There are many methods to protect historic properties. Here's a quick primer.
National Register of Historic Places: The National Register- contrary to popular belief- does not provide that much protection to historic houses. NR listed houses can be altered or demolished at will by their owners unless they are protected by one of the tools listed below. The only protection that NR listing provides is that if federal or state funds are involved in a project (such as widening a road) and NR properties will be affected, the project must be reviewed to see if there are ways to minimize or eliminate any negative impact.
State Register: Most states have state registers of historic properties. The protection that this provides varies by state. Most building codes, including ours in Massachusetts, exempt national or state listed properties from having to meet the building code in its entirety. For example, when renovating a state register-listed property, the inspector may waive the requirement to replace a non-compliant set of stairs.
The other benefit of being listed on either the National or a state register is that the property is eligible for historic tax credits.
Local Historic Districts (LHDs) are one of the most effective tools used to preserve the appearance of historic buildings and landscapes. Massachusetts and most other states have enabling legislation allowing local communities to create LHDs. Typically if someone wants to renovate a property in an LHD, the LHD commission has the authority to review any proposed changes that would be visible from a public way. So if an owner wants to replace the original windows or build an addition,those changes would be subject to review prior to the owner receiving a building permit.
The tools listed above are all "public" tools in that they involve governmental bodies. One private tool is the easement or deed restriction. This means that a legal interest in the property is donated to either a private preservation organization or a public entity. This easement requires that the present owner and all future owners of the protect the property as per the terms of the easement.
Many communities also have demolition delay by-laws which allow the local historic commission to review any building permit applications involving demolition of historic properties. While these by-laws can't prevent demolition (courts have determined that this would constitute a "taking") they can be used to find other solutions. Sometimes a buyer steps forward who is willing to move the building. Sometimes the owner is convinced that demolition is not the best choice.
For more information on any of these tools check with the National Truse for Historic Preservation or your state historic preservation office.
Comments? Questions? Snide remarks? All are welcome! We'd love to hear from you so please comment on our posts.
Mark Landry is the President of Landmark Services, Inc, one of the premier old house renovation contracting firms in Massachusetts. He loves old houses and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your renovation, restoration, or addition.
I wanted to take an opportunity to explain our approach to managing renovation and addition projects. Residential construction is a challenging business but we've learned a lot in the twenty years since we started the company. That experience has led us to conclude that the best way to set up our projects on an open book, "cost-plus" basis. You're probably wondering exactly what this means.
The process starts when someone approaches us to discuss a project. If they already have an architect and a set of plans, that's great. If no architect is involved (and we feel that the project will require one) we recommend an architect that we feel is right for the job.
In any event, once there are plans and written specifications, we'll make a site visit to familiarize ourselves with the project. We then solicit quotes from our team of subcontractors: plumbers, electricians, painters, plasters, roofers, etc. We use a spreadsheet template to fill in the anticipated labor, materials, and subcontractor costs.
Here's where our process differs from that of many other contractors. Instead of writing a proposal with a lump sum, fixed price, we show our estimate spreadsheet to the homeowners. We want them to see where their money is going. They see exactly what we will be paying for materials and subcontractors. They also see the overhead and profit that we've built into the price.
But up above I mentioned that we work under a Cost-Plus basis. What's that mean? That means that the actual price paid by the clients is determined by the actual costs that we incur. So, for example, the clients pay us for the actual time it takes to complete the project, not a guess made before the job starts. That means that we don't have to"pad" our price to cover a worst-case situation. We provide a realistic estimate of the labor involved. If things go well, our clients pay less than the budget figure. If a lot of changes are made the project may take longer and cost more.
In practice, about 75-80% of the project cost is fixed at the start because we have firm quotes from our subs and suppliers. The other 20-25% is the cost of our own labor. All in all, our original budget is typically within 5-10% of the final construction cost (not counting client driven extras). Interestingly, this about the same as the average "fixed price" job.
Our clients like the transparency of this system. They receive regular cost reports and always know exactly where they stand. They know that they are paying for the actual work performed- not an inflated price intended to protect the contractor. Because historic old houses are unpredictable, we feel that this system provides the fairest approach for both us, the contractor, and our clients.
If you have any questions or comments about this approach, please drop us a line.
Comments? Questions? Snide remarks? All are welcome! We'd love to hear from you so please comment on our posts.
Mark Landry is the President of Landmark Services, Inc, one of the premier old house renovation contracting firms in Massachusetts. He loves old houses and would welcome the opportunity to discuss your renovation, restoration, or addition.