Offices and review bodies
State SHPO
Delaware State Historic Preservation Office
- Covered properties
- Delaware State Historic Preservation Office is the statewide preservation office for Delaware. It handles National Register nominations, Section 106 consultation, survey records, preservation planning, Certified Local Government coordination, and state or federal historic tax-credit review for listed or contributing properties.
- Review process
- For private residential work, the SHPO does not issue ordinary building permits. It becomes important when a project uses federal money or permits, seeks a certified rehabilitation tax-credit, affects a listed or eligible property, or needs state preservation consultation before local permits move.
City commission
Wilmington Design Review and Preservation Commission
- Covered properties
- Wilmington Design Review and Preservation Commission covers locally designated historic district areas, landmarks, and design-review overlays in Wilmington. Covered houses are triggered by local designation, district maps, or overlay rules, not by age alone.
- Review process
- Wilmington owners should check review before visible exterior work such as windows, porches, doors, masonry, siding, roofs, additions, demolition, signs, or major site changes. Staff may route minor work administratively, while larger applications go through Certificate of Appropriateness or commission review before building permits.
City commission
City of New Castle Historic Area Commission
- Covered properties
- City of New Castle Historic Area Commission covers work in the local historic district area and related historic-review district. Many buildings are old, but the operative trigger is location inside the mapped historic area or local designation.
- Review process
- New Castle review focuses on visible exterior changes, new construction, demolition, additions, signage, materials, colors, fences, roofs, windows, doors, and streetscape details. Owners should obtain Certificate of Appropriateness-style historic review approval before the building official issues or finalizes related permits.
When you need preservation review
You need preservation review in Delaware when the property is locally designated, sits inside a local historic district, contributes to a National Register district, is individually listed, or is part of a project using federal money, federal permits, or historic tax credits. A pre-1970 or colonial-era house is a warning sign, not automatic jurisdiction; the practical screen is designation, eligibility, a mapped district, or public funding. Before replacing windows, changing porch details, removing masonry, adding dormers, installing siding, building an addition, moving mechanical equipment to a visible elevation, or demolishing an outbuilding, check the city or county map and ask whether a Certificate of Appropriateness or historic-area review is required. Building, zoning, floodplain, coastal, lead-safe, energy-code, and HOA approvals can apply separately, so preservation clearance should happen before ordering custom materials. In beach towns and older riverfront areas, ask early whether floodproofing, dunes, bulkheads, or elevated equipment also need local design review.
Federal vs state tax credits
The federal rehabilitation credit is a 20% income-tax credit for certified rehabilitation of income-producing historic buildings. It does not apply to owner-occupied private residences, and it requires a certified historic structure plus work meeting the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. Delaware also publishes a Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program; the state percentage tracked here is 20%, with program caps, allocation rules, owner type, affordable-housing bonuses, eligibility, and application timing controlling the usable benefit. The SHPO reviews credit applications and preservation effects, but the National Park Service and IRS control federal certification and tax use. Local commissions decide whether visible work is appropriate for the district; they normally do not award credits. Homeowners should confirm residential eligibility separately before counting any credit.
Plan preservation review before pricing the job
Historic review can affect windows, siding, porches, masonry, roofing, additions, demolition, and visible site work. Confirm the local design-review path before ordering custom materials or signing a fixed-price contract.
Source: ProFix Editorial Team. Last updated 2026-06-09. This guide is informational and does not replace municipal ordinances, building permits, SHPO review, National Park Service review, tax advice, or legal counsel.