Welcome to the City of Alexandria's Office of Building & Fire Code Administration (formerly Code Enforcement Bureau)

Recent News

• The City of Alexandria invites the public to attend the first Green Building Public Forum on Wednesday January 28, 2009, 7-9 PM at George Washington Masonic Memorial, 101 Callahan Drive, City of Alexandria.  For more information on the City off Alexandria's Green Building initiatives, visit Planning & Zoning's "Green Building in Alexandria" webpage.
  
  Purpose of the Green Building Public Forum

  • To present information on green building benefits and practices
  • To present a draft Green Building Policy
  • To obtain public input and support for the Green Building Policy
  • To review next steps

  The Forum will be structured as a panel discussion, with an opportunity for public comment, and will address the following topics:

  • The importance of Green Buildings to the City and the Region
  • How the City is already incorporating Green Buildings into public and private projects
  • A draft Green Building Policy
  • Questions and Public Comment

  Based on the information and feedback provided at the forum, the draft Green Building Report will be finalized and presented to Planning Commission and City Council for action.

• As of September 2008, revised organization charts have been developed to clearly identify the Fire Department's and Code Administration's structure, please click on the below links to view.

Fire Department Organization Chart 

Code Administration Organization Chart 

• Effective September 1, 2008 - the Code Enforcement Bureau will change it's name to The Office of Building & Fire Code Administration, or Code Administration for short.   The goal is to clarify the activities found within our operation and to clearly emphasis the office's educational and assistive services to our customers. 
• Effective July 1, 2008 - the Code Administration has adopted an updated Fee Schedule
  Click here to view and download the 2008 Fee Schedule
• Effective May 1, 2008 - the Commonwealth of Virginia adopted the 2006 Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) and subsequent references codes.   There is a one year period to submit construction permit applications using either the 2003 USBC or the 2006 USBC.
  
  Click here to view and download the 2006 USBC

Director John Catlett, MCP

The Office of Building & Fire Code Administration Organization

The City of Alexandria Code Administration is comprised of six specialized units working in concert to manage City-wide code compliance of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Uniform Statewide Building and Fire Codes.

The Permit Processing Unit processes all construction permits, certificates of occupancy, elevator certificates, fire prevention permits, citizen complaints and manages property construction records. The unit also collects all fees and processes FOIA requests.

The Site Plan Review Unit works with Planning & Zoning, Transportation & Environmental Services and Parks & Recreation to ensure minimum emergency access and fire department connections are achieved for all new mid-rise to high-rise building developments. Site Plan Unit also reviews all Board of Architectural dockets, Board of Zoning appeals, encroachments, plot plans, special use permits, sub-divisions and vacations.

The Plan Review Unit reviews all new or existing renovated and altered commercial and residential building construction documents, for code compliance, under the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC). Multiple project specific review programs are available to assist customers: Walk-through Plan Review, One-Stop-Shop Plan Review and the Traditional Plan Review. The Plan Review Unit is comprised of Structural, Architectural, Mechanical, Plumbing & Electrical disciplines.

The Fire Protection Systems Unit is comprised of three interactive sections that are responsible to review submitted fire protection system plans, commission new fire protection systems and witness inspection and testing of existing systems, including: fire sprinkler, fire pump & standpipe systems, chemical suppression, fire hydrants, fire alarm & detection systems, smoke control, and access control systems.

The New Construction Inspection Unit inspects all new, altered or renovated residential and commercial construction for minimum compliance of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC). Inspection disciplines include: Building (Architectural & Structural), Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical. Multiple project specific inspection programs are available to assist customers: Traditional, Third-party and Special-inspections.

The Fire Prevention Unit is comprised of two sections - Fire Marshals & Fire Inspectors. Fire Marshals conduct investigations of fire and explosion related incidents, as well as, incidents involving the release of hazardous materials and environmental crimes. Fire Inspectors enforce the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Property Maintenance Code and Fire Prevention Code, as well as, city ordinances such as; rodent abatement, inoperable vehicles, trash & debris disposal and unfit properties.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to collaborate with building owners, design professionals, contractors and developers to ensure minimum public health, safety and welfare are achieved for all new, existing and renovated commercial and residential buildings. We are committed to attaining this goal by educating the public in the minimum requirements of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Uniform Statewide Building Code and Fire Prevention Code. Together, we can create and maintain safe, healthy, energy-efficient, accessible buildings for all occupants to live, work, play and visit.