The Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance stipulates that the ARB adopt design guidelines in order to review applications for rehabilitation, new construction and exterior alterations. Section 3101 of the Zoning Ordinance explicitly states that the guidelines will be based upon standards designed to preserve the historic integrity of the district.

The Centreville Historic Overlay District Design Guidelines were revised in 2010, however in the 26 years since the guidelines for the other HODs were developed, each district has been impacted. Examples include the demolition of buildings, the addition of new single-family subdivisions, and the removal of landscaping. In addition, the guidelines are often confusing for applicants to follow to ensure that their proposed development meets the goals of the district. The language used is industry standard and difficult for some applicants to interpret. Furthermore, there are no visual resources for the applicant to consult. Updated guidelines should be consistent with the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act legislation and terminology utilized by the National Park Service.

The county is working with a consultant, EHT Traceries, to complete the rewrite of the entire set of the historic overlay district design guidelines.