Frequently Asked Questions

You or your irrigation contractor must obtain a Loudoun County plumbing permit, install the proper backflow prevention device, and inform the Town's Utility Department of your system.

1. Your contractor must apply for a plumbing permit through Loudoun County Building & Development.
2. The irrigation system must be provided with an RPZ backflow preventer to eliminate any potential for cross connection.
3. The backflow preventer must be tested by a certified backflow tester and results submitted to the Town's Utility Department (Fax - 703.737.7185).
4. The backflow device must be tested annually to assure its operability.

See the Town’s Sign Brochure for permissable business signs, as well as Zoning Ordinance Article 15-Sign Regulations.

Yes. Grand opening and special sales events are permitted as listed in Zoning Ordinance section 9.6-Business Special Events.

Certain uses may be permissible on a temporary basis. See Zoning Ordinance section 9.5 for a list of procedures and criteria for temporary use evaluation.

Yes. The Town issues Home Occupation Permits per Zoning Ordinance section 9.4.3 as defined in 18.1.76.

In the case of a deck, shed or small building addition:
• 2 copies of your house location survey/plat with the addition or accessory structure (drawn to scale) on the plat. Staff will gladly assist homeowners who help prepare a plat for permit review.
• Depending upon the actual improvement(s), a Minor Site Plan or a Site Plan Waiver may also be required.
• A completed Zoning Permit Application.
• The appropriate fee for the type of Zoning Permit requested.

In the case of interior alterations such as finishing a basement, or remodeling a kitchen, please provide:
• 2 copies of a drawing indicating the new improvements. Interior alteration drawings do not have to be professionally prepared.
• A completed Zoning Permit Application.
• A fee is required for each permiit requested.

Also, if your property is located in the H-1 or H-2 Historic Districts, improvements will also be subject to the review and approval of the Board of Architectural Review (BAR).

If there is no work being done to the exterior of the building, there is probably no Town Permit required. Typically, the Loudoun County Department of Building and Development handles these types of improvements and/or repairs, issuing all related Health Department, Electrical, Gas, Plumbing and Mechanical Permits. For more information, contact the Loudoun County Department of Building and Development at 703-777-0220; located at 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd floor, Leesburg, VA 20175.

Permits are not needed to erect a fence in residential districts, unless in the H-1 or H-2 Historic Overlay Districts which would be subject to review and approval by the Board of Architectural Review. Limitations are listed in Zoning Ordinance section 10.4.5.C.6 for Minimum Yard Requirements for Fences, Walls and Hedges – see also Department of Plan Review and Loudoun County Building and Development.

The Central Plan Intake staff at 703-771-2772 or -2768; Department of Plan Review, 25 West Market Street, 2nd floor, Leesburg, VA.

Once you have all of the components of a Subdivision Application package, submit it to the Central Plan Intake counter located on the 2nd floor of Town Hall located at 25 West Market Street in Leesburg. However, be advised that before any application can be accepted , it must comply with the Town’s Minimum Submission Checklist. Subdivision Regulations tend to provide for several alternatives which may be used to subdivide property. Therefore, it is recommended that applicants, especially those who have never submitted a subdivision application in the Town of Leesburg, arrange a meeting with one of the Plan Review Project Managers by calling 703-771-2740 to discuss potential subdivision options prior to the preparation of any subdivision plat or related construction plans.

You must provide at least:
• A completed Land Development Application form from the Department of Plan Review located on the 2nd floor of Town Hall, 25 West Market Street in Leesburg.
• Verification that a Preliminary Plat has been approved by the Planning Commission as well as Town Staff.
• A completed Minimum Submission Checklist.
• A set of Construction Drawings, which typically shows: required frontage improvements, zoning regulations and requirements, building footprints, travel ways, parking, drainage facilities, stormwater management, sanitary sewer lines, water lines, trails, lighting, landscaping, proposed and existing land contours, geotechnical recommendations, etc. The Construction Drawings must also include tabulations, calculations, profiles, details, notes and all other engineering and planning related items to verify the plan meets minimum Town codes and standards. The specific requirements are outlined in Division 3 of the Subdivision and Land Development Regulations.
• A plat prepared by a Professional Engineer or Land Surveyor which has been prepared in accordance with the Town’s Subdivision and Land Development Regulations and meets the minimum submission checklist requirements.
• A check for the appropriate fee made out to the Town of Leesburg.
• A Bond Estimate for all Public Improvements.
• Legal documentation as appropriate. At a minimum, this usually consists of a deed of subdivision, and/or a deed of easement and dedication. Sample forms may be obtained from the Department of Plan Review.

A DCSM Modification request must be submitted in the form of a letter addressed to the Director of Plan Review demonstrating aneed for the particular modification and must also include justification the request. If the modification is related to a waterline or sanitary sewer, the request must be forwarded to the Director of Utilities for consideration. Generally, DCSM Modification requests will be considered when an applicant demonstrates that all standard engineering design solutions have been exhausted.

In addition to the written request, each individual request must also be clearly identified on the cover sheet of the construction plans, with a number located in an inverted triangle citing each specific DCSM Section that is modified. These numbered inverted triangles must also be added to each individual sheet in the vicinity of each design item that requires the modification.

Handrails must be incorporated into the plan design whenever vertical drops or heights of storm system endwalls exceed 18 inches. Handrails must be designed in accordance with VDOT standards and labeled accordingly on the drawings. Protective handrails must also be placed in all hazardous locations identified by Town Inspectors.

A Town Zoning Permit is required for almost any type of construction within Town.  For example, constructing new buildings, room additions, interior alterations, decks, patios and accessory structures such as sheds, all require a Zoning Permit.

However, fences erected in residential districts do not require a zoning permit unless you are located within the H-1 or H-2 Historic Overlay Districts.  In these Districts, erection or modification of a fence requires Board of Architectural Review and/or Town Preservation Planner approval.  There are also height restrictions and material requirements which apply to fences.  Contact our Planning and Zoning Department for additional information.

The Town reviews the use and location of any proposal. Loudoun County reviews Statewide Uniform Building Code requirements on behalf of the Town. For example, when requesting a permit for a deck, the Town will need to review a final house location survey or plat, with proposed deck drawn to scale, to verify that the location of the deck is within the permitted setbacks from the rear and side property lines. The County will issue a building permit in order to carry out inspections to verify that the deck is structurally sound.

Contact the Loudoun County Department of Building an Development at 703-777-0220; located at 1 Harrison Street, SE, 2nd floor, Leesburg, VA 20175.

Once you have gathered all of the components for a Site Plan Application, submit your application to the Central Plan Intake counter on the 2nd floor of Town Hall at 25 West Market Street in Leesburg.  Before we can accept any application, the application must meet the Town’s Minimum Submission Checklist for Site Plan application requirements.  If you haven’t submitted a Site Plan application in Leesburg before, we recommend that you call us at 703-771-2740 to arrange a meeting with one of our Project Managers.  

Per DCSM Section 5-512.5, highway embankments located within the Town Limits are not, in general, permitted to be used as dam embankments. However, under certain conditions and circumstances, special permission from the Director of Plan Review may be granted.

Per DCSM Section 5-380.3, maintenance access ways to stormwater management facilities must have a minimum width of 12 feet with a 2% maximum cross slope and a 12% maximum longitudinal slope. Maintenance access ways must be constructed of with shot rock, grasspave, or other similar material, and must be kept clear of all physical obstructions such as shrubs, trees, buildings and fences. Additional access requirements will also apply when a combined spillway has been used.

Always check with the Town’s Department of Public Works at (703) 771-2790 before erecting a fence or any other structure within an easement. In most cases, you may construct a fence on your property as long as it does not interfere with the flow of stormwater or redirect the flow onto a neighbor's property. Permanent structures such as footings, brick piers or columns  never allowed in easements.