We're still verifying Fairfax County, VA's answers against the county code.

R-EResidential-Estate (R-E)

Fairfax County, VA · Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance

R-E provides for single-family detached dwellings on large lots compatible with an open, rural character. Conventional: max 0.5 DU/acre. Min lot 75,000 sq ft. Height 35ft (up to 40ft with a 50ft setback). Front 50ft, side 20ft, rear 25ft. Section 2102.3.

Development standards in R-E

Front setback	Single-family dwellings, conventional subdivision: At least 50 ft	2102
	Single-family dwellings, cluster subdivision: At least 50 ft if the building height is more than 35 ft; otherwise 30 ft	2102
	Other principal uses: At least 50 ft for a building up to 35 ft tall, 51 ft up to 40 ft, 59 ft up to 45 ft, 66 ft up to 50 ft, 73 ft up to 55 ft, 80 ft up to 60 ft; no figure above that height	2102
Side setback	Single-family dwellings, conventional subdivision: At least 50 ft if the building height is more than 35 ft; otherwise 20 ft “Side setback, minimum 20 feet or 50 feet [3]” “[3] A dwelling may be taller than 35 feet, up to a maximum of 40 feet, with a minimum 50-foot setback.”	2102
	Single-family dwellings, cluster subdivision: At least 50 ft if the building height is more than 35 ft; otherwise 15 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 if the building height is at most 35 ft	2102
Rear setback	Single-family dwellings: At least 50 ft if the building height is more than 35 ft; otherwise 25 ft “Rear setback, minimum 25 feet or 50 feet [3]” “[3] A dwelling may be taller than 35 feet, up to a maximum of 40 feet, with a minimum 50-foot setback.”	2102
Rear setback	Other principal uses: At least the greater of the building height and 25 ft	2102
Maximum height	Other principal uses: At most 60 ft	2102
Maximum height	Single-family dwellings: At most 40 ft “Building height, maximum 35 feet or 40 feet [3]” “[3] A dwelling may be taller than 35 feet, up to a maximum of 40 feet, with a minimum 50-foot setback.”	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 0.5 dwellings per acre	2102
Max density	Cluster subdivision: Not computed here: the ordinance makes it depend on facts about the site	2102
Minimum lot size	Conventional subdivision: At least 75,000 sq ft	2102
Minimum lot size	Cluster subdivision: At least 52,000 sq ft	2102
Minimum lot width	Conventional subdivision, interior lot: At least 200 ft “[2] Lot width may be modified in accordance with subsection 5100.2.K.”	2102
	Conventional subdivision, corner lot: At least 225 ft “[2] Lot width may be modified in accordance with subsection 5100.2.K.”	2102
	Cluster subdivision, corner lot: At least 175 ft “[2] 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
Minimum open space	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-E

AllowedSingle-Family Residential
Table 4101.1 lists “Dwelling, Single-Family Detached” as P in the R-E 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-E 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-E 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-E 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-E 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-E 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.

This is the zone. What about the parcel?

Zone rules are the starting point — the answer for a specific property also depends on lot size, overlays, existing improvements and site conditions. Run a free address lookup to see what applies to one property.

Look up an address

Sources

Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance — read the ordinance
Fairfax County — official zoning map / authority
Standards as recorded by Zonescore: Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance (enCodePlus, current)

Values are read from the Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance.

Other Fairfax County zones

C-1 C-2 C-3 C-4 C-5 C-6 C-7 C-8 I-2 I-3 I-4 I-5 I-6 I-I PCC PDC PDH PDH-1 PDH-12 PDH-16 PDH-2 PDH-20 PDH-3 PDH-30 PDH-4 PDH-40 PDH-5 PDH-8 PRC PRM PTC R-1 R-12 R-16 R-2 R-20 R-3 R-30 R-4 R-5 R-8 R-A R-C R-MHP