Fairfax County, VA · Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance
R-1 provides for single-family detached dwellings on large lots. Max 1 DU/acre. Single-family dwellings: height 35ft; other principal uses 60ft (Table 2102.4). Front setback 40ft, side 20ft, rear 25ft. Common in the rural-suburban western portions of Fairfax County.
Development standards in R-1
Front setback
Single-family dwellings, conventional subdivision: At least 40 ft
2102
Single-family dwellings, cluster subdivision: At least 30 ft
2102
Other principal uses: At least 40 ft for a building up to 35 ft tall, 43 ft up to 40 ft, 49 ft up to 45 ft, 55 ft up to 50 ft, 61 ft up to 55 ft, 67 ft up to 60 ft; no figure above that height
2102
Side setback
Single-family dwellings, conventional subdivision: At least 20 ft
2102
Single-family dwellings, cluster subdivision: At least 12 ft
2102
Other principal uses: At least the greater of the building height and 20 ft
2102
Side setbacks combined
Single-family dwellings, cluster subdivision: At least 40 ft
2102
Rear setback
Single-family dwellings: At least 25 ft
2102
Other principal uses: At least the greater of the building height and 25 ft
2102
Maximum height
Single-family dwellings: At most 35 ft
2102
Other principal uses: At most 60 ft
2102
Maximum FAR
Other principal uses, public uses: At most 0.2
2102
Other principal uses, uses other than residential or public: At most 0.15
2102
Single-family dwellings: No requirement
2102
Max density
Conventional subdivision: At most 1 dwellings per acre
2102
Cluster subdivision: Not computed here: the ordinance makes it depend on facts about the site
2102
Minimum lot size
Conventional subdivision: At least 36,000 sq ft
2102
Cluster subdivision: At least 25,000 sq ft
2102
Minimum lot width
Conventional subdivision, interior lot: At least 150 ft “[1] District size and lot width may be modified in accordance with subsection 5100.2.K.”
2102
Conventional subdivision, corner lot: At least 175 ft “[1] District size and lot width may be modified in accordance with subsection 5100.2.K.”
2102
Cluster subdivision, corner lot: At least 125 ft “[1] District size and lot width may be modified in accordance with subsection 5100.2.K.”
2102
Cluster subdivision, interior lot: No requirement
2102
Minimum open space
Cluster subdivision: At least 30%
2102
Conventional subdivision: No requirement
2102
Each row above is the ordinance’s own rule, written out in words and cited to its section. Where a figure depends on what you build (the kind of building, a conventional or cluster subdivision, an interior or corner lot, or the building’s height), each case is its own line; where it depends on the building height, the cited table says how that height is measured.
Read from Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance, effective through 2026-07-01. We last checked with the publisher on 2026-09-14 and found nothing newer -- a check on that date, not a promise about today.
How complete is this market? Across 239,083 parcels we answer 96.1% of the 6 questions this site is built to answer, each with a source you can check. The rest are shown as “not recorded” rather than filled in — we would rather be short than wrong. A further 13,550 properties inside the county line are zoned by an incorporated town with its own ordinance, not by the county, so this county ordinance does not govern them and they are not counted above or below — which is why we publish this market as Fairfax County (excl. Vienna and Herndon). Look one of those up and we will tell you which town governs it.
Permitted uses in R-1
AllowedSingle-Family Residential Table 4101.1 lists “Dwelling, Single-Family Detached” as P in the R-1 column. P = permitted by right; SE = special exception; SP = special permit; A = accessory only; AP = administrative permit (Table 4101.1).
DependsAccessory Dwelling Units Varies Depends: administrative permit, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.7.B allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 4102.7.B; special permit, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.7.B allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 4102.7.B; this table cell allows the use in more than one way (administrative permit or special permit), and the use standards in Sec. 4102.7.B set which way applies Table 4101.1 lists “Accessory Living Unit” as AP/SP in the R-1 column. P = permitted by right; SE = special exception; SP = special permit; A = accessory only; AP = administrative permit (Table 4101.1).
DependsHome Occupation Varies Depends: administrative permit, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.7.H allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 4102.7.H; special permit, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.7.H allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 4102.7.H; this table cell allows the use in more than one way (administrative permit or special permit), and the use standards in Sec. 4102.7.H set which way applies Table 4101.1 lists “Home-Based Business” as AP/SP in the R-1 column. P = permitted by right; SE = special exception; SP = special permit; A = accessory only; AP = administrative permit (Table 4101.1).
DependsSTR - Short-Term Rentals Varies Depends: administrative permit, only if the use is a type or location that Sec. 4102.7.O allows here and the use stays within the limits in Sec. 4102.7.O Table 4101.1 lists “Short-Term Lodging” as AP in the R-1 column. P = permitted by right; SE = special exception; SP = special permit; A = accessory only; AP = administrative permit (Table 4101.1). Fairfax defines this as a room or space intended for TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY for a charge, and expressly NOT a bed and breakfast, hotel, motel or accessory living unit (Article 9). It needs a short-term lodging permit from the Zoning Administrator, and the operator must be a permanent resident of the property (Sec. 4102.7.O).
Not AllowedCommercial / Retail Table 4101.1 has no entry for “Retail Sales, General” in the R-1 column. The table's own legend: a blank cell indicates the use cannot be established in that zoning district (Table 4101.1).
Not AllowedMulti-Family Residential Table 4101.1 has no entry for “Dwelling, Multifamily” in the R-1 column. The table's own legend: a blank cell indicates the use cannot be established in that zoning district (Table 4101.1).
"Conditional" means the use generally requires a public hearing or special-exception approval — a very different timeline and risk profile from a by-right permit.
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