Historic district windows in Long Beach: the Certificate of Appropriateness

Last verified: November 11, 2026 · Written and checked by the DuloCore research team

Replacing windows on a house in a Long Beach historic district takes an extra city approval, a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA), before any work starts. For overall budgeting, see the estimator on the home page; this page covers the preservation side.

When you need a COA

The city requires approval for “any exterior changes to a historic landmark or property located within a historic district”, even when no building permit is needed, and lists “changes to windows and/or doors” among the common projects (City of Long Beach; accessed Nov 11, 2026). Interior work and ordinary repairs with no exterior change do not need historic review.

The city’s design guidelines page lists 17 districts: Belmont Heights, Bluff Heights, Bluff Park, Brenner Place, California Heights, Carroll Park, Drake Park/Willmore City, Eliot Lane, Hellman Street, Linden Avenue, Lowena Drive, Minerva Park Place, Rose Park, Rose Park South, Sunrise Boulevard, Wilton Street and Wrigley (Historic District Design Guidelines; accessed Nov 11, 2026). Each has its own guideline document, except Drake Park/Willmore City, which the page marks “coming soon”.

What the city protects

The guidelines name windows that define a building’s historic character as a protected feature, with examples such as a decorative window with an unusual shape, glazing patterns, historic window types and window proportions (Historic District Design Guidelines; accessed Nov 11, 2026). In practice the pattern of panes, the way the sash opens and the size of the opening matter as much as the material.

Materials: contributing vs. non-contributing

Whether your house is a contributing structure (one that adds to the district’s historic character) shapes your options.

• Non-contributing buildings outside the period of significance, and detached new construction, may use substitute materials, with “fiberglass or aluminum windows” given as examples, subject to a compatibility review (City of Long Beach; accessed Nov 11, 2026).
• Contributing buildings: a Belmont Heights Community Association summary of the Planning Bureau’s procedures says repair is preferred over replacement, replacements must use original materials from the period, and vinyl is not allowed under any circumstance (Belmont Heights Community Association, updated July 1, 2025; accessed Nov 11, 2026). That is a neighborhood group’s summary, not the city’s text, so confirm it with preservation staff.

Staff review or the Commission

The Cultural Heritage Commission issues COAs for major projects; the city’s examples of major work are a second story or an addition over 250 sq ft (City of Long Beach; accessed Nov 11, 2026). Window changes are not among those examples, but the page does not say which track a window job follows, so ask when you apply. For fees, the city points to the Planning Bureau fee schedule.

How it fits with the building permit

A historic district address cannot use the Express Permit (IB-058; accessed Nov 11, 2026), so expect plan review on top of the COA. The details are on the permits page. The city’s June 2026 notice about its free XeroHome energy portal makes the same point for energy upgrades in general: you may need Historic Preservation approval first (City of Long Beach, June 15, 2026; accessed Nov 11, 2026).

A practical order of steps

1. Confirm whether your property is in a district and whether it is contributing.
2. Photograph each window and note which ones face the street.
3. Ask staff early whether repair, wood replacement or a substitute material fits your case: historicpreservation@longbeach.gov, (562) 570-6194, 411 W. Ocean Blvd., 3rd Floor (City of Long Beach; accessed Nov 11, 2026).
4. Get the COA, then the building permit, then order windows.
5. Hire an installer who has worked on historic homes; the installer checklist lists the questions.

If wood windows are the answer, the coast guide covers what salt air means for hardware and fasteners.