In the slate guideline
Its roof chapter says leaks in slate roofs usually come from flashing and fasteners, or from “wood deterioration surrounding hidden gutters or cornices.” A slate roof that looks sound can still be wet at the edge.
EPDM roofs in Fairfax, VA: where the City text mentions a rubber membrane
On an older house inside the City of Fairfax, a rubber membrane is most likely to turn up in a place few people look: the lining of a gutter built into the roof edge. The City’s own Design Guidelines describe it in one short passage, and we read it with you below.
The passage
What does the City’s gutter section say about a rubber lining?
Some gutters are hidden; that is, they are built into the edge of the roof and are boxed in by wood and lined by copper or a rubber membrane. Hidden gutters may have small leaks that are difficult to discover.
City of Fairfax Design Guidelines, Historic Overlay Districts, HOD-2 Rehabilitation, section I, Gutters (page 45 of the PDF). Checked October 12, 2026.
The same section tells owners to inspect the whole gutter system every year, and keep it maintained so blockages do not hold water. One photograph caption calls the outlet a conductor head, also known as a scupper, that “helps to drain this hidden gutter.”
Same guide, two more places
Where else do these Guidelines point at the wood around a hidden gutter?
In the maintenance checklist
The appendix lists debris in gutters and valleys as something to look for, and, on flat or low-sloped roofs, bubbled surfaces and moisture ponding. It is taken from a National Park Service brief on maintaining older buildings.
Rubber membranes also appear in the Guidelines’ new-construction roof sections, as a choice for flat roofs that cannot be seen from public areas. That is a different question, covered on our Fairfax flat-roof page. Nothing in the rehabilitation chapters says what to do when a hidden-gutter liner wears out.
Review
Would relining a hidden gutter need the Board’s attention?
Ordinary maintenance in the historic districts to correct deterioration, decay or damage, or to sustain the existing form that does not involve a change in design, material, color or exterior appearance.
City of Fairfax Zoning Ordinance, section 6.5.2 C, certificates of appropriateness (amended September 24, 2024). Checked October 12, 2026.
Section 6.5.1 requires a certificate for a material change in appearance that is visible from public places inside the historic overlay districts, the Old Town transition overlay and the Architectural Control Overlay District. Section 6.5.2 H exempts changes to a structure that are not visible from a public place. The City’s FAQ adds that the National Register district and the overlay have slightly different boundaries, so your parcel, not the neighborhood name, settles which rules apply.
Check first
Whether your house is under these Guidelines at all
They belong to the City of Fairfax. A house with a Fairfax mailing address in unincorporated Fairfax County answers to the county instead. Our Fairfax hub explains how to tell the two apart and who to call.
Before we talk
What helps us read a roof-edge leak from a short call?
- Where the water showsA stain on a ceiling under the eave, peeling paint on the cornice, or soft fascia wood.
- The edge itselfWhether the gutter hangs on the outside of the house or looks built into the roof edge, boxed in by wood.
- What drains itA downspout, or a conductor head or scupper like the one in the City’s photograph.
- The roof aboveSlate, metal, shingles or a flat section, and whether the edge can be seen from the street.
- Your addressSo we can place it in the City or the county before anyone asks the City about review.
Questions
Common questions about rubber membranes under Fairfax’s Guidelines
Is EPDM named anywhere in the City of Fairfax Design Guidelines?
No. A search of the full text finds no EPDM, TPO or PVC. The Guidelines use the phrase rubber membrane, once for hidden gutter liners and in the new-construction roof sections.
What is a hidden gutter on an older Fairfax house?
The Guidelines describe it as a gutter built into the edge of the roof and boxed in by wood, lined by copper or a rubber membrane, and drained through an outlet such as a scupper.
Does the City approve a rubber liner for a hidden gutter?
The passage describes liners without approving either type. Whether a change of liner counts as a change of material is a question for Community Development and Planning.
Can a hidden gutter leak without any outside sign?
The Guidelines warn that small leaks are difficult to discover and can rot the wood around the gutter. A stain inside or soft trim at the eave is worth describing on the phone.
Does the not-visible exemption cover work at the roof edge?
Section 6.5.2 H exempts changes not visible from a public place, but whether a given roof edge is visible depends on the street and the parcel. Ask staff with your address.
Do these rules apply to a Fairfax address outside the City?
No. The Guidelines and the Board of Architectural Review belong to the City of Fairfax. Unincorporated county addresses go through the county, and some have their own association.
Is a rubber membrane the right fix for a flat porch or addition roof here?
That is a separate question about drainage and what can be seen from public areas. See our Fairfax flat-roof page, and call with a photo of the roof.
Keep reading
Which pages pick up where this one stops?
Start with the Fairfax roofing page for the City and county offices, read how the Vienna and Falls Church pages sort their own rules, or see the same black rubber sheet on a different roof in Reston. How these membranes are built is on flat roofing.
Official pages used, checked October 12, 2026: City of Fairfax Design Guidelines, City of Fairfax Zoning Ordinance, City historic district FAQs.
Talk through the next step
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