Washington, DC has 33 designated historic districts.  If your home is in one of these districts, you may be restricted in what you can do with the exterior of your home, as you are required to maintain its historic appearance.  In order to make changes to the exterior of your house, you will need to demonstrate that these changes either restore original features of the house, are in line with its original appearance, or are historically correct for the period of your house and neighborhood. 

Additionally, if you or a previous owner donated the façade of your home to an historic easement organization,  there may be additional restrictions as to what you can change and how.

 

Many home owners are surprised to learn about these restrictions, often after they have started a project.  This may involve redesigning the original project at additional cost, stop work orders, or undoing the work.

 

Historic preservation laws and guidelines cover such things as:

· Window and door replacements

· Façade alterations (new window openings or front basement entrances)

· Painting/stucco

· Porches (new, removal, fill ins, and other alterations)

· Roofing and repairs

· Front steps and walkways

· Shutters and awnings

· All additions (rear, side, front, and rooftop)

· Decks and patios

· Retaining walls

· Materials that are allowed to make many repairs

 

DC historic preservation practices are not always transparent or consistent.  We have conducted extensive analysis of DC HPO policies and decisions over the past 7 years, and can assist you in project preparation that is consistent with these policies.

 

 

DC historic district map courtesy Matthew Gilmore.  Photos courtesy of DC SHPO.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION POLICY CONSULTING

DC Historic Designs

Historic Preservation and Architectural Design Specialists