Outdoor Living in Clifton, VA

A screened porch in Clifton is an addition on the county list. For a parcel inside the Town of Clifton, the town requires a certificate of appropriateness for an addition. The town FAQ says to confirm the parcel on the Fairfax County profile, where the District field says Springfield Town of Clifton inside the town. A village lot on Main Street still needs the parcel District field before town rules apply. A 20124 address is not that field.

If the parcel is inside the Town of Clifton, the town FAQ requires a certificate of appropriateness for an addition to an existing building, and a use permit to build an addition to an existing structure. Fairfax County counts a screen porch and a sunroom as a new addition that needs a county permit. The town FAQ says the county will not grant the building permit unless the applicant shows the certificate and the use permit, and the mayor or a designated representative signs the application. Town questions go to 12641 Chapel Rd, Clifton, VA 20124, phone (571) 781-2404, or clerk@cliftonva.gov. That approval is uploaded to the county PLUS record.

For a parcel outside the Town of Clifton, Fairfax County Land Development Services handles the building permit. For Fairfax County building-permit questions, contact Land Development Services at 703-222-0801. If the parcel is within Clifton or Vienna, the county also requires the applicable town approval to be uploaded to the PLUS record. The office is at 12055 Government Center Pkwy, Suite 324. Screened porches and sunrooms are filed as Additional Square Footage. A detached gazebo is on the detached-structures list, not the porch list. If the project includes electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work, separate trade permits may be required. Real Elite does not take electrical work. The price is a free written estimate after a site walk.