Home projects in Boylan Heights

Boylan Heights sits on a hill just west of downtown Raleigh, and it was one of the city's earliest planned suburbs. Its curving streets are lined with Craftsman bungalows, along with some foursquares and revival-style houses, most built between 1907 and 1930, the district's period of significance. The city's designation materials also note a harder part of its history: the neighborhood was originally developed for white residents only, through restrictive covenants.

Today Boylan Heights is one of Raleigh's General Historic Overlay Districts, and that shapes every exterior project. It is also on the National Register, but the local overlay is what triggers review.

The rules in brief

• Every exterior change needs a COA. A General HOD regulates all exterior changes on the lot, front or back, visible from the street or not, until a Certificate of Appropriateness is issued.
• Staff handle minor work. Minor work COAs are reviewed by staff on a rolling basis, generally in about 10 business days. Applications for larger or unusual projects become major work COAs and go to the COA Committee monthly.
• The COA comes first. Raleigh's permit instructions say that properties in a historic district or Raleigh Historic Landmarks need a COA, and approval may be needed before you apply for the building permit. The approved COA placard is submitted with your other permit materials.
• Design guidelines plus a district essay. Applications are judged against the citywide Design Guidelines for Raleigh Historic Districts and Landmarks and the Boylan Heights special character essay.

Bungalow-specific planning

Craftsman bungalows have a vocabulary that review will focus on: deep front porches with tapered or paired columns, exposed rafter tails, wide eaves, knee braces, multi-light-over-one wood windows, and lap or shingle siding. Projects that keep those features intact tend to move fastest.

Front porches. The front porch is the most visible feature of almost every house in the district. Rebuild in kind: same column profile, railing height and spacing, tongue-and-groove flooring direction, and ceiling. Code may require a taller guard on high porches, so discuss how to meet that without changing the look. See porches and decks.

Windows. Bungalow windows are usually restorable. Sash repair, new sash cords, weatherstripping and interior or exterior storms improve comfort without losing original glass. See windows.

Rear additions and second stories. Bungalows are often small, so additions are common. The approaches that fit best keep the original roofline visible from the street, step the addition in from the side walls, and use a lower or matching roof pitch. Second-story additions that change the bungalow's profile get much closer review. See home additions.

Site work. Decks, fences, walls, walks and driveways need scaled site drawings. For projects near large trees, the city may require a tree survey and a tree protection plan from an ISA-certified arborist or landscape architect. Boylan Heights' sloping lots also make grading part of the conversation.

Paint. Color changes need a paint schedule and physical samples. Bungalow trim is often detailed, so budget for prep, and hire painters who follow lead-safe practices. See exterior painting.

Roofs. Replacing an asphalt shingle roof in kind is straightforward. Changing materials, adding skylights or altering dormers is a design question. See roofing.

Inside the house

Interior remodels don't need a COA, but century-old houses come with predictable issues: plaster walls, balloon framing in some houses, old knob-and-tube wiring, galvanized pipes, and crawl spaces or basements with moisture. Kitchen and bath remodels in Boylan Heights usually involve updating systems as well as finishes, and need building and trade permits. HVAC upgrades often mean finding room for ducts, or choosing ductless or small-duct systems. Condenser placement can be a COA item. See kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling and HVAC.

Energy upgrades that don't fight the guidelines

The city publishes guidance on sustainability in historic districts, and most of the best energy upgrades for a bungalow are invisible from outside anyway: air sealing and insulation in the attic, sealing and insulating ducts, insulating the crawl space or basement rim, and adding storm windows over restored sash. Exterior items such as solar panels, new mechanical equipment and replacement windows are where COA review comes in, so plan them with staff early.

Hiring

Ask contractors for examples of approved COA projects in Raleigh historic districts and how they handled review comments. For projects of $40,000 or more, state law requires a licensed general contractor. Look up a license on the NCLBGC license search.