FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: How do I go about contracting with Dumbarton House for my event?
All parties interested in renting Dumbarton House are required to schedule a visit with the Marketing and Events Manager before contracting for an event. To schedule a site visit, please call 202-337-2288 x230. Once you have visited the house and indicate a desire to rent it, you will be sent (via email or snail-mail, as you prefer) the contract with a request for the security deposit in the amount equal to one hour of rental. This deposit is fully refundable, once the event has taken place if there is no damage to the premises and if the event does not go overtime, defined as 16 minutes beyond the contracted guest time period. Once the contract has been signed and returned by the Contracting Party with the deposit, a Dumbarton House representative will return a receipt, which will tickle payment of the first 50% of the rental fee within two weeks. The final payment is ultimately due three months (90 days) prior to your event.

Q: What is your cancellation policy?
A Contracting Party may cancel a contract by giving written notice to Dumbarton House. If such notice is received by Dumbarton House —

More than six months (183 days) before the date of the contracted event, the security deposit and 50% of the rental fee will be retained and no final payment will be due;
Less than six months (183 days) before the date of the contracted event, the security deposit and entire rental fee will be retained. Only if Dumbarton House is able to book an event of equal value for the date of the canceled event, 50% of the rental fee will be refunded. The security deposit will remain retained.

If the event is canceled due to events or effects that cannot be reasonably anticipated or con trolled, as defined in the event rental contract, Dumbarton House will make a refund in accord with the policies explained immediately above for cancellations by a contracting party.

Q: What do the rental fees include?
The rental fees at Dumbarton House include private touring of the museum and use of the Belle Vue Room and all outdoor terraces and gardens. For every event, two facility staff persons are on duty for the duration of the event and four docents are scheduled to be in the museum rooms throughout the cocktail hour. It is also assumed that for every event, clients will schedule at least two site visits with the Marketing and Events Manager.

Rental fees do not include any catering, tenting, transportation or valet services, or equipment (tables, chairs, linens, etc.) Please review our list of vendors for help with these services.

Q: Am I required to use only the vendors on your preferred vendors list?
The only vendors on our list that you are required to use are our tent companies, as tenting is very particular to each individual event space. This requirement only guarantees that you will receive excellent service for all your tenting needs.

Otherwise, you are welcome to use vendors not yet on our preferred vendors list, if they complete a prior site orientation visit with the Marketing and Events Manager, have a current DC commercial license, and provide evidence of required insurance coverage.

Q: How do people generally deal with parking and transportation to Dumbarton House?
Dumbarton House has a very small parking lot onsite; however, this lot cannot be used by guests at events. This lot is generally filled by your vendors, house staff, and occasionally a space or two may be reserved for the contracting party or a designated VIP.