MAN Branch · DC Metro · NoVA · MD · WV Panhandle

Manassas — Third-Party & Special Inspection Jurisdiction Matrix

~25 jurisdictions across DC, Northern Virginia, the northern Shenandoah Valley, suburban/Southern/Western Maryland, and the West Virginia eastern panhandle — four distinct legal regimes in one branch.

COMPILED 2026-08-08 · VERIFIED = primary document fetched · SNIPPET = search result only · INFERRED = from state code, not a local document
On this page
The legal frames · THE MATRIX · Per-jurisdiction dossiers · Strategy read
Jurisdiction dossiers
District of ColumbiaPrince William CountyPrince George's CountyFairfax County + Town of HerndonMontgomery CountyAlexandria CitySt. Mary's CountyArlington CountyLoudoun CountyFauquier County + Town of WarrentonManassas CityFalls Church CityFairfax CityShenandoah CountyPage / RappahannockCalvert / Charles / St. Mary's → above / Allegany

Compiled 2026-08-08 from each jurisdiction's published websites, policy PDFs, permit packets, ordinances, and code amendments (9 parallel research agents, primary documents fetched and read; every claim below carries its source). Verification labels: VERIFIED = fetched page/PDF (some via reader-proxy or web.archive.org captures of the official URL where sites block automated fetches — noted in dossiers); SNIPPET = search result not fetched; INFERRED = from statewide code, not a local document.

Scope: the MAN branch's ~25 jurisdictions (1,815 tracker rows) across DC, Northern Virginia + northern Shenandoah Valley, suburban/Southern/Western Maryland, and the WV eastern panhandle. Spotsylvania & Stafford belong to the Richmond session (not covered here).

Virginia (16 jurisdictions + towns)

District of Columbia

Maryland (6 counties + City of Laurel)

West Virginia panhandle (2 counties + municipalities)

THE MATRIX

Tier 1 — Published product-specific rules (8 jurisdictions, incl. the branch's four biggest books)

Jurisdiction UND ANC BRC SUP FND WTR ENC RTW How it works UP
Prince William (612) ●¹ ◆ ●¹ ●¹ ◆ ◆ ◇ ●² Cert form v2025-05-01 names "foundation repairs, structural repairs, pile/pier foundations" as third-party line items. Per-individual PE/architect enrollment + mandatory seminars; daily summary report; monthly QC. ✓
Prince George's MD (346) ●³ ◆ ◆ ◆ ●⁴ ●⁴ ◇ ◆⁵ TPIP: deep foundations/underpinning = program trigger; "Pier and Pile Foundations Field Inspector" a named category; $1M E&O. TPIP-R = voluntary residential third-party for foundations/walls/waterproofing/drain tile. ✓
Fairfax County (289) ●⁶ ◆ ◆ ◆ ●⁶ ●⁶ ◇ ●⁷ Third-Party Residential Inspections Program (eff. 7/1/2024): county-approved firms inspect in lieu of county — pier footings, foundations, waterproofing/backfill, RTW <4 ft. Problem-soils/geotech jobs excluded — the big caveat. ✗
DC (121) ●⁸ ●⁹ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◇ ◇ ●¹⁰ TPIA inspects in lieu of DOB (residential R5 track); rowhouse party-wall underpinning = mandatory SI even on 1-2-family; helical piles §1705.9. Blocked on DC PE/RA licensure. ✗
Montgomery MD (64) ●¹¹ ◇ ◇ ◆ ●¹² ●¹² ◇ ●¹³ Residential Special Inspections Program (since 1983): DPS-approved MD engineer certifies footing / waterproofing-drainage / slab in lieu of DPS (the "Residential SIR" form UP already uses). Underpinning = separate permit + MD SE design + SI. ✓
Alexandria City (47) ●¹⁴ ●¹⁴ ◆ ◆ ●¹⁵ ●¹⁴ ◇ ●¹⁶ SI Short Form (PP2012-11) purpose-built for "Engineered Foundation and Retaining Wall Anchoring Systems Repairs of Limited Scope" — helical piers, pilings, ICC-ES anchor systems, SFD drains/waterproofing; owner's VA RDP may be the SI. Soils policy PP2012-13 requires sealed soil-suitability report w/ probable cause on every foundation-repair permit. ✓
St. Mary's MD (45) ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ●¹⁷ ◇ ◇ ◇ Amended IBC §110.2.2: "A licensed professional engineer may make footing, foundation and concrete slab inspections" with sealed report; county keeps a qualified-inspector list; MDIA/PLANCHEK/CECA named in county guide. ✓
Arlington (21) ●¹⁸ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◇ ●¹⁸ SI manual (Feb 2024) names underpinning (3H:1V influence-zone settlement monitoring), helical piles, earth retention; published 3P policy (RDP-supervised, 3-day sealed reports, pre-approval). UP's Arlington SSI form = manual Appendix A. ✓

Tier 2 — Published general third-party pathway (conditions apply)

Jurisdiction All products Policy conditions UP
Loudoun (38) ◆ Third Party Building Inspection Program: sole qualification = VA PE/architect registration + application (lowest bar in the branch); footing/foundation, backfill, slab + 6-point retaining-wall inspection list; reports sealed, 7 business days, via LandMARC. Governing PDF dated 2013 — confirm details. Leesburg/Purcellville permits issued by county. ✓
Fauquier + Warrenton (35) ◆ Twin policies (county eff. 12/30/15; town = same template): Approved Agency model — firm + individual inspectors, 1M/2M GL + $1M E&O + auto/WC, county/town listed as insured; soils & concrete-foundation inspections third-party ANYTIME at permit-holder request (others only on 48-hr backlog); 3-day copy/5-day sealed original; 10% county QC; no finals. Warrenton runs its own building dept — separate enrollment. Shrink/swell form (rev. 4/18/25) required with permits: "majority of the soils in Fauquier County" need engineered foundation/waterproofing/drainage design. ✓
Shenandoah (14) ◆ Policy since 9/3/2019: third-party in lieu of county for exactly four foundation-stage inspections — footings, slabs, concrete walls, backfill/foundation drainage (UP's hold points); PE/architect qualifies; county report form; 2-day reports; project-by-project approval at permit application. ✓
Manassas City (11) ◆ "Third party building inspections will be accepted from an approved list of inspectors" (VERIFIED) + published 2025 Third Party Inspectors list — unreadable online (403/no archive); CO requires RDP/SER-sealed Final Statement of Inspections. Call to get on the list. ✓
Falls Church City (6) ◆* No §113.7 policy published, but the 2021 Major Projects Manual (rev. 12/24/2025) names helical piles (1705.9) and underpinning as SI categories and allows work to proceed on the SIER's inspection when a city inspector is unavailable. Residential applicability unpublished. ✓
Rappahannock (3) ◆ Policy eff. 7/16/2024 (BO Richard Cornell): exception-not-routine, pre-approved before permit; triggers = 48-hr unavailability/critical timing; VA RDP qualifies; 5-working-day reports on county Statement form. ⚠ "No direct relationship with the project" clause may collide with the engineer-of-record-inspects-own-job model — ask. ✓
Charles MD (26) ◆ County's own inspection check-sheets accept engineer certifications at footing / foundation-wall / reinforcement / truss hold points ("If an engineer was used to certify… the certification is attached to the check sheet"); county contracts out its inspection labor (RFP 13-03); "Area of Special Geotechnical Consideration" (marine clay): 4-ft soil removal / 4-ft footing depth rules with PE geotech report accepted in lieu. ✓
Allegany MD (1) ◆ "Currently, inspections are conducted by private, third party inspection agencies" — applicant-arranged, agency sets scope/fees; "foundation/pier & beam" is a named inspection phase; SI "mandated by the design consultant." No agency roster or qualification criteria published; still on 2006 IBC/IRC; plans-examiner seat vacant. ✓

Tier 3 — No published third-party policy (VA: §113.7 policy exists by law — request it)

Jurisdiction Status What IS known UP
Frederick VA (28) ◇ Commercial permit doc (rev. 01/2025) has a real SI section (ASTM E329, RDP supervision) — nothing residential, no 3P policy. BO Mark Fleet, (540) 665-5650, mfleet@fcva.us. Frost depth 24". ✓
Jefferson WV (21) ◇ Tech Memo No. 1 (2002): county runs on WV-PE sealed certifications for engineered structural systems (steel beams REQUIRED to be SE-designed + certified) — submittal certs, not inspection-in-lieu; case-by-case discretion. Charles Town/Ranson/Shepherdstown = own offices; Ranson publishes a 3P mechanism (3P testing/inspection firms need a Ranson business license + listing on the permit application) — the best WV opening. No WV PE on UP's roster. ✓
Fairfax City (18) ◇ SSI form published (IBC 1704, ASTM E329) but no manual, no 3P policy, no product rules; city performs its own footing→final inspections. Code Administration sits under the Fire Dept — 703-385-7830. ✗
Warren VA (6) ◇ BO David Beahm (county covers Front Royal since the town's 2022 division folded back). Residential app has a "PIERS" foundation checkbox; electrical already outsourced to MDIA (3P precedent). Orphaned Front Royal shrink/swell policy still posted — currency unknown. ✓
Falls Church → Tier 2. Clarke (5) ◇ Shrink Swell Soils Policy = de-facto engineer-inspection regime: mapped moderate/high parcels choose "Engineer recommendations and Engineer on-site inspections per Ordinance §71-6" OR prescriptive 4-ft-deep foundations + drainage package. Permits required for repair of "any structural component." BO Brian Riston, (540) 955-5176. ✓
Winchester City (4) ◇ Footing & As-Built Survey hold point (surveyor form at footing inspection, City Code §19-10-3). Current BO name not published (staff: Tom Mayhew, Richie Fletcher; 540-667-1815). ✓
Calvert MD (45) ◇ All-in-house inspections; engineer certs required only as supplements (engineered floor/roof systems); RTW design trigger lowered to 36" unbalanced fill (2014 amendment — carry-forward to 2018 code unconfirmed); steep-slope declarations ≥25% (≥15% Critical Area); county contractor license req'd. Chief Joe Hawxhurst, 410-535-1600 x2523. ✓
Berkeley WV + Martinsburg (3) ◇ County: full in-house regime (2018 codes); 3P = electrical only (4 approved firms); RTW >4 ft = permit line item; engineer touchpoints (steel beams, suspended slabs, out-of-range soil bearing = WV-PE seal). Director Brian Ross, 304-264-1966. Martinsburg = own office (BO Jay Bauserman — SNIPPET; 304-264-2131 x271); site blocks all fetches — phone replaces the website. ✓
Page VA (3) ◇ Thinnest corpus: standard permit forms ("Foundation Only" / "Remodel-Repair" checkboxes), required-inspections list handed out only at permit issuance. BO James Campbell, 540-743-6674. ✓
Allegany-adjacent municipalities — Cumberland/Frostburg run their own offices (not researched — 1 tracker row countywide). ✓
City of Laurel MD (sub-juris of PG book) ◇ Own permits/inspections (FMPS, 301-725-5300 x2238); IBC/IRC 2021 + local amendments (RTW ≤2 ft exempt; 30" frost; foundation-drainage outfall rule); no third-party pathway published — only "third party" in the entire Ch. 18 ordinance is about roof reflectivity. ✓
Town of Herndon VA (in Fairfax book) ◇ Runs its own building department (SNIPPET — herndon-va.gov 403s; multiple consistent results; 703-435-6850) — Fairfax County's 3P program does NOT cover it. Own §113.7 policy unknown. ✓

Footnotes (Tier 1):

  1. PWC Building Inspection Certification form (v2025-05-01, policy rev. 5/1/2025, BO Eric M Mays PE): third-party categories include Footing & Foundation (controlled fill, footings, pile/pier foundations, backfill, drainage) and "Other Inspections (EIFS, foundation repairs, structural repairs)". Program since July 1987; PE/architect + WACEL/NICET/ACI/ICC field inspectors + mandatory county seminars; original-seal certification (no fax), daily summary report, ≥1 QC inspection per field inspector per month. Soils category (I/II/III per DCSM §770; ~40% of county = II/III incl. marine clay) must be circled on every form.
  2. PWC retaining walls: own 3P certification track (footing/foundation, backfill, guard rail, wall geometry, compaction, layout); SI triggers at >8 ft unbalanced fill or 4–8 ft w/ surcharge/steep slope; permits >3 ft or any height w/ surcharge.
  3. PG TPIP Manual (eff. 11/6/2020; 2026 edition exists, unreadable online): "Structures with deep foundations or requiring underpinning" = program trigger; "Pier and Pile Foundations Field Inspector" a named qualification (ICC Reinforced Concrete SI / NICET III-IV / WACEL); EOR may not be IOR in the same discipline; $1M blanket E&O; STPI = permit-issuance condition; 5-day reports; Final Report + sealed TPIP Certification before U&O.
  4. PG TPIP-R (voluntary residential): approved third-party inspectors may conduct foundations/bearing (code 126), foundation walls (134), foundation drainage/waterproofing (081/136), below-slab base/drain tile/vapor barrier (162), drain tile & backfill; "TPIP-R" goes in the Momentum permit description; precon meeting w/ Darrell Terry or Omobola Sokoya.
  5. PG retaining walls: <2 ft exempt; ⚠ TPIP problem-soils trigger tightened from >6 ft (2020 manual) to >2 ft (current DPIE page) — confirm against the 2026 manual.
  6. Fairfax Co. Third-Party Residential Inspections Program (policy eff. 7/1/2024): county-certified firms (Principal Professional = VA RDP + DHCD certs, min 4 yrs; QA plan; quarterly county QC; semi-annual program meetings) inspect in lieu of county; eligible list includes "Pier Footings," "Placement of Concrete," "Foundation Footings and Walls," "Waterproofing and backfill of foundation walls"; results same-day (policy says by Midnight). Exclusion: footing/slab 3P only when NOT on problem soils/controlled fill and no geotech report required — most foundation-repair work is problem-soil-adjacent, so confirm handling by phone.
  7. Fairfax Co. retaining walls: 3P-eligible under 4 ft (WALLR permit >3–<4 ft, no surcharge, typical details available); ≥4 ft or surcharge → WALLC + SIP/Critical Structures track (SSI, SIER, mandatory pre-permit meeting). Towns of Clifton/Vienna need separate municipal approvals.
  8. DC underpinning named in five verified places: TPP Manual §III.J (SI-agency types) + §VII.B (mandatory SI precon meeting "e.g., underpinning"); SIP Manual concrete section (party-wall underpinning of attached/semi-detached 1-2-family dwellings per AB CC2015-01) + soils section + earth-retention list; AB 2025-02 (TPSIA sequence monitoring). CC2015-01's own text is not retrievable on the current DOB site — open item.
  9. DC "Post-Installed Structural Anchors in Concrete" = named special-inspector discipline; soldier-pile/tie-back earth retention triggers SSI.
  10. DC retaining walls: >4 ft = sealed DC-RDP design + plat (DCRA guideline 2019-003); repairs reviewable from photos; SSI at ≥10 ft unbalanced fill.
  11. Montgomery SI Manual (IBC 2021, rev. 3/28/2025): "All underpinning shall be designed by a structural engineer licensed in the State of Maryland"; separate permit for underpinning/deep foundations (micro/helical piles) and retaining walls; helical piles §1705.9; owner retains SI (contractors may not).
  12. Montgomery Residential Special Inspections Program (rev. 8/4/2025; since 9/1/1983): DPS-approved MD engineer/architect certifies footing, foundation waterproofing/drainage (incl. interior drains w/ weep holes), and slab-on-ground in lieu of DPS on 1-2-family/townhouse permits incl. repair; free approval, no expiration, unique Inspector Number; sealed cert only at full compliance; report to DPS inspector within 5 days. ⚠ Approved-list page header says "footing and parging" — stale vs. the program docs; flagged.
  13. Montgomery retaining walls: permit >3 ft retained height (or surcharge/lot line/problem soils/tiered); >7 ft (or peculiar design) → Special Inspection Program; rebar/deadman/geogrid inspection (402) is DPS-only — NOT delegable to the residential program.
  14. Alexandria SI Short Form (12/1/2017), anchored on the city policy index as PP2012-11 "Engineered Foundation and Retaining Wall Anchoring Systems Repairs of Limited Scope": for engineered limited-scope repairs the BO exempts from full SI process; "Foundation repairs… must be designed by a Structural Engineer and/or follow a proprietary system design tested or approved by ICC-ES"; scope checklist names pile foundations (timber, steel, auger cast, helical), pier foundations (caissons), ICC-ES proprietary anchoring systems; SFD foundation drains/waterproofing includable; SI = VA RDP employed by owner, may be the SER; 1-page SSI + 1-page Final Report short forms.
  15. Alexandria Soils Policy PP2012-13: foundation-repair permits (bowed walls, underpinning, pilings, helical piers, drains, grouting…) require a sealed soil suitability report incl. probable cause of damage before permit issuance; LDP/agent inspects in-situ soil before placement.
  16. Alexandria retaining walls: <2 ft no permit; 2–5 ft three options (detail package / presumptive 1,500 psf / soil report); >5 ft sealed soil report. Deep-foundation jobs: PP2015-01 adjacent-owner notification (one-block radius, 10-day window, "should" language). 100-yr-old/historic buildings: BAR approval before ANY permit.
  17. St. Mary's amended IBC §110.4/110.2.2 (in county CAG-21): BO "may accept reports of inspections by licensed or certified third parties"; PE-sealed footing/foundation/slab reports explicitly authorized; Final Inspection Card lists every agency signing before U&O. Residential (IRC-side) applicability INFERRED — Municode Ch 203 blocked; confirm.
  18. Arlington SI & Pre-Construction Manual (Feb 2024): underpinning (SE design + settlement monitoring of adjacent buildings within 3H:1V influence zone), helical piles 1705.7–.9, earth retention (SOE monitored ≥2×/week); WACEL/ICC/ACI-certified inspectors under RDP supervision; owner retains SI; 5-day reports (3-day for deficiencies); R-3/R-4/R-5 exempt unless BO invokes.

Per-jurisdiction dossiers (sources + contacts)

District of Columbia (DOB)

Prince William County

Prince George's County (DPIE) + City of Laurel

Fairfax County + Town of Herndon

Montgomery County (DPS)

Alexandria City

St. Mary's County (LUGM)

Arlington County

Loudoun County

Fauquier County + Town of Warrenton

Manassas City

Falls Church City

Fairfax City

Shenandoah County

Frederick County VA / Winchester City / Clarke / Warren (+ Front Royal)

Page / Rappahannock

Calvert / Charles / St. Mary's → above / Allegany (MD)

Berkeley WV (+ Martinsburg) / Jefferson WV (+ Charles Town, Ranson, Shepherdstown)

Strategy read (opinion, labeled as such)

  1. Enroll where the formal programs are — they cover 1,368 of the branch's 1,815 tracker rows. Prince William (612: the cert form literally has "foundation repairs / pile-pier foundations" checkboxes — confirm/complete enrollment under the May-2025 policy revision), PG County (346: TPIP-R consultant list), Fairfax County (289: apply for the 3P residential firm roster), Montgomery (64: free DPS Inspector Numbers for Valerio/Diehl), Alexandria (47: the SI Short Form is purpose-built for UP's exact scope), DC (121: blocked on DC PE/RA licensure — decide whether the volume justifies pursuing a DC license + Jan–Mar TPIA application).
  2. Alexandria's PP2012-11 Short Form is the citable model for BO conversations across NoVA: a published instrument where the owner's VA RDP (who may be the SER) special-inspects helical piers, pilings, ICC-ES anchor systems, and SFD drains/waterproofing on a 1-page SSI + 1-page final report.
  3. The Fairfax County problem-soils exclusion is the biggest operational caveat in the branch — 3P footing/slab inspection is disallowed exactly where foundation repair usually happens (problem soils/geotech-report jobs). The phone question "how do you want pier verification handled on marine-clay jobs" matters more than the program itself. Same theme: PWC soil categories (~40% of county Cat II/III), Fauquier "majority of soils," Clarke §71-6, Charles MD geotech overlay — the shrink-swell/marine-clay engineer requirement is the region's recurring product-specific hook, and it favors a PE firm.
  4. Insurance package: Fauquier + Warrenton demand 1M/2M GL + $1M E&O with the locality as insured; Alexandria $1M; PG $1M blanket E&O; Chesapeake-style firm-vs-individual issues don't appear here (PWC approves individuals; Fauquier/Warrenton approve agencies). Prepare one COI package.
  5. Licensure gaps decide two states: DC (no DC PE/RA on roster) and WV (no WV PE). WV's 24 tracker rows probably don't justify a license; DC's 121 might.
  6. Form-currency sweep for the cert pipeline: Fairfax County six-form set (April 2025), PWC cert form v2025-05-01, Arlington Feb-2024 SSI, Montgomery RSIP rev. 8/4/2025 — diff all four against what UP stores.
  7. Phone-call worklist (Tier 3 + open questions):
    • PWC 703-792-7006 — enrollment status (Valerio/Diehl), seminars since 5/2025 revision; helical → voluntary program or SI?
    • Fairfax Co LDSBuildingInspections@FairfaxCounty.gov / 703-631-5101 — firm application; problem-soils pier handling; which phone line is live
    • Manassas — Eric Lowe 703-257-8273 — get the 2025 approved-inspector list + application route
    • Montgomery MC311 240-777-0311 — RSIP applications for Valerio/Diehl; residential underpinning permit routing; "footing and parging" header discrepancy
    • PG DPIE (301) 883-3820 — 2026 TPIP manual; TPIP-R consultant enrollment; RTW trigger 6ft→2ft; residential helical = mandatory TPIP or voluntary?
    • DC DOB (202) 671-3500 — CC2015-01 text; agency-list access; residential detached SI floor; fees; off-cycle applications
    • Alexandria — Pete Mensinger 703-746-4210 — Short Form designation for pier jobs as a matter of course; PP2015-01 enforcement on residential
    • Arlington 703-228-3800 — 3P policy currency (2006-era doc?); R-5 SI invocation practice
    • Fauquier 540-422-8230 + Warrenton (540) 347-2405 — BO names; Approved Agency enrollment ×2; insurance endorsement details
    • Loudoun — Catie Mallon 703-777-0220 opt 1 — 2013 overview currency; repair/pier scope; wet-seal vs LandMARC
    • Falls Church 703-248-5080 — §113.7 policy; does the manual reach SFD repairs; BO name
    • Fairfax City 703-385-7830 — BO name; §113.7 policy; SSI use on residential repairs
    • Shenandoah — Tim Ferguson 540-459-6185 — extend 3P beyond the four listed inspections?
    • Rappahannock — Rich Cornell (540) 675-5344 — "direct relationship" clause vs. owner's-engineer model; get the Statement form
    • Clarke — Brian Riston (540) 955-5176 — §71-6 engineer-inspection mechanics; soil map
    • Warren — David Beahm (540) 636-9973 — Front Royal shrink/swell status; survey applicability to repair piers
    • Frederick VA — Mark Fleet (540) 665-5650 — §113.7 policy; Winchester 540-667-1815 — BO name + policy; Page — James Campbell 540-743-6674 — policy + inspection list
    • St. Mary's 301-475-4200 x1500 — §110.2.2 residential applicability; qualified-inspector list
    • Charles MD 301-645-0692 — current code edition; check-sheet practice for piers; geotech-area map; Calvert — Joe Hawxhurst 410-535-1600 x2523 — informal engineer-report practice
    • Allegany 301-777-2526 — can a MD PE serve directly as the inspection agency; 2006-code status
    • Laurel 301-725-5300 x2238 — engineer-report acceptance; Berkeley — Brian Ross 304-264-1966 — PE reports on covered pier work; Martinsburg 304-264-2131 x271 — confirm Bauserman, everything; Jefferson 304-725-2998 — current BO, Tech Memo status; Ranson 304-724-5452 — 3P scope beyond electrical/lab