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Maintaining Your Historic Home

The first question that many residents ask about living in a historic district is “what does this mean about maintaining and changing my home?” In general, historic homes are subject to the Secretary of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation (Standards). The good news is that the principal guideline is also the least expensive, which is that, if possible, repair rather than replace, and replace with similar materials. History has given you a great home that has stood the test of time, and proper care will take it into the next century.

Planning Your Project​​​

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Making repairs and changes to a home in a historic district, such as Talmadge Park Estates, may require review by San Diego’s Historic Resources staff. These guidelines are summarized in Information Bulletin 581, which is based on the San Diego Municipal Code Section §143.02 (Historical Resources Regulations). Alterations to your home may be permitted as long as the minor alteration or new construction will not affect the historical character of the house, consistent with the Secretary of the Interior Standards.

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All properties in a historic district, even if they follow the Standards, WILL be subjected to historic resources review and permitting. Please refer to the Designated Historical Resources Review (Information Bulletin 581) for more information on this review process. See the Development Services website for more information on submitting permits. As noted in Bulletin 581, Development Services will route the permit application to Historic Resources staff, who will review the project for consistency with the Standards.

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If you have questions or need assistance, you can reach out to Historic Preservation Staff through their first contact assistance bookings link (select the option for Historical Resources) or at the following email: historicalresources@sandiego.gov

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If you are unsure whether your house is a contributor or non-contributor to the Talmadge Park Estates Historic District, you can look it up in the Nomination Report or by selecting your address on the My House page.

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Click here for more information on specific types of projects.

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While these requirements may seem burdensome, even outside of a historic district, properties that are 45 years old or older are subject to San Diego's Potential Historical Resource Review, as described in Information Bulletin 580, which evaluates the historic importance of the property and then makes recommendations on how changes to the property can be made. This evaluation has already been done if the property is in a historic district, giving the property owner certainty of how their property will be treated (as a contributing or non-contributing resource to the district) before starting a project.

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Useful links:

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