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Fairfax Electrical Panel Permit Cost (2026)

Residential electrical panel upgrade and service-change permit fees in Fairfax County, Virginia, pulled directly from the official Appendix Q Land Development Services Fee Schedule (FY2025, effective July 1, 2024). Fairfax bills the electrical trade permit by the home's electrical service amperage, not by project cost: $341 for a 0-149A service, $378 for the standard 150-399A tier, $429 for 400-599A, $527 for 600-799A, and $633 for an 800A+ service, with a $135 minimum for minor electrical work. Virginia's 2% state levy is added on top of the permit fee. A standard 200-amp service upgrade totals $385.56 all-in. The same electrical trade permit also covers EV charger installations and new service connections. Verify your current electrical permit fee with Fairfax Land Development Services at (703) 222-0801.

Standard 200-amp Service (150-399A tier)
$378.00
Virginia 2% State Levy
$7.56
Standard 200-amp Upgrade All-In
$385.56
Fee Basis
Service amperage, not cost
Minimum Electrical Permit
$135.00
Fee Status
Official Appendix Q FY2025
What This Guide Covers - and What It Does Not

This guide covers: Fairfax County, Virginia residential electrical permit fees for panel upgrades and service changes as published in Appendix Q (FY2025, effective July 1, 2024). Coverage includes the amperage-tiered electrical trade permit rates ($341 for 0-149A through $633 for 800A+), the $135 minimum electrical permit, and Virginia's 2% state levy applied to the electrical permit. The same electrical trade permit fee applies to electrical panel upgrades, new service connections, EV charger installations, and other residential electrical work.

This guide does NOT cover: The cost of the panel, breakers, meter base, conductors, or any electrical hardware. Licensed electrician labor. Dominion Energy service-disconnect/reconnect and meter coordination (handled with the utility). Any structural, drywall, or finish work around the panel. These are separate from the county permit fee.

How the fee is set: Fairfax bills the electrical trade permit by the home's electrical service amperage, not by the project's dollar value. A 100A-to-200A heavy-up and a brand-new 200A service land in the same 150-399A tier ($378). A larger service (for example 400A) moves the permit into a higher tier.

When an electrical permit is required: All electrical panel upgrades, new electrical service connections, EV charger installations, and residential electrical work require an electrical permit from Fairfax LDS. There is no exemption for panel/service work. Verify your project's permit path with Fairfax LDS at (703) 222-0801 before starting.

Key Takeaways
  • Fairfax bills the electrical permit by service amperage, not by project cost. The standard 200-amp tier (150-399A) is $378, which totals $385.56 with Virginia's 2% state levy.
  • The full amperage ladder: $341 (0-149A), $378 (150-399A), $429 (400-599A), $527 (600-799A), and $633 (800A+), with a $135 minimum for minor electrical work.
  • Verified reference: a 100A-to-200A heavy-up files in the 150-399A tier at $378 + $7.56 levy = $385.56 all-in. A 400-amp service moves up to the 400-599A tier at $429 + $8.58 levy = $437.58.
  • The same electrical trade permit covers panel upgrades, new service connections, and EV charger installations - all priced by the resulting service amperage.
  • The permit fee is a county charge only. It excludes the panel hardware, electrician labor, and Dominion Energy disconnect/reconnect and meter coordination, which are billed separately.
  • There is no plan-review fee on the electrical trade permit - the amperage-tiered fee plus the 2% levy is the whole county cost.
  • Source: Appendix Q FY2025 from fairfaxcounty.gov, verified May 2026. Always verify current electrical permit rates with Fairfax LDS at (703) 222-0801 before filing.
Calculate Your Electrical Permit All Fairfax Permit Fees

Fairfax Electrical Panel Permit Fee Components

A Fairfax residential electrical permit for a standard 200-amp service upgrade is built from two lines: the amperage-tiered electrical trade permit ($378 in the 150-399A tier) and Virginia's 2% state levy applied to that permit. There is no separate plan-review fee on the electrical trade permit.

Component Amount (200-amp service example) How It Is Calculated
Electrical permit (150-399A tier) $378.00 Flat per Appendix Q for any service in the 150-399A range. A 200-amp panel upgrade falls in this tier.
2% Virginia state levy $7.56 2% of the $378 electrical permit. Statutory under Code of Virginia §36-139.
All-in 200-amp upgrade total $385.56 $378 electrical permit + $7.56 levy. No plan-review fee on the trade permit.

Electrical Permit Amperage Tiers

The base electrical permit fee is set by the home's electrical service amperage. The all-in column adds Virginia's 2% state levy to each tier (arithmetic from the verified Appendix Q tier rates).

Service Amperage Electrical Permit Fee All-In (with 2% levy)
0-149 A$341.00$347.82
150-399 A (standard 200-amp)$378.00$385.56
400-599 A$429.00$437.58
600-799 A$527.00$537.54
800 A and above$633.00$645.66

Source: Fairfax County Appendix Q Land Development Services Fee Schedule, FY2025, effective July 1, 2024 - electrical trade permit amperage tiers ($341/$378/$429/$527/$633) and the $135 minimum, plus Virginia §36-139 state levy at 2% of the permit. The base tier fees are official; the all-in column is arithmetic adding the 2% levy. Verified May 2026.

Worked Examples - Real Panel Upgrades in Fairfax County

Each example uses the same Fairfax electrical fee schedule. The permit fee is set by the resulting service amperage, not by the cost of the work, so a heavy-up and a new service of the same amperage pay the same permit fee.

Example 1: Standard 100A-to-200A panel upgrade (verified reference example)

A homeowner upgrades an aging 100-amp panel to a modern 200-amp service. The new 200-amp service falls in the 150-399A tier. This is the verified reference example for a Fairfax electrical panel upgrade permit.

  • Electrical permit (150-399A tier): $378.00
  • 2% Virginia state levy on the $378 permit: $7.56
  • Total all-in electrical permit: $385.56
Example 2: Like-for-like 100-amp panel replacement (0-149A tier)

A homeowner replaces a failing 100-amp panel with a new 100-amp panel of the same capacity. The service stays in the 0-149A tier. The figures below are arithmetic from the verified 0-149A tier rate.

  • Electrical permit (0-149A tier): $341.00
  • 2% Virginia state levy on the $341 permit: $6.82
  • Total all-in electrical permit: $347.82

Arithmetic from the verified 0-149A tier rate ($341) plus the 2% levy ($341 x 2% = $6.82). The tier is set by service amperage, not by the cost of the panel.

Example 3: Heavy 400-amp service upgrade (400-599A tier)

A homeowner upgrades to a 400-amp service to support an EV charger, heat pump, and future solar. The 400-amp service moves into the 400-599A tier. The figures below are arithmetic from the verified 400-599A tier rate.

  • Electrical permit (400-599A tier): $429.00
  • 2% Virginia state levy on the $429 permit: $8.58
  • Total all-in electrical permit: $437.58

Arithmetic from the verified 400-599A tier rate ($429) plus the 2% levy ($429 x 2% = $8.58). A single electrical permit covers the service upgrade regardless of which appliances motivated it.

Calculate Your Fairfax Electrical Permit

The PermitPrice fee calculator models Fairfax's amperage-tiered electrical trade permit plus Virginia's 2% state levy. Select your home's electrical service amperage and the calculator returns the all-in permit cost broken down by component.

Calculator coverage for Fairfax electrical permits: the amperage-tiered electrical permit ($341 for 0-149A through $633 for 800A+) and the 2% Virginia state levy. Pick your service amperage to see the all-in total with a per-component breakdown. The panel hardware, electrician labor, and utility coordination are separate and not included.

Open the Permit Fee Calculator

Electrical Panel Permit Cost: Fairfax vs Washington DC

Fairfax and Washington DC price an electrical panel upgrade very differently, so these figures are not apples-to-apples. Fairfax charges an amperage-tiered trade permit (the standard 200-amp tier is the real cost). DC prices a residential service heavy-up as a low flat Instant Permit fee.

Jurisdiction Electrical Panel Permit Formula / Rule All-In Permit Cost
Fairfax County Amperage-tiered trade permit ($378 for 150-399A) + 2% levy $385.56 (standard 200A)
Washington DC Instant Permit Electrical Heavy-Up $59 + 10% DOB Enhanced Fee $64.90 (residential heavy-up)

Fairfax prices the permit by service amperage; DC prices a qualifying residential heavy-up as a flat $64.90 Instant Permit. These are different fee models and are not directly comparable line-for-line. Neither figure includes the panel hardware, electrician labor, or utility coordination. See the dedicated Fairfax vs DC electrical panel upgrade permit fee comparison for a line-by-line breakdown of both fee paths.

Related Fairfax Permits

A solar install that forces a service upgrade is permitted with this same electrical trade permit. See the related guides for the full picture.

Frequently Asked Questions

A standard 200-amp panel upgrade permit in Fairfax County costs $385.56 all-in: a $378 electrical permit (the 150-399A amperage tier) plus Virginia's 2% state levy of $7.56. The fee is set by your service amperage, so a 100-amp job is $347.82 (0-149A tier) and a 400-amp service is $437.58 (400-599A tier).
Fairfax's Appendix Q fee schedule sets the residential electrical trade permit by the home's service amperage rather than the declared cost of the work. The tiers run $341 (0-149A), $378 (150-399A), $429 (400-599A), $527 (600-799A), and $633 (800A+). This means a heavy-up and a brand-new service of the same amperage pay the same permit fee.
No. The $385.56 is the county permit fee only. It does not include the panel, breakers, meter base, or conductors, the licensed electrician's labor, or Dominion Energy's service-disconnect, reconnect, and meter coordination. Those are separate and are usually the larger part of a panel-upgrade budget.
Yes. Appendix Q uses the same residential electrical trade permit for panel upgrades, new service connections, EV charger installations, and other residential electrical work. The fee is set by the resulting service amperage. If an EV charger forces a service upgrade, the permit follows the new amperage tier.
Appendix Q sets a $135 minimum for the residential electrical permit. Minor electrical work that does not reach a service-amperage tier is billed at this minimum. A full panel or service upgrade is priced by the amperage tier ($341 and up), well above the minimum.
No. The electrical trade permit does not carry a separate plan-review fee. The amperage-tiered permit fee plus Virginia's 2% state levy is the entire county charge - for a standard 200-amp service that is $378 + $7.56 = $385.56.
Yes. All electrical panel upgrades, panel replacements, new service connections, and EV charger installations require an electrical permit from Fairfax Land Development Services. There is no exemption for this work. Verify your project's permit path with Fairfax LDS at (703) 222-0801 before starting.
Washington DC prices a qualifying residential electrical heavy-up as a flat $64.90 Instant Permit ($59 base plus a 10% DOB Enhanced Fee). Fairfax prices the permit by service amperage, so a standard 200-amp upgrade is $385.56. These are different fee models and are not directly comparable line-for-line; neither includes hardware, labor, or utility coordination.

Sources

Official .gov Sources - Verified May 2026
Next Step

Calculate your specific Fairfax electrical permit cost or compare against neighbors.

Always verify current electrical permit fees directly with Fairfax County Land Development Services before budgeting or filing. The Appendix Q LDS Fee Schedule on fairfaxcounty.gov/landdevelopment is FY2025 and is the current published rate sheet as of May 2026, with an expected FY2026 revision around July 2026. Call (703) 222-0801 or use the PLUS portal at plus.fairfaxcounty.gov to confirm the electrical permit amperage tier for your service, the $135 minimum, and any inspection requirements before submitting an application.
Disclaimer: All fee information on PermitPrice is for informational purposes only and is not an official permit quotation. Actual permit fees are determined by Fairfax County Land Development Services at the time of application. The electrical permit fee is set by the home's service amperage; the all-in figures add Virginia's 2% state levy. Permit fees exclude the panel hardware, electrician labor, and Dominion Energy coordination. Verify directly with Fairfax LDS before filing.

Written by: Munib Ur Rehman

Data verified against official fee schedule documents.