The annual report summarizes Land Development Services' (LDS) activities and accomplishments in fiscal year 2019. Key highlights include: - LDS facilitated over $1.5 billion in residential and commercial construction. Time to approval decreased for most project types such as single family homes and commercial buildings. - Over 213,000 inspections were conducted on building, sites and critical structures. Technology improvements included 16 new GIS applications and online permitting. - Environmental protection efforts included over 500 stormwater inspections and nearly 1,000 acres of approved land disturbance. Nearly 400 stormwater facilities were approved. - Moving forward, LDS will focus on partnering with industry, leveraging technology, responding to development

1. ANNUAL REPORT Fiscal Year 2019
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/Plan2Build

2. As members of the Land Development Services team, we accomplish our mission by embracing our
values in a work environment that protects the health and well-being of each other and the public.
Facilitate the safe and sustainable building of our communities.
Be the best partner in creating a thriving Fairfax County.
Values
Empowerment Accountability Collaboration
Respect
Safety
Integrity
Trust and support
employees to lead and
make decisions that
align with our mission
Fulfill your obligations
and expect others to do
the same
Work together towards
a common goal and
support innovation
Consistently
demonstrate
honesty, sincerity,
openness and moral
uprightness
Value others by
demonstrating fairness,
appreciation and
understanding
Adhere to safe working
practices on and off
the job
Vision
Mission
Environmental
Stewardship
Promote
environmentally
responsible
development

3. Page 3LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Table of Contents
4 A Word from the Director
5 New Construction in Fairfax
6 Measuring Time to Market
14 Building & Trade Permits
16 Building & Site Inspections
17 Critical Structures
18 Elevators/Escalators
19 Resources Overview
20 Environmental Outlook
22 Technology
23 Get to Know LDS

4. Page 4 LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
A Word from the DirectorAs stewards of the county’s land development and building construction codes and regulations,
Land Development Services (LDS) employees dedicate themselves every day to the health and
safety of the Fairfax community. At the same time, their commitment to customer service and
achieving a smooth review process supports economic development in the county. In FY 2019,
LDS focused on six key areas on which we continue to work in FY 2020.
1. Partnership with Industry: Time-to-market statistics truly measure LDS’ impact on our
customers’ timeline and bottom line. In this year’s Annual Report, year-to-year comparisons
demonstrate improvements that will shorten our review time.
2. Outreach to Residents: From decks to additions to finishing a basement, we aim to demystify the process of hiring a
contractor, obtaining the proper permitting and understanding the inspection process in Fairfax County.
3. Leveraging Technology: Fairfax envisions a paperless development review process that uses technology to streamline and
simplify the work. To that end, in FY19, LDS launched ePlans (electronic plan review), built 16 GIS applications, began work on
customizable online permit guides and launched a new website, fairfaxcounty.gov/Plan2Build.
4. A Challenge from the Skies: Torrential rain in the region has tested our agency with a record number of complaints about
run-off from construction sites. To meet this demand, LDS introduced a new GIS-based, online form where residents can
submit and track their complaints.
5. One Fairfax: LDS embraces the county-wide initiative One Fairfax, which has led us to ask the question: Are we serving all
Fairfax County residents equitably? Development of a workplan began in FY19 to apply the equity lens to our processes.
6. Fairfax County Strategic Plan: Fairfax County will soon unveil the first-ever community driven strategic plan, which will
set priorities for the county for the next 10-20 years. LDS will look to marry our initiatives to the vision set forth in the Board
of Supervisors’ approved plan.
William D. Hicks, P.E.
Director, Fairfax County Land Development Services

5. Page 5LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
New Construction in Fairfax
82Bonded public improvements completed
$1.5 billionEstimated value of residential and commercial construction in FY19
$22.8 millionTotal amount of bonds released
4,358 New dwelling units constructed
(Single family homes, townhouses and multi-family units)
1,241 Number of new addresses added in Fairfax County
New commercial buildings completed
43

6. Page 6 LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Completed Residential Additions
Details
• 558 Projects
• Avg. Time to Market: 33 days
• Avg. # of Submissions: 1.4
1.4Averagenumberofsubmissions
theseprojectstypicallyneed
beforefinalapproval
PlanReview
Residentialadditionsfallintotwocategories:non-walk-through(403plansincludingsunroomsandtwo-story
additions);andwalk-through(155plansincludingfinishedbasements,decks,screenedporches,andsingle-
storyadditions).Non-walk-throughadditionsmovethroughthestandardplanreviewprocessandgenerally
requiremorereviewtime.Walk-throughadditionsinvolvedeskreviewswheretheapplicantsitswithatechnician
asthereviewisperformed.Thedataonthispageincludesallnon-walk-throughreviewsandthosewalk-through
reviewsthattookmorethanonesubmission.LDSdoesnotassessadditionalpenaltiesformultiplewalk-through
reviewsasthisserviceguideslessexperiencedcustomersthroughacomplexprocess.ComparedtoFY
2018,theaveragecountyreviewtimeincreased5days(71%),primarilyduetothecomplexityoftheprojects
presented,manyofwhichgrewinsizeandscopeduringthereviewprocess.

7. Page 7LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Completed Single Family Homes
Details
• 735 Projects (576 with Site Plans)
• Avg. Time to Market: 254 days
• Avg. # of Submissions: 1.5 site, 2 bldg.
• Avg. Construction: 246 days
PlanReview
Singlefamilyhomesareeithercustom-builtwithplansapprovedforonespecifichome,orthey
are production-builtbydeveloperswhohavemasterfilesapprovedfortheirselectionof
pre-reviewedandapprovedbuildingplansthatwillonlyneedacursoryreviewbeforepermitsare
issued.Thechartabovedepictsbothcustom(496/67%)andproduction-built(239/33%)homes.
ComparedtoFY2018,thecounty’sreviewtimedecreasedby33days(38%)whilethecustomer
timedecreasedby49days(34%).
Countyreview
timedecreasedby
33
days

8. Page 8 LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Completed Tenant Improvements
Details
(Projects greater than 4,500 square feet)
• 936 projects approved
• 38% approved in one submission
(Projects less than 4,500 square feet)
• 925 projects approved
• 51% approved in one submission
PlanReview
Fast-Track Non-Fast-Track
Commercialtenantimprovementsincludeprojectstoreconfigureorupdatespaceinabuilding.Thismayincludeofficeorstorefrontupdatesormodifica-
tionstothespacetoaccomodatethenewuse,suchasmedicaloffices,restaurantsorpetgroomingfacilities.ThedividinglineforFast-TrackorNon-Fast-
Trackis4,500squarefeetforpaperplansand10,000squarefeetforePlansubmissions.Ofthe1,861tenantimprovementprojectsapprovedfornon-residen-
tialuseinFY2019,30wereprocessedthroughtheePlansportal.EachprojectprocessedthroughtheePlansportalaveraged one submission with only six
days of review.AsLDScontinuestomovetowardfullePlanimplementation,theaveragetimetomarketshouldcontinuetotrenddownward.
30
“Fast-Track”ePlan
projectsapproved
100%
ofthoseapprovedin
onesubmission

9. Page 9LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Completed Commercial Multi-Use Buildings
Details
• 18 Projects
• Avg. Time to Market: 471 days
• Avg. # of Submissions: 2 site, 3 building
• Avg. Construction: 496 days
PlanReview
Countyreviewtime
decreased
70
days(38%)
ComparedtoFY2018,thecountyreviewtimedecreased70days(38%)forcommercialmulti-
usebuildingsthatwerecertifiedforoccupancyinFY2019.Thisgroupofbuildingsincludesa
varietyofprojects,includingthe751,000-square-footSt.JamesSports&WellnessCenterwith
asiteplanapprovedin2017;additionalbuildingsontheINOVAScharCancerCentercampus;
anautodealership;andseveralmixed-usebuildingsbuiltonspecforprospectivetenants.The
averageconstructiontimeforthesecomplexstructureswas496days,makingthetotaltime
fromplansubmittaltooccupancy2.9years.

10. Page 10 LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Residential Infill Plan ApprovalsSite Plans related to Single-Family Home Construction | Construction Pending
Details
• 565 Projects
• Avg. County Review: 37 days
• Avg. Customer Time: 38 days
• Avg. # of Submissions: 1.6
75
Averagenumberofdays
fortimetomarket
inFY2019

11. Page 11LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Residential infill lots are parcels of land that are either surrounded by already-developed parcels or part of a
larger subdivision of parcels. To build a new home on an infill lot, plans must be reviewed for compliance with
today’s environmental standards, which include guidelines around stormwater management and tree preservation
requirements.
FY2019INFPlans-#ofSubmissionstoApproval
565TotalPlans With the move to full
ePlan implementation,
LDS focuses on shrinking
timelines and accepting only
high quality plans. Largely
due to the move to ePlans,
the average number of
submissions decreased to 1.4
in FY 2019, compared to 1.6
submissions in FY 2018. More
significantly, the average
time to market moved from
86 days in FY 2018 to 75 days
in FY 2019.

12. Page 12 LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Major Site Plan Approvals
DPE and non-DPE | Construction Pending
2.4Averagenumberof
submissionsbefore
approval

13. Page 13LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Details
TOTAL MAJOR SITE PLANS APPROVED: 51
Designated Plan Examiner (DPE-Peer Review)
• 32 Plans
• Avg. County Review: 81 days
• Avg. Customer Time: 177 days
• Avg. # of Submissions: 1.95
Non-DPE Peer Review
• 19 Plans
• Avg. County Review: 123 days
• Avg. Customer Time: 352 days
• Avg. # of Submissions: 3.2
Majorsiteplansaredefinedbytheircomplexity,ratherthantheirsize.InFY2019,theaveragesize
ofprojectswithmajorsiteplanswasthreeacres.Withinthosethreeacres,amultitudeofcomplex
issuesmustbeaddressedduringplanreviewand,ultimately,theinspectionprocess.Theseisues
includestormwatermanagement,re-grading,treepreservation,anderosioncontrol.
LDScontinuestoworkwithindustryandotherpartneragenciestoshortenreviewtimesand
encouragehighqualityplansubmissions.TheseeffortsincludetheDesignatedPlansExaminer
Program(DPE)aswellastheelectronicplanreviewprogram.TheDPEprogramdemandsapproval
intwosubmissions.Tomeetthisdemand,applicantsmustsubmithighqualityplansfromthestart.
Thevalueofthisprogramisreadilyapparentbycomparingtime-to-marketdata.Theaveragetimeto
marketis258daysforDPEplansand475daysfornon-DPEplans.For DPE plans, this is a decrease
of 14 days (5%) compared to FY 2018.

14. Page 14 LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Building & Trade Permits
50,322Total trade permits issued
Electrical
17,683
Mechanical 8,099
Plumbing/Gas
13,286
Houshold Appliance
11,254
66,421Total building and trade permits issued Issuedinperson Issuedonline

15. Page 15LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
16,099Building permits issued
15,523
15,034
15,112
15,494
16,160
16,099
14,400
14,600
14,800
15,000
15,200
15,400
15,600
15,800
16,000
16,200
16,400
FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19

16. Page 16 LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
168,008Building inspections conducted
Building & Site Inspections
45,283Site inspections conducted
5Percent increase
in number of
inspections for
FY 2019

17. Page 17LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Critical Structures
Most major commercial projects and multi-family
residences are considered Critical Structures. They
include building projects that, for safety concerns, require
special inspections by a Registered Design Professional.
18Number of tower
cranes in Fairfax
County as of
November 2019
Shop drawings reviewed: 1,245
Inspections performed: 12,017

18. Page 18 LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Elevators/Escalators
# of elevators/escalators in Fairfax: 6,469
Permits issued for new elevators/escalators: 424
Total inspections performed: 14,549
On May 1, 2019, the county changed contractors to provide the inspections necessary for permitting of
elevators, material hoists, wheelchair lifts, escalators and dumbwaiters in Fairfax County. With this
change came many improvements and process changes.
Go to www.fairfaxcounty.gov and search “Elevators” to learn more.

19. Page 19LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Resources Overview
Expenditures
Expenditures include personnel, contracts, utilities, training and
other operating costs and an overhead rate for occupancy costs,
interagency coordination and county oversight.
Fees are the primary source of revenue for LDS and are based on
the costs required to perform our core services and to operate the
agency. This fee revenue can fluctuate each year depending on the
volume of plans submitted and permits issued.
$42,660,128
Revenue
$42,640,621
LDS’ cost recovery rate is determined by comparing the total annual expenditures
to the total annual revenue. This rate is used to determine how fees are calculated.
In working with the county’s Department of Management and Budget, LDS aims to
achieve 100% cost recovery.
However, actual revenue and expenses vary based on work volume. Any excess
revenue, with Board of Supervisors approval, is invested in the agency’s capital
needs. Currently, this is focused on the PLUS online permitting system.
100% Cost Recovery Rate
Inspectors’ Workload
Average number of
inspections per site
inspector per month
293
Number of Employees
104
Va. Dept. of Environmental
Quality Certifications
49
Professional Engineers
Va. Dept. of Housing and
Community Development
Certifications
619
5
Certified Flood Plain Managers
122

20. Page 20 LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Environmental Outlook
489Stormwater
inspections performed Land disturbing
activities approved
912
Erosion and sediment
inspections performed
24,529
Acres of approved
land disturbance
987
397Stormwater facilities brought
online, treating 561 acres

21. Page 21LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
279Erosion and Sediment Control and
Stormwater Violations Issued
30Resource Protection Area (RPA)
Violations Issued
43Water Quality Impact
Assessments (WQIA)
Approved*
*WQIAs are submitted for evaluation of potential development impacts to Chesapeake Bay RPA.
3Green Buildings
Reviewed

22. Page 22 LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Technology
16 Number of GIS Apps
Developed
Type of Construction Viewer
This web app provides building code associated Type(s) of
Construction for existing buildings based on historic permit
applications. Type of Construction is based on the building’s
combustibility and level of protection against fire.
Site Construction Complaints System
To streamline the process of reporting potential problems
at Fairfax County construction sites, LDS upgraded its
online Site Construction Complaint system by implementing
GIS. The public can now file a complaint identifying the
exact location on a map and track the status of complaints
online through a user-friendly GIS application.
Views in FY20193,542
822 Views from 4/1/19-6/30/19
Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/Plan2Build
for more Land Development Service GIS applications.

23. Page 23LDS FY19 ANNUAL REPORT
Get to Know LDS
Visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/Plan2Build.
Tune in to the LDS Code Talk Podcast.
Connect with LDS on Facebook.

24. A Fairfax County, Va. Publication | March 2020
If accommodations or alternate formats are needed, please call 703-324-1780, TTY 711
Contact LDS
• Permit Application Center, Site Application Center, Facilitation
and Addressing Center, Bonds and Agreements: 703-222-0801
• Building Plan Review and Inspections: 703-631-5101
• Site Development and Inspections: 703-324-1720
• Director’s Office: 703-324-1780
TTY 711
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/Plan2Build