Market guide · Checked October 16, 2026
Build a custom home on your lot in Northern Virginia
Close-in Northern Virginia is full of older houses on valuable lots, so many custom homes here start as a teardown. We track 43 custom builders here, 19 of whom say they build on a lot you already own. Pick your town for the builders who work there and the permit path you’ll follow.
Choose your town
Counts include builders that name the town or its whole county.
Who issues your permits
Northern Virginia mailing addresses don’t always match the government that issues your permits. Check your parcel first.
| If your property is in | Permits come from |
|---|---|
| McLean, Great Falls, Oakton, Reston, Annandale, most “Fairfax” addresses | Fairfax County Land Development Services |
| Town of Vienna | Fairfax County building permits plus Town of Vienna approvals |
| Arlington | Arlington County (Permit Arlington) |
| City of Falls Church, City of Alexandria, City of Fairfax | Each independent city’s own permit office |
| Town of Clifton | Fairfax County permits plus Town of Clifton approvals |
| Ashburn and the rest of Loudoun County | Loudoun County, plus the town in Leesburg, Purcellville or Middleburg |
A teardown takes a demolition permit, usually a grading plan, then the building permit. Read the full knockdown-rebuild permit guide.
What it costs
Northern Virginia builders that publish prices range from about $250 to $800+ per square foot for the house, before land, demolition and site work. Two publish full per-square-foot tiers, and a few publish typical project sizes of $1 million to $5 million or more. See what builders publish or try the estimator.
How long it takes
Census data shows 43% of homes built by a contractor on the owner’s land take 10 months or more to build, before design and permits. See the timeline.
Building in Maryland? See Bethesda, Potomac and Chevy Chase.
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Get introduced to builders who work in your town
Tell us about your lot and your plans. We read every request and introduce you to builders that fit, only if you want that.