Planning a remodel or addition in Georgetown’s historic district comes with more to consider than layout, finishes, and budget. If your home is in the Downtown or Old Town Historic Overlay District, some exterior projects may need to go through the city’s Historic and Architectural Review Commission (HARC) and the Certificate of Appropriateness (CoA) process before construction begins.
That extra step can feel intimidating at first, but it is really about making sure changes fit the character of the home and the surrounding neighborhood. This guide will show you how to plan a renovation that checks off all these boxes.
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One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make in Georgetown’s historic district is assuming review happens after the design is already figured out. In reality, historic review often shapes the design itself.
If the project changes the exterior of the home or alters how the property reads from the street, the city may look closely at how that change fits the house and the surrounding district. That is why the earliest architecture decisions matter so much. By the time drawings are far along, it is much harder and more expensive to revisit the basics.
HARC is Georgetown’s Historic and Architectural Review Commission. For homeowners, HARC comes into the picture when a residential project in the historic district cannot be approved administratively by staff and instead requires commission review.
That does not mean every house project in the district goes before HARC. Some work may be reviewed by the Historic Preservation Officer instead. The deciding factors are usually the property itself, the scope of work, and whether the proposed change falls into a category that requires commission review.
What matters for homeowners is the kind of work HARC is reviewing. This is usually not about interior updates or changes that are hidden from view. It is about exterior work and site changes that affect how the property looks and how it fits within the historic district.
Not every project in Georgetown’s historic district goes through the same level of review. But if the work changes the exterior of the home or noticeably affects the property from the street, it may need closer attention.
That can include things like:
For homeowners, the key point is that the renovation does not have to be large in scope to need review. A smaller project can still call for a review if it changes the visible exterior character of the property.
A rear addition, for example, may still need review even if it feels like a straightforward way to gain square footage. Replacing windows or siding may also require review if those elements are important to the home’s historic appearance. A new fence may seem minor, but it can still affect how the property reads from the street.
The important thing is to sort that out early before you've already invested significant time and money into the home.
A Certificate of Appropriateness, often shortened to COA, is the city’s approval for qualifying work in the historic district. Homeowners need to know whether their project requires one before they get too far into design.
In practical terms, that means answering three questions early:
Is the home in the Downtown or Old Town Historic Overlay District?
If the property is outside those districts, historic district review may not apply in the same way.
Does the project involve exterior work or a new structure on the site?
Interior-only work is generally a different conversation. Exterior work is where review tends to come into play.
Is the project the kind of work that requires HARC or staff approval?
Some projects are handled administratively, while others must go before the commission.
For homeowners, this is one of the most important checkpoints in the entire process. If the answer is yes and the project needs a COA, that review needs to be built into the timeline before construction begins.
Just as important, it needs to be built into the design process with a qualified architect. Once a homeowner knows the project requires a COA, the conversation changes. Instead of designing first and checking later, the architect can respond to what the city is actually likely to review.
Homeowners often hear “design review” and assume it means the city is judging personal taste. That is not really what is happening.
The city is looking at whether the proposed work fits the house and the surrounding historic district. In residential review, that usually comes down to a few core issues:
For example, a homeowner planning an addition may find that the city is less focused on the fact that the house is growing and more focused on how that addition is attached, where it sits, and whether it changes the way the original house is perceived from the street.
The same goes for windows, siding, porches, and detached structures. The issue is not simply whether those elements are being changed. The issue is whether the change supports or erodes the historic character of the property.
The exact path can vary depending on the property and the scope of work, but this is the general sequence for a residential project in Georgetown’s historic district:
Table 1. Georgetown Historic Review Process by Project Type
| Project Type | What It Usually Includes | Why It May Need Review |
|---|---|---|
| Additions to the Home | Rear, side, or other expansions that add square footage to the house | Additions can change the size, shape, and visibility of the home, which affects how the original structure reads from the street |
| New Detached Structures | Detached garages, studios, accessory buildings, or other freestanding structures | A new building changes the site itself and may affect the scale, placement, and overall character of the property |
| Fence Installation or Replacement | New front, side, or rear fencing, or replacement of an existing fence | Fences can change how the property is seen from the street and affect the historic rhythm of the block |
| Changes to Siding, Trim, Windows, or Doors | Replacing exterior materials or architectural elements | These features often play a major role in the home’s historic character, so changing them can have a visible impact |
| Porch Updates | Alterations to porch columns, railings, flooring, roofing, or overall porch design | Porches are often prominent character-defining features, especially on historic homes |
| Demolition or Removal of Exterior Features | Removing historic siding, trim, porches, or other original exterior elements | Taking away historic features can directly affect the integrity and appearance of the house |
| Other Visible Exterior Alterations | Exterior changes that can be seen from the street, even if they seem relatively minor | Smaller projects can still require review if they noticeably change the appearance of the house or site |
Before finalizing plans and working with an architect, homeowners should get clear on a few things:
Whether the house is subject to historic district review
That needs to be confirmed at the outset.
Whether the project is likely to need a Certificate of Appropriateness
That answer affects the design timeline and the approval path.
Which parts of the project are most likely to matter during review
Usually, that means size, placement, visibility, and the treatment of original exterior features.
Whether the architect or contractor understands historic district work
A team that understands how historic review affects additions and exterior work can make better decisions earlier.
For homeowners, this early homework can prevent spending money on plans that need substantial revision later. It also tends to lead to better projects overall. The strongest historic district homes are not the ones that avoid change altogether. They are the ones where the changes feel well considered, well placed, and consistent with the house that was already there.
If your home is in Georgetown’s historic district, do not wait until the plans are nearly done to think about review. Start by finding out whether the project will require a COA and whether HARC review may be involved. Then, make sure the big decisions are being made with that in mind, especially the size of the work, its placement on the lot, its visibility from the street, and its relationship to the original house.
Lastly, work with a qualified local architect who knows Georgetown and understands how to design for a historic district. The right architect can help you avoid preventable revisions, protect what matters about the home, and move the project forward with a design that feels right from the start.
You're not just looking for approval from the Georgetown HARC. You want a finished project that gives the house more room to work for your life without losing the character that made it worth investing in to begin with.
At J. Bryant Boyd, we know a historic district project asks more of the design from the very beginning. You are not just adding space or updating a home. You are making changes that need to feel right for the house, the lot, and the neighborhood around it.
We have been designing homes in Central Texas since 1992, and our architect-led, design-build approach starts with design first. We look closely at the property, the way you live, and the details that will shape the project long before construction begins. For homeowners in Georgetown’s historic districts, that means a design process grounded in the realities of the site and the review process, not guesswork halfway through.
If you are planning an addition, exterior changes, or a larger update to a historic home, we approach the work with the same goal: create a home that is lasting, well-crafted, and true to your vision.
View our Portfolio to see examples of our work.
Contact our team to take the first step to creating the home you want.