Kitchen remodeling in Arlington County
Arlington is priced only as part of the Washington, DC market in Cost vs. Value, which put a major midrange kitchen remodel at $79,9881 in 2025. Locally, the scope decides the paperwork: new cabinets and electric appliances in the same spots need no county permit at all, while moving a sink, adding one outside the kitchen or touching a gas range brings in permits and forms.
Calls are recorded. One independent company that handles kitchen remodels in the Arlington County area answers.
Updated October 11, 2026
Kitchen costs for the Washington market
Cost vs. Value has no Arlington market; these are its 2025 Washington, DC figures, so read them as the wider region's prices rather than the county's.
| Measure | Washington, DC market | U.S. average |
|---|---|---|
| Minor kitchen remodel, midrange, job cost | $27,3081 | $28,4582 |
| Major kitchen remodel, midrange, job cost | $79,9881 | $82,7932 |
| Major kitchen remodel, upscale, job cost | $160,1041 | $164,1042 |
Cost vs. Value's minor midrange kitchen job keeps the cabinet boxes in a dated 200-square-foot kitchen and replaces the cabinet fronts and hardware, the range and refrigerator, the laminate counters, the sink and faucet, and the flooring, then repaints.3 A garden-apartment galley may be smaller than that model room, so the minor job can amount to nearly a full makeover there.
How old Arlington's kitchens are likely to be
Arlington's Census counts split between a prewar and wartime core and a newer ring of towers. Alexandria's shares are shown for comparison.
| Measure | Arlington County | Alexandria |
|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 33%4 | 29%4 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 53%4 | 60%4 |
| Homes built in 2000 or later | 27%4 | 22%4 |
Kitchens in the older third of the county were built small and closed off, often with a single window and a back door. In the newer towers the layout is usually open already, and the work is mostly finishes and appliances.
What kind of building the kitchen is in
Nearly half of Arlington's homes are in buildings of fifty or more units, a far larger share than in single-family houses.
| Measure | Arlington County | Alexandria |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family detached homes | 25%5 | 14%5 |
| Townhouses, rowhouses and other attached single-family homes | 9%5 | 21%5 |
| Homes in buildings with 2 to 19 units | 16%5 | 23%5 |
| Homes in buildings with 50 or more units | 46%5 | 36%5 |
In a large building, a ducted hood depends on whether there's a path outdoors at all, and the association may limit noisy work to set hours. The 2021 International Residential Code says a kitchen range exhaust must discharge outdoors through its own airtight duct with a backdraft damper, never into an attic, crawl space or other indoor area; listed ductless hoods are the exception.6
Gas and electric homes
Heating fuel is the closest public clue to which homes have a gas line. Slightly more Arlington homes heat with electricity than with utility gas.
| Measure | Arlington County | Alexandria |
|---|---|---|
| Homes heated with utility gas | 45%7 | 47%7 |
| Homes heated with electricity | 51%7 | 50%7 |
In Arlington County, replacing fixtures and other elements on gas-fueled equipment requires a permit and inspections; like-for-like replacement is exempt only on equipment that is not fueled by gas.8 Switching fuels in either direction changes the paperwork, so get it in writing who files for the gas work and under whose name.
Arlington home values
Arlington's median owner-occupied home is worth more than the Washington metro median.
| Measure | Arlington County | Washington metro |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $895,0009 | $579,90010 |
Next to a median of $895,0009, even the Washington market's upscale major kitchen at $160,1041 is a modest share of a house's value. Condo kitchens are better judged against recent sales in the same building.
Hardness of Arlington's water
Arlington County publishes an average hardness for the water it delivers from the Washington Aqueduct.
| Measure | Arlington County water |
|---|---|
| Water hardness, 2025 average | 142 mg/L11 |
The USGS classes water at 121 to 180 mg/L of hardness as hard.12 Hard water leaves spots on dishes and scale in a kettle, so a dishwasher with a rinse-aid dispenser and a faucet with a spray head you can wipe clean are sensible choices here.
Permits
Arlington County's Inspection Services Division takes kitchen permits online through Permit Arlington. Replacing cabinets and electric appliances in the same spots needs nothing; moving plumbing, adding or moving wiring, any work on a gas appliance and a second sink outside the kitchen each add a permit or a form.
- Arlington County says that if you are only replacing kitchen or bathroom cabinets, appliances that are not fueled by gas or oil, or fixtures, in the exact same location and without relocating any pipes or drywall, no permit is required and work may begin immediately.13
- Arlington County requires a plumbing/gas permit for adding, removing or relocating plumbing fixtures, appliances or piping.8
- In Arlington County, replacing fixtures and other elements on gas-fueled equipment requires a permit and inspections; like-for-like replacement is exempt only on equipment that is not fueled by gas.8
- Arlington County requires an electrical permit for adding, removing or relocating electrical fixtures, appliances or wiring, while replacing them with the same type and size in the same location does not need one.14
- In Arlington County, installing an additional sink anywhere other than the bathrooms or the one kitchen requires an Additional Sink Affidavit, submitted with the permit application.13
- Arlington County residential building permit applications must be submitted online through Permit Arlington.13
- For an interior alteration, Arlington County asks for existing and proposed floor plans of the work area, drawn to scale and dimensioned, and every project must show its plumbing fixture layout on the architectural plans.13
Checked October 11, 2026
Talk to a pro who handles kitchen remodels in Arlington County
Calls are recorded. You'll be connected to one independent company that handles kitchen remodels in your area. We never call or text you. Privacy Policy ·Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
Kitchens in Arlington's colonials, Cape Cods and garden apartments
The county's prewar and wartime houses were built with small kitchens at the back, a pantry or broom closet, and a door to the yard. Opening one to the dining room is a common goal, and in a brick house the wall between them may be load-bearing, so ask the company to confirm before pricing it.
Garden-apartment kitchens are often galleys. Buckingham, an Arlington local historic district, is a garden-apartment community designed and built in six phases between 1937 and 1953, with 126 apartment buildings among its 136 buildings.15 In buildings like these, the sink and range tend to stay where the original plumbing and venting put them.
For homes built before 1978, the EPA advises hiring contractors who use only lead-safe certified renovators.16 With 53%4 of Arlington's homes built before then, most older kitchens in the county call for that question before painted trim and cabinets come off.
In an Arlington County local historic district, a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board is required for exterior alterations, new construction and demolition; interior alterations are among the exceptions.17 New cabinets and counters inside a historic-district house are interior work; a bigger window over the sink or a hood duct through the wall is an exterior change. Arlington's Maywood local historic district, one of the county's oldest residential neighborhoods, has nearly 300 buildings in Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Craftsman and Tudor Revival styles.18
A kitchen that works as you get older
More than one in four adults 65 and older fall each year.19 The National Institute on Aging suggests keeping frequently used pots, pans and utensils where they are easy to reach, and preparing food while seated to prevent fatigue or loss of balance.20 In a one-level condo, the kitchen is often the easiest room to adapt: drawers instead of low cabinets, a wall oven at counter height and a stretch of counter low enough to work at while seated.
NAHB's Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) credential trains remodelers in home modifications for aging in place.21 If someone in the home uses a walker or wheelchair, mention it on the call so the company can tell you how much clear floor space a galley can realistically give.
What happens when you call
You call the number on this page. The call is recorded, and we connect you to one independent company that handles kitchen remodels in the Arlington County area. You talk with them directly about your project, timing and price.
That company pays us for the call. You don't pay us anything, and we never call or text you. How we make money
After you're connected
Check the company in Virginia's license records before you sign. Virginia's Board for Contractors licenses contracting businesses as Class A, B or C; the class sets the dollar value of jobs a firm may take on, and its classification or specialty sets the type of work it may do.22 Virginia's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation advises hiring only licensed contractors, and its License Lookup shows a license's status and any past disciplinary actions.23 Check a Virginia license
Settle who will file in Permit Arlington, and whether the plumbing, gas and electrical permits are in the company's name or a subcontractor's.
Questions people ask
How much does a kitchen remodel cost in Arlington County?
For the Washington, DC market, which includes Arlington, Cost vs. Value's 2025 report listed $27,3081 for a minor midrange kitchen, $79,9881 for a major midrange one and $160,1041 for an upscale one. A galley in a condo often lands nearer the minor figure, a gutted colonial kitchen nearer the major ones.
Do I need a permit to replace kitchen cabinets in Arlington?
Not if that's all you're doing. Arlington County says that if you are only replacing kitchen or bathroom cabinets, appliances that are not fueled by gas or oil, or fixtures, in the exact same location and without relocating any pipes or drywall, no permit is required and work may begin immediately.13
Can I add a prep sink, a bar sink or a second kitchen?
In Arlington County, installing an additional sink anywhere other than the bathrooms or the one kitchen requires an Additional Sink Affidavit, submitted with the permit application.13 The new sink also needs plumbing work. Arlington County requires a plumbing/gas permit for adding, removing or relocating plumbing fixtures, appliances or piping.8
Does swapping a gas range need a permit in Arlington?
Yes. In Arlington County, replacing fixtures and other elements on gas-fueled equipment requires a permit and inspections; like-for-like replacement is exempt only on equipment that is not fueled by gas.8 An electric range swapped in the same spot does not.
Sources
Page updated October 11, 2026. How we source our numbers
- Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value 2025, Washington, DC. Released 2025. Washington, DC. Industry source.
- Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value 2025, national. Released 2025. United States. Industry source.
- Zonda / Journal of Light Construction, Cost vs. Value project description: Minor Kitchen Remodel | Midrange. Released September 18, 2025. View source. Industry source.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25034 (Year Structure Built). Released January 29, 2026. Arlington County, VA, Alexandria (independent city), VA.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25024 (Units in Structure). Released January 29, 2026. Arlington County, VA, Alexandria (independent city), VA.
- International Code Council, 2021 International Residential Code, Section M1503.3. Released 2021. View source. Industry source.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25040 (House Heating Fuel). Released January 29, 2026. Arlington County, VA, Alexandria (independent city), VA.
- Arlington County, Virginia, Plumbing / Gas Permit. No publication date. View source.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25077 (Median Value, owner-occupied). Released January 29, 2026. Arlington County, VA.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year, table B25077. Released January 29, 2026. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro.
- Arlington County Department of Environmental Services, Water Quality Reports page, 2025 average Arlington compounds levels. Released 2025. Arlington County water system.
- U.S. Geological Survey, Water Science School: Hardness of Water. No publication date. View source.
- Arlington County, Virginia, Residential Building Permit (Inspection Services). No publication date. View source.
- Arlington County, Virginia, Electrical Permit. No publication date. View source.
- Arlington County, Virginia, Buckingham Village Historic District. No publication date. View source.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Remodeling Your Home and Indoor Air Quality. Released February 17, 2026. View source.
- Arlington County, Virginia, Certificate of Appropriateness. No publication date. View source.
- Arlington County, Virginia, Maywood Historic District. No publication date. View source.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Facts About Older Adult Falls. Released September 4, 2026. View source.
- National Institute on Aging, Preventing Falls at Home: Room by Room. Released September 12, 2022. View source.
- National Association of Home Builders, Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS). No publication date. View source. Industry source.
- Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors. No publication date. View source.
- Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, DPOR Consumer Guide: Hiring a Contractor. No publication date. View source.