Can Trophy Custom Homes build or remodel a home in Chevy Chase?
Yes. Trophy Custom Homes designs, builds, and remodels luxury homes throughout Chevy Chase, Washington, DC. With more than 40 years of regional experience and more than 350 completed homes across Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC, Trophy helps clients evaluate single-family lots, older homes, and teardown candidates before they commit — reviewing site conditions, District requirements, and budget alignment. Request a free Project Feasibility Assessment or call 301-315-8038 to get started.
$2.2M – $5M+
Typical Price Range
0.2 – 0.5 acres
Lot Sizes
~15 min via Connecticut Ave
Drive to DC
DC Public Schools
School District
The Area
Building in Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase is one of the quietest corners of Washington, DC — a leafy, residential neighborhood tucked against the Maryland line at the northern edge of the District. It grew as one of the city's first streetcar suburbs, and it still feels like one: wide, tree-lined streets, deep front lawns, and detached single-family homes that give it a suburban character rare inside District boundaries. People who build here are usually settling in for the long term, drawn by the combination of a genuine yard, a walkable stretch of Connecticut Avenue, and a city address.
The housing stock is what makes Chevy Chase unusual for the District. Where most DC neighborhoods are dominated by rowhouses, Chevy Chase is largely detached single-family homes — early-twentieth-century foursquares, colonials, bungalows, and Tudors on individual lots, along with newer infill and renovated properties. That mix creates real opportunity: many of the original homes sit on lots whose value supports a significant renovation and addition, and in some cases a teardown-and-rebuild — a pattern that is far more feasible here than in the city's historic rowhouse districts.
Location is a large part of the appeal. Chevy Chase sits along Connecticut Avenue with the shops and restaurants of the corridor and nearby Friendship Heights close at hand, the trails and green space of Rock Creek Park to the east, and quick routes downtown and into Maryland. Broad Branch and the park-side streets give parts of the neighborhood a wooded, almost rural feel; closer to Connecticut Avenue the pattern is a classic walkable streetcar suburb. That blend of city access and residential calm is what buyers value — and part of what keeps demand steady.
Building in Chevy Chase is closer to suburban custom work than most DC projects, but it is still governed by District rules. On an established street the questions are about fit: the buildable envelope after setbacks and lot-occupancy limits, mature street trees the District protects, drainage on lots that slope toward Rock Creek, demolition logistics, and designing a home that belongs on the block. Unlike Georgetown, most of Chevy Chase is not a historic district, so the majority of homes are not subject to historic-district design review — though individually designated landmarks are the exception. Trophy helps clients understand which rules apply to a specific property before design begins.
Experience That Compounds
Why Chevy Chase Families Choose Trophy
Trophy does not claim to know every lot or every regulation in Chevy Chase — no builder honestly can. What Trophy brings is a disciplined process for identifying which requirements apply to your property and assembling the right professionals to answer the questions that matter, before you spend serious money.
More than 40 years of regional experience
Trophy has designed, built, and remodeled homes across Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC for over four decades — through changing codes, market cycles, and construction practices. That history shows up in realistic guidance rather than optimistic guesses.
More than 350 completed homes
Every completed project sharpens the picture of what site development, permitting, and construction actually cost and how long they actually take — knowledge that directly informs the feasibility guidance Trophy gives Chevy Chase clients.
Fluency across the District's process
Trophy is licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC, and works within the District's permitting and inspection process through the Department of Buildings. Knowing how the city reviews plans helps you sequence decisions in the right order.
Custom, design-build, build-on-your-lot, and remodeling under one roof
Whether the right answer for your property is a new custom home, a teardown-rebuild, or a major renovation and addition, Trophy can carry the project from early feasibility through design and construction — and give you an honest comparison between paths.
Early feasibility and budget alignment
Trophy's process starts with the question most projects skip: does the vision fit the property, the rules, and the budget? Aligning scope and investment range early prevents the most expensive kind of surprise — the one discovered after plans are drawn.
A coordinated professional team
Custom projects in Chevy Chase routinely involve architects, civil and structural engineers, surveyors, interior designers, arborists, and real estate professionals. Trophy coordinates these specialists so their work arrives in the right order and answers the right questions.
Where Are You Starting From?
Three Ways to Begin in Chevy Chase
I Already Own a Lot
You control the land — now the question is what it will support. Trophy can help you review:
- Survey, property boundaries, and easements
- Zoning district and buildable envelope
- Setbacks and lot coverage
- Topography, drainage, and stormwater
- Utility availability and connection points
- Access and construction logistics
- Tree preservation requirements
- Preliminary home size and placement
- Budget and schedule alignment
I'm Looking for Land or a Teardown
Before you go under contract, know what you are actually buying. Working with you and your real estate professional, Trophy can help evaluate:
- Vacant land and infill lots
- Older homes with redevelopment potential
- Demolition considerations and approvals
- Neighborhood fit and compatibility
- Probable site-development costs
- Utility connections and upgrades
- Preliminary buildable area
- Purchase contingencies and due-diligence needs
I Want to Remodel or Add On
Sometimes the best lot in Chevy Chase is the one you already live on. Trophy can help you review:
- Existing structural conditions
- Addition possibilities and whole-home renovation
- Kitchen and primary-suite expansion
- First-floor living and aging-in-place improvements
- Existing nonconforming conditions
- HOA or architectural review restrictions
- Whether renovating or rebuilding is the better investment
Current Opportunities
Available Lots & Opportunities in Chevy Chase
Lot and teardown availability in Chevy Chase changes quickly, and the best single-family opportunities often trade before they are widely marketed.
Trophy Custom Homes can help you and your real estate advisor evaluate available land, single-family homes, and potential teardown opportunities in Chevy Chase. Property availability changes frequently, so contact us for current opportunities.
Get Notified First
Join the list to hear about new lots, teardown opportunities, and spec homes in Chevy Chase before they're widely marketed.
Do Your Homework
What to Know Before Building in Chevy Chase
Every Chevy Chase property is different, and none of the topics below should be treated as a property-specific answer. They are the recurring themes Trophy sees in Chevy Chase projects — and the items worth investigating before you buy a property or finish architectural plans.
Jurisdiction: the District, not Maryland
The name Chevy Chase spans both Washington, DC and Montgomery County, Maryland. A property on the DC side is governed entirely by District rules — zoning, permitting, and inspections — not Maryland's.
Which side of the line a property sits on changes the entire regulatory framework, from permitting agency to zoning standards to tax jurisdiction. It is the first thing to confirm.
How to verify: Confirm the property is in the District (not Montgomery County) and identify the governing DC agencies before you plan around any assumptions.
Zoning district and buildable envelope
Each DC parcel carries a specific residential zoning district that sets lot occupancy, setbacks, height, and rear-yard requirements; much of Chevy Chase is low-density single-family zoning, but the exact district varies.
The zoning district — not the look of the street — determines how large a home can be and where it can sit, and it governs additions as much as new construction.
How to verify: Confirm your parcel's zoning district and its standards on the District's official zoning map before completing design work, rather than assuming the neighborhood pattern applies to your lot.
Historic status — mostly not a historic district
Unlike Georgetown, most of Chevy Chase DC is not a designated historic district; a 2023 designation proposal did not advance in 2024. Individually designated landmarks are the exception.
For most properties this means no historic-district design review — a meaningful difference that widens design freedom and can shorten the review path compared with the city's historic districts.
How to verify: Confirm whether a specific property is individually landmarked or otherwise designated before assuming design review does or does not apply.
Single-family opportunity: renovate, add, or rebuild
Chevy Chase is one of the few DC neighborhoods with true detached single-family lots, which opens the full range of options — renovation, addition, pop-up expansion, or teardown-and-rebuild.
Having real options changes the analysis: the best move depends on the existing home's condition and the economics of the specific street, not a single default path.
How to verify: Have the existing home and lot evaluated early so you can compare renovating, adding on, and rebuilding on the merits for your property.
Mature street trees and District tree rules
Chevy Chase's tree canopy is part of its character, and the District regulates the removal of larger trees, including street trees and certain heritage trees.
Trees can constrain where a home, addition, or driveway can go, and removing a protected tree can require review or mitigation — affecting both design and cost.
How to verify: Identify significant trees on a survey and confirm the District's current tree-removal requirements before finalizing site plans.
Topography, drainage, and stormwater
Parts of Chevy Chase slope toward Rock Creek Park and Broad Branch, and the District requires managing stormwater rather than pushing it onto neighbors.
Slope can add retaining walls, foundation stepping, and drainage structures to a budget, and stormwater requirements apply to many renovation and construction projects.
How to verify: Walk the property after heavy rain and expect the District to require stormwater management; an early civil-engineering read is inexpensive insurance.
Utilities and service upgrades
Chevy Chase homes are served by public water and sewer, but the size, condition, and location of existing connections vary lot by lot, and older homes often carry undersized electrical service.
A rebuild or major renovation frequently needs upgraded electrical service and may need new water or sewer laterals, affecting both cost and schedule.
How to verify: Confirm the location and capacity of water, sewer, gas, and electric service for the specific property — not the street in general — before finalizing plans.
Demolition and older-home considerations
Replacing or gutting an older Chevy Chase home requires District permits, and older structures may contain lead paint or asbestos requiring proper handling and abatement.
Demolition and abatement carry real sequencing weight — utility disconnections, hazardous-material handling, and neighbor-friendly logistics all precede construction.
How to verify: Before purchasing a teardown or gut-renovation candidate, review the District's demolition requirements and have the existing structure assessed for regulated materials.
Permits, reviews, and sequencing
New homes and renovations in the District are permitted and inspected by the DC Department of Buildings, with plan review before construction.
Review cycles are a schedule input you don't fully control; submitting complete, well-coordinated plans the first time is the best way to protect a timeline.
How to verify: Ask any builder you interview to walk you through the current District permitting process step by step, and be skeptical of anyone quoting guaranteed approval timelines.
HOA and recorded covenants
Most Chevy Chase DC streets have no homeowners association, but some properties may carry recorded covenants or restrictions.
Where covenants exist, they can affect design details layered on top of District rules; where they don't, design freedom is broader.
How to verify: Obtain and read any recorded covenants for the specific property during due diligence; your title company and real estate professional can help retrieve them.
A Recommendation From Tom Byrne
“Chevy Chase is one of the few places in the District where you can build the kind of detached, single-family home most people picture — and that freedom is exactly why you want your builder involved early. My advice is the same one I give everyone: bring the builder into the conversation before you buy the property or finish the architectural plans. A beautiful design still has to fit the lot and its zoning, the District's permitting and tree rules, the character of the block, the way your family actually lives, your budget, and your schedule. Most of the neighborhood isn't a historic district, which gives you room to work — but every property has its own story in the survey and the soil. When we look at a Chevy Chase property early, we can usually tell you where the constraints and the opportunities are before you've committed serious money.”
— Tom Byrne, Founder, Trophy Custom Homes
Free & No Obligation
Request Your Free Project Feasibility Assessment
Before buying land, purchasing a teardown property, completing architectural plans, or committing to a major renovation, meet with Tom Byrne and the Trophy Custom Homes team. The assessment gives you early clarity on whether your vision, property, priorities, and preliminary investment range appear aligned — before you spend heavily on design or close on the wrong property.
What Your Assessment Includes
Review of the lot, existing home, access, surroundings, and visible conditions that could influence the project.
Identification of county, zoning, HOA, environmental, and other requirements that may need further investigation for your property.
Consideration of property configuration, topography, drainage, trees, utilities, easements, and probable site-development needs.
For remodeling prospects — structural changes, additions, layout improvements, and whether renovation or rebuilding deserves further study.
How you live, entertain, work, host family, and want the home to support the next stage of life — including aging-in-place planning.
A candid discussion of whether the desired scope and preliminary investment range appear reasonably aligned.
The surveys, engineering, architecture, due diligence, or professional evaluations that should come next — in the right order.
The Project Feasibility Assessment provides preliminary guidance based on information available at the time of the meeting. It is not a property inspection, appraisal, engineering report, architectural study, legal opinion, guaranteed construction estimate, or confirmation of governmental approval. Additional professional evaluations may be recommended.
The Building-on-Your-Lot Guide
Now AvailableTrophy's Building-on-Your-Lot Guide walks you through the questions that matter before you buy land or commit to a design:
- How to evaluate land and what to verify before buying
- Questions to ask any builder you interview
- Site-development costs buyers commonly underestimate
- Zoning, permitting, and utility considerations
- Budget planning and the design-build sequence
- Common mistakes to avoid
Read the full guide online or download the PDF — free. And for alerts about new lots, teardowns, and spec homes in the area, join the notification list below.
Questions We Hear Most
Building in Chevy Chase: Frequently Asked Questions
Explore More