About The Process

A Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) is issued by the Historic Conservation Office to approve work to local landmarks or properties located within local historic districts. 

The Historic Conservation Office generally reviews only exterior work, demolition, new construction and site improvements. However, select properties, including City Hall, Cuvier Press Club, Music Hall, Union Terminal and St. Francis de Sales Church and Rectory, also have significant interiors that are subject to review.

A COA is issued either as part of a Building Permit or as a separate document depending on the type of work. A Building Permit is required for major repairs, alterations, new buildings and additions, most excavation, new fill, signs and parking areas, and it is issued by the Department of City Planning and Buildings. A COA is also required if a property is a designated Local Landmark or is located in a Local Historic District, and it is issued by the Historic Conservation Office.

If a Building Permit is required for the work, the permit application will automatically be referred to the Historic Conservation Office for review. No additional application form is required. 

Minor repairs and ordinary maintenance work typically do not require a Building Permit, and select construction work and repairs for one-, two- and three-family dwellings are exempt from some permit requirements. 

If work is exempt from a Building Permit, it still requires a COA. In these instances, a separate COA Application Form will need to be filled out and submitted to the Historic Conservation Office.

Each historic district or landmark has its own set of conservation guidelines, which are used to evaluate proposed work. These guidelines are intended to protect the character of an individual building and site as well as the surrounding historic district. The Historic Conservation Office staff can provide technical assistance on a project and advice on the compliance of a project with the guidelines. Staff can also advise an applicant on whether the HCB must review the work and give a preliminary indication of how it will respond to a given application.

Applicants are encouraged to consult with the Historic Conservation Office staff during the planning stages of a project, prior to formal application for a Building Permit or a COA.

COA Application Form

The COA application is one-page, single-sided form. This application describes the existing conditions of a property and any work being proposed. It should be used only in those instances where the proposed work is exempt from a Building Permit.

• Download: COA Application Form

Print the application, complete the form and submit it along with any supporting plans, photographs or other documentation to the Historic Conservation Office.