The district reviews the front.
You still own the house.
For a DC row house owner planning exterior work in a historic district, and for a buyer weighing a house inside one. If you are changing only the inside, little of this applies to you.
Is my DC row house in a historic district?
About one in four DC row houses is. 16,597 of 68,785 row houses sit on lots inside a designated historic district. The largest counts are in Capitol Hill (5,828), Georgetown (2,185), Bloomingdale (1,453). A house on a district's edge can fall on either side of the line, so check the lot, not the neighborhood name.
What work needs historic review?
Work that changes the outside of the house. A permit application that affects the exterior appearance of a historic property goes through historic review as an extra step in the same permit. Interior work does not, unless the interior itself is designated. Even minor exterior repairs need a permit: repointing, stucco repair and in-kind replacement of windows or a roof.
Who decides, and how long does it take?
Staff at the Historic Preservation Office approve many routine projects themselves, under authority delegated by the Historic Preservation Review Board. Additions, new construction and larger projects go to the board at its public meetings. Build that calendar into any plan that changes the front, the roof line or the rear.
Do row houses in historic districts sell for more?
Against their assessments, yes, and faster. Over the last two years, 1,066 fee simple row houses inside a historic district sold at a median 106% of their assessment, after 11 days. The 2,109 outside sold at 100.5%, after 23 days. On a house assessed at $1M, that is $1,060,000 against $1,005,000. The record cannot say the designation causes it: the districts are also the city's older, central blocks.
| District | Row houses | Sales, 2 years | Median sale, % of assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capitol Hill | 5,828 | 376 | 102.2% |
| Georgetown | 2,185 | 149 | 114.2% |
| Bloomingdale | 1,453 | 84 | 98.8% |
| Mt. Pleasant | 1,227 | 66 | 123.8% |
| Greater U St | 1,176 | 94 | 104.6% |
| Kingman Park | 604 | 31 | 89.8% |
| Dupont Circle | 517 | 51 | 109.8% |
| Greater 14th St | 390 | 32 | 112.5% |
| Anacostia | 372 | 9 | |
| LeDroit Park | 369 | 19 | 95.6% |
| Woodley Park | 315 | 17 | 109.9% |
| Foxhall | 298 | 25 | 122.8% |
| Cleveland Park | 281 | 4 | |
| Strivers' Section | 249 | 17 | 93.9% |
| Shaw | 249 | 21 | 104.6% |
| Sheridan-Kalorama | 223 | 20 | 114.9% |
| Mt. Vernon Square | 205 | 11 | 97.7% |
| All districts | 16,597 | 1,066 | 106% |
| Outside any district | 52,188 | 2,109 | 100.5% |
Is there money for exterior repairs?
For some owners, yes. The Historic Homeowner Grant Program pays for exterior work such as windows, doors, roofs and porches: up to $25,000, or $35,000 in Anacostia. It is limited to owner-occupied single-family houses in listed districts, with the homestead deduction and household income limits. The income table changes each year, so ask the Historic Preservation Office for the current one.
What should I check before I buy in a historic district?
Whether the exterior work was permitted. A rear addition, a roof deck or new front windows should each have a permit in the Department of Buildings eRecords. Unpermitted work stays with the house when it sells, and in a historic district the fix has to pass review too. Ask before you offer, not after the inspection.
Read next: what renovation is worth and converting to two units.
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Send me every sale on my blockSources. DC Office of Planning, How to Apply for Building Permits Involving Historic Property and Historic Homeowner Grant Program FAQ. DC GIS, Historic Districts and Owner Polygons. DC public property records. BrightMLS closed sales of DC fee simple row houses in the two years to October 24, 2026.
This page explains rules and practice; it is not legal or tax advice. For a specific house, talk with a DC real estate attorney or a tax professional.