Certificates of Appropriateness

Important Notice!
Historic Preservation staff are working limited hours through the end of July (see daily schedule below). One member will be available every week day; however, review times will be longer than usual for staff approvals.

Walk-in services are not available, but videoconference meetings and exterior site visits will continue by appointment.

Monday 8:00-4:45
Tuesday 8:00-2:00
Wednesday 8:00-12:00
Thursday 8:00-2:00
Friday 9:00-2:00

Certificate of Appropriateness (COA): If possible, please submit applications by email only until further notice.

This certificate (COA) is the Commission's written affirmation that a proposed change is sympathetic to the historic character of the property and is consistent with the intent of the ordinance. All exterior repairs, replacements, alterations, and building permits at your locally designated historic property and yard require a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) prior to beginning work. Many changes that do not require building permits nonetheless require a COA (such as re-roofing, re-siding, window replacement, tuck-pointing, and major landscaping) because of their potential to harm the historic character of the building and the unique characteristics and intricate details older homes have. When a permit is applied for, the Permit & Development Center will check to see if the property in question is a designated Historic Structure, Historic Site or within a Historic District. If it is, the applicant is required to obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness.

• Application form (PDF) 

  • Email Client Instructions (Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, etc.)
    Both an email client and Acrobat Reader/Pro are necessary. Download the application form and open in Acrobat Reader/Pro.  Do not complete the application form within a browser. The "SUBMIT" button should open a new email message in your email program. Please attach any further necessary materials such as drawings, renderings, and photos in this email message. If the "SUBMIT" button does not open a new, blank email message, follow the web-based email instructions below. A signature is not necessary for this form of electronic submission.

  • Web Mail Instructions (Gmail, Icloud, Yahoo, etc.)
    The "SUBMIT" button does not work with web-based e-mail. If you have Acrobat Pro, fill out the form and "Save As" and attach it to an email along with other materials. If you do not have Acrobat Pro, you may need to download, print, and scan the form and then submit to hpc@milwaukee.gov with all further necessary documentation as additional email attachments.

• Procedure for approval is in the HPC by-laws (on page 8 of the linked PDF)

• Information concerning Certificates of Appropriateness issued beginning in 2010, is available at the City of Milwaukee's Legislative Research Center. For further assistance in locating a particular CoA, please contact Linda Elmer at (414) 286-2231.

• Certificates from Aug 2006 to December 2009

El video sobre Certificados de Adecuación es disponible en espanol también.