The City of Fredericksburg does not regulate paint color in its Historic District. Colors are not thought to impact architectural integrity sufficiently to compel a public policy that precludes a property owner's creativity.  This decision results in some historical inaccuracies but these are more a reflection of a community's changing fashions and values rather than a compromise of its historic resources. Victorian era dwellings in Fredericksburg, for example, are currently painted in a great variety of colors even though most of these houses were originally painted white. When these houses were built, in the early twentieth century, their style reflected then-current architectural fashion while the color scheme adapted them to the Southern climate. The new colors do not detract from these handsome buildings, but reflect current owner preferences (as well as interior climate control technology).

The Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, on the other hand, holds preservation easements on more than 35 buildings. These easements often include the requirement that owners obtain that organization's approval for any proposed color change. This policy is sometimes confused as a City policy, but is applicable only to properties that have easements held by the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation.