Locations / Louisa County / Lake Anna, VA
Custom Home Builder in Louisa County & Lake Anna
About an hour from our Henrico office. Waterfront lots on Lake Anna and acreage across the rest of the county — and on the lake, two sets of shoreline rules come before the building permit.
Why Louisa & Lake Anna
Why Build in Louisa County and at Lake Anna?
Louisa County runs from the Zion Crossroads corridor on I-64 east to Lake Anna, the 13,000-acre reservoir it shares with Spotsylvania and Orange counties. Most of what gets built here goes up on land the owner already has — family acreage inland or a lot on the water — and the county has been building fast.
- 01
Lake Anna Is a Power Company Lake
Dominion Energy's predecessor built Lake Anna in the early 1970s to cool the North Anna Power Station, and Dominion still owns the lake and its shoreline. A waterfront lot gives you the right to ask Dominion for a dock or shoreline work — not the right to build them. We settle what is realistic before anyone designs around a boathouse.
- 02
Public Side or Private Side
The lake is split by dikes. The 9,600-acre main lake is public, with marinas and boat ramps. The 3,400-acre Waste Heat Treatment Facility — the "private side" — is used by the owners around it, and runs warmer because it takes the power station’s discharge. Which side a lot is on changes how you use the water and what the lot is worth.
- 03
$0.72 per $100, and Holding
Louisa's real estate tax rate is $0.72 per $100 of assessed value for 2026, unchanged for a decade — $5,040 a year on a $700,000 assessment, against $5,670 in Hanover and $6,230 in Chesterfield. This year the county also cut the personal property rate, which covers boats as well as cars, from $2.43 to $2.07 per $100.
- 04
404 New Homes in a Year
Louisa permitted 404 single-family homes in 2025 — more than Hanover's 279 — at an average reported construction value of $293,735. That figure is the structure alone: no land, no well, no drainfield, no driveway and no dock. On a lake lot those are where the real variance lives.
- 05
Two Sets of Shoreline Rules Before the Building Permit
On the lake, Dominion's construction and use guidelines govern the shoreline, and Louisa County has its own Lake Anna shoreline ordinance that endorses them. A house on a lakefront lot also needs the county's shoreline agreement for how the lot is disturbed. None of it is unusual; all of it has to be in order before ground is broken.
- 06
An Hour Out, With I-64 on the Other Side
The town of Louisa is about an hour from our Henrico office, and Zion Crossroads puts I-64 — and Charlottesville — within easy reach to the west. It is a real commute to Richmond. If the drive decides it for you, tell us where the lot is and we will give you the honest number.
How We Build Here
Building on the Lake or Your Own Land in Louisa
Waterfront lot or inland acreage, the sequence is the same — the lake just adds a step at the start.
- 01
We Walk the Lot, Including the Waterline
Access, slope, tree cover, the likely drainfield and, on the lake, where a dock could realistically go and what the shoreline will need. Lake lots are often narrow and steep, and the house, the septic field and the path to the water all compete for the same ground. See [lot walk](/lot-walk).
- 02
Dominion and the County Before Design
Docks, shoreline stabilization and clearing at the water need Dominion’s approval, and the county’s shoreline agreement governs how the rest of the lot is disturbed. We confirm what is achievable before a floor plan is drawn around a view you may not be allowed to open up.
- 03
Health Department, Then the House
Most lake and rural lots in Louisa are on a private well and septic. The Virginia Department of Health soil evaluation sets the drainfield’s size and position, and on a lake lot that often decides where the house can sit. We run it first, not after drawings are paid for.
- 04
Erosion Control Sized to the Lot
Louisa requires a land disturbing permit, with an erosion and sediment control plan reviewed by the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District, once work disturbs 10,000 square feet. Most single-house lots come in under that on an agreement in lieu of a plan — a shoreline version on the lake. We handle whichever applies.
- 05
One Contract, Not Four Trades and a Spreadsheet
Site work, utilities, the house and the finishes run as a single contract with one schedule and one point of contact. On a build-on-your-lot project an hour from Richmond, that is the difference between a builder and a project manager you hired by accident.
Frequently Asked Questions
Building in Louisa and at Lake Anna — Common Questions
Do you build on Lake Anna?+
Yes — on waterfront and water-access lots at Lake Anna, and on acreage across Louisa County. The difference on the lake is the shoreline: Dominion Energy owns the lake and approves docks and shoreline work, and Louisa County has its own shoreline ordinance. We sort out both before design.
Do I need Dominion Energy’s approval to build a dock?+
Yes. Dominion owns Lake Anna and its shoreline and lets adjoining owners build docks, boathouses and similar structures under its construction and use guidelines. Plan for that approval separately from the county permit for the house.
What is the difference between the public and private sides of Lake Anna?+
The main 9,600-acre lake is public, with marinas and boat ramps. The 3,400-acre Waste Heat Treatment Facility, known as the private side, is used by the property owners around it, and its water is warmer because it receives the North Anna Power Station’s discharge.
What is the property tax rate in Louisa County?+
$0.72 per $100 of assessed value for 2026 — $5,040 a year on a $700,000 assessment. The personal property rate, which covers boats as well as cars and trucks, was cut from $2.43 to $2.07 per $100 in the county’s FY2027 budget.
Do I need a well and septic system?+
On most rural and lake lots in Louisa, yes. The Virginia Department of Health issues both permits, and the soil evaluation decides the drainfield’s size and placement — which is why we run it before design.
How far is Louisa from Richmond?+
The town of Louisa is about an hour’s drive from our office on Staples Mill Road in Henrico, and Mineral and the Louisa side of Lake Anna are a few minutes further. We build anywhere within an hour of that office.
Sources
Where These Numbers Come From
Every figure on this page comes from a public record or a published report, 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.
Louisa County real estate tax rate
Louisa County — Real Estate (louisacounty.gov) · 2026 rate
FY2027 budget: real estate rate held at $0.72, personal property rate cut from $2.43 to $2.07, no rebate
Tammy Purcell, Louisa County reporting — Supervisors adopt $201 mil budget, cut personal property tax rate (tammypurcell.substack.com) · May 4, 2026
Hanover County real estate tax rate (comparison)
Hanover County — Tax Rates (hanovercounty.gov) · 2026 rate
Chesterfield County real estate tax rate (comparison)
Chesterfield County — Board of Supervisors adopts FY2026 budget (chesterfield.gov) · 2026 rate
Land disturbing permit threshold, plan review, and the agreement in lieu for a single house
Louisa County — Land Disturbance (louisacounty.gov)
Louisa County's Lake Anna shoreline ordinance and its endorsement of Dominion's construction and use guidelines
Louisa County — Lake Anna Shoreline Regulations (louisacounty.gov)
Lake Anna was built to cool the North Anna Power Station; the 9,600-acre lake and 3,400-acre Waste Heat Treatment Facility
Dominion Energy — Lake Anna, VA (dominionenergy.com)
The private side is reached only by surrounding property owners, and runs warmer from the plant’s discharge
Wikipedia — Lake Anna (en.wikipedia.org)
Single-family permit counts and average construction value
U.S. Census Bureau — Building Permits Survey, annual county file (www2.census.gov) · 2025 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.
Take the Next Step
Talk With Us
Book 15 minutes to answer your home building, financing, or land search questions.
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.
Have a question?
What would you like to know about building in Louisa County or at Lake Anna?