Arlington has the oldest and most varied housing stock of any community we serve. Craftsman bungalows from the 1920s in Lyon Park and Cherrydale. Colonial Revivals and Queen Anne homes in Ashton Heights and Maywood. Cape Cods and brick colonials from the 1930s and 1940s in Aurora Highlands, Waverly Hills, and Arlington Ridge. Sears catalog kit houses scattered through the older neighborhoods, many still standing after a century. Mid-century ramblers in Arlington Forest and Glencarlyn. And an increasingly active market for teardown-and-rebuild projects on the county’s compact residential lots.
Home Remodeling in Arlington, VA
Design/Build Remodeling for Northern Virginia’s Most Architecturally Diverse Neighborhoods
Serving Arlington Zip Codes: 22201-22207, 22209, 22211, and 22213
Arlington is also an independent county with its own government and its own permitting process, separate from Fairfax County. Building permits, zoning, historic district review, and inspections all run through the Arlington County government. For homeowners accustomed to Fairfax County’s process, it’s a different system with different requirements.
Commonwealth Home Design has been helping Northern Virginia homeowners reimagine their homes for over 40 years. As a design/build firm based in Vienna, we handle design, permitting, and construction under one roof. We know Arlington’s neighborhoods, its housing stock, and its county review process.
Our Remodeling Services in Arlington
Kitchen Remodeling
Arlington’s pre-war bungalows and Capes often have small, closed-off kitchens that were designed for a different era. We reconfigure, relocate, and redesign kitchens to work for how today’s families cook and gather, often within tight footprints where every square foot matters.
Bathroom Remodeling
From adding a second bathroom to a single-bath bungalow to creating a primary suite in a colonial, Arlington’s older homes frequently need bathroom work that respects the home’s character while solving real functional problems.
Home Additions
Second-story additions over ramblers, rear bump-outs, and family room wings. Arlington’s compact lots make setback calculations critical on every addition. In historic districts, design review adds another layer.
Whole House Remodel
Comprehensive renovations that reconfigure floor plans, modernize systems, and bring pre-war or mid-century homes into the current century. Many Arlington homeowners choose whole-house renovation because they love their lot and their neighborhood.
Basement Remodels
Arlington’s dense lots make basement space especially valuable. Home offices, recreation rooms, guest suites, and additional living area below grade can transform a small-footprint home.
Outdoor Living
Porches, decks, patios, and screened rooms designed for Arlington’s compact lots and established streetscapes.
Mother-in-Law Suites
In-law suite additions and multigenerational living spaces. Arlington’s high land values and walkable neighborhoods make in-law suites a practical way to keep families together.
New Home Design
For infill new construction and teardown-and-rebuild projects on Arlington’s compact lots. Design that fits the neighborhood’s established character.
Garage Remodel
Garage additions, conversions, and finished space above. On Arlington’s tighter lots, garages need thoughtful design to maximize function.
Recent Projects Near Arlington
Kitchen Relocation, Remodeling, and Modernization
A kitchen relocated and completely reimagined within the home’s existing footprint. This is the kind of project Arlington’s compact bungalows and colonials demand: creative reconfiguration when you can’t simply expand outward.
Whole-House Remodel and Garage Addition
A transformative whole-house remodel that reconfigured and modernized a dated 1960s home with an open floor plan, expanded living spaces, updated exterior, and new garage addition. Reflects many of the layout, storage, and modernization challenges common in Arlington-area housing stock from the 1950s and 1960s.
In-Law Suite Addition
A dedicated in-law suite addition designed for multigenerational living. Arlington’s high land values and walkable neighborhoods make in-law suites an increasingly popular way to keep families together without buying a second home.
Let’s Talk About Your Arlington Home
Whether you’re renovating a Craftsman bungalow, opening up a colonial floor plan, adding a second story over a rambler, or navigating Arlington County’s historic district review, we’d love to hear what you have in mind.
What Arlington Homeowners Say About Working With Us
The Home Styles and Remodeling Challenges We See Most in Arlington
Arlington’s housing stock reaches further back in time than any other community in the Commonwealth service area, and the architectural variety is unmatched.
The oldest neighborhoods date to the late 1800s and early 1900s. Maywood, Arlington’s first local historic district, features Queen Anne homes with wraparound porches, dormer windows, and original detail that draws preservation-minded buyers. Cherrydale, one of the county’s oldest neighborhoods, has a striking mix of Queen Anne, Craftsman, Italianate, Gothic Revival, and Art Deco homes along with a notable collection of Sears catalog kit houses. Lyon Park and Ashton Heights are defined by their well-preserved Craftsman bungalows and Colonial Revivals, many with Sears Modern Homes built alongside custom designs.
The 1930s and 1940s brought a wave of brick colonials, Cape Cods, and Tudor Revivals to neighborhoods like Aurora Highlands, Waverly Hills, and Arlington Ridge. These homes have strong architectural bones: brick exteriors, slate roofs, original millwork. They also typically have compact kitchens, formal room layouts, and single or limited bathrooms. Modernizing them while preserving their character is the core renovation challenge in these neighborhoods.
Mid-century ramblers, split-levels, and Cape Cods from the 1940s through the 1960s fill neighborhoods like Arlington Forest, Douglas Park, and parts of Glencarlyn. Simple, solidly built homes on compact lots. Many are candidates for second-story additions, kitchen expansions, or whole-house renovations.
Arlington’s lots are among the most compact in the Commonwealth service area. When setbacks, lot coverage maximums, and height limits constrain what you can build outward and upward, the design has to be smarter. Every square foot counts, and creative use of existing space, including basements and attic conversions, becomes part of the conversation.
Living Room Before:
Kitchen Before:
Why Arlington Homeowners Trust Our Design/Build Approach
We Know Arlington County’s Process. Arlington is an independent county with its own government, permitting office, and zoning code, separate from Fairfax County. We handle Arlington County permits and historic district coordination with the same confidence we bring to our Fairfax County work.
Design/Build Under One Roof. Our in-house design team and construction crews work together from first conversation to final walkthrough. One team, one contract, one point of accountability. On Arlington’s compact lots, the coordination between design and construction is especially important.
Over 40 Years in Northern Virginia. We’ve been designing and building home renovations across Northern Virginia for over 40 years. We know how to work with pre-war homes, period detail, and the specific challenges older housing stock presents.
Compact-Lot Expertise. Arlington’s lots are tighter than most of our other service areas. We design around setbacks, lot coverage limits, and height restrictions to maximize what’s possible without wasting space.
Arlington Permitting: An Independent County
Arlington County is an independent county with its own government, and all residential permitting runs through the county’s Department of Community Planning, Housing, and Development. This is a separate system from Fairfax County, with its own zoning code, setback requirements, lot coverage rules, and review timelines.
Arlington also has local historic districts, including the Maywood Historic District, where exterior changes may require additional review by the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB). Properties designated as local historic landmarks or within historic districts face specific preservation requirements that affect additions, exterior renovations, and demolition.
Stormwater management is an increasing concern in parts of Arlington, particularly in neighborhoods like Waverly Hills where older infrastructure has struggled with severe storm events. Projects that add impervious surface or alter drainage may require stormwater management plans.
We handle all permitting coordination with Arlington County, including zoning review, building permits, trade permits, historic district applications where needed, and inspection scheduling.
Serving Arlington from Our Vienna Office, Just Minutes Away
Commonwealth Home Design is based at 208 Dominion Rd NE in Vienna. For over 40 years, we’ve been designing and building home renovations across Northern Virginia, including projects in Fairfax County, Falls Church, McLean, and Arlington. As a design/build firm, we keep design, permitting, and construction under one roof.
Commonwealth Home Design
208 Dominion Rd NE
Vienna, VA 22180
703-255-9861
Frequently Asked Questions: Arlington, VA Remodeling
Is Arlington County permitting different from Fairfax County?
Yes. Arlington is an independent county with its own government, zoning code, and permitting office. Building permits, inspections, and zoning review all run through Arlington County, separate from Fairfax County. We handle the full process.
Is my Arlington home in a historic district?
Arlington has local historic districts, including the Maywood Historic District, plus individual landmark designations throughout the county. Properties within historic districts may require review by the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) for exterior changes. We confirm district status at the start of every project.
Can you add a second story to an Arlington rambler?
In many cases, yes. Second-story additions over ramblers are popular in Arlington because they add living space without expanding the footprint on a tight lot. Zoning height limits, setback requirements, and structural feasibility are the primary considerations.
Can you renovate a Craftsman bungalow without losing its character?
Yes. Arlington’s Craftsman bungalows are among the most architecturally distinctive homes in our service area. We approach them with care: preserving original detail where it matters (columns, rafter tails, millwork), modernizing kitchens and baths, and reconfiguring floor plans without erasing the home’s character.
How do Arlington’s compact lots affect what I can build?
Arlington’s zoning code has setback requirements, lot coverage maximums, and height limits that constrain additions and new construction. On smaller lots, these limits mean every square foot of buildable area matters. We evaluate zoning constraints during our initial site visit so you know what’s possible before design begins.
Are you based in Arlington?
Our office is in Vienna. We serve Arlington alongside our Fairfax County communities and are experienced with Arlington County’s independent permitting process.
Also Serving Communities Near Arlington
In addition to Vienna, Commonwealth Home Design serves homeowners throughout Northern Virginia. Each community has its own character and housing stock, and our team brings the same architect-led approach to every project. Explore our service areas:
Let’s Talk About Your Arlington Project
From the first design meeting to the final walkthrough, our team is with you every step of the way.
