Historic Preservation FAQs

Each historic district was created by residents who wanted to preserve and protect the history of their neighborhood from incompatible redevelopment. The process to create our current historic districts included having third party consultants to study the historic integrity of the area, draw preliminary boundaries, and conduct public meetings to collect feedback from the residents. Property owners within the potential boundaries were given the opportunity to vote on the proposed designation of the historic district. Districts that received a majority vote supporting the creation of the historic district were advanced to the City Council for approval.

The City of Orlando has six historic districts and almost 50 individual designated landmarks, accounting for approximately 1800 properties, which is less than 5% of the properties within the city boundaries. It is a special honor to be entrusted with caring for and maintaining these tangible links to Orlando’s past. To determine if your property is in a designated historic district, view the city’s GIS database. Enter your address in the search bar. The system will locate your property and, if designated, there will be a tab on the left side labelled “Historic Property.” 

Unfortunately, realtors, contractors, and other vendors may not be aware of the responsibilities of owning a historic home. Any property within a historic district or individual landmark must comply with Chapter 62 of the Land Development Code when making changes to the exterior of the property.

When the district was created, some lots were empty and allowed for the construction of new homes on those properties. Owners of new homes in historic districts still need to apply for a Certificate of Appropriateness (CoA) when making exterior changes. 

A Certificate of Appropriateness (CoA) is the required approval from the Historic Preservation Board, or Historic Preservation Officer for changes to the exterior of a historic resource. The CoA must be received before a building or engineering permit can be issued for any work on the exterior of a property in a Historic District or an individual Historic Landmark. It is a planning approval and not the permit approval to complete the work. That final building permit approval comes after the CoA, which you must apply for through the City’s Permitting Services Division. 

When each district was surveyed prior to being designated, buildings were divided into two categories. Buildings more than 50 years old with architectural, historical and/or cultural significance were grouped as contributing to the character of the historic district. Generally, buildings less than 50 years old and/or no architectural, historical, or cultural significance were grouped as non-contributing to the character of the district. Contributing properties have higher standards to maintain the integrity and character of the historic districts. Non-contributing properties still need approval before beginning work, but the standard of review is lower. Information on which category your property falls into can be found on the city’s GIS database.  After finding your address, expand the “Historic Property” tab on the left side. 

When each district was created, regulations were incorporated into the ordinance that included exemptions for certain reviews. Half of the city’s districts require reviews for all sides of the building. Therefore, the city asks that all exterior changes in the historic districts be submitted for review. If staff sees the application is for an item that has an exemption in that specific district, the application will be returned with an explanation that the scope of work is not reviewed per the district’s regulations and allow you to proceed to building permit review.

Staff has up to 10 business days to review minor applications to allow adequate time for to research, site visits, and workload expectations. Once information is provided for review, staff compares the scope of work with the Historic Preservation Standards. There are multiple internal steps to process a review through the city’s digital plans submittal platform, ProjectDox, to generate a CoA. To ensure your case is reviewed in a timely manner, review the instructions provided in the email you received from ProjectDox and city staff. Upload all required information (plans, pictures, etc.). Return the case to staff for processing. ProjectDox automatically notifies staff when a case has been returned. 

Staff provides the matrix of required documents to every applicant when the case number is assigned. The list is also available on the Minor Review page.

The city does not provide plaques for historic structures. Plaques can be purchased independently or in conjunction with the local neighborhood group or association. City staff can help determine the date of construction for your building prior to ordering a plaque. Please send your request to the general email box at historicpreservation@orlando.gov. 

No. Original blueprints are rare and usually passed down through the owners of the house. City records for properties in the historic districts date to when the district was created. The Orange County Regional History Center does have the original city permit logs from 1906 to1946. However, the books have been damaged over the years, and the logs are incomplete.

The City’s records are limited and begin when each district was created. Use this list of historic resources to research your historic property.

• Orange County Comptroller - the comptroller is a great resource to view your property’s ownership history. Once you have obtained all the previous owners’ names you can look them up in census records or consult the Orange County Regional History Center to learn more about who lived there.

• Orange County Regional History Center – The history center provides a directory of addresses which include names of prior residents, their occupations and more. The history center also has Sanborn maps which can provide a glimpse at the footprint of the house and original building materials, as well as permit books, which keep record of any permits that were pulled for the property and by who.

• Newspaper archives – If the property is in a well-established neighborhood, old newspapers may also have articles with pictures, working architects or builders. Web based searches through archival collections like newspapers.com can provide additional information.

• The National Trust for Historic Preservation - Provides helpful tools and resources to research your home.

Historic properties can be made more sustainable, energy-efficient, and resilient, improving their performance and use while also preserving their historic character. Doing so not only improves their efficiency and livability but helps to ensure their long-term preservation. City staff is currently working on a program with specific recommendations for historic property owners. Until then, visit the National Park Service website for studies and more information.

You can also visit the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website for more information on energy education. 

The architectural style of all contributing buildings can be found on the city’s GIS database. After finding your address, expand the “Historic Property” tab on the left side. 

ProjectDox is the City’s digital plans submittal platform that tracks all the documents reviewed for permits. View the city’s step-by-step instructions for how to use the platform.

Vinyl fencing is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. In general, vinyl is not an approved substitute material in historic districts as it does not have the same characteristics as historic materials. In some districts (Lake Copeland, Lake Lawsona, and Colonialtown South) the ordinances only require reviews of what is visible from the public right-of-way, park or lake. Thus, in some limited instances, a vinyl fence may be allowed if it is not visible from those areas.

As a substitute material, artificial turf does not have same properties as natural grass. It is not permitted to be visible from the public right-of-way, lake or park in the historic districts. It may be allowed in the rear yard. However, the City’s engineering department has determined that all artificial turf contributes to the impervious surface area (ISR) of the lot, and every lot has a maximum impervious surface limit. 

The Historic Preservation Standards are designed to address almost any change to a building’s exterior. Staff and the Historic Preservation Board approve changes that complement or are compatible with the home’s original architectural style and the neighborhood’s character. Property owners should approach this process with thoughtful prioritization.

• Step 1: Preserve and repair original features whenever possible. These elements safeguard both the architectural integrity of your building and the character of the surrounding district.
• Step 2: If an original feature cannot be repaired, replace it in kind. Same material, design, dimensions, etc.
• Step 3: Substitute materials should be used only when the original material is no longer available. Even then, the replacement material must match the original material in composition, design, color, texture, and overall visual qualities. 

This approach ensures that preservation decisions respect history, craftsmanship, and long-term value.

All properties located within a historic district are labelled accordingly in our permitting database. The Permitting Services Division will assign a review to the Historic Preservation Board for all permit applications (building, engineering, electrical mechanical, plumbing, etc.). Staff reviews the request and will sign off as “no review required” for interior items OR the permit will be denied for larger scope items that don’t have a Certificate of Appropriateness yet. It is best practice to receive a Certificate of Appropriateness for exterior changes before applying for permits to avoid potential preservation issues that could delay your permit approval. When applying for a final building permit, provide the Certificate of Appropriateness as proof of Historic Preservation review and approval as part of your permit documentation.

Minor reviews are handled by staff within 7-10 business days. Most exterior projects are minor reviews. Major reviews are typically larger projects that add or subtract square footage to a property. Additions, garages, ADUs, demolition and new construction are all examples of major reviews. 

Learn more about the minor review process.

Learn more about the major review process.

If you feel that your request complies with the city’s Historic Preservation Standards, you can request the Minor Review Committee (MRC) to review the application and provide further input. If the MRC agrees with staff and upholds the denial, you can appeal the decision before the Historic Preservation Board.

For more information on appeals, associated fees, and timelines please contact us at historicpreservation@orlando.gov.