Hiring a contractor in Falls Church, VA

Before you hire anyone to work on a house with a Falls Church address, answer one question: city or county? The independent City of Falls Church issues its own building permits. Fairfax County, which covers most of the Falls Church mailing area, issues its own under different rules. The state's contractor licensing and contract rules apply on both sides of the line.

This guide covers both permit lists, Virginia's license classes, what a home improvement contract has to say, and a few local rules that trip people up. It is not legal advice, and it does not tell you whether a crew does good work. It tells you what the paperwork should look like when they do.

If you are not sure which side of the line a house is on, our guide to what a Falls Church address means covers how to tell.

Inside the city: what needs a permit

The city's permit office is at City Hall, 300 Park Avenue. Its guidance for single-family houses is plain. You can do these without a permit:

• paint; add or replace carpet, tile or hardwood; replace cabinets, paneling or drywall
• replace windows and doors, as long as the opening stays the same size
• replace a roof, unless you are replacing rafters or a major portion of the decking
• replace a sink, disposal or toilet that stays in the same place, so no new pipe is run
• replace an outlet, a switch or a ceiling light

A permit is needed any time you change a wall, whether it is load bearing or not: adding one, removing one, even changing its height. The same goes for a new or larger opening, any work on framing, floors, ceilings or rafters, moving or adding a plumbing fixture, and adding an electrical fixture. Any work involving gas needs a permit, even replacing a stove or a fireplace insert. Multifamily and commercial buildings follow different rules.

In Fairfax County: what needs a permit

County addresses go through Land Development Services, which takes applications online through its PLUS system. The county's list is longer and, in one area, stricter. It says a permit is required for:

• a direct replacement of household appliances, including stoves, ovens, water heaters and HVAC equipment
• new, repaired or relocated electrical, mechanical, plumbing or gas fixtures
• interior renovations such as kitchens, bathrooms and finished basements, and adding or removing any wall, structural or not
• additions, including decks, porches, sunrooms, dormers and garages, and detached buildings such as garages, carports and larger sheds
• chimney, foundation and roof repairs, waterproofing and asbestos removal

It lists as not needing a permit: a direct replacement of windows and doors; a like-for-like replacement of plumbing, electrical or mechanical work in the same location; re-siding with similar material; replacing roof shingles, or less than 256 square feet of roof plywood; a one-story storage shed up to 256 square feet; kitchen cabinets and countertops; bathroom vanities; flooring; on-grade patios; fences, except around a pool; masonry walls up to 6 feet; and retaining walls holding back less than 3 feet of earth.

Notice the difference on appliances. In the county, swapping a water heater or furnace for a new one of the same kind needs a permit. Ask the contractor, in writing, who is pulling it.

Virginia's contractor license

Virginia licenses contractors through the Board for Contractors at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). The class depends on the size of the job:

• Class C: a single contract over $1,000 and under $30,000, or under $250,000 of work in any 12 months
• Class B: $30,000 up to $150,000 on a single contract, or $250,000 up to $1 million in 12 months
• Class A: $150,000 or more on a single contract, or $1 million or more in 12 months

For electrical, plumbing and heating and air conditioning contractors, the board also requires a master tradesman license. DPOR's free License Lookup lets you check a license yourself. Check the company and the person, and match the class to the size of your job.

What the contract has to say

State regulations require a licensed contractor doing residential work to use a legible written contract, signed by you and the contractor before work starts or any money changes hands. Among other things, it has to include:

• when work will start and the estimated completion date
• the total cost, the payment schedule and the down payment
• the materials and work you asked for
• a statement that the contractor will meet local permit, inspection and zoning requirements
• your cancellation rights
• the contractor's name, address, license number, class and specialties
• your signed acknowledgment that you received DPOR's statement of consumer protections
• a statement that any change to cost, materials, work or completion date must be in writing and signed by both of you
• notice of the Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund and how to contact the board about a claim

The contractor must keep a copy of the contract and every change order for five years, and must follow the Miss Utility rules before digging. The Recovery Fund can help an eligible homeowner who lost money through the improper or dishonest conduct of a licensed contractor. Filing a claim does not guarantee payment, and the fund is written for licensed contractors, which is one more reason to check the license first.

Older houses and lead paint

Federal rules say anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces in a home built before 1978 must be certified, with workers trained in lead-safe practices. If the house predates 1978, ask to see the certification before sanding, demolition or window work starts.

Trees in the city

All tree work for hire in the city must be done by a tree contractor holding the city's annual license, which requires bonding and insurance. The city's arborist advice: get a written estimate listing all the work, do not pay until everything agreed is finished, and do not hire anyone who suggests topping a tree or climbs a live tree with spikes. The city notes that it does not judge the quality of private tree work or recommend companies.

When the outside work gets done

At Reagan National, January nights average about 30 degrees and July afternoons close to 90, and June and July bring the most rain. Roofing, concrete and exterior paint need dry days. The contract's required clause on delays caused by events beyond the contractor's control is worth reading with the weather in mind.

Using our listings

Our Remodeling and Contractors, Roofing, Concrete and Paving, Electricians, Plumbers, Heating and Air Conditioning, Painting, Flooring, Handyman Services, and Windows and Siding categories list businesses serving the Falls Church area, each with a street address and, where we have one, a phone number. We have not hired or checked any of them, and a listing is not a license check. Look each one up with DPOR yourself.