Alexandria chimney sweep and repair: A Step in Time Chimney Sweeps for area code 703

About homes and winters in area code 703

Area code 703/571 covers Northern Virginia, from Arlington and Alexandria to Fairfax, Reston, Herndon, McLean, Vienna, Manassas, Woodbridge and Leesburg. Census figures count about 818,000 homes and apartments here. About 42% were built before 1980 (2.9% before 1940), and the median home dates from the 1980s. About 42% are single-family detached houses.

Arlington and Alexandria sit across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.; Old Town Alexandria's historic district dates to the colonial port town founded in 1749.

Winters bring a real heating season. NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for Washington Reagan National Ap show about 3,769 heating degree days a year, a January average of 37.5°F, and about 13.7 inches of snow. Rain and the occasional freeze still work on brick and mortar over the years, so a cracked crown or a missing cap is worth fixing early.

The most common way to heat a home here is utility gas (about 54% of occupied homes, per the Census), followed by electricity at about 42%. Wood is the main heat in fewer than 2 in 100 homes, so most fireplaces here are for cool evenings, and gas fireplaces and inserts are common. Energy codes place it in IECC climate zone 4A. NFPA 211, the national chimney and venting standard, recommends an inspection every year no matter what you burn.

Sources: Census ACS 2018–2022 (B25034, B25040, B25024); NOAA Climate Normals 1991–2020, Washington Reagan National Ap (USW00013743); IECC 2021 climate zones by county (PNNL-33270); NFPA 211; Wikipedia: Alexandria, Virginia.