Richmond Property Potential | Part 1

Richmond Code Refresh Explained: What Homeowners Need to Know About Draft Three

A series exploring how Richmond’s changing housing landscape could affect homeowners, buyers, and neighborhoods.

Updated September 2026

If you own a home in the City of Richmond, you’ve probably heard some version of this conversation by now: zoning is changing, neighborhoods could look different, homeowners might have more options for their property, and somehow ADUs, lot splits, density, parking, trees, and neighborhood businesses are all part of the same discussion.

It’s called Code Refresh, and there’s finally a much clearer picture of what the City is proposing.

On August 17, Richmond released Draft Three, the newest version of its proposed citywide zoning rewrite. It includes some meaningful changes from Draft Two based on public feedback, including increased minimum lot widths, contextual height limits, tree canopy requirements, and revisions to proposed ADU rules.

But before we go any further, there’s one thing every Richmond homeowner needs to understand:

Draft Three is still a draft.

Richmond has not adopted a brand-new citywide zoning code. Draft Three is the current proposal being presented for additional discussion and consideration, including by City Council.

So if someone tells you Richmond’s new zoning rules already allow you to split your lot, build another house, or completely change what can happen next door, pump the brakes.

Some zoning changes have already happened in Richmond. Others are being proposed through Code Refresh. Those are two very different things.

And that distinction is exactly why we created this series.

First, What Exactly Is Code Refresh?

Richmond’s current zoning code has roots stretching back decades, and the City is undertaking a comprehensive rewrite intended to better align zoning with the Richmond 300 Master Plan and the way Richmond is growing today.

This isn’t simply an update to a few rules. The project includes a new zoning ordinance and a proposed new zoning map for the city.

In other words, the City is reconsidering both the rules themselves and how those rules apply to individual properties.

That’s why homeowners should care.

Zoning can affect what can be built on a property, how a property can be used, how additions or new construction fit onto a lot, and what kinds of development may happen around it.

Code Refresh could eventually change some of those answers.

What Has Already Changed vs. What Is Still Proposed?

This is probably the most important distinction in the entire conversation.

Richmond already legalized accessory dwelling units, commonly called ADUs, citywide in 2023. The City also eliminated parking minimums that year.

Those changes are already in effect.

Code Refresh is something different.

Draft Three proposes a broader rewrite of Richmond’s zoning ordinance and map, including new zoning districts and development standards. Until that process is completed and legislation is adopted, the current zoning code remains the law.

That means homeowners should be looking at two things when they're thinking long term: what their property allows today and what Draft Three suggests could change in the future.

So, What Changed in Draft Three?

This is where the August update gets interesting.

After receiving feedback on the earlier proposals, the City made several changes before releasing Draft Three.

One of the biggest involves residential density. The new proposal maintains what the City calls a “1+1” approach in residential districts: one primary dwelling plus one attached or detached ADU.

That’s significant because it means the current proposal is not simply opening every residential lot to multiple primary homes by right.

At the same time, Draft Three proposes making ADUs more useful by increasing the allowable size to up to 1,200 square feet, while adding requirements intended to make them better fit the context of the property.

For homeowners thinking about aging parents, adult children, rental income, a guest house, or simply more flexibility on their property, that is absolutely worth watching.

Draft Three also increases proposed minimum lot widths, adds contextual height limits, and introduces tree canopy minimums. Those changes matter because development potential isn't determined by acreage alone. Lot dimensions, building placement, height, trees, access, zoning, and neighborhood context can all affect what may actually be possible.

From the Field

This is where we think the Code Refresh conversation gets much more interesting than a zoning map.

When homeowners hear words like “density” or “rezoning,” it’s easy to imagine dramatic changes happening everywhere at once.

Real property doesn't work that way.

Two houses on the same street can look incredibly similar and have completely different possibilities because of lot width, depth, alley access, historic protections, existing improvements, setbacks, or other property-specific factors.

That’s why when someone asks us, “What does Code Refresh mean for my house?” our answer isn't going to come from a headline.

We want to look at the actual property.

Myth vs. Reality

MYTH: Code Refresh means homeowners will automatically be able to divide their lots and build additional houses.

REALITY: No.

Draft Three itself includes increased minimum lot widths, and whether a property could ever be subdivided depends on far more than having a large backyard.

That distinction matters because “more housing flexibility” and “anything goes” are not remotely the same thing.

MYTH: Richmond is getting rid of single-family homes.

REALITY: Draft Three maintains the City's proposed 1+1 approach in residential districts: a primary dwelling plus an attached or detached ADU. The proposal also adds contextual standards intended to address how new development fits into existing neighborhoods.

MYTH: Special Use Permits and neighborhood involvement are disappearing.

REALITY: The City specifically says Special Use Permits are not going away. Draft Three attempts to reduce that process for projects the City believes already fit the context of a neighborhood while retaining it for more intensive development.

What About Density?

This may be the word causing the most anxiety around Code Refresh.

But Draft Three gives us a better idea of where the City wants more significant growth to occur.

The proposal emphasizes increased density around nodes and major transit corridors, while taking a more incremental approach inside many residential neighborhoods.

That doesn't mean residential neighborhoods will never change. It means the City's current proposal isn't treating every Richmond street exactly the same.

And that distinction matters tremendously when you're evaluating a specific property.

A home near a major corridor may have a very different long-term context than a home tucked several blocks into an established residential neighborhood.

What About Historic Richmond Neighborhoods?

This is particularly important in a city like ours.

Zoning is only one layer of the rules that can affect a property.

If your home is located within one of Richmond's locally designated Old and Historic Districts, exterior changes, additions, demolition, and new construction may also be subject to review through the City's historic preservation process.

So even if zoning allows something, that doesn't automatically mean every design or development proposal will be approved.

Historic protections, zoning, building requirements, lot conditions, and other regulations can overlap.

It's another reason we strongly discourage homeowners from looking at a zoning map and immediately deciding they know exactly what they can build.

What We’d Look at First

If you called us tomorrow and asked, “What could Code Refresh mean for my property?” we wouldn't start by guessing what your backyard could become.

We'd start with the basics.

What is the property zoned today? What zoning district is proposed for it under Draft Three? How wide and deep is the lot? Is there alley access or another street frontage? Is the property within an Old and Historic District? Is it near one of the corridors or nodes where the City is encouraging more growth? And most importantly, what are you actually hoping to accomplish?

Maybe you're curious about building an ADU for an aging parent.

Maybe you'd like rental income.

Maybe you're considering selling in five years and wondering whether your land could appeal to a builder.

Maybe you just want to know whether the lot you've owned for 25 years has possibilities you've never considered.

Those are completely different conversations.

Ruckart Quick Take

We think one of the biggest mistakes homeowners can make right now is treating Code Refresh as either “nothing to see here” or “everything is about to change.”

Neither is particularly useful.

Draft Three is much more specific than the versions we were discussing earlier this year, and some of the proposed changes could eventually matter quite a bit for individual property owners. But this remains a proposal, and what it means for one property may be very different from what it means for the house next door.

Our advice is simple: get curious before you get excited.

Understanding your property now gives you a much better starting point if the rules change later.

The Bigger Picture

This is really why we're following Code Refresh so closely.

For most homeowners, zoning has traditionally been something you thought about only when you wanted to build an addition or your neighbor put up a rezoning sign.

That's changing.

As Richmond grows, conversations about ADUs, housing supply, aging in place, multi-generational living, development, neighborhood businesses, walkability, and property flexibility are becoming increasingly connected.

Your home isn't just a building.

It's a piece of land, in a neighborhood, governed by a set of rules that can influence how that property can evolve over time.

You don't need to become a zoning expert.

But understanding the basics could help you make much smarter decisions about one of your biggest investments.

Curious What Draft Three Says About Your Property?

Send us your address.

We'll help you compare your property's current zoning with what's shown on the Draft Three map, look at some of the characteristics we'd want to investigate further, and help you figure out which questions are actually worth asking.

We aren't zoning attorneys, planners, or promising that something can be built.

We're your first stop for making sense of what all of this might mean in the real world.

Because sometimes the most useful answer isn't “yes” or “no.”

It's “here's what we should find out.”

Continue the Richmond Property Potential Series

Part 1: Richmond Code Refresh Explained: What Homeowners Need to Know About Draft Three
You’re here.

Part 2: Could Your Backyard Become a Source of Income?

Part 3: Could You Split Your Lot in Richmond? Here’s What Homeowners Need to Know

Part 4: Why Builders May Be Looking at Your Richmond Property Differently

Coming Next: Is Your Richmond Property Worth More Than Your Zestimate? Understanding Market Value vs. Land Value

About Ruckart Real Estate

We spend a lot of time walking Richmond neighborhoods. Sometimes it’s preparing a home for sale. Sometimes it’s helping buyers understand where they want to put down roots. Other times, like now, it’s helping homeowners understand how changes in our city could affect one of their biggest investments.

We created the Richmond Property Potential series because we believe homeowners deserve practical, local information without the hype. As this conversation continues to evolve, we’ll keep following the details, asking questions, and sharing what we’re learning from the field.