JK General Contractor builds porches, decks and patios across Loudoun County, from South Riding, a few minutes from our shop, out to Leesburg, Purcellville and Middleburg. Most of our Loudoun work is in the newer planned communities, where the houses are solid, the yards are open and the HOA has a say in what goes up out back.
What do Loudoun County homeowners build with us?
Most Loudoun projects add an outdoor room to a house that was built without one. A newer colonial often comes with a small builder deck or a bare patio door, and the family wants a place to eat outside without the sun or the bugs.
- A screened porch or three-season room beside the kitchen
- Composite decks that step down to the yard
- Paver patios under or beside a deck, often with a fire pit
- Porticos that give a plain front door a covered entry
- Retaining walls where a lot falls away from the house
The combined projects are where we fit best. A screened porch with a stone patio and a fire pit outside its door is one plan, one price and one schedule with us, built by our own carpenters and masons.
Do I need HOA approval in Loudoun County?
In most planned communities, yes. Brambleton, South Riding and much of Ashburn each have a review board that signs off on outdoor projects first, and so do many other Loudoun neighborhoods. The board usually wants a site plan, elevations, the colors and the materials.
We prepare that package for you: the drawings, the board samples for decking or pavers, and the product sheets for railings, columns and window panels. Nothing is built until the approval letter is in hand. A clean first submission is the fastest way through, because a board that has to ask for more information pushes the decision to its next meeting.
Who issues the building permit?
Loudoun County's building department handles permits for most addresses in the county. A deck, a screened porch, a portico or any roofed addition needs a permit, with an inspector checking the footings, then the framing, then the finished job. JK General Contractor files the plans and books each inspection, so you never have to deal with the permit office yourself.
Leesburg, Purcellville and Middleburg are incorporated towns with their own zoning rules, and the older centers of Leesburg and Middleburg have historic districts that review exterior changes. We check which rules apply to your address at the estimate.
What should I know about building on a newer Loudoun lot?
Three things come up again and again:
- Setbacks are tight. Many lots in the planned communities leave little room between the back of the house and the property line, so the size of a deck or porch is set by the zoning rules before it is set by the budget.
- The ground slopes more than it looks. A yard that seems flat can drop a few feet over the width of a patio, which changes the steps, the base and sometimes adds a low wall.
- Builder decks were built to a price. The original deck on a house from the 2000s often has years left in its boards but not in its framing or ledger. We check what is underneath before we suggest screening it in or building on it.
Towns we serve in Loudoun County
Aldie, Ashburn, Brambleton, Broadlands, Hamilton, Lansdowne, Leesburg, Lovettsville, Middleburg, Purcellville, Round Hill, South Riding, Sterling, Stone Ridge and Waterford. Our shop sits on Gum Spring Road, on the Loudoun side of the county line, so Stone Ridge and South Riding are next door and Leesburg is an easy trip up the road. If your Loudoun town is not on the list, call us at (571) 437-2511 and ask.
Plan the whole yard at once
If you are thinking about a porch now and a patio later, it is worth drawing both at the first visit. The porch floor height decides where the patio sits, and the patio decides where the water goes. See our Porches and Decks and Patios and Hardscapes pages for what each trade builds. Nearby, see Fairfax County, Prince William County and our home base, Chantilly.