Draft 3 pulls back on density citywide, but what it actually means for your home comes down to your specific lot, not the headlines.
If you own a home in Richmond, you've probably heard about Code Refresh by now. Maybe you saw a headline, heard about it at a neighborhood meeting, or wandered into a Facebook discussion and came away wondering whether Richmond was about to turn every residential block into an apartment complex.
The reality is considerably more nuanced.
Mayor Danny Avula unveils Draft 3 of Code Refresh at a City Hall press conference on August 17.
Richmond is rewriting its zoning code for the first time since the mid-1970s, and Draft 3, released August 17, is the latest version. It's considerably more restrained on residential density than earlier drafts, but it still contains changes that could affect what you can do with your property, what can be built nearby, and how buyers and sellers look at certain lots.
After more than 25 years selling Richmond real estate, what interests me most isn't the citywide debate. It's what the proposed rules mean at the neighborhood and property level. Zoning eventually becomes very tangible. It becomes the addition someone builds, the ADU behind the garage, the house that gets renovated instead of torn down, or the new home that replaces an older one.
So let's look at what Draft 3 actually proposes and, more importantly, what homeowners should be paying attention to.
What Is Code Refresh?
In simple terms, Richmond is replacing an outdated zoning system with a new one designed to better reflect the city today and the city's plans for the future. The current zoning code was comprehensively written in the mid-1970s, and Code Refresh will remap every parcel in the city and establish new zoning districts and development standards. The effort is tied to the Richmond 300 master plan, which identified a comprehensive zoning rewrite as one of the city's major priorities.
The important distinction for homeowners is that this is about what happens going forward. What can you build? How many dwelling units can a lot contain? How large can an accessory dwelling unit be? What happens if an older house is replaced?
And that's where Draft 3 gets interesting.
The Biggest Change: One Plus One
The residential provision that's received the most attention is also the easiest to understand.
Draft 3 maintains what the city calls the "1+1" concept: generally, one primary dwelling plus one attached or detached accessory dwelling unit, or ADU. The proposed maximum ADU size increases to 1,200 square feet, with additional requirements intended to make the ADU fit the context of the lot.
That's a significant change from the earlier versions of Code Refresh, which contemplated considerably more residential density in some areas. For homeowners who have heard that Richmond is simply opening the door to multiple full-size homes on every single-family lot, Draft 3 is a much different proposal.
But there is an important lesson here: the zoning map matters.
Richmond isn't one giant, interchangeable residential neighborhood. The proposed rules vary by zoning district, and the city is also directing greater density toward nodes and major transit corridors. So a headline about what "Richmond" is allowing tells you very little about what can actually happen on your particular property.
The 1,200-Square-Foot ADU May Be the Bigger Story
A 1,200-square-foot ADU is real living space, not a garage apartment.
For homeowners, this may ultimately be the most practical part of Draft 3.
A 1,200-square-foot ADU isn't just a backyard studio. Depending on the property, it could provide substantial space for an aging parent, an adult child, guests, or a tenant. But the real opportunity varies dramatically from one Richmond neighborhood to another.
A 1,200-square-foot ADU means something very different on a narrow Fan lot than it does on a deep lot in Westover Hills or Stratford Hills. Lot width, setbacks, alley access, existing garages, topography, trees, and the relationship between the house and the backyard all matter.
That's one reason I don't think homeowners should look at Code Refresh strictly as a zoning question. It's a real estate question, too.
The same zoning provision can create a genuine opportunity on one parcel and very little practical value on the lot right next to it.
Richmond's Neighborhoods Aren't Interchangeable
A narrow Fan lot and a deep Westover Hills lot don't behave the same way under Draft 3.
This is probably the most important point I'd make to a Richmond homeowner.
The Fan is not Westover Hills. Westover Hills is not Stratford Hills. Stratford Hills is not the Museum District, and the Near West End is not Church Hill. Even within a single neighborhood, two lots next door to each other can have very different development potential.
Lot dimensions matter. Existing housing matters. Historic protections matter. Topography matters. Alley access matters. And, ultimately, what buyers are willing to pay matters.
That's why I am much more interested in what Code Refresh means for an individual parcel than in sweeping predictions about what it will do to "Richmond real estate."
I've spent more than two decades watching buyers evaluate Richmond homes, and buyers don't purchase zoning potential in the abstract. They purchase a house, a lot, and a location. Development potential matters when it creates a realistic opportunity that someone is actually willing to pay for.
Two lots on the same block can have completely different development potential. A zoning headline doesn't capture that. Your parcel does.
What Could This Mean for Neighborhood Character?
This is where the conversation gets more complicated.
Richmond has an enormous range of housing, from historic rowhouses and Victorian homes to midcentury ranches and postwar suburban neighborhoods. Some of those properties are formally protected by historic regulations. Others aren't, even though they may contribute enormously to the character of their neighborhood.
Draft 3 maintains existing City Old and Historic Districts and introduces contextual standards for things such as height, setbacks, and step-backs. It also creates a framework for future Design and Demolition overlay districts intended to establish additional development standards in particular areas.
At the same time, zoning can change the economics of an older property. Imagine a well-maintained 1950s brick ranch sitting on a large lot. The house may work perfectly well for its current owner, but the land may also have significant value to someone thinking about redevelopment. If the rules make redevelopment easier or more valuable, that can affect how the property is viewed by future buyers.
That doesn't mean every older house becomes a teardown. Construction costs, interest rates, lot characteristics, location, and resale values all matter. But zoning is one piece of that equation, and it's a piece homeowners shouldn't ignore.
So What Should Homeowners Actually Do?
The Draft 3 zoning map, posted at rva.gov/coderefresh. Start here, not with a Facebook post.
First, look up your actual parcel. Don't rely on a neighborhood Facebook post or a headline about what Richmond is "allowing." The city has published the Draft 3 zoning ordinance and proposed zoning map, and those are the places to start.
Second, don't automatically add "development potential" to your home's value. Proposed zoning isn't adopted zoning, and zoning potential isn't automatically worth the full value of whatever someone could theoretically build. The economics have to work, and a future buyer has to see the opportunity as worthwhile.
Third, pay attention to the ADU opportunity. If you have a property with the right lot configuration, a 1,200-square-foot ADU could eventually be meaningful. But before assuming it adds substantial value, you need to know where it could go, what construction would cost, how it would affect the yard and parking, and whether buyers in your neighborhood would actually value the finished product.
Those are real estate questions, not simply zoning questions.
The Bottom Line
I don't think Richmond homeowners should panic about Code Refresh. I also don't think they should ignore it.
Draft 3 is considerably more restrained on residential density than earlier versions, with the basic one-home-plus-one-ADU framework and a proposed 1,200-square-foot ADU maximum standing out as the changes most likely to matter to individual homeowners. The city also proposes contextual development standards and continued protection for existing historic districts.
But the impact won't be the same everywhere. Some properties may barely notice. Others may have meaningful new options. And some homeowners may be more affected by what can eventually be built on neighboring lots than by what they can do with their own.
That's why the neighborhood-level conversation is much more useful than the citywide one.
Real estate in Richmond is intensely local. The difference between an opportunity and an expensive mistake can come down to a street, a block, a lot dimension, or a zoning designation.
Code Refresh is no different.
Common Questions About Code Refresh and Your Property
What is the "1+1" rule in Draft 3?
One primary dwelling plus one accessory dwelling unit, attached or detached, up to 1,200 square feet. It replaces earlier drafts that would have allowed considerably more density in some areas.
Has Draft 3 been adopted?
No. As of now, Draft 3 is a proposal, not an adopted zoning code. It still has to move through the city's approval process.
Will a bigger ADU automatically add value to my home?
Not automatically. Lot configuration, construction cost, and what buyers in your specific neighborhood value all determine whether an ADU opportunity translates into real dollars.
Where can I check what Draft 3 proposes for my specific parcel?
The city has published the Draft 3 zoning ordinance and proposed zoning map at rva.gov/coderefresh. That's a more reliable source than a neighborhood social media thread.
Sources: City of Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review, Draft 3 of Code Refresh and proposed zoning map (rva.gov/coderefresh); Richmond 300 master plan. Draft 3 is a proposal as of publication and has not been adopted by City Council.
