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About the Program
The Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) administers San Antonio's historic preservation program and reviews projects for conformance with the City’s Unified Development Code (UDC) and applicable design guidelines adopted by City Council.
Applicants and property owners should review and understand the applicable process and review criteria before committing to a project or specific design.
This guide provides information on exterior modifications for properties in historic districts and individual landmarks. Per the UDC, all exterior modifications and repairs for properties with a historic zoning overlay require a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA). This applies to both commercial and residential properties, including side yards, rear yards, and other areas not readily visible from the street.
NOTE: Any work started without a COA may result in a Stop Work Order and a $500 post-work application fee. In more serious cases, a municipal case may be filed to ensure compliance.
For questions or assistance, contact your assigned case manager listed below.
Assigned Case Managers
Edward Hall
Design Review Manager
210-207-4680
- Downtown Business District
- Network Notes / Telecom Installation
- River Improvement Overlay
Caitlin Brown-Clancy
Senior Historic Preservation Specialist
210-207-7306
Historic Districts
- Alamo Plaza
- Arsenal
- Auditorium Circle
- Cattleman’s Square
- Dignowity Hill
- Government Hill
- Healy-Murphy
- Hemisfair
- La Villita
- Main/Military Plaza
- Mission
- Nathan
- Old Lone Star Brewery
- St. Paul Square
- Ursuline Academy
Rachel Rettaliata
Special Projects Manager
210-207-0145
- Individual Landmarks
- Public Property/Parks/ROW
- Historic Districts
- East French Place
- Fulton Avenue
- Greenlawn Estates
- Keystone Park
- King William
- Knob Hill
- Lavaca
- Leon Springs
- Monte Vista
- Monticello Park
- Olmos Park Terrace
- River Road
- School of Aerospace Medicine
- Tobin Hill
- Westfort
- Woodlawn Lake
Historic Property Designation
Historic designation is applied through a zoning overlay. Properties zoned with an H, HS, HE, or HL are considered historic and subject to review by OHP.
If you are unsure of your property's designation, you can check your status online. Use the Explorer Map to search for your address. Click on the parcel to view property information, including applicable addresses, BCAD owner data, and designation status.
Tax Incentives for Repairs
If you plan on performing substantial interior and exterior renovations on your historic property—and all work has been approved and permitted—you may be eligible for property tax incentives.
The process has two parts:
- Part 1: Tax Certification
- Ideally, you should apply before completing the work, but it's not required.
- Part 2: Tax Verification
- This occurs after the work is completed to confirm eligibility.
View the tax incentives page for more details on how to qualify and apply.
Planning for Project Approval
- Interior Work
- If the work is interior only, with no work on exterior windows or doors, then no approval is needed from OHP. However, a permit from DSD may still be required.
- Minor Improvements
- If you only plan to make minor improvements, you typically don't need to go through the full Historic & Design Review Commission (HDRC) review process. Minor projects can usually be approved by OHP staff with a COA.
- Complex Projects
- If you are planning a complex project, the best time to consult with OHP staff is as soon as possible. Staff is always available to meet and review proposed projects, even when they are still just ideas or concepts.
It may also be helpful to consult with the Design Review Committee, a subcommittee of the HDRC.
- Hiring a Professional
- You may not need to hire an outside professional to get approval from the HDRC. It depends on the scope of work. If a professional isn’t required by law and you can provide enough documentation, you can complete the review on your own.
- HDRC Review & Approval
- The HDRC review process typically begins with applications due 19 days before your desired meeting date. After the meeting, COAs are usually issued within 10 days, often sooner.
To ensure your project is approved by the HDRC, it's important to talk to staff early in the process and provide all required documentation.