The Joint Occupancy Evaluation (JOE) Program has been developed to help facilitate the issuance of an Occupancy Permit for an existing commercial tenant space without a full tenant layout plan review permitting and inspections.

For detailed information regarding the new Joint Occupancy Evaluation (JOE) Program, refer to Building Development Policy 2.4: Joint Occupancy Evaluation Program. The following is a summary of the improvements in the new Policy:

Business Name Change: A safety inspection is no longer required to secure a Business License from the Finance Department.

Tenant Change without Change of Use: A safety inspection is no longer required to secure a Business License from the Finance Department.

Shell Buildings (Policy 1.5: Commercial Partial Permitting Process for Shell Buildings): The process for a first generation tenant has been relocated to a new Policy 2.8: New Commercial Building and First Generation Tenant Space – Occupancy Permit.

The County now assigns a Project Manager (a single point of contact) to assist customers with projects in the Joint Occupancy Evaluation Program. If you would like to have a Project Manager assigned to your project for the Joint Occupancy Evaluation Program, contact us at 703-792-4040 or BDD@pwcgov.org.