Are you a resident planning to add an addition to your home? Before you begin, you will need to acquire permits and submit plans. Don’t forget that you will also need to complete multiple inspections during your build process.
Permits Required
Listed below, are the types of permits required to add an addition to a residential home, depending on the complexity of the project:
- Residential Building Permit for construction of architectural and structural elements
- Electrical Permit for all electrical installations
- Plumbing Permit for all installations of plumbing and gas piping systems.
- Mechanical Permit for the installations, alterations or extensions of new ductwork; or the addition or extension of a mechanical heating or cooling system.
Permit Process
Adding an addition can either be a walk-through review or a route-through review depending on the complexity of your project. For details about the process, see the Resident Permit Review Process link below.
Residential Permit Review Process
Construction Document Requirement
Submitted Construction documents must contain sufficient information for plan reviewers to be able to review the proposed construction work. For details about what information needs to be submitted, see the Residential Permit Submission Requirements link below.
Residential Permit Submission Requirements
In addition to the Residential Permit Submission Requirements, when adding an addition to your property you need to submit the following information:
- A scaled plat
- List of design load criteria: live load, dead load, snow load, wind load, bearing capacity and lateral earth pressure
- Footing details (minimum footing depth is 24 inches).
- Location of smoke alarms.
- Structural framing plans for each level accurately detailing all members, sizes, span lengths and spacing.
- Structural details of connections.
- Evaluation report from an authorized listing agency, such as the International Code Council – Evaluation Service, must be submitted for all materials not listed in the code.
- Plans must include load calculations for all columns.
- Typical wall section with sheathing thickness and type.
- Wall bracing including location of all braced wall lines and braced wall panels, method(s), and any other special requirements. Proprietary products require an evaluation report from an authorized listing agency. For more information, see the publication Wind Bracing. Additions 3 Last Updated: 9/21/09Insulation R-values and U-factors. See Energy Conservation for more information and specific requirements.
- Structural framing plan for roof.
- Elevations (front, side and rear) indicating window and door dimensions, and windowsill height above finished floor. Exterior grade (both preconstruction and post construction) must be accurately shown.
- Location of safety glazing.
- Manufacturer’s design specifications for pre-fabricated fireplaces
- A clear distinction between existing construction, alterations to existing, and new work. Separate ‘existing’ and ‘proposed’ within the plans will make the distinction easier to review
Inspections
Throughout your building permit process and depending upon the extent of the work, you will be required to complete different inspections throughout your building process. For details about Inspections, see the Residential Inspections link below.
Required Residential Inspections
Call Arlington to schedule your inspection appointment 24hrs in advance:
- Integrated Voice Response (IVR): 703-222-3700, 24 hours
- Permit Specialists: 703-228-3800, 8am-5pm, Monday – Friday
Fees
The cost for permits varies depending upon each project. For an overview of permit fees, see:
Additional Information
- Any permit expires 6 months after the last approved inspected activity on the site.
- If someone other than the permit holder is tasked with getting the permit from CPHD, they must have an Affidavit of Permit Authorization