Des Moines, IA Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Certificate of appropriateness before alteration
- Reviewing body
- Historic Preservation Commission
- Appeal window
- 10 business days to city council
- Override vote
- Six-sevenths council vote to reverse
- Enforcement
- Development Services Department; stop-work orders
Summary
Des Moines requires a certificate of appropriateness before anyone alters, reconstructs, or demolishes the exterior of a landmark or landmark site the city council has formally designated under Chapter 58, protecting buildings and places of historic, cultural, or aesthetic significance.
No owner or person in charge of a landmark or landmark site shall reconstruct, alter, or demolish all or any part of the exterior of such property or construct any improvement upon such designated property or cause or permit any such work to be performed upon such property until a certificate of appropriateness has been applied for and obtained for such work pursuant to this section. The development services department shall not issue a permit for any such work until a certificate of appropriateness for such work is first obtained.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Any landmark or landmark site, a building, structure, or place the city council designates under Municipal Code Chapter 58, Article III for special historical, architectural, or cultural value, is protected once recorded with the county recorder. Owners must obtain a certificate of appropriateness from the historic preservation commission before reconstructing, altering, or demolishing any exterior feature, or before the development services department will issue a building or demolition permit. The commission weighs adopted design guidelines and the Secretary of the Interior's rehabilitation standards. Denials can be appealed to the city council within ten business days, and a six-sevenths council vote is needed to reverse the commission.
Violations & Fines
Undertaking exterior work on a landmark without an approved certificate of appropriateness violates Article III; the development services department can issue a stop-work order, and the city may pursue legal or equitable action, damages, or abatement under Municipal Code § 1-15.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply outside historic districts?
What counts as a landmark in Des Moines?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Des Moines
Compare Des Moines to another location·View the Iowa historic preservation overview
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