Historic Preservation Offices in Virginia

You need preservation review in Virginia 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 house being old is not enough by itself; the practical screen is whether it is designated, eligible, or inside a mapped review area. Before replacing windows, changing porch details, removing masonry, adding dormers, installing new siding, building an addition, or demolishing an outbuilding, check the city map and ask whether a Certificate of Appropriateness is required. Interior work is often outside local review unless it affects designated interiors, structural character, or a tax-credit scope. Building, zoning, lead-safe, floodplain, and energy-code approvals can still apply separately, so get preservation clearance before ordering materials or signing a fixed-price renovation contract.

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 the building to be a certified historic structure and the completed work to meet the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. The SHPO reviews the application first, but the National Park Service makes the federal certification decision and the IRS controls tax use. State credits are separate. Virginia publishes a state historic rehabilitation tax credit equal to 25% of eligible rehabilitation expenses for certified projects. Do not add percentages mechanically: caps, application rounds, transfer rules, minimum spending thresholds, owner-occupancy rules, and timing can change the real value. Local commissions usually do not award credits; they decide whether visible work is appropriate for the district.