maximum U-factor of 0.30, and a maximum SHGC of 0.40. ^S8 The county list's own U-factor entry says 0.35, which reflects an older table, so use the Energy Conservation page. ^S1S8 The page says to show compliance by marking the required R-values and U-factors on your drawings, and attach the RESCheck certificate if you used it. ^S8

Is the structure traceable to the foundation?

A large share of the list is structural. The county asks for:

• A complete framing plan. ^S1
• A load path through every element to the foundation. ^S1
• Column sizes under beams and headers. ^S1
• Manufacturer, size and series for I-joists and LVLs. ^S1
• A truss layout drawing showing girder trusses. ^S1
• Design load criteria: live, dead, snow, wind, soil bearing and lateral earth pressure. ^S1
• A list of material specifications, including lumber species and grade and concrete strength. ^S1
• Minimum footing depth of 2 feet from finished grade. ^S1
• A foundation design that matches the geotechnical report and site soil types. ^S1

Is the deck ledger attachment shown?

The county has separate comments for ledger attachment, ledger bolt spacing, bolt and lag screw edge distance, and deck lateral loads. ^S1 The ask is simple: say what the ledger attaches to (rim board, solid masonry), name the hardware, and give the spacing. ^S1 In the 2021 VRC, ledger fasteners are covered by R507.9.1.3, and lateral connection by R507.9.2. ^S9 See our deck guide for the Fairfax typical deck details.

Is the sheet information complete?

Plenty of comments are about the sheet, not the design:

• Designer name, address and occupation. The county says Virginia law requires the designer be listed as a person, not a company. ^S1 The minimum submission also requires this. ^S6
• Code year. The minimum submission requires the code year used for the design. ^S6
• Seal and signature. If an architect or engineer prepared the plans, they need a digital signature, seal and date. ^S6
• Fairfax cover sheet. The county asks for its plan cover sheet with each set. ^S1
• Scale. Residential minimum is 1/4 inch = 1 foot. ^S6
• "Optional" items. The county says optional features are not permitted on single family custom home permits. ^S1 Remove them or detail them fully. ^S1

Do site documents and zoning also hold up building review?

Yes. The county asks for the approved grading plan or plat when you submit building plans. ^S1 The building plan cannot be approved until site and zoning approval is obtained. ^S1 For new homes and additions, the county also asks for building height shown with elevations, average grade around the perimeter and mean roof height. ^S1 For the height item, the county's list cites a 2009 zoning amendment, ZOA-09-419; confirm the current Zoning Ordinance section with the county.

How should I resubmit after comments?

LDS guidance on resubmissions says to use the same sheet numbers and names as the previous submission, and to address every outstanding reviewer issue in the PLUS Digital Plan Room first. ^S5 For revisions, LDS says to mark every change with red revision clouds or bubbles and add a revision block with the date. ^S5 The memo places these items in its site-plan sections. This may apply to your project; confirm with LDS.

FAQ

PlanScan is an invite-only pilot that reads a residential plan set PDF and flags likely code issues with a citation, for Fairfax County only. Its rules are drafts, and it does not replace county review.