Most of Highland Park sits inside one of Birmingham's local historic districts. If you have just closed on an older house there, or you are under contract on one, your first exterior projects will move at very different speeds. Two jobs on the same window, done by the same contractor for about the same money, can end up months apart, because the City routes repair and replacement through different approval paths.
City staff can usually approve repairs without a hearing. Replacements go before two committees, and the second one, which has the final say, meets only once a month in November and December. So a winter closing followed by "new windows before spring" runs straight into the slowest part of the review year.
The Line Between Repair and Replacement
The City of Birmingham publishes a list of "Common Historic Staff Approval Projects" for local historic districts. Staff can often handle these without sending them to the Design Review Committee. The list is shorter than many new owners expect:
| Usually a staff-level approval, per the City's list | Goes to committee review, per Highland Park and City guidance |
|---|---|
| Window and siding repair | Window and door replacement |
| Roof repair or replacement | Eaves rebuilt or changed during a reroof |
| Painting | New construction and exterior remodels |
| Fencing | Work that changes how the house looks from the street |
| General maintenance | |
| Additions or renovations not visible from the street |
The Highland Park Neighborhood Association's guidance says nearly any exterior work should be permitted through the City and goes to design review. The exceptions it names are "simply replacing shingles or painting something that is already painted." Its examples of work that does need review include window and door replacement and "repairing or replacing rotten wood."
The City's own design review manual says staff decides whether a project qualifies for a waiver from committee review. Staff issues those waivers for interior work and for routine maintenance that doesn't affect a building's exterior appearance or architectural character. The staff list is a set of common examples. It doesn't promise that every fence or every roof will stay out of a hearing.
The neighborhood association also points to a common mistake. Reroofing is on the City's staff list, but the association warns that residents "improperly rebuild eaves as part of a re-roofing project without proper Design Review." A roofer who reshapes the eaves has turned a routine job into one that needs review.
Two Committees, in Order
Work that needs full review goes through two steps, in this order:
- Highland Park's Local Historic Advisory Committee. The neighborhood association says the committee reviews applications for exterior changes and makes recommendations to the City. To get on its agenda, you contact the co-chairs, who are listed on the association's standing committees page, and set up a presentation. The association says this presentation and approval come "before presenting to the city's Design Review Committee."
- The City's Design Review Committee. The Highland Park Historic Preservation Plan says the neighborhood committee makes a recommendation and the Design Review Committee alone has final authority.
A Certificate of Appropriateness comes out of that second hearing, and the City's buyer brochure says qualifying work needs one before a building permit can be issued. The full process runs from the neighborhood presentation to the City hearing to the certificate to the permit, and work starts only after all four.
Why November and December Slow Things Down
The City's Design Review Committee page says the committee normally meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 7:30 a.m. Meetings are held in the Council Chambers on the third floor of City Hall, 710 North 20th Street. The same page says that in November and December the committee "meets only once a month." The City's design review brochure says those holiday meetings usually fall on the second Wednesday.
A complete application has to reach the City's Urban Design staff two weeks before the meeting. Late or incomplete submissions are pushed to the next meeting.
Here's how that plays out this year. November's second Wednesday was November 11, so for anyone reading this now, November's meeting has already happened. If December follows the usual second-Wednesday pattern, its meeting falls on December 9, 2026. Two weeks before that is November 25, the day before Thanksgiving, and the neighborhood committee's review has to come before the City hearing. An application that misses the December meeting waits for January, and a missing document or a late neighborhood recommendation pushes it back one more meeting.
For a buyer, this changes the plan. If you're counting on getting replacement windows or a rebuilt porch done right after closing, the review calendar can take longer than your contractor's lead time.
What the Committee Will Ask to See
The City's submission requirements for local historic districts call for:
- material and color samples
- photos of the house as it is now
- plans and photos of the surrounding area
- elevation drawings or renderings when the work changes the house's appearance
Larger projects add more, such as context photos taken from nearby streets and alleys, streetscape views, basic floor plans, a conceptual site plan, and conceptual elevations of every side visible to the public.
The most useful time to gather this material is during the inspection period. Before the holiday calendar closes in, you want photos, measurements, and a contractor's written description of the work.
What the Highland Park Guidelines Favor
The Highland Park plan was adopted on October 28, 2003, and the mayor approved it on November 4, 2003. Its design guidelines consistently favor repairing original material and, when something has to be replaced, matching what was there.
- Windows. Keep and repair original windows. If extreme deterioration or damage makes replacement necessary, new units should match the originals "as closely as possible in appearance." Window types that don't fit the house's style are discouraged. Boarding up or filling in upper-floor front windows requires prior approval from the Design Review Committee.
- Porches. Repair damaged parts. Replacements should match the original style and appearance. Enclosing a porch is discouraged, and steps should keep their original design or be replaced to match.
- Siding. Keep the original siding. Covering it with or replacing it by aluminum or vinyl is "strongly discouraged," though it may be allowed if the profile and general texture match the original.
- Front fences. They should suit the age and style of the house and the neighborhood, comply with zoning, and use materials like those originally found in the district. The neighborhood association adds that every fence in the city needs a permit, and that skipping it can lead to a stop-work order and a fine.
The City also notes that design review proposals have to meet zoning rules too. Where the two conflict, the stricter rule applies.
Because the guidelines favor repair, a quote to restore the existing sashes may fit both the rules and the calendar better than a quote for new units, which needs two hearings and may still be held to a match-the-original standard.
The Warning to Read Before Ordering Anything
The neighborhood association says it plainly:
"DO NOT purchase materials prior to review. Work completed without Design Review approval is subject to removal, regardless of the cost."
The same passage says residents often pre-order "inappropriate replacement windows." Many window and door orders are custom-sized, so a deposit placed before approval can't always be undone.
For Investors Weighing the State Credit
The Alabama Historical Commission describes the state historic rehabilitation tax credit as a 25% refundable credit for owners of income-producing properties. Qualifying buildings must be at least 75 years old and listed on, or eligible for, the National Register. Starting April 1, 2026, applications, amendments, and progress reports must be submitted electronically, with a few listed exceptions such as mailing the application fee. The credit is set up for rental and other income-producing property, so it fits a small investor's rehab better than an owner-occupied renovation.
This post is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm your property's status and your project's requirements with City historic preservation staff and the appropriate professionals.
Quick Questions
Is every Highland Park house subject to design review?
The neighborhood association says most properties in Highland Park are subject to design review with the City. The City's buyer brochure tells buyers to check its district map or ask City staff to confirm whether a specific property is inside a district.
Does National Register listing mean the same thing as local designation?
No. The City's brochure for Realtors and prospective owners says National Register listing alone doesn't restrict ordinary work by owners. In a local historic district, proposed exterior changes go to the Design Review Committee before permits are issued. That brochure is dated August 2015, and the City's design review manual says it was published in 2009, so ask City staff about current practice.
Who can answer a question about my specific house?
The City says its Urban Design staff can tell you whether a proposal meets the guidelines, give you an application, and schedule a case. The Certificate of Appropriateness application and the Highland Park plan are both linked from the City's Historic Preservation and Urban Design Division page.
If you're looking at an older Highland Park home, Hannah Sells Birmingham can go through the inspection report with you and our builder partner. We'll sort each exterior item into repair or replacement before you set a closing date or sign a window quote. If you're an owner deciding whether to restore before you sell, start with a Free Home Valuation and we'll talk through which projects fit the review calendar.
