Every few months a homeowner calls us about an older house near downtown Naperville, or a few blocks off the river in Geneva or St. Charles, with a plan that sounds straightforward: new windows, a porch rebuild, an addition off the back. The first question we ask isn't about the budget. It's whether the house sits inside a locally designated historic district.
If it does, a second approval sits alongside the building permit. It's called a Certificate of Appropriateness, or COA, and whether you need one depends on what you're changing, which side of the house it's on and what it's made of. Get the order wrong and a project that was ready to start can sit waiting on a commission meeting that is weeks, sometimes months, away.
This guide covers how preservation review actually works in the three western-suburb cities where it comes up most for us: what each one reviews, what's exempt, how the timing runs, and the federal and state rules that apply to older houses whether or not they're in a district. The city's planning staff are the authority on your specific property, so treat this as the map you bring to that first call.
First, Find Out Which Kind of "Historic" Your House Is
"Historic district" means two different things, and mixing them up is the most common mistake we see.
A local historic district is created by city ordinance. It's the one with teeth: the city's Historic Preservation Commission reviews exterior changes and can approve or deny them.
A National Register historic district is a federal listing. On its own, it doesn't give your city design review over your house.
Naperville shows why the difference matters. Its local historic district was designated by the City Council in 1986 and covers roughly 320 properties, including part of North Central College's campus. The federal district, listed in 1977, is larger, with approximately 492 contributing buildings. The City is explicit that its Historic Preservation Commission does not have jurisdiction over properties in the federal district unless they are also inside the city's local district or have been designated a local landmark. A house can be "in the historic district" by one definition and not the other.
Geneva has one local district, the Geneva Historic District, designated by ordinance in 1987. It takes in about 670 properties and includes both the Central Geneva and North Geneva historic districts. St. Charles has several historic districts plus individually landmarked buildings. Batavia's City Council established its Historic Preservation Commission and Historic District in 2006.
The quickest way to settle it is to call the city's planning or preservation staff with your address before anyone draws anything. It's a free five-minute call, and the answer changes the whole shape of the project.
What Preservation Review Covers, and What It Doesn't
This is the part that surprises people in a good way. In all three cities, preservation review is about the outside of the house.
Geneva's own guidance says it plainly: interior work and routine outdoor maintenance, such as exterior painting, replacing faulty guttering and landscaping (except removal of mature trees), do not require review. Naperville issues a COA for exterior alteration, construction, demolition or material change. St. Charles requires COA approval for work that affects the exterior architectural appearance of a structure in a historic district or a landmark.
So a kitchen, a primary bath or a finished basement inside a historic home goes through the normal building permit process, with no preservation hearing involved. Our Fulton renovation in Geneva is a good example of that kind of work. It was a multi-room interior renovation of a historic home, covering a kitchen, bathrooms and custom millwork, built under a City of Geneva permit. The historic character that mattered there was inside, and it was handled through design choices, not a commission vote. If your project is interior, the usual guidance applies: our DuPage and Will County permit guide covers what needs a permit and what doesn't.
Exterior projects are where the process diverges, and each city handles them differently.
Naperville: Three Tiers, and the Front of the House Is What Counts
Naperville's rules are in Title 6, Chapter 11 of the Municipal Code, and the City sorts exterior work into three tiers: exempt, administrative ("Fast Track") and Historic Preservation Commission review. The dividing line is usually the primary façade, which the City defines as the front façade, plus the corner-side façade on a corner lot.
| Tier | Typical work | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| No COA needed | Painting; gutters, downspouts and AC units; detached garages; rear-yard sheds, decks and patios; wood or iron open fences; Fast Track-type work on façades other than the primary façade; in-kind replacement of less than 50% of the materials on the primary façade | No review (a building permit may still apply) |
| Fast Track COA | In-kind replacement on the primary façade: windows in wood or aluminum-clad wood with matching openings and pane divisions; doors in wood or original material; roofs in asphalt or original material; siding in original material, or fiber cement in place of wood with a matching reveal | City staff, within five business days of an emailed application |
| Commission COA | New openings or a change in style; materials not on the Fast Track list; any change in roof height or pitch; enclosing a porch; new principal structures; demolition; solar panels and skylights on the house; solid fences in front or corner-side yards | Historic Preservation Commission, at a public hearing |
A few things in that table deserve a closer look.
Windows are where most projects land in the wrong tier. Replacing front windows with wood or aluminum-clad wood units that match the original openings and pane divisions is a Fast Track approval. Swapping them for a material outside that list, such as vinyl, or changing the opening or style, goes to the Commission. That's a material decision that can cost you months on the calendar, so it belongs at the start of the design conversation, not at the window supplier's counter.
Siding has a bright line at 50%. In-kind replacement of less than half the materials on the primary façade needs no COA. Replacing half or more in original material, or in fiber cement in place of wood with the reveal matched, is Fast Track. Changing the reveal or profile, or using anything else, is a Commission item.
Additions and porches almost always go to the Commission. If you're planning to add space, the preservation hearing runs alongside the zoning and stormwater checks we cover in our guide to planning a home addition in Naperville.
What a Commission hearing adds to the schedule
Naperville's Commission application has no filing fee, but it comes with notice requirements. You mail notice to property owners within 300 feet at least 15 days before the meeting, and you post a sign on the property 15 to 30 days before, with a refundable $100 deposit for the sign. The Commission meets bimonthly, not monthly. As of this writing the City has canceled its Sept. 24 meeting, and the next regularly scheduled meeting is Thursday, Dec. 3. If your exterior work needs a hearing and you were hoping to build this fall, that date is the real constraint.
After a COA is approved, Naperville is clear that the project may still need a separate building permit before any work starts. For building permit questions, the City's permit desk is at (630) 420-6100.
Choosing who builds it matters as much as the approval. If you are comparing bids for an older house here, our checklist for hiring a remodeling contractor in Naperville covers insurance, permits, contracts and lien waivers.
Geneva: Approval Before the Permit, and Your Property's Rating Matters
Geneva's rule is the most direct of the three. Historic Preservation Commission approval is required before obtaining a permit from the Building Division for any work at a landmark or inside the historic district that is visible from the public right-of-way and requires a building permit. The governing code is Title 10, Chapter 6.
The City's examples of reviewable work read like a typical exterior scope sheet: window replacement, re-siding, additions, demolition, new garages and outbuildings, porches, decks, fences, enclosing or removing porches, adding dormers, and removing exterior trim or chimneys. Geneva's permit review matrix exempts painting previously painted surfaces, regardless of color, and storm windows and doors.
Two things make Geneva different in practice.
- Many projects are reviewed administratively. Geneva's permit review matrix sets the level of review partly by how the property is classified: non-contributing, contributing or significant. The same window project can be a staff-level review on one house and a Commission item on the house next door. Scopes the City considers unclear in complexity get forwarded to the Commission.
- The Commission calendar has hard deadlines. Applications are due at least 14 calendar days before the meeting, and an applicant or representative attends. Remaining 2026 meetings are Oct. 20, Nov. 17 and Dec. 15, with application deadlines of Oct. 6, Nov. 3 and Dec. 1.
There is also real money on the table. In April 2026 the Geneva City Council approved a Historic Preservation Residential Façade Grant Program for owners of contributing or significant properties in the local district and individually landmarked homes. It is designed to help close the gap between the cost of repairing, or using like materials, and the cost of alternate materials on the façade. In other words, it helps pay the premium for doing the historically appropriate thing. Applicants still go through normal Commission review, and funding depends on what the City budgets each year. For building permit questions in Geneva, the Building Division is at (630) 232-0032, and our Geneva page covers the work we do there.
St. Charles: Any Exterior Project That Needs a Permit Needs a COA
St. Charles ties preservation review directly to the building permit. Approval of a Certificate of Appropriateness is required to obtain a building permit for any construction, alteration, repair, demolition or relocation that affects the exterior architectural appearance of a structure in a historic district, or of any designated landmark. The City's application materials add that a COA review is required for an exterior project of any size that otherwise needs a permit, while maintenance that doesn't need a permit, such as painting or tuckpointing, doesn't need a COA.
Staff can issue a COA administratively for minor work, and the City's examples include reroofing with like materials and emergency repairs. Everything else goes to the Commission, which meets twice a month on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. The City lets you submit the COA application before the building permit or at the same time, but for larger projects it recommends getting COA approval before preparing construction drawings. That's the right call. Drawings built around a design the Commission then asks you to change are paid for twice.
Our St. Charles page covers the neighborhoods we work in, including the older homes near the Fox River.
The Lead Paint Rule That Applies Whether or Not You're in a District
Preservation review is local. This one is federal, and it applies to far more houses than any historic district.
Under the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule, anyone paid to do work that disturbs paint in housing built before 1978 must be certified. That includes every firm, down to sole proprietors, and the work has to be done by certified renovators using lead-safe practices. The exemption for minor work is narrow: disturbing six square feet or less of paint per room inside, or 20 square feet or less on the exterior. And two kinds of work are always covered regardless of size: window replacement and demolition of painted surfaces.
That last point matters in an older house, because window replacement is exactly the project that tends to start the conversation. Before renovation begins, and no more than 60 days before, the firm must give you the EPA's Renovate Right pamphlet and get your written acknowledgment. If a contractor bidding on work in a pre-1978 house can't show you its firm certification, that tells you something. It belongs on the list in our 10 questions to ask before hiring a contractor.
The rule doesn't apply to homeowners working on their own owner-occupied pre-1978 home. The EPA's exceptions to that are renting the property out, running a child-care facility in it, or flipping it.
The Illinois Tax Freeze That Can Help Pay for Doing It Right
Illinois has an incentive that most owners of historic homes in this market have never heard of, and it can be worth far more than any grant.
The Property Tax Assessment Freeze for Historic Residences, run by the State Historic Preservation Office, can freeze the assessed value of a historic, owner-occupied principal residence for eight years, followed by a four-year step-up back to current value. The conditions:
- Spending threshold. Rehabilitation costs must equal or exceed 25% of the assessor's pre-rehab fair cash value of the property, incurred within a 24-month period.
- Qualifying property. The house must be individually listed on the National Register, a contributing property in a National Register historic district anywhere in Illinois, or a landmark or contributing property under a local preservation ordinance that the state has approved for the program.
- The review is broader than the city's. The State Historic Preservation Office reviews interior and exterior work, and it will require retention and repair of street-visible historic windows where they exist. Work done before its approval is at your own risk.
Which local ordinances qualify matters in this market. As of June 2026, the state's approved list includes Geneva, St. Charles, Aurora, Downers Grove, Joliet, Oswego and Plainfield. Naperville's ordinance is not on it. A Naperville house can still qualify if it contributes to Naperville's National Register district, but the local district designation alone won't get you there.
The freeze is a different tool from the four-year home improvement exemption that applies to ordinary remodels. We cover that one in our guide to how remodels reach your property tax bill. Your township assessor and a tax professional are the right people to confirm how the two interact for your parcel.
How We Sequence a Historic-District Remodel
The projects that go smoothly in these districts follow the same order:
- Confirm the designation. Local district, landmark, National Register only, or none. In Geneva, also confirm whether the property is rated contributing or significant.
- Separate the interior scope from the exterior scope. Interior work can often be permitted and built on its normal track while the exterior waits on review.
- Choose exterior materials before design is final. In Naperville the material is often what decides whether you're looking at a five-day staff review or a Commission hearing.
- Work backward from the meeting calendar. Count the notice periods and filing deadlines, not just the meeting date.
- Decide on the tax freeze before any work starts. The state's approval has to come first, and its interior review means it can shape the design.
- Plan for lead-safe work on any pre-1978 house, and build the containment and cleanup into the schedule and the price.
Older homes also carry more surprises behind the walls than newer construction, which is why our exterior remodeling and room addition estimates on these houses include a frank conversation about contingency. Our Bealer whole-home renovation in Geneva shows the scale of work we take on in the Fox Valley's established neighborhoods, and our Naperville and Batavia pages cover the other towns where older housing stock is part of the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need historic commission approval to remodel my kitchen in a historic district?
Generally no. Preservation review in Naperville, Geneva and St. Charles covers exterior changes. Geneva states outright that interior work doesn't require review. A kitchen, bath or basement inside a historic home goes through the normal building permit process. The exception is Illinois's historic residence tax freeze: if you apply for it, the State Historic Preservation Office reviews interior work as well as exterior.
Can I replace the windows on a house in Naperville's historic district?
Yes, but the material decides the process. On the primary façade, meaning the front, plus the corner side on a corner lot, in-kind replacement with wood or aluminum-clad wood windows that match the original openings and pane divisions qualifies for a Fast Track COA, which staff review within five business days of an emailed application. Other materials, such as vinyl, or a new opening or change in style, require Historic Preservation Commission review. Fast Track-type replacements on other façades don't need a COA. Window replacement in a pre-1978 house is also always covered by the EPA's lead-safe renovation rule.
My house is on the National Register. Does that mean the city reviews my remodel?
Not by itself. National Register listing is federal and doesn't give your city design review. Naperville says its Historic Preservation Commission has no jurisdiction over properties in the federal district unless they are also inside the local historic district or are a designated local landmark. National Register status can still matter to you, because it's one route to qualifying for the Illinois historic residence assessment freeze.
How much time does historic review add to a project?
Anywhere from a few days to a few months. Naperville's Fast Track approvals are reviewed within five business days. Its Commission meets bimonthly and requires mailed notice at least 15 days ahead, and its next regular meeting after a canceled Sept. 24 session is Dec. 3. Geneva requires applications at least 14 days before its meetings. St. Charles's Commission meets twice a month. Checking the calendar before design starts is the single best way to protect a schedule.
Is there a tax break for rehabbing a historic home in Illinois?
Yes. The Illinois Property Tax Assessment Freeze for Historic Residences can freeze an owner-occupied historic home's assessed value for eight years, followed by a four-year step-up. Rehab costs must equal at least 25% of the assessor's pre-rehab fair cash value within 24 months, and the State Historic Preservation Office must approve the work first. As of June 2026, Geneva's and St. Charles's ordinances are approved for the program and Naperville's is not, though Naperville homes that contribute to its National Register district can still qualify.
Have a question we haven't covered? Our remodeling FAQ page answers the broader set, or tell us about your house and we'll help you work out which approvals your project actually needs before anyone draws a line.