Aging-in-Place Remodelers in Richmond, VA: Costs, Licenses

Richmond city, Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover together have 183,854 residents 65 and over (Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates), with Chesterfield at 65,724 (16.9%), Henrico at 60,290 (17.8%) and the city at 34,530 (14.8%). The city's median home was built in 1959 and 28.6% predate 1940 (Stacker, Census data), the oldest housing of any large Virginia city, while Henrico and Chesterfield are mostly postwar suburbs. Contractors are licensed through Virginia's DPOR Board for Contractors, and the projects that come up most are the accessible bathroom, the stair lift and the front-porch ramp.

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Richmond by the numbers

• 183,854 residents 65 and over across the core four: Chesterfield 65,724 (16.9%), Henrico 60,290 (17.8%), Richmond city 34,530 (14.8%), Hanover 23,310 (20.2%) (Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates).
• Richmond city's median home was built in 1959; 28.6% of its homes predate 1940 (Stacker, Census data).
• Richmond's RSMeans 2026 location factor is 88.5 against a national 100: labor plus materials run well below the national average.

The homes here

Richmond proper is rowhouses, foursquares and bungalows from before 1940 in the Fan, Church Hill and the Northside, with 1950s brick ranches and Cape Cods in the first ring of neighborhoods. Henrico and Chesterfield are 1960s to 1990s subdivisions of ranches and two-story colonials.

The entry. An old Richmond house sits a full porch height above the sidewalk, with brick steps and an iron rail on one side. A ramp to the front usually has to turn, and in a historic district the exterior may need review before it goes up; a side or rear door with less rise is often the cheaper route.

The bathroom. A pre-1940 bathroom is small, up a flight, with a deep tub, a door well under 32 inches and old pipe in the walls. The curbless shower conversion is the common project, and the plumber's share of the quote is larger here than in a 1990s Chesterfield house. Widening the doorway to a 32 to 36 inch clear opening often comes with it.

The stairs. Old city staircases are steep and narrow, and many turn at a landing, which pushes a stair lift toward the curved-rail end of the range. A suburban colonial's straight flight is the cheap end.

Licensing and permits in Richmond, Henrico and Chesterfield

Virginia licenses contractors statewide through the DPOR Board for Contractors in 3 classes by project value: Class C over $1,000 and under $30,000, Class B from $30,000 up to $150,000, Class A at $150,000 and more. Plumbers and electricians need their own tradesman license, and the contract must carry the license number, class and specialty. Check it at DPOR's License Lookup; the Recovery Fund and the recommended down payment are on the Virginia page. Richmond is an independent city, so the city, Henrico County and Chesterfield County each issue their own permits under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. A temporary ramp to an entrance 30 inches or less above grade and a like-for-like fixture swap are exempt; moving the drain for a curbless shower, adding a circuit or removing a wall is not.

Who pays

Most Richmond families pay directly, from savings or home equity, which means no pre-approval and your choice of contractor (paying out of pocket). The Span Center (804-343-3000) is the Area Agency on Aging for Richmond city, Henrico and Chesterfield, and Rebuilding Together Richmond does repairs for homeowners who qualify, with eligibility and service areas that vary. For a permanent change such as a zero-step entry, a 32-inch door or an accessible bath, Virginia's Livable Home Tax Credit returns 50% of cost up to $6,500, applied for by January 31 of the year after the work (tax deductions). Veterans have the VA's HISA grant and Virginia Housing's Granting Freedom, up to $10,000 for a service-connected disability within income limits (VA grants). Virginia's Medicaid agency, DMAS, can say whether home modifications are covered for the person's situation and whether there is a waitlist.

Common projects in Richmond

• Curbless shower conversion: $2,500 to $9,000 nationally; the full accessible bathroom runs $6,600 to $28,000, average near $11,000.
• Stair lift: $3,000 to $20,000, averages $7,000 to $8,000; a landing or a turn means a curved rail at the high end.
• Entrance ramp: $875 to $5,000; a porch-height entry pushes the length and the price up.
• Widened doorway: the price depends on whether the wall is load-bearing and whether wiring runs through it; the target is a 32 to 36 inch clear opening.

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