How Asheville's historic preservation commission reviews local projects

In Asheville, a roof replacement, addition, demolition, or storefront alteration can trigger Historic Resources Commission review before work begins — but only if the property sits in a local historic district or is a local landmark. For homeowners, contractors, and small businesses, the distinction between local designation and National Register listing determines whether a project needs design review, a separate permit, or both.

What triggers review in Asheville

The city’s Historic Resources Commission, known as the HRC, reviews development projects and proposed subdivisions in local historic districts and local landmarks. North Carolina law gives local governments the power to create historic preservation commissions and designate local historic districts and landmarks, and Asheville uses that authority through its own local system. If your project affects a property in a local historic district overlay district, it can enter the HRC’s review process before you can move forward.

State law is explicit about the standard once a district or landmark is designated. No exterior portion of a building in a designated landmark or historic district may be erected, altered, restored, moved, or demolished until an application for a certificate of appropriateness has been submitted and approved by the preservation commission.

What a Certificate of Appropriateness does, and does not, do

A Certificate of Appropriateness, or CA, is the commission’s design-review approval. It is not a blanket green light for construction, and it does not replace building, zoning, or any other permits your project may require. Asheville requires the CA to be posted on site along with other required permits.

A project can satisfy historic design standards and still need separate approval from building officials or zoning staff. If you are planning a roof replacement, addition, demolition, storefront alteration, or subdivision request in the regulated area, the CA is only one piece of the paperwork.

Local historic district or National Register district? That difference changes everything

Asheville treats local designation and National Register listing differently, and that is where many property owners get tripped up. All properties within a Local Historic District are subject to design review. Properties inside a National Register District generally are not, unless they are also inside a Local Historic District.

That means the same building can be historically important without being subject to the same local controls. A house in Montford or Biltmore Village may be inside a local district and therefore reviewed by the HRC. A property in a National Register district can carry historic recognition without automatically triggering Asheville’s local design-review process.

Contributing structures in a National Register district, and individually listed properties, may qualify for Historic Preservation Tax Credits for rehabilitation projects. Historic designation can bring both obligations and incentives, depending on the category.

Where Asheville’s districts sit on the map

Asheville’s city mapping and open-data tools identify local historic districts, local landmarks, and National Register districts. That makes the first step much easier than guessing from street names or appearance. The city’s local historic districts include Albemarle Park, Biltmore Village, Montford, and St. Dunstan’s Circle.

A city survey report lists four historic districts locally designated by the HRC, including three National Register-listed districts: Montford, Biltmore Village, and Albemarle Park, also known as The Manor and Cottages. Other National Register districts named in city materials include Grove Park, Riverside Industrial, Sunset Terrace, and West Asheville-related districts. If your address falls near any of those areas, the map is the place to start, not assumptions about the age or style of the building.

How the Historic Resources Commission is built

Asheville’s HRC was created in 1979 through a local ordinance adopted by both the City of Asheville and Buncombe County. It is a joint city-county volunteer commission with 12 members, six appointed by Asheville and six by Buncombe County. State law requires that a majority of the members have demonstrated special interest, experience, or education in history, architecture, archaeology, or related fields.

Members serve three-year terms and may not serve more than two consecutive terms.

Why Asheville’s commission operates within a larger preservation system

Asheville’s HRC has Certified Local Government status. The National Park Service created the Certified Local Government program to link state and local governments with federal preservation standards, and North Carolina’s preservation office uses that framework to connect local commissions to the broader system.

The review process reaches beyond house repairs

The HRC does more than review renovations and demolitions. The commission also handles quasi-judicial review of preliminary subdivision requests for properties in local historic district overlay districts. That matters for anyone planning to split land, create new lots, or rework property boundaries inside a regulated district.

For small businesses, the same rules can apply to storefront changes, signage work, and exterior alterations in a historic commercial area.

Why the city treats preservation as more than regulation

Asheville’s public-facing preservation work includes maps, district guidelines, and the commission’s annual Historic Resources Champion award, which recognizes people who have encouraged appreciation for Asheville and Buncombe County history and historic resources. The city recognized the 2024 recipients on May 23, 2024.

Preservation North Carolina held its 2025 Honor Awards in Asheville on October 6, 2025.