Home building, renovation and concrete in Prince William County
For a home builder in Prince William County, the first question is who governs the lot. The county surrounds two independent cities, Manassas and Manassas Park, and holds incorporated towns such as Haymarket, so neighbors a few miles apart can answer to different governments.
Blackline Builders is based in Manassas. Our work here spans new custom homes, renovations and additions, outdoor living and concrete, in the county and in the City of Manassas.
How approvals work in Prince William County
Three kinds of government issue approvals here.
- Unincorporated county. In places such as Gainesville, the county's Department of Development Services handles zoning, plan review, permits and inspections. Zoning approval is required for every new house and for decks, additions, garages, retaining walls and fences.
- The Town of Haymarket. The town gives zoning approval first. Building permits and inspections inside the town have come from the county since January 2018. Its historic district zoning dates to 1994, when the council applied it to the whole town, and the town's Architectural Review Board issues certificates of appropriateness.
- The City of Manassas. The county seat is a separate jurisdiction with its own permit office and three local historic districts. Manassas Park is another independent city.
Site conditions add their own layer:
- Stream buffers. The county adopted the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act into its local ordinance in 1990. Resource Protection Areas take in land within 100 feet of a perennial stream bank or adjoining wetland, and development and land disturbance are generally not allowed there.
- Soils. The county sorts soils into three categories for building code purposes; Category I soils are considered good for foundations. High shrink-swell soils, marine clay and undocumented fill are among the problem soils that may need special engineering under a foundation.
- Buckland. The county's only historic overlay district sits on Route 29 close to the Fauquier line, where changes to the outside of a home need a certificate of appropriateness from the county Architectural Review Board.
- Wells, septic and entrances. A new house without public water and sewer needs Health District approval, and a lot that takes access from a state-maintained road needs a VDOT entrance permit.
Communities we serve in and around Prince William County
Manassas
An independent city with its own zoning certificates, driveway standards and Architectural Review Board. Read about building inside the City of Manassas.
Gainesville
A census-designated place with no town government, so county rules govern every step from zoning approval to final inspection. See new homes and basements in Gainesville. Dominion Valley, which we list with Gainesville, carries Haymarket addresses.
Haymarket
A small historic town inside a much larger ZIP code. The town publishes the streets within its limits; the rest of the ZIP code falls under the county, including Piedmont, a golf club community that grew on land near the town. Start with historic review and retaining walls in Haymarket.
What we build across Prince William County
- Custom home building, with the foundation designed for the soil category found on the lot.
- Room and second-story additions, drawn to county, city or town setbacks as the lot requires.
- Basement finishing and remodels for homes with an unfinished lower level, permitted by the county or the city as the address requires.
- Concrete driveways, including new aprons where a driveway meets the street.
- Patios, walkways and steps sited clear of stream buffers.
- Stamped and decorative concrete for terraces and entry walks.
- Concrete repair and resurfacing.
- In-law and multigenerational suites.
Questions about approvals here
Inside the City of Manassas, no. The city is a separate jurisdiction and runs its own permits. Inside Haymarket, town zoning approval comes first, and the county's building permit follows it. New construction, additions and exterior alterations in the town's historic district also need a certificate of appropriateness from the town's Architectural Review Board.
It shapes the foundation. On problem soils such as high shrink-swell soils or marine clay, footings, slabs and basement walls may need an engineered design, which is better known before drawings are priced.
It applies in Prince William County, which keeps a 100-foot Resource Protection Area along perennial streams and their adjoining wetlands. The cities of Manassas and Manassas Park are not on the Act's list of Tidewater localities.
To talk through a project anywhere in the county or the city, book a free on-site estimate or call 571-200-3100.
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