Houses and townhouses from the 1980s to 2000s
Most Lorton homes date from the 1980s through the 2000s, so a leak often starts at a flashing, vent or wall joint. That is a job for roof repair.
Roofing Company in Lorton, VA
When the Lorton Reformatory closed, the Census cut its old grounds out of Lorton and named them Laurel Hill, yet both share the ZIP code 22079. So a Lorton address can sit in either place, with different housing in each. Both are unincorporated Fairfax County, and the Occoquan River marks where Prince William County begins.
5.0 rated on Google60 Google reviews as shown on the profile
(703) 712-1506Call about a Lorton roof
Free 15-minute phone consultationThe place to start
Fairfax, VirginiaServing Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland
Two places, one ZIP code
Is a Lorton address in Lorton or in Laurel Hill, and does it matter for the roof?
For the 2010 census, the area around the former Lorton Reformatory was assigned to a new Census place, Laurel Hill, and the Lorton place shrank. The District of Columbia ran that prison here until November 2001.
The Census counted 8,307 people in Laurel Hill in 2020 and 20,072 in the smaller Lorton place. Laurel Hill uses the same ZIP code, 22079, so the mailing line cannot tell you which one you live in. The numbers further down describe the Lorton place only.
The Workhouse Arts Center shows how closely the two are tied. Its site describes a 55-acre arts campus on the grounds of the former D.C. Workhouse and Reformatory, and its address is a Lorton one, 9518 Workhouse Road. So say which neighborhood you are in; the housing around you may not match the Lorton figures.
What we do here
Which roof work fits a Lorton house, a townhouse or a mid-rise building?
Original roofs reaching the end
The 1980s homes are the ones whose surface is most likely worn across every slope. When that is the finding, the conversation is roof replacement.
Larger buildings and additions
Some Lorton buildings hold fifty or more homes, and low-slope roofs are common on those. See flat roof work, and compare coverings on the roofing materials page.
Permits
Who do you ask at Fairfax County Land Development Services about a Lorton roof?
No Lorton town hall or permit counter exists. Land Development Services takes questions at 703-222-0801 (TTY 711), 12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 324, in Fairfax.
| What you plan | Who to ask |
|---|---|
| Replacing roof shingles | Replacement of roof shingles is on the county's no-permit list. Confirm your exact scope. |
| Fixing a leak or a chimney | Roof repairs and chimney repairs sit on the county's miscellaneous work list. Ask how yours is classified. |
| Replacing decking on an attached home | Under 256 square feet of roof plywood is exempt, unless fire rating applies, as on townhomes. |
| Adding solar panels | Solar panels have their own line on the county's list. Ask before roof work near them. |
| Anything at the Prince William line | Across the Occoquan River is another county. Check the parcel first. |
Treat this as a prompt for questions. The office rules on the actual scope.
The edges of Lorton
Where does Fairfax County end and Prince William County begin around Lorton?
The Lorton place is bordered on the north by Newington, on the east by Fort Belvoir, on the southeast by Mason Neck and on the west by Laurel Hill, while Woodbridge lies to the southwest in Prince William County. Its low point sits at the county line along the Occoquan River, and the ground climbs to just over 200 feet near Furnace Road at its western edge.
Across the river, the Town of Occoquan is an incorporated town with a 2020 population of 1,035. A river-side address can feel like Lorton and still belong to another government, so check the parcel with the county before relying on any of this. Our Woodbridge page covers that side.
Old houses and design review
Does the Pohick Church overlay district on Richmond Highway reach your Lorton street?
Fairfax County's list of historic overlay districts has fifteen entries, and none is named Lorton. The one tied to this area is Pohick Church, at 9301 Richmond Highway. The county's page says construction began in 1769 and that the church joined the National Register and the Virginia Landmarks Register in 1968.
Inside a district, the Architectural Review Board approves exterior alterations that need a building permit, even where a subdivision has its own design committee, with no application fee. Its number is 703-324-1380. Your own community's color or product rules are answered only by its documents.
Housing
What do 7,319 Lorton homes say about the age of the roofs, and what do they leave out?
The figures below cover the Lorton place only (2020 to 2024 American Community Survey). The Census counts homes, not roofs, so roof age and material are not in them.
Median built 1997
The 1980s account for 1,668 homes (22.8 percent) and the 1990s for 1,108 (15.1 percent). Only 402 homes, or 5.5 percent, date from before 1970.
Very little new building
Just 444 homes, 6.1 percent, were built in 2010 or later. The place grew mostly before then, and the Census moved the biggest newer tract into Laurel Hill.
35.6 percent renters
Of 6,595 occupied homes, 2,351 are rented, and for those the building owner usually decides.
At the large end, 587 homes (8.0 percent) sit in buildings of fifty or more units, where a board or manager decides.
Landmarks
Why do the Auto Train terminal and the Lorton Reformatory story matter on a roof page?
Lorton is the northern end of Amtrak's Auto Train, and the Virginia Railway Express station opened one mile north of it in January 1995. The commuter station arrived as the 1990s homes were going up.
The name goes back further. Joseph Plaskett opened the Lorton Valley Post Office on November 11, 1875, and named the community for a village in Cumbria.
How a job starts
What happens between a first call about a Lorton roof and the first day of work?
1. Name your side of 22079
Lorton, Laurel Hill or the river edge.
2. Describe the roof
What you can see from the ground.
3. Check the approvals
County first, then any association.
4. Agree the scope
Repair, replace or leave alone is your call.
5. Pick the dates
Scheduling follows the approvals.
Reviews
What have Lorton neighbors and others posted on Google?
5.0 on Google from 60 reviews.
FAQ
Lorton and Laurel Hill roofing questions
My Workhouse Road neighbors say Lorton, but is that Laurel Hill?
Possibly. The Census assigned most of the old reformatory grounds to Laurel Hill, yet the mailing ZIP, 22079, is shared with Lorton. Housing numbers for the Lorton place do not describe Laurel Hill, so ask which side you are on.
Does the Pohick Church district put a design review on my roof?
Only a property inside the district, where the review board handles exterior changes needing a building permit. Unsure of your parcel? Ask at 703-324-1380.
Which county permits roof work at a Lorton address?
Fairfax County Land Development Services, 703-222-0801, because Lorton is unincorporated. Its list names replacing roof shingles as no-permit work and roof repairs and chimney repairs as permit work, so describe the scope exactly.
A relative lives near Occoquan. Is the roof process the same?
Not necessarily. The Town of Occoquan is in Prince William County with its own government, while Lorton is Fairfax County.
Is a 1990s Lorton house likely to need a new roof?
The Census cannot say. About 15 percent of Lorton homes date from the 1990s and 23 percent from the 1980s, so a proper look is worth it.
Our Lorton building has fifty or more homes. Who signs for a roof job?
Usually the owner, manager or association, not one resident. Ask management first.
Does the townhouse plywood rule apply in Lorton?
If the home is attached, yes: the exemption stops at fire-rated roofs such as townhomes. Ask the office first.
Nearby
Which places near Lorton can you reach from this page?
Official pages used
Which pages back up the facts about Lorton?
Checked October 9, 2026.
Talk through the next step
Tell us which side of Lorton the roof is on
Share the street, whether the home is a house or a townhouse, and what the roof is doing. That tells us which questions to ask first.
Book a free 15-minute phone consultation
(703) 712-1506
9220 Topaz St, Fairfax, VA 22031
Mon to Fri 7 AM to 8:30 PM, Sat 7 AM to 8 PM, closed Sunday