BY: KEITH BRANNON

Replacing old roof shingles? Siding? You need to find out if your home is located in a historic district—otherwise you may end up redoing your renovation.

This photo shows the installation of improperly designed porchrailings. These railings have been constructed of 2x4s rather than toprails, bottom rails and balusters.

So you’ve got a roof that leaks like a sieve and windows that have seen better days.
Your contractor recommends some affordable and energy-efficient options for a new roof and aluminum clad windows.

You sign a contract and are good to go. A few weeks after the work is complete, a letter arrives in the mail.

The new roof isn’t the right color and those air-tight windows are all wrong according to New Orleans’ historic preservation codes. You now have to plead your case before the Historic District Landmarks Commission, which may make you rip everything out and start over.

The building has a brown roof, which is not an approved color.

Regulating Renovations
That’s the scenario facing those who haven’t done their homework about the city’s historic districts. Virtually every month the HDLC hears a case where a homeowner has completed work without a required certificate of appropriateness, which is the paperwork verifying the job meets historic district guidelines.

In most cases, the homeowners didn’t realize they were in a historic district or they didn’t know they had to get approval from the commission, says HDLC executive director C. Elliott Perkins.

The original doors and transoms were replaced with smaller inappropriate fanlight doors.


“We have seen everything from people building whole additions to buildings [without approval] and people adding second floors. I’ve seen everything you can imagine,” Perkins says.

The confusion for some is that they think that a building permit from the city’s Office of Safety and Permits is a blank check for any work. Not so if you live in the French Quarter or one of the city’s other 13 historic districts, which include: Algiers Point, Bywater, Esplanade Ridge, Faubourg Marigny, Holy Cross, Irish Channel, Lower Garden District, St. Charles Avenue, Treme, Canal Street, Lafayette Square, Picayune Place and the Warehouse District.

The city’s oldest neighborhood is regulated by the Vieux Carré Commission while the other historic districts are under HDLC jurisdiction. The HDLC regulates over 16,000 structures. In fact, New Orleans has more 19th-century architecture than any other city in the United States.

The original windows and trim were replaced with smaller, surface mounted vinyl windows, which are not allowed in historic districts.


The HDLC regulates anything on a building’s exterior that can be seen from the sidewalk or public right-of-way.  That means if you need new roof shingles, shutters, doors, windows or siding, you have to get a certificate of appropriateness from the commission that verifies the changes fit the character and style of the building. For example, roofing shingles must be architectural grade in traditional shades of black and gray. Newer shingles in reds, greens and brown are generally frowned upon, although “the commission judges everything on a case-by-case basis,”
Perkins says.

The commission has extremely detailed guidelines for every aspect of exterior renovation from roofing material to downspouts and gutters.

However, the recommendations can vary based on when and where the house was built.

“We have different requirements based on the style of house,” says Jesse LeBlanc, HDLC chairman. “In other words, a Greek Revival house may require a different style of shutter than a Creole cottage would require.”

You can check out the guidelines online on the HDLC’s page of the city’s Web site, www.cityofno.com, or visit the commission’s headquarters downtown at 1340 Poydras St.  The most common issue facing residents in these districts post-Katrina is replacing damaged roofs, siding and windows. The city’s architecture is so unique that it’s a challenge to find suitable replacements for handmade, oversized windows and large entry doors. You won’t find anything but modern, standard sizes on the shelves of Lowe’s and Home Depot, Perkins says.

Vinyl windows are a problem, Perkins says. The commission generally requires single-pane, wooden windows on the front of a house, but it has allowed the newer windows on less visible side and rear walls.

So what happens if someone replaces a wood window with vinyl without permission? The commission can legally force the homeowner to remove it or faces fines. A resident can appeal the commission’s decision with the City Council, which has the final say.

Preservation Pays
Preservationists bristle when asked whether living in an historic district is a greater burden because of all the extra rules and regulations. Stephanie Bruno, director of the Preservation Resource Center’s Operation Comeback, says the process gets
a bad rap.

“I think there is more of a perception that the rules are cumbersome more than the reality of the rules being cumbersome,” she says.

The rules are clear, she says, and the commission is a valuable resource for homeowners considering a renovation project.

The commission has staff architects that offer free advice to residents. The PRC also offers similar advice and holds preservation workshops.

There is also a financial benefit to keeping the historic character of a neighborhood. The rules ensure no one builds an eyesore next door, stabilizing property values, LeBlanc says.

“The rule of thumb is that houses within an historic district are worth about 20 percent more than the same house outside of an historic district,” he says.

Preserving the French Quarter
It’s no accident that the French Quarter is the crown jewel of the state’s historic heritage. The area, which is the nation’s second oldest preservation district, is strictly regulated by the Vieux Carré Commission.

Unlike the HDLC, which regulates only exterior areas visible from the street, the VCC regulates all exterior aspects of a building including floors, patios, sidewalks, fences, signs and back walls.

Each building in the Quarter is color-coded according to historical significance; the types of work allowed and materials used are judged individually but the goal is to use materials as close to the original as possible. For example, slate roofs must be replaced with slate.

“It is all in the details,” says Lary Hesdorffer, VCC executive director.

Those details even include paint color. Anything to be painted—whether it’s a door or window trim—needs color approval. That’s a step many building owners forget and they get hauled before the commission to explain themselves.

“More often than not, it’s not a situation of the colors being unapprovable, but maybe they never got approval. They are just thinking they are painting it the same color that it was—and it may or may not be the same color,” Hesdorffer says.

The most common misperception about the VCC is that it is there to keep the Quarter pretty, Hesdorffer says.

“It’s not really about the cosmetics,” he says. “In fact, historic preservation is not really about what’s pretty and what’s attractive. It’s about what’s architecturally and historically appropriate for the character and the origins of a building.”

the names to know
Historic District Landmarks Commission, www.cityofno.com, 1340 Poydras St.
Vieux Carré Commission, www.cityofno.com; 334 Royal St.