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A certificate of appropriateness (COA) is required for exterior alterations to properties located within the city's local historic districts and historic overlays to ensure compatibility with the historic character of the district. Approval is based on the Wilmington Design Guidelines for Historic Districts and Landmarks. The design standards do not impose a particular architectural style, but encourage compatible design and congruity.
The Historic Preservation Commission reviews all proposed major changes to the exterior of properties, structures, new construction, signage, and changes to the surrounding grounds, including landscaping pursuant to Section 18-597 of the Land Development Code.
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The City of Wilmington is aware that fraudulent invoices have been sent to applicants requesting money via wire transfer. The emails often contain pertinent information pulled from the application (such as address, parcel number, and case number), but include a fake invoice with fabricated application fees. Here are a few ways to spot a fraudulent invoice:
If ever in doubt, don't hesitate to call the City's Planning Department at 910-254-0900 to confirm if the email or invoice you have received is authentic. Or if you have any questions about online permitting, please call or email historic preservation staff.
The following alterations require Historic Preservation Commission approval:
A pre-application meeting is required prior to submission of a major works application. Pre-application meetings will not be scheduled or held on the application submission deadline date. The purpose of the pre-application meeting is to provide an overview of the process and general guidance on the proposed alterations. Pre-application meetings may be scheduled by emailing the Historic Preservation team or calling 910.254.0900.
As Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) decisions are quasi-judicial in nature, the HPC holds evidentiary hearings on Certificate of Appropriateness requests. Evidentiary hearings differ from other public hearings in the following ways:
If the application is approved, a Certificate of Appropriateness will be issued. All work must be performed in accordance with the approved COA unless a revision is submitted and approved. Work performed that is not consistent with an approved COA may result in a requirement to reverse the work and/or civil penalties.
Major works applications are accepted on a monthly basis according to the Historic Preservation Commission schedule. Applications received after the established deadline will be included with the following month's review cycle submissions.
Applications may be submitted electronically through the Development & Permitting Services (DPS) portal, but only after meeting with the Historic Preservation team.
All application components (e.g., application, information required for each alteration type, etc.) must be submitted individually and named accordingly.
Please contact the Historic Preservation team to make arrangements for files that exceed email limits.
Professional seals (engineers, land surveyors, architects, etc.) on digital plans must be redacted from digital copies submitted to the city for review. Please be sure to mark, strike through, or otherwise conceal any professional seal located on your digital (re)submittals (e.g., PDF).
Application fees must be paid in full prior to review of an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness.
Application fees are based on the estimated cost of the project/proposed improvements as shown below. Fees for applications submitted for work that has already been started or completed (also known as retroactive or after-the-fact) include the base fee noted below, plus an additional $100.
*A mailed notice fee of $1.00/notice shall apply to all applications received on or after July 1, 2026. This fee will be determined during the review process, and a separate invoice will be issued. Payment must be received within 5 business days of the invoice being issued to move forward.
Fees will be invoiced and can be paid through the Online Portal. If payment is made through another method, please provide the invoice number.
Payment by Phone
Payment in Person
Payment by Mail