Home Inspections in
Arlington & Alexandria
Old Town rowhouses, Del Ray bungalows, garden-apartment condos and Rosslyn–Ballston towers. Dense Northern Virginia housing, each type with its own checklist.
Arlington and Alexandria pack more kinds of housing into a few square miles than almost anywhere in the DMV. An 18th-century Old Town rowhouse, a 1940s garden-apartment condo, a 1950s Cape Cod and a glass tower in Ballston can all be on the same buyer’s shortlist. Space is tight, many homes have crawlspaces or tight attics, and the condo share is high, so we tailor the inspection to the building type as much as the age.
Homes in Arlington & Alexandria: what we inspect
Housing eras & styles
Old Town Alexandria has rowhouses from the 1700s and 1800s inside its historic district. Del Ray, Rosemont and North Arlington have early-1900s bungalows, foursquares and Colonials. Both are known for 1930s–1940s garden-apartment complexes — many now condos — plus post-war brick Cape Cods and colonials, and high-rise condos along the Rosslyn–Ballston corridor, in Crystal City and in Alexandria’s West End.
Water & sewer
Arlington County distributes water treated at the Washington Aqueduct and runs its own sewer system; in Alexandria, Virginia American Water supplies the water while the city maintains the sewers and AlexRenew treats the wastewater. Both are fully on public utilities, so the questions are about age — original drain lines and laterals — rather than wells or septic.
Radon
- EPA Zone 2 Arlington County
- EPA Zone 3 City of Alexandria
EPA rates Arlington County Zone 2 (moderate) and the City of Alexandria Zone 3 (low). Lower zones do not mean low readings in every house: a basement apartment in Arlington or a below-grade unit in Alexandria can still test above the action level, so test anything with living space at or below ground.
Zone 2 = moderate potential (predicted average 2–4 pCi/L) · Zone 3 = low potential (predicted average below 2 pCi/L). Source: EPA Map of Radon Zones
New construction
Potomac Yard, National Landing and Carlyle keep adding condos and townhouses, and teardown-and-rebuild single-family homes are common across North Arlington. We inspect them at pre-drywall, final walkthrough and before the 11-month warranty ends.
What's different about inspecting in Arlington & Alexandria
Garden-apartment condos
Mid-century garden complexes now sold as condos often have original electrical, cast iron drain stacks shared between units, and limited attic or crawlspace access. We inspect your unit thoroughly and note signs of building-wide issues the association should answer for.
Old Town’s historic district and waterfront
Exterior work in the Old and Historic Alexandria District goes through the Board of Architectural Review, and the low blocks near the river see tidal and storm flooding. We document exterior condition and any sign of past water entry so you can plan repairs and insurance.
Common findings in this housing stock
- •Aging cast iron and clay drain lines in pre-1960 homes
- •Knob-and-tube remnants and ungrounded outlets in older single-family homes
- •Shared plumbing stacks and original wiring in garden-apartment condos
- •Balcony, window and parapet leaks in mid-rise and high-rise condos
- •Original windows at the end of their life in pre-war homes
- •Crawlspace moisture and missing vapor barriers
- •HVAC condensate and drain problems in stacked condo units
We’ve inspected 5 homes in Arlington & Alexandria since March 2026
Towns we’ve worked in
- Alexandria4
- Arlington1
Year built
Median year built: 1968
Based on 5 homes with a year built on record.
Completed inspections from our records, through October 2026. We never publish addresses.
Towns & neighborhoods we serve
Clarendon, Ballston, Rosslyn, Courthouse, Pentagon City, Crystal City, Shirlington, Lyon Park, Cherrydale, Old Town Alexandria, Del Ray, Rosemont, Potomac Yard, Parkfairfax, West End, Eisenhower Valley, and the rest of Arlington & Alexandria.
Inspections Arlington & Alexandria buyers add most
Arlington & Alexandria Inspection Pricing
| Property Size | Polaris Price |
|---|---|
| Condos & homes up to 1,500 sq ft | $395 |
| 1,500–3,000 sq ft | $459 |
| 3,000–5,000 sq ft | $579 |
| 5,000–7,500 sq ft | $699 |
| 7,500–10,000 sq ft | $849 |
Arlington & Alexandria home inspection FAQ
Do you inspect condos in Arlington and Alexandria?
Yes — condos are a big share of our work here. We inspect the unit’s HVAC, water heater, electrical, plumbing, windows and appliances, plus balconies or storage you have exclusive use of, and point out signs of building-wide problems.
Are there special concerns with Old Town homes?
Older framing and masonry, original drain lines, limited crawlspace access and past water entry near the river. Exterior repairs in the historic district need Board of Architectural Review approval, which affects timing and cost.
Should I scope the sewer line on an older Arlington home?
Yes, if the home was built before about 1980 or has large trees near the line. Clay and cast iron laterals crack and let roots in, and the camera shows you the whole run before you buy.
Should I test for radon here?
If the home has a basement or ground-level living space, it is worth testing — radon varies widely between neighboring homes. A 48-hour test during your inspection period gives you a real number.
Other areas we cover
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