Victorian rowhouses, Wardman porch-fronts, condo conversions and new Navy Yard towers. We understand DC’s housing — party walls, flat roofs, old service lines and all.
Most DC homes share at least one wall with a neighbor, sit on a lot measured in feet rather than acres, and have been renovated more than once in a hundred-plus years. That changes the inspection: roofs are often flat and shared, water problems can start two doors down, and a fresh gut renovation can sit on top of original framing and old service lines. Condos — in conversions, garden buildings and new towers — make up a big share of the market, and each type has its own checklist. Most of the DC homes we inspect were built before 1950.
Capitol Hill, Logan Circle, Shaw and LeDroit Park are known for Victorian rowhouses from the late 1800s. Petworth, Columbia Heights, Brookland and Bloomingdale are full of early-1900s porch-front rowhouses, many built by Harry Wardman and his contemporaries. Upper Northwest — Chevy Chase DC, Cleveland Park, the Palisades — has detached early-1900s homes, and neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River add mid-century garden apartments, duplexes and semi-detached homes. Rowhouse-to-condo conversions are everywhere.
DC Water supplies water and sewer to the entire city, so there are no wells or septic systems to worry about. What matters is age: many older homes still have lead or galvanized water service lines, which DC Water’s Lead Free DC program is working to replace, and sewer laterals that are 80 to 120 years old. We note the visible service-line material and recommend a sewer scope on most older homes.
EPA places the District in Zone 3, its lowest-potential category — but EPA is clear that zone is no substitute for a test, and individual DC homes with basements or ground-level units can still read high. If you will live or sleep below grade, a 48-hour test is cheap peace of mind.
Zone 3 = low potential (predicted average below 2 pCi/L). Source: EPA Map of Radon Zones
New condo buildings keep rising in Navy Yard, NoMa, Union Market and The Wharf, and gut-renovated rowhouses and conversions are common in Petworth, Brookland, Trinidad and Anacostia. Renovated or not, we check framing and beams where they are visible, the work around party walls, and whether new systems were sized and installed properly.
Many rowhouses have low-slope roofs with parapets, roof hatches and rooftop condensers. We inspect the roof surface, flashing and drainage when it can be safely reached, and look inside for water stains along party walls, where leaks often show up first.
Much of DC lies in historic districts where exterior changes — windows, doors, roofing, additions — go through the Historic Preservation Office. That affects how and how fast you can fix what we find, so we document exterior condition carefully to help you plan.
64% of the homes we’ve inspected here were built before 1950, so we look hard at original wiring, plumbing and sewer lines.
Median year built: 1936
Based on 14 homes with a year built on record.
Completed inspections from our records, through October 2026. We never publish addresses.
“Huge shoutout to Polaris Home Inspections! Our inspector was thorough, patient, and incredibly kind. He uncovered a hidden issue we got fixed BEFORE closing, saving us thousands and major stress. Truly gave us confidence in our purchase. Highly recommend!”
Capitol Hill, Petworth, Columbia Heights, Brookland, Shaw, Logan Circle, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, Georgetown, Bloomingdale, Navy Yard, NoMa, Anacostia, Congress Heights, Chevy Chase DC, Takoma DC, Brightwood, Fort Totten, and the rest of DC.
| 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 |
Yes — condos are a big share of our DC work. We inspect everything inside your unit plus anything you have exclusive use of, such as a balcony, roof deck or parking space, and note signs of building-wide problems like leaks from above or a tired shared boiler.
Usually, yes. Many DC homes still have their original clay or cast iron sewer lateral running under the yard and sidewalk, and roots and cracks are common. Repairs can be expensive, and the scope gives you video of the line before you buy.
Many older homes still do. DC Water’s Lead Free DC program is working to replace them across the city. We note the visible material of the service line where it enters the house, and you can look up the address on DC Water’s service line map.
If the home or unit has a basement or ground-level living space, it is worth testing. Radon varies house to house, and a 48-hour test during your inspection period gives you a real number instead of a guess.
When there is safe access — a roof hatch, a deck or a reachable rear roof — we walk it and inspect the membrane, flashing, parapets and drains. When we can’t get up safely, we inspect what we can see and say so in the report, with photos.
Most Polaris inspections book within 2–3 business days.
