Loudoun County, VA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing body
- Historic District Review Committee (HDRC)
- Minor-work track
- Certificate of Appropriateness-Administrative
- Sale period, under $25,000
- 3 months before demolition allowed
- Sale period, $90,000+
- 12 months before demolition allowed
- Accessory structure threshold
- 250 sq ft or less = minor action
- State authority
- Va. Code §§ 15.2-2306, 15.2-2283
Summary
Inside Loudoun's designated Historic Overlay Districts, you cannot erect, alter, move, or demolish a structure, wall, fence, gate, sign, or paved area without the Historic District Review Committee first approving a Certificate of Appropriateness under Zoning Ordinance § 5.08.
No structure, including walls, fences and gates, and signs pursuant to Chapter 8, and no paved area, including pedestrian walkways, parking lots, and parking areas, is permitted to be erected, installed, reconstructed, altered, moved, removed, replaced, or restored within an HOD unless and until the HDRC has approved a Certificate of Appropriateness, except as otherwise provided below.
Full Breakdown
2-2283, apply parcel-by-parcel to each established HOD, layered on top of the underlying zoning district. 1, no structure, wall, fence, gate, sign, or paved area (including walkways and parking lots) may be erected, reconstructed, altered, moved, removed, replaced, or restored within an HOD unless the Historic District Review Committee (HDRC) approves a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA), with a narrower Certificate of Appropriateness-Administrative track the Zoning Administrator can approve for minor work such as sub-250-square-foot accessory structures, window/door/siding/roof replacement, or utility screening. 08-1 -- three months for offers under $25,000, scaling up to twelve months for $90,000 or more -- and no bona fide sale results.
F to include deteriorating walls, roofs, chimneys, stucco, or plant overgrowth that damages the structure. The HDRC can also grant yard and setback reductions inside an HOD if the reduction matches the existing streetscape and the adopted Historic District Guidelines. This regime covers the unincorporated county's designated historic districts; incorporated towns such as Leesburg, Purcellville, Hamilton, Middleburg, Round Hill, Hillsboro, and Lovettsville administer their own separate historic-district codes.
Violations & Fines
Working without an approved Certificate of Appropriateness -- reconstructing, altering, moving, or demolishing any structure, wall, fence, or sign in an HOD -- is a zoning violation enforceable by the Zoning Administrator, who can require the work stopped and reversed to match the last approved condition. Letting a historic structure deteriorate through 'demolition by neglect' under § 5.08.F -- crumbling stucco, a failing roof, or unmaintained exterior walls -- exposes the owner to the County's authority under § 5.08.G to pursue acquisition of a substantially deteriorated structure after notice of violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need approval to replace my roof in a Loudoun HOD?
Can I demolish a historic building in Loudoun's HOD if I can't sell it?
Does the HOD rule apply to fences and signs, not just buildings?
Is Leesburg's downtown covered by this county rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Loudoun County
Compare Loudoun County to another location·View the Virginia historic preservation overview
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