Locations / Henrico County / Short Pump, VA
Custom Home Builder in Short Pump, VA
Henrico’s West End edge, and one of the few places around Richmond where nearly every good lot already has a house on it. Building here usually means replacing one.
Why Short Pump
Why Build in Short Pump?
Short Pump is a census-designated place in western Henrico County, at West Broad Street and Pouncey Tract Road, about a mile west of I-64. Its population was 30,626 at the 2020 census. It is not a town — permitting, schools and tax rates are Henrico County — and it is close to built out, which shapes every honest conversation about building here.
- 01
The Lots Are Already Taken
Short Pump grew into an edge city, and the land went with it. A new custom home here is usually an infill lot or a teardown-and-rebuild rather than open ground, and the lot frequently costs more than the house that is standing on it. That is not a discouragement — it is the actual shape of the work.
- 02
$0.83 per $100 — Henrico’s Rate, and a Reason People Stay
Henrico charges $0.83 per $100 of assessed value for 2026 — $5,810 a year on a $700,000 assessment. That is below Chesterfield’s $0.89 and well below the City of Richmond’s $1.20, which on the same assessment is $8,400. For a West End address that gap is a large part of the appeal.
- 03
921 Permits, at the Lowest Build Value Around Richmond
Henrico permitted 921 single-family homes in 2024 at an average reported construction value of $172,922 — the lowest of any county we build in, against $327,151 in Goochland. The figure is the structure as declared on the permit, land excluded, and in a county this developed it reflects smaller footprints on smaller lots, not lesser work.
- 04
Ten Minutes West, the Rules Change Completely
Cross into Goochland and the base tax rate drops to $0.53, but the minimum lot on well and septic becomes 1.5 acres. Short Pump buyers who want land almost always end up comparing the two. We will lay out both honestly rather than talk you into the one we are standing in — see Goochland.
- 05
Everything Is Five Minutes Away, Including the Traffic
Short Pump Town Center sits on West Broad about a mile west of I-64, exit 178A/B. The convenience is genuine and so is the congestion at the Broad Street ramps at rush hour. Where your lot sits relative to those ramps matters more day to day than the drive time to Downtown.
How We Build Here
Infill, Teardown, or a Lot Further Out
Three routes to a custom home in and around Short Pump, and the right one depends far more on the lot than on the house you want.
- 01
Teardown and Rebuild on an Established Street
On mature Short Pump streets the land is frequently worth more than the house on it. We handle the evaluation, the demolition, the permitting and the new build as one project rather than four — see teardowns and infill.
- 02
An Infill Lot Someone Skipped
There are still gaps: odd-shaped parcels, deeper lots behind existing homes, pieces that were awkward for a production builder. Awkward is usually solvable with the right plan on the right footprint.
- 03
Your Own Land, a Little Further Out
If what you actually want is acreage, the honest answer is often Goochland or western Henrico rather than Short Pump itself. Same drive to the same shops, different rules and a very different budget.
- 04
One Contract Either Way
Demolition, site work, utilities, the house and the finishes run under a single contract with one schedule and one point of contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Building in Short Pump — Common Questions
Is Short Pump its own town?+
No. Short Pump is a census-designated place in western Henrico County, at West Broad Street and Pouncey Tract Road. There is no separate town government, so permitting, schools and tax rates are all Henrico County.
Can you still build a custom home in Short Pump?+
Yes, but usually not on open ground — the area is close to built out. Most new custom homes here are infill lots or teardown-and-rebuild projects on established streets, where the lot is often worth more than the house standing on it. If you want acreage, the practical answer is generally a little further west.
What is the tax rate in Short Pump?+
Henrico County’s rate applies: $0.83 per $100 of assessed value for 2026, or $5,810 a year on a $700,000 assessment. That is below Chesterfield’s $0.89 and well below the City of Richmond’s $1.20, which would be $8,400 on the same assessment.
What does it cost to build a custom home in Short Pump?+
Henrico’s 2024 permits averaged $172,922 in reported construction value across 921 single-family homes (U.S. Census Bureau) — the structure only, before land, demolition and site work. In Short Pump the lot and, on a teardown, the demolition are the items that move a budget most, and neither appears in that figure.
Is it cheaper to build in Goochland instead?+
On the tax line, considerably: Goochland’s base rate is $0.53 per $100 against Henrico’s $0.83 — $3,710 a year versus $5,810 on a $700,000 assessment. The trade is a 1.5-acre minimum lot on well and septic, and a longer drive. Note the exception: inside Goochland’s Tuckahoe Creek Service District the combined rate is $0.85, which is more than Henrico.
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.
Henrico County real estate tax rate
Henrico County — Approved Tax Rates and Schedule (henrico.gov) · 2026 rate
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.
Short Pump is a census-designated place in Henrico County; 2020 population 30,626
Wikipedia — Short Pump, Virginia (en.wikipedia.org)
Chesterfield County real estate tax rate
Chesterfield County — Board of Supervisors adopts FY2026 budget (chesterfield.gov) · 2026 rate
City of Richmond real estate tax rate, used for comparison
City of Richmond — Department of Finance — Real Estate (rva.gov) · $1.20 per $100
Goochland County real estate tax rate and the Tuckahoe Creek Service District levy
Goochland County — Tax Rates (goochlandva.us) · 2026 rates
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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