If you own a home in Roswell’s Historic District and have just received your Certificate of Appropriateness, or COA, it’s easy to think you’re ready to call the contractor and get started.

Not quite.

A COA is an important step, but it isn’t the same thing as a building permit. The COA deals primarily with the exterior appearance of your property and whether the proposed changes are appropriate for the Historic District. Your actual construction may still require separate building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or land disturbance permits.

And in Roswell, the order matters. When a Certificate of Appropriateness is required, it needs to be approved before the applicable building or land disturbance permit can be issued.

That may sound like a small technicality, but if you’re planning a renovation around a contractor’s schedule, or trying to get a home ready to sell by a certain date, it can have a very real impact on your timeline.

Start With the Pre-Application Conference

One thing I would encourage any homeowner to do early is talk with Roswell’s Community Development Department before getting too far down the road with plans.

Roswell’s process begins with a pre-application conference with the Zoning Director. This is where staff looks at what you’re proposing and determines how the project should be classified.

Why does that matter?

Because your project may fall into one of two categories: a Minor Certificate of Appropriateness or a Major Certificate of Appropriateness.

A Minor COA can generally be handled administratively by the Zoning Director and does not require a public hearing.

A Major COA goes before Roswell’s Historic Preservation Commission and requires a public hearing.

That distinction can make a significant difference in timing.

Two homeowners on the same street may be planning exterior improvements that seem fairly similar, yet one project can move through administrative review while another needs to be placed on the Historic Preservation Commission’s meeting calendar.

If you have a contractor lined up or a target date for putting your home on the market, I would want to know which path I’m on before committing to either one.

Not Every Exterior Change Requires Historic Approval

This is another area where homeowners sometimes assume the rules are more restrictive than they actually are.

Not every visible change to a historic property requires a COA.

Ordinary maintenance and repairs that do not materially change the design, materials, or appearance of the property are generally treated differently from alterations such as additions, demolition, window changes, roofing changes, walls, fences, and other significant exterior modifications.

And here’s an interesting one: exterior paint color is not regulated through the Certificate of Appropriateness process.

Georgia law excludes exterior paint alterations from the definition of a “material change in appearance.” That means the Historic Preservation Commission does not get to choose the color of your front door or tell you which shade of white belongs on your house.

For homeowners who simply want to freshen up a property before selling, knowing what does and does not require historic review can save quite a bit of unnecessary time.

There’s Also a New Tax Credit Historic Homeowners Should Know About

This is probably the part I find most interesting because the rules recently changed.

Beginning in 2026, Georgia expanded eligibility for its state historic rehabilitation tax credit to include certain owner-occupied primary residences that are locally designated historic properties or contributing properties within qualifying local historic districts.

That is important for Roswell homeowners.

Previously, many locally protected homes did not qualify unless they also met state or federal historic-register requirements. Under the expanded program, more locally designated properties may now have an opportunity to qualify.

For an eligible historic home, the state credit can equal 25% of qualified rehabilitation expenses, up to a $100,000 credit, provided the project meets the program’s requirements, including its substantial rehabilitation threshold.

There is paperwork involved, of course.

For properties qualifying through local designation, homeowners may need a Local Designation Confirmation Form completed by the local government as part of the state review process. So if you’re considering a substantial renovation, this is something I would investigate before work begins, rather than after the renovation is underway.

Also worth noting, the separate federal historic rehabilitation tax credit generally applies to income-producing historic properties, so it typically does not apply to someone simply renovating the home they live in.

Thinking About Selling a Historic Roswell Home?

This is where I put on my Realtor hat.

If you’re considering selling a home in Roswell’s Historic District and you know you want to make improvements first, I would not begin with the contractor.

I would begin with the timeline.

Figure out what you want to change, determine whether those changes require historic review, find out whether you’re dealing with a Minor or Major COA, and then work backward from the date you would ideally like your home to hit the market.

That is especially important if you’re planning larger exterior improvements.

The prettiest renovation plan in the world doesn’t help much if your contractor is ready to start and your approvals are still sitting on another calendar.

It’s also one reason I like to walk a property with sellers well before we’re ready to list. Sometimes the smartest pre-listing improvement is absolutely worth doing. Other times, the cost, approval process, and delay simply don’t make sense for the return we’re likely to get.

Knowing the difference is part of preparing a home well.

Roswell Historic District FAQ

Does every exterior change require a Certificate of Appropriateness?

No. Ordinary maintenance and repairs that do not result in a material change may not require one. Exterior paint color is also excluded from COA review under Georgia law.

Once my COA is approved, can construction begin?

Not necessarily. A COA addresses the historic and architectural review portion of the project. Any required building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or land disturbance permits still need to go through the appropriate City of Roswell process.

Can a locally designated historic home qualify for Georgia’s rehabilitation tax credit?

Potentially, yes. Beginning in 2026, Georgia expanded the program to include certain owner-occupied locally designated historic properties and contributing properties within qualifying local historic districts. Eligibility depends on the property and the proposed rehabilitation, so homeowners should confirm the requirements before beginning work.

Who determines whether I need a Minor or Major COA?

That determination is made through Roswell’s pre-application process with the Zoning Director.

A Little Planning Goes a Long Way

Historic homes are part of what gives Roswell so much of its character, but owning and improving one comes with a few extra layers that homeowners need to understand.

If you’re thinking about renovating before you sell, my advice is simple: start the conversation earlier than you think you need to.

Before spending money simply because someone says an improvement will “help resale,” I like to look at the home, the likely buyer, the cost of the work, the approval timeline, and what we can reasonably expect to get back from it.

Sometimes the answer is renovate. Sometimes it’s paint, polish, and leave well enough alone.

If you’re considering selling a historic Roswell home and want to talk through what I would do before bringing it to market, I’d be happy to walk through it with you.

Sandra Daniels, REALTOR®
Harry Norman, REALTORS® | Forbes Global Properties
Serving Roswell, East Cobb, Marietta and Greater Atlanta

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