Cost to Build a House in Arlington County, Virginia
Building a house in Arlington County, Virginia costs about $197/sq ft in 2026 — roughly $346,720–$441,280 for a 2,000 sq ft mid-range home (construction only, land excluded). 224 single-family homes were permitted here in 2025, and the typical existing home is worth $1,110,217.
That is the Virginia statewide rate: no public source measures construction cost county by county, so we don't invent a local premium. What does differ by county is measured below.
How much building happens in Arlington County
Single-family homes permitted each year, 2000–2025. 2025 is highlighted; the 2008–2011 crash years are darker.
Arlington County is building more homes now than at any point before the 2008 crash — a genuinely expanding market, which usually means an established pool of builders and subdivision lots, but also competition for crews.
U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, county annual files 2000–2025 (1-unit structures, total including imputation).
Build or buy in Arlington County?
Unusually, building a median-size new home in Arlington County costs about $454,965 less than buying the typical existing one. That gap is narrower than the Virginia average of +53.7%, because existing homes here are pricier than in much of the state — which makes Arlington County one of the stronger cases for building in Virginia.
The two sides are not the same product: the build is brand new at the median new-home size for the South, the existing home is typically older and smaller. Lot cost uses Virginia's average land share, and local lot prices can be well above or below it. Full Virginia build-vs-buy comparison
Existing home value: Zillow Home Value Index, single-family, middle tier (2026-08) — an index of typical value, not a median sale price. Land: FHFA Working Paper 19-01.
What builders declared on Arlington County permits (2025)
The average declared valuation was $561,566 per home, against our $394,000 estimate for a 2,000 sq ft mid-range build. The two measure different things: builders declare a valuation for permit-fee purposes, which routinely understates finished cost, and permits cover homes of every size and finish level. We show both because quoting only the flattering one would be dishonest.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual data.
What building in Arlington County actually involves
Cost per square foot is one number. These are the conditions behind it.
How busy this market is
Arlington County ranks 26th of 129 counties in Virginia for single-family permits issued in 2025, accounting for 1.1% of all the single-family homes permitted statewide that year.
That is an active market with a reasonable choice of builders.
U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, co2025a.txt (2025).
What land adds on top
Land averages 35% of finished property value in Virginia, which is a markup of about 54% on construction cost. For the $394,000 build above, that implies roughly $212,760 for the lot.
This is a statewide figure. Lots inside Arlington County's built-up areas will run above it and rural parcels below, so treat it as an order of magnitude rather than a budget line.
FHFA Working Paper 19-01 land values.
Statewide factors
Trade wages, climate load, energy code and permit seasonality are set at state level, so they are the same for every Virginia county. See them on the Virginia page.
Cost by Home Size in Arlington County
| Home Size | Basic | Mid-Range | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 sq ft | $72,827 | $98,500 | $134,128 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $145,654 | $197,000 | $268,255 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $218,481 | $295,500 | $402,383 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $291,309 | $394,000 | $536,511 |
| 2,500 sq ft | $364,136 | $492,500 | $670,638 |
| 3,000 sq ft | $436,963 | $591,000 | $804,766 |
| 4,000 sq ft | $582,617 | $788,000 | $1,073,021 |
| 5,000 sq ft | $728,271 | $985,000 | $1,341,277 |
Other Virginia counties
Costs are estimates only and represent construction costs, excluding land, architect fees, permits, and landscaping. Land in Virginia averages 35% of finished property value (FHFA), which adds roughly 54% on top of these construction figures.
Priced at the Virginia state average, which is 1.05× the national average of $188/sq ft. Permit and home-value figures are specific to Arlington County.
Cost data: HouseBuildCalc Permit Cost Index (876,000+ building permits, 1,700+ ZIP codes), U.S. Census Bureau Survey of Construction, BLS Producer Price Index, NAHB Cost of Constructing a Home (published summaries). County permits: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey. Home values: Zillow Home Value Index. For planning purposes only.