Home building and renovation in Arlington County and Alexandria
Arlington County and the City of Alexandria are neighbors that once shared a name. What is now Arlington was called Alexandria County until 1920, when it was renamed to end the confusion; the county and the city had been formally separated in 1870. Today they are two governments, so a home builder in Arlington and Alexandria, VA works to two sets of rules.
Blackline Builders is based in Manassas and serves both with custom homes, renovations, additions and concrete. Every project here begins by confirming which government a property answers to and which reviews come with it.
What we build in Arlington and Alexandria
- Tear-down and rebuild where the lot is worth keeping and the house is not.
- Room and second-story additions, sized against lot coverage in Arlington and floor area in Alexandria.
- Whole-house renovations for older houses kept for their character and reworked inside.
- Estate and historic home renovations inside local historic districts on either side of the line.
- Concrete driveways, walks and steps, planned with each jurisdiction's rules for aprons and curb cuts in mind.
- Custom home building, design-build construction and kitchen renovations.
How approvals differ
Who issues the permit. Arlington has no incorporated towns, so there is no town office to check: the county issues residential building permits, and zoning items such as height, lot coverage and setbacks are part of the application. Alexandria sits outside any county. Its Department of Code Administration issues permits within city limits, and Planning and Zoning checks the floor area and open space of an addition.
Historic review. Arlington's Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board decides certificates of appropriateness in the county's local historic districts, including the Maywood neighborhood. Alexandria's Board of Architectural Review covers the Old and Historic Alexandria and Parker-Gray districts and designated One Hundred Year Old Buildings. On both sides, a National Register listing by itself does not bring a private owner's project before either board.
Water and ground. Both are Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act localities, with Resource Protection Areas along streams and Resource Management Areas elsewhere. In Arlington, disturbing 2,500 square feet of land or more brings a land disturbing activity and stormwater permit. In Alexandria, building permits that involve ground disturbance are reviewed by city archaeologists.
The curb. Neither place leaves its local streets to VDOT. Arlington maintains its own county roads and Alexandria its city streets, so work where a driveway meets a local street is approved by the county or the city.
How we approach it
We visit the property, confirm its jurisdiction and map what applies to it: historic district, stream buffer, floodplain and zoning limits. The design is drawn inside those lines, and the permits are sequenced the way that government expects. Only then is the work priced, one property at a time.
Where we work in this area
Arlington
A plan in Arlington starts with measurements: how much of the lot the house and driveway may cover, and whether the work crosses the land disturbance threshold that sets the order of a tear-down. In Maywood, exterior alterations also need the county review board's approval. See rebuilds, additions and renovations in Arlington.
Alexandria
A plan in Alexandria starts with two questions: what the review board will see from a public way, and what the ground beneath an addition may hold. Floor area and open space then set how far the house can grow. See renovations and additions in Alexandria.
Questions about Arlington and Alexandria
Arlington County issues residential building permits and checks zoning items within the same application. The City of Alexandria is not part of any county; its Department of Code Administration issues permits there, with Planning and Zoning reviewing additions. A property follows one path, never both.
No. Alexandria is an independent city. The city and the county were formally separated in 1870, and the county, then named Alexandria County, became Arlington County in 1920.
Yes. Arlington and Alexandria are both Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act localities, and each has Resource Protection Areas along streams, where new structures, additions and clearing are limited and a Water Quality Impact Assessment is often required. The rest of each jurisdiction is a Resource Management Area. Treat the local maps as a guide, and confirm the buffer for the specific lot before design begins.
To plan a project in Arlington or Alexandria, book a free on-site estimate or call 571-200-3100.
Start a project
Bring us the lot—or the home you want to transform.
We'll meet you on site, walk the property with you and talk through what the work will take.