Locksmith Services in Alexandria, VA

Homes and locks in Alexandria

The Virginia Department of Historic Resources describes the Alexandria Historic District as the largest concentration of 18th- and 19th-century urban architecture in the state. Its nearly one hundred blocks include many Federal town houses, such as the 18th-century row in the 200 block of Prince Street.

The city's Old and Historic Alexandria District, established in 1946, generally runs from Hunting Creek north to Bashford Lane and from the Potomac River west to near the King Street Metro.

Its design guidelines date front doors by style. Federal doors (1780–1830) have six wood panels, and many have sidelites and a semicircular or elliptical fanlite above. Victorian doors (1850–1910) often pair wood panels below with glass above. Note any glass near the lock when you ask about lock replacement.

The Town of Potomac Historic District covers six subdivisions: Del Ray, Del Ray II, St. Elmo, Abingdon, Hume and parts of Mt. Vernon. Del Ray and St. Elmo were platted in 1894, incorporated as the town of Potomac in 1908 and annexed by Alexandria in 1930. Surviving houses are generally modest, from the 1890s to 1941, and several are mail-order houses. On an original door, check the existing holes and latch position before buying a new lockset.

Businesses and buildings

The Alexandria Historic District's commercial area centers on the corner of South Washington and King streets, and the district takes in factory buildings on the formerly active waterfront, including the former Ford Plant designed by Albert Kahn. The city's door guidelines say metal and frameless glass storefront systems may be appropriate on the ground floor of some buildings. For keys to a storefront, rear door and upstairs office, see commercial locksmith service.

Car trouble in Alexandria

City Code Sec. 5-8-132 lists the snow emergency routes: King Street west of Union Street, Washington Street, Duke Street, U.S. Route 1, Braddock Road, Howard Street, Jordan Street and Eisenhower Avenue from Holland Lane to Van Dorn Street. The routes carry red and white signs, and vehicles left on them after a snow emergency is declared may be towed at the owner's expense.

If you are locked out on one of these routes, name the street in your car lockout request.

Local rules worth knowing

Historic district door work. The Old and Historic District door guidelines (amended September 17, 2025) set these Board of Architectural Review levels for most cases:

• No BAR review: installing door hardware, doorbells or doorbell cameras, and single-lite, clear-glass storm doors.
• Staff review: replacing non-historic doors, door frames and trim.
• Board review: new doors visible from the public right-of-way, and storm doors with decorative elements or security bars.

On pre-1932 buildings, street-facing doors, door frames and trim should be wood. Staff may still send a project to the board.

Rental inspections. Under City Code Sec. 8-1-110 and following, adopted under Code of Virginia § 36-105.1:1, owners of rental units in the East and West rental inspection districts must arrange inspections. A unit with no disqualifying violations receives a 48-month certificate of compliance. The city's checklist (VPMC 2021) includes functional building entry hardware (VPMC 304.15), properly installed and maintained entry doors and hardware (VPMC 305.6) and an unobstructed means of exit (VPMC 702.1). Worn entry hardware can be repaired before an inspection.

This is general information, not legal advice.

Requesting service in Alexandria

Virginia Locksmith Pros takes service requests from homes, businesses and drivers in Alexandria. Include your nearest cross streets, whether the building is in the Old and Historic District, and whether the door is a street entrance, shared entry or storefront. More is on the Virginia page.