Remodeling and Additions in McLean, VA
McLean is a town of big trees, deep lots, and houses that have been added onto, updated, and reworked for decades. We're Vale Construction — a design-build home remodeler based in Alexandria — and we work with McLean homeowners (22101 and 22102) on additions, renovations, and the kind of larger projects that need one team actually running them. Alfredo Esquivel walks the first site visit himself, and stays involved through design and build.
What makes McLean homes their own thing
McLean isn't one housing type — it's several, often on the same street. You've got mid-century ranches and splits, 1970s and '80s colonials, and newer custom builds that went up where an older house came down. Neighborhoods like Chesterbrook Woods, Salona Village, Langley Forest and McLean Hamlet tend toward established homes on generous lots, which is good news and a catch at the same time: there's room to add on, but what's behind the walls of a home that's been modified over the years is rarely textbook.
We see the usual things in older houses here — joists that were fine for the original footprint but undersized once a wall comes out, wiring that's been extended a few too many times, framing that someone clearly improvised. None of that is a crisis. It just needs to be found before demo, not during. That's why we plan the structure, the roof tie-in and the foundation of an addition before anything gets ordered, and why we bring in a structural engineer when a job calls for one.
A few McLean realities we build around. Lots are large but often sloped and heavily treed — great for a rear addition or a sunroom, but footings, drainage and how water moves across the site all deserve attention early. Work in Fairfax County runs through the county's permitting and inspection process, and some McLean neighborhoods carry HOA or architectural review expectations on exterior changes. We handle that coordination so you're not chasing it. And the local weather — hot, humid summers, freeze-and-thaw winters — is exactly why basement waterproofing and proper ventilation aren't optional.
Services we offer in McLean
We take on residential projects — renovations, additions and larger construction improvements. We don't do small handyman repairs or minor maintenance.
- Home additions — rear additions, second-story additions, bump-outs and in-law suites, planned around the existing structure, roof and foundation first
- Whole-home renovations — multiple rooms and systems coordinated as one project, layout through finishes
- Kitchen remodeling — layout changes, storage, lighting and appliances, built around how you actually cook
- Bathroom remodeling — tile, fixtures and layout, often with plumbing relocation and better ventilation, from demo to final install
- Basement finishing & remodeling — framing, insulation, egress, waterproofing, and electrical and plumbing runs for a bath or wet bar, finished like the rest of the house
- Sunroom & screened porch additions — from permitting through footings, roof tie-in and cutting new openings into the exterior
- Structural modifications — opening up walls, correcting undersized framing, and the engineering that goes with it
- Interior and exterior improvements — as part of a larger renovation or addition
Every one of these runs on one contract, one schedule, and one team accountable for design decisions, permits and inspections, the trades on site, and the finish work at the end.
Local, reliable, and nearby
McLean is a short drive from our Alexandria base, so being on site when it matters isn't a problem. We know the area — the stretch around Tysons Corner Center, the quieter pockets near Clemyjontri Park and Scott's Run Nature Preserve, the neighborhoods feeding into Kent Gardens and McLean High School, and the green around McLean Central Park and the Community Center. That familiarity means we're realistic with you from the first walkthrough about what a given house and lot will allow.
Our process is simple on purpose: Plan, Design, Build. We work through the hard decisions early — scope, layout, the stuff that's expensive to undo later — so construction runs predictably instead of turning into a string of surprises. Throughout, Alfredo talks directly with you and with the trades, and we keep you informed rather than leaving you to guess. If you're weighing an addition or a full renovation in McLean, call us at (571) 474-1920 and we'll come take a look.
