Locations / Richmond, VA
Infill & Teardown Home Builder in the City of Richmond
Historic streets, riverfront beauty, and neighborhoods with stories—Richmond is where character meets craftsmanship. We build new homes in established neighborhoods (sometimes called infill construction), including teardown-and-rebuild projects and new builds on your own land.
Why Richmond
Why Build in the City of Richmond?
Building inside the city is a different job from building in the counties, and most of the difference is procedural. Lots are already occupied, and in the Old & Historic Districts a city commission reviews your design before you can pull a single permit. None of that is a reason not to build here. It is a reason to build here with someone who has done it.
- 01
The Certificate of Appropriateness Comes Before Every Other Permit
In the city's Old & Historic Districts, the Commission of Architectural Review approves exterior work and issues a Certificate of Appropriateness — and it has to be in hand before any other permit is issued. Demolition counts. So does new construction, an addition, an accessory building, and any later change to an approved plan. A project sequenced the other way round does not start late; it does not start.
- 02
The Commission Meets Once a Month
CAR sits on the fourth Tuesday of each month, except December when it moves to the third. A submission that misses a deadline waits a full month for the next hearing. On a teardown-and-rebuild that single date governs the whole programme, which is why we work backwards from it rather than forwards from closing.
- 03
$1.20 per $100, and What It Buys
The city's real estate tax rate is $1.20 per $100 of assessed value — $8,400 a year on a $700,000 assessment. What it buys is walkability, a street grid, city services and a fifteen-minute commute.
- 04
380 Homes a Year, on Lots That Are Already Occupied
The city permitted 380 single-family homes in 2024 at an average reported construction value of $210,943 (structure only — land excluded, and not a sale price). The figure runs below the surrounding counties because city building is infill: narrower lots, tighter footprints, and an existing house to remove before yours goes up.
- 05
Design Review Is Judged Against a Published Standard
CAR decides against the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and the Richmond Old & Historic Districts Handbook and Design Review Guidelines. That is the good news: the standard is written down and public, so a design can be aimed at it from the first sketch rather than negotiated at the hearing.
- 06
A Teardown Is a Demolition Project With a Build Attached
On many established city streets the lot is worth more than the house standing on it. That calculation is the easy part. The sequencing — demolition approval, utility disconnects, erosion control, then the new build — is the part that goes wrong. We run the evaluation, the demolition, the permitting and the build as one project rather than four.
How We Build in the City
Two Ways We Build in Richmond
City building is different. There's no greenfield section to drop a plan onto—every site has a history, a streetscape, and a permitting path of its own. We work two ways in Richmond, depending on where you're starting.
- 01
Building on Your Own Land
Already own a city lot, or have a specific block in mind? Our Build on Your Lot program is designed for homeowners who chose the location first. We handle the design, the city permitting, and the construction—turning the property you bring us into the home you've been picturing, without forcing you into a pre-drawn plan.
- 02
Teardown and Rebuild
When a teardown or vacant lot opens up on a sought-after Richmond street, our experience with new construction in established neighborhoods lets us replace an outdated structure with a custom home that honors the scale and character of the block. We navigate city zoning, setbacks, and neighborhood review so your new build fits the streetscape from day one.
Where We Build
Where We Build in Richmond
Every Richmond neighborhood has its own scale, streetscape, and permitting process. These are the areas where we focus, and where most of our custom builds and Build on Your Lot projects take shape.
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Keel Community
The Union Hill Collection
Union Hill, beside Church Hill
Our own collection of nineteen new three-story homes with private roof terraces, a few blocks from Church Hill — and some are ready to move into now.
Explore →
Teardown & Rebuild
Near West End
Westhampton, Windsor Farms, Libbie & Grove
Some of Richmond's most established neighborhoods. We specialize in tear-down and rebuild projects here, replacing older, undersized homes with energy-efficient new construction that respects the area's classic architectural character.
Walkable City Build
The Fan & Museum District
Walkable to Carytown and the VMFA
The city's most sought-after blocks for new builds in established settings. Tear-down opportunities are rare and move fast, so the right builder, one who knows the permitting and the neighbors, makes the difference.
Historic Charm
Church Hill
One of Richmond's oldest neighborhoods
Cobblestone streets, skyline views, and architecture that tells the city's story. Building here means working within design review and a community protective of its character—the kind of project where local know-how and patience pay off.
Build on Your Land
Southside
Forest Hill & Westover Hills
City access with breathing room. Larger lots, mature landscaping, and a strong neighborhood feel make this a natural fit for Build on Your Lot clients who want walkability without giving up space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Building in Richmond — Common Questions
Do I need a Certificate of Appropriateness to build in Richmond?+
Only in the city's Old & Historic Districts — but there it is unavoidable, and it comes first. The Commission of Architectural Review issues the certificate for exterior work, including new construction, additions, accessory buildings and full demolitions, and it must be obtained before any other permit. The first thing we check on a city lot is whether it sits inside one of those districts.
How long does historic district review add to a Richmond build?+
The review itself is a hearing, not a waiting period — but CAR meets once a month, on the fourth Tuesday (third Tuesday in December). Hitting a deadline costs you nothing; missing one costs a month. Because a Certificate of Appropriateness gates every other permit, that monthly cadence sets the schedule for the whole project, and we plan the design programme backwards from the hearing date.
Can you tear down an existing house in the city and rebuild?+
Yes, and on many established streets it is the only way to get a new home on a street you actually want to live on. A full demolition inside an Old & Historic District needs a Certificate of Appropriateness of its own. We handle evaluation, demolition, permitting and the new build as a single project — see teardowns and infill.
What is the real estate tax rate in the City of Richmond?+
$1.20 per $100 of assessed value. On a $700,000 assessment that is $8,400 a year, compared with $5,810 in Henrico, $5,670 in Hanover, $6,230 in Chesterfield and $3,710 in Goochland.
What does it cost to build a custom home in the City of Richmond?+
The city's 2024 permits averaged $210,943 in reported construction value across 380 single-family homes (U.S. Census Bureau) — structure only, before land, demolition and site work. City infill carries costs a county lot does not: removing the existing house, working a constrained site, and utility connections in an established street. For a per-square-foot view of our own builds, use the cost calculator.
Which parts of the city does Keel build in?+
Across the city, with most work on established streets where infill and teardown-rebuild make sense — Northside, Manchester and the Museum District among them. If you have a specific address in mind, we will tell you whether it sits in an Old & Historic District before you make an offer.
Quick Move-Ins
Move-In Ready Homes
One home is ready now — skip the build timeline and move in.
Sources
Where These Numbers Come From
Every figure on this page comes from a public record, linked below. Tax rates are adopted each spring and we re-check them then; permit data is released annually by the Census Bureau. If a number here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
City of Richmond real estate tax rate and how the bill is calculated
City of Richmond — Department of Finance — Real Estate (rva.gov) · $1.20 per $100
The Commission of Architectural Review, and that a Certificate of Appropriateness precedes all other permits
City of Richmond — Commission of Architectural Review (rva.gov)
CAR was established by City Council in 1957 and meets the fourth Tuesday of each month, except December (third Tuesday).
The design standard historic district review is judged against
City of Richmond — Old & Historic Districts Handbook and Design Review Guidelines (rva.gov) · adopted 1999
Single-family permit counts and average construction value
U.S. Census Bureau — Building Permits Survey, annual county file (www2.census.gov) · 2024 release
Average construction value is reported valuation divided by units — the structure as declared on the permit. It excludes land and is not a sale price.
Henrico County real estate tax rate, used for comparison
Henrico County — Approved Tax Rates and Schedule (henrico.gov) · 2026 rate
Hanover County real estate tax rate, used for comparison
Hanover County — Tax Rates (hanovercounty.gov) · 2026 rate
Chesterfield County real estate tax rate, used for comparison
Chesterfield County — Board of Supervisors adopts FY2026 budget (chesterfield.gov) · 2026 rate
Goochland County real estate tax rate, used for comparison
Goochland County — Tax Rates (goochlandva.us) · 2026 rate
Take the Next Step
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Walk Your Lot
We walk the property with you and flag access, soil, septic, and build constraints.
Plan Your Build
Two ways to get your bearings before you talk to anyone.
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