Building Plan Review

Overview
Construction plans are required to be submitted with the application for permit. Plans are required by state law to be reviewed by staff to determine compliance with the Virginia Construction Code for the safety and welfare of the occupants. Construction plans are reviewed and either declined for deficiencies or approved for compliance. Please note that approval from the other city departments may be necessary before permit issuance. Please contact permit staff at 703-257-8278 for information about applicable permit fees. Status of review can be check online through our customer interface system.

The Review Process

  • Construction plans are submitted with the permit application. It is important to provide contact information such as, phone, fax, and email on the permit application.
  • Construction plans are placed in queue for review after the insertion fee is paid. The average time in queue for review:
    • New Commercial and Residential Buildings - 2.5 weeks
    • New Commercial Tenant Layout or Change of Use - 2.5 weeks
    • Commercial Alterations and/or Additions - 2.5 weeks
    • New Residential Accessory Structure - 1.5 weeks
    • Residential Additions and/or Alterations - 1.5 weeks
  • A minimum of two complete sets of assembled plans are required for submission.
  • Plans are required to provide adequate detail of the architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing, or electrical components.
  • Plans may be required to be signed and sealed by a Virginia licensed design professional, or if exempt, are to possess the name, address, and occupation of the designer.
  • If the plans do not comply with the provisions of the code, the applicant is to be notified in writing of the deficiencies and/or determination of additional information or engineering details need to be submitted. The applicant may either replace the deficient plan sheets with corrected sheets or replace the entire plan sets and re-submit for another review.
  • Once approved, the applicant is to be notified by staff that the approved plans are ready for issuance. Applicant then pays all fees at the time of issuance. The applicant is to receive at least one set of stamped approved plans for field use along with the building permit to start work. Trade permits are applied for by the specific contractor based on the approved plans.
  • Changes to the project from the original approved plans require a submission of revised plans showing those changes.

Related Documents
New buildings and additions require the submission of the following: 

  • Two copies of the site utility plan or house location survey
  • A completed special inspections form
  • A copy of the geotechnical (soils) report
  • Structural calculations by the licensed structural designer
Alterations to existing buildings require the submission of the following:
  • A completed accessibility compliance form
  • Structural calculations for the placement of additional load to the structure

Additional Information
Applicants can find the information required to be on construction plans submitted for review on the division's plan review checklists. Please view the applications, forms, and fees to download the appropriate checklist. The checklists are to assist the applicant in determining the minimum information needed to review the plans expeditiously. Some items may not be applicable to a particular project. The items listed shall not be construed as being all-inclusive. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding the checklist items or need clarification on the plan submittal or review process.

Applicable Regulations
Local design load criteria for the City of Manassas is the same as the neighboring jurisdictions of Fairfax and Price William Counties. Applicable code is the 2018/2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC). Current codes can be purchased from the International Code Council Website.

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