Property Maintenance

**The 2018 Virginia Maintenance Code went into effect as of July 1, 2021. A one-year period is in effect that provides permit applicants a choice of complying with the existing 2015 codes or the 2018 codes.**

The City of Fredericksburg has adopted Part III, Virginia Maintenance Code of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC). The provisions of this part of the USBC prescribe building maintenance regulations to be complied within the maintenance and repair of existing structures and equipment. The city has been enforcing the building maintenance code since 1987. Following receipt of a complaint and field-verification of a violation, a Notice of Violation is delivered to the building owner allowing 10 to 30 days to correct the violation.

Building Permits

Building permits may be required for the corrective actions and must be obtained prior to performing any work. After the allotted time has passed, a follow-up inspection is performed to verify that the violation has been corrected. When necessary, Building and Development Services will take building owners to General District Court for failing to comply with the city's building maintenance code. The inspections can include items such as:

  • Smoke Detectors
  • Structural Soundness
  • Fixtures and facilities
  • Cleanliness, safety and sanitation
  • Overall condition of exterior and interior
  • Security measures such as locks, broken windows, unsafe doors, etc.
  • Lighting, heating, ventilation, and overall electrical safety

Inoperative Motor Vehicles

In the city, it is unlawful to keep an inoperative motor vehicle on any residential, commercial, or mixed-use property unless the vehicle is kept within a fully enclosed building or structure or is otherwise shielded or screened from view. An inoperative motor vehicle is any vehicle which is either not in operating condition, has been partially or totally disassembled for a period of 60 days or longer, or which fails to display a valid state license plate, city license decal, or a current state inspection sticker.

Following receipt of a complaint and field-verification of a violation, a Notice of Violation is delivered to the property owner allowing 10 days to correct the violation. After 10 days, a follow-up inspection is performed and if the vehicle has not been either removed, made operable, or appropriately screened, Building and Development Services will have the vehicle removed from the property by the city's contract towing company. A Notice of Reclaim is then sent to the last known owner of the vehicle.

If more than five inoperative vehicles are located on a property, the property is classified as an automobile junkyard which is a prohibited use in all zoning districts within the city.