In Arlington County, additions and alterations to a house need a building permit, applied for online through Permit Arlington. Decks need one, and exterior changes are treated as additions. Replacing cabinets, fixtures, or appliances that don’t burn gas or oil, in the same spot and without moving pipes or drywall, does not. Replacing roof covering usually does not either, unless you replace more than a limited amount of roof decking or the roof originally required fire-retardant-treated lumber.
Who issues the permit depends on your address
Arlington County runs residential permitting through the Permit Arlington online portal, and residential applications have to be submitted online.
Arlington County building permits (Permit Arlington)
Residential building permits, plus the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits most projects also need, all applied for in Permit Arlington. Source: Arlington County: Residential building permits, Arlington County: Residential permit review process.
Do I need a permit? Job by job
Short answers for the remodel jobs homeowners ask us about most. Your exact scope decides the answer, so confirm with the permit office for your parcel.
Deck
Permit requiredRequired. The county wants a scaled plat with setbacks, a framing plan, and footing details; higher decks also need elevations and lot coverage information. Changing an existing deck counts as an addition. Source: Arlington County: Residential building permits.
Our decks workFinished basement
Permit requiredFinishing a basement is an alteration to the house, and Arlington requires a permit for alterations. A new egress window well counts as an addition. Source: Arlington County: Residential building permits.
Our basement finishing workBathroom remodel
Depends on scopeReplacing fixtures or cabinets in the same location, without moving pipes or drywall, needs no permit. Moving plumbing, opening walls, or changing the layout is an alteration that does. Source: Arlington County: Residential building permits.
Our bathroom remodeling workKitchen remodel
Depends on scopeSame rule as bathrooms: same-spot cabinet, fixture, and appliance swaps are exempt, as long as the appliance isn’t gas- or oil-fueled. Gas or oil appliances, relocated pipes, or new drywall take it out of the exemption. Source: Arlington County: Residential building permits.
Our kitchen remodeling workRoof replacement
Depends on scopeNew roof covering with no decking work, or with only a limited amount of decking replaced, needs no permit. Replacing more decking than that needs one, and a roof that originally required fire-retardant-treated lumber, as on townhouses, always does. Source: Arlington County: Residential building permits.
Our roofing workSiding, windows, and doors
Often no building permitArlington points to the Virginia USBC exemption list. Under it, siding replacement on a house is exempt where the design wind speed is 100 mph or less, and window and door replacements are exempt when they have similar operation and opening size, need no change to the framed opening, and don’t have to be fire rated. Arlington’s pages don’t spell these jobs out, so confirm with the county. Source: Arlington County: Residential building permits, Virginia USBC, 13VAC5-63-80 Section 108.2 (work exempt from permits).
Our siding & stone exteriors workAddition, screened porch, or sunroom
Permit requiredRequired, with a full plan submission. Arlington treats exterior alterations as additions for permit purposes. Source: Arlington County: Residential building permits.
Our home additions workFence or retaining wall
Depends on scopeThe state exemption list covers fences of any height except pool barriers and safety fences. A standalone retaining wall goes through Arlington’s separate fence or retaining wall permit. Zoning sets fence heights, so check before you build. Source: Arlington County: Residential building permits, Virginia USBC, 13VAC5-63-80 Section 108.2 (work exempt from permits).
The typical permit steps in Arlington County
- Apply online in Permit Arlington with plans and a plat. Source: Arlington County: Residential building permits.
- Staff check the application for completeness, then the relevant reviewers review the plans. Source: Arlington County: Residential permit review process.
- Contractor information is verified, fees are paid, and the permit and placard are posted at the site. Source: Arlington County: Residential permit review process.
- Add the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits the job needs, then schedule each inspection. Source: Arlington County: Residential permit review process.
HOA approval and historic districts are separate
If your home is in an HOA or condo association, treat its approval as a separate step from the county permit and check your governing documents before you apply. Source: Arlington County: Residential building permits.
In a local historic district, exterior alterations need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board, and the approved plans go in with the building permit. Routine maintenance, like-for-like repairs, and interior work are exempt. Source: Arlington County: Certificate of Appropriateness, Arlington County: Residential building permits.
How Real Elite handles permits
On a job we build, we confirm which office has jurisdiction over your parcel, pull the permits the scope needs, and schedule the inspections. Start with a free site visit: we walk the project with you, tell you what we expect the permit path to be, and put it in a written estimate. If something on this page doesn’t match what the county tells you, the county is right.
Quick questions
- Do I need a permit to build a deck in Arlington, VA?
- Yes. Arlington requires a permit for a new deck, and changing an existing deck counts as an addition. Home-center deck plans are generally not accepted.
- Do I need a permit to replace my kitchen cabinets in Arlington?
- No, if the cabinets, fixtures, and appliances (not gas- or oil-fueled) go back in the same spot and no pipes or drywall move. Beyond that, it is an alteration that needs a permit.
- Who should hold the permit, me or my contractor?
- An owner can apply for their own permit. When the applicant isn’t the owner and the permit holder isn’t a Virginia-licensed contractor for the work, Arlington requires a Permit Authorization Affidavit.
Official sources
Last checked October 11, 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the county before you file.
Where we work in Arlington County
Permit guides for other counties
- Fairfax County, VA permit guide
- Loudoun County, VA permit guide
- Montgomery County, MD permit guide
- Howard County, MD permit guide
- Frederick County, MD permit guide
- Berkeley County, WV permit guide
- Jefferson County, WV permit guide
- Washington County, MD permit guide
- Franklin County, PA permit guide
- Fauquier County, VA permit guide
- Prince William County, VA permit guide
- Frederick County and Winchester, VA permit guide
- Clarke County, VA permit guide
- City of Alexandria, VA permit guide
- Falls Church and City of Fairfax, VA permit guide
- Anne Arundel County and Annapolis, MD permit guide
- Carroll County, MD permit guide
- Manassas and Manassas Park, VA permit guide