Historic District Savannah Roofing | HRB & COA

Yes. Any exterior work inside 31401 touching the 22 squares requires a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Savannah Historic Review Board before a building permit issues. That includes material swaps, color changes, and flashing visible from the street. Like-for-like emergency repairs after storm damage have a fast-track authorization track, but it still goes through HRB. We file the COA packet on your behalf and target staff-level approval where the scope qualifies.

Staff-level approvals on like-kind material replacements typically clear in 2-3 weeks once the packet is complete. Full board review for material changes, additions, or non-standard substitutions runs 4-6 weeks because it has to land on the next scheduled hearing. Emergency-repair authorizations after a named storm can clear in 48-72 hours when the work is documented as stabilization. Incomplete packets — missing samples, vague color codes, no profile drawings — add 2-3 weeks every time.

On contributing structures around the squares, the board strongly prefers natural slate from a documented quarry. Synthetic slate (composite) gets approved on a case-by-case basis, usually when structural framing can't carry the dead load of natural slate or the home is non-contributing. The submission package needs profile drawings, weathering data, and color samples. We've had synthetic approved on rear slopes more often than street-visible primary slopes.

The standard approved palette is natural slate, standing seam terne or galvanized metal, lead-coated copper for flashing and accents, and certain architectural asphalt shingles that replicate historic profiles on non-contributing structures. Wood shingle is allowed on early-period homes when documented as original. The board pays close attention to color, profile shadow lines, and whether the material is visible from any of the 22 squares or the major corridors like Bull Street.

Yes. Emergency stabilization — tarping, individual slate replacement to stop active intrusion, temporary flashing — is allowed under HRB's emergency-repair provision when the home is at risk of further damage. We document the scope with photos before and after, file the authorization within 48 hours, and the permanent repair COA follows on a normal track. We've walked dozens of these through after Matthew, Irma, and Helene.

Smaller dump trailers instead of full-size dumpsters, material drops scheduled outside peak hours, and coordination with the city when a square needs partial closure for a crane or boom lift. Pre-1978 homes inside 31401 routinely test positive for lead paint, so RRP-certified abatement protocols run on every contributing structure. Crew vehicles park off the cobblestones whenever possible to avoid surface damage HRB and the city take seriously.

Yes. We carry enhanced general liability and umbrella coverage scaled to high-value historic properties, plus workers comp. Certificates of insurance naming the homeowner are issued before any work begins, and the limits are sized to satisfy lender and insurer requirements common on contributing structures around Forsyth Park and the squares. We also coordinate with your insurance carrier on covered storm losses and supplement filings when the initial scope misses historic-material costs.