Florida code does not give historic homes a pass. Wiring, plumbing, and HVAC come up to current Florida Building Code regardless of district designation, and most of the character lives in the finished materials anyway — heart pine flooring, lath-and-plaster walls, original wood sash windows, terra cotta accents, hex tile bathroom floors, leaded glass transoms, period casing and crown. We have run that work in Old Northeast (Round Lake to Coffee Pot Bayou), Roser Park, Historic Uptown, Historic Kenwood, Granada Terrace, and Old Southeast since 2016, with 20+ years combined leadership experience in Pinellas County construction. Recognized by Preserve the Burg for a whole-house historic remodel of a hundred-year-old wood single-family home.
Termite attacks and deferred maintenance have worn down the old-growth heart pine framing in most pre-1925 St. Pete houses. What was once period-correct woodwork is now hollow at the base. Replacement requires custom-milled profiles. We pull a sample of the original casing, send it to the lumber yard so they can set knives on the planer, and have our 20-plus W-2 finish carpenters match the profile on site. Where original framing is salvageable, we sister-joist new old-growth heart pine alongside the existing member rather than tearing the whole bay out — preserving the original mortise-and-tenon joinery wherever it survived a hundred years of Florida humidity.
Layer Upon Layer of Bad Paint
Decades of cheap paint jobs covering original 1920s and 1930s millwork — picture rails, plate rails, transom casings, fluted door surrounds, and the original baseboards that are typically 6 to 8 inches tall in Old Northeast bungalows. Under those layers may be lead paint requiring EPA RRP Rule-certified mitigation; pre-1978 stock should be tested before any sanding starts.
Outdated Wiring & Plumbing
Knob-and-tube wiring, corroded cast-iron drain plumbing, and either no central HVAC or window units carrying 80-year-old houses through Pinellas summers. Florida Building Code does not exempt historic homes from current standards. The wiring, plumbing, and HVAC come up to current FBC regardless of district designation. Simpson Strong-Tie connectors hide behind the original trim. The house gets another hundred years.
Review Board Requirements
Your renovation triggers dual-track approval. The Certificate of Appropriateness routes through St. Petersburg's Historic Preservation Office, and the building permit routes through the Building Department in parallel. Per Jeremy Wharton, that historical-board layer adds two to four months on top of standard permitting, and possibly more if the project requires a setback variance or a board hearing. We have run dozens of these dual-track permits.
Our Historic Renovation Process
Timeline
Light Refresh
Cosmetic updates, paint, fixtures
4-6 weeks
Standard Renovation
Systems, millwork, layout
3-6 months
Full Historic Remodel
Studs-out rebuild with preservation
6-12 months
The historic review board adds two to four months on top of standard permitting per Interview 4 with Jeremy. We have run dozens of dual-track applications without an outright rejection.
Sequence of Work
1
Free 48-Hour Estimate
On-site assessment with dedicated superintendent
2
Design & COA Submission
File Certificate of Appropriateness with Historic Preservation Office
3
Dual-Track Permitting
Building Department + historic review board, 6-10 weeks
4
Demolition & Discovery
Expose conditions, structural engineer inspection
5
Structural & Systems Rough-In
Simpson Strong-Tie reinforcement, modern wiring, plumbing, HVAC
6
Millwork & Period Finishes
Old-growth heart pine, lime plaster, period-correct trim
7
Final Inspections & Verification
Building Department and review board sign-off
8
Punch List & Completion
Final details, walkthrough, weekly budget report close-out
The dual-track approval routes through St. Petersburg's Historic Preservation Office for the Certificate of Appropriateness and the Building Department for the building permit, in parallel. Per Jeremy Wharton, the historical-board layer typically adds two to four months on top of standard permitting, and possibly more if the project requires a setback variance or a board hearing. We have run dozens of these applications without an outright rejection. The Secretary of the Interior Standards guide what is appropriate, not what is allowed.
Our Preserve the Burg Award Project
“Our most memorable historic project is the one that we won the award for. The house probably honestly should have been torn down, but we went through a historic remodel and basically rebuilt from the studs out a hundred-year-old wood single-family home. It ended up with some modern touches. We upgraded the windows, but we also maintained as much of the woodwork, things like the doors and the original framing as possible, so that it still has significant nods to the historical design intent when it was built in the early 1900s.”
— Jeremy Wharton, Revolution Contractors
Preserve the Burg is St. Petersburg's local historic-preservation advocacy organization. Their award recognition is for specific whole-house historic projects, judged on documented preservation outcomes — not marketing-label authority. Revolution has navigated St. Petersburg's dual-track Certificate of Appropriateness review since 2016 without an outright rejection, across Old Northeast, Old Southeast, Roser Park, Granada Terrace, Historic Kenwood, and Historic Uptown.
Built across all 14 St. Petersburg neighborhoods — from Snell Isle waterfront to Old Northeast historic preservation, Crescent Lake to Tierra Verde.
Systems upgrades, period-correct wood windows, custom millwork ($150-$250/sqft)
Full Preservation Remodel
$400K+
Studs-out rebuild with old-growth heart pine, lime plaster ($250-$400/sqft)
Modern Code Behind Period Charm
Most homeowners walk into a historic remodel expecting Florida Building Code to give them a pass. It does not. Per Jeremy Wharton, “the code doesn’t allow for us to say that it’s historical and get any special consideration. So if there is outdated wiring, plumbing, HVAC, we’re going to find a way to update it to current code, and we’ll just do that with an eye towards whatever level of conservation or preservation we’re trying to attain.”
That is the load-bearing fact about historic work in St. Pete. The Certificate of Appropriateness regulates what the house looks like from the street. Florida Building Code regulates what is inside the walls. Two separate review tracks, two separate sets of standards, both binding.
The good news is most of the character lives in the finished materials. Heart pine flooring, lath-and-plaster walls, original sash windows, period casing and crown, single-pane glass with wavy 100-year-old distortion, original hardware. The character does not live in the wiring or the plumbing or the HVAC. So we update the guts to current FBC, hide Simpson Strong-Tie connectors behind the original trim, run new drain plumbing alongside the original lath, and the house ends up looking exactly like it did when it was built in the early 1900s with modern systems behind every wall.
Schluter Kerdi waterproofing goes behind period tile in the bathrooms. New 200-amp service replaces the original 60-amp panel without changing a single visible fixture. The HVAC ducts route through the original chase walls. The house holds its bones; the systems get another hundred years. On multi-generational Old Northeast projects, that same systems-modernization approach pairs with aging-in-place modifications — accessible bathroom retrofits, no-step thresholds, and wider doorways — installed without disturbing the original casing or finish carpentry.
What Drives Costs
Per Jeremy Wharton, “a historical remodel that is adhering to more of a historical preservation type approach is going to cost more because we’re using higher quality woods and materials that aren’t as readily accessible.” The labor side carries most of that premium. There are only a few specialists in town skilled at repairing old wood-sash windows, the architects who work historic houses charge a premium because the planning and review-board interaction take more of their time, and our admin hours go up because of the extra application parameters from the historic review board. Standard remodel labor-to-materials sits around 50/50; on a historic preservation remodel it swings closer to 65/35 toward labor.
•Custom millwork and period-accurate materials: Our 20+ W-2 carpenters on Revolution's payroll do period-correct trim matching, baseboard profiles, casing, and crown — coordinated through one open-book budget
•Period-correct wood window restoration: Few specialists in town, and the review board typically rejects vinyl replacements
•Soft costs (15-20% of budget): Architect fees, structural engineer stamps, COA application ($250-$500), and review board interaction
•Dual-track permitting timeline: Building Department plus Historic Preservation Office approval, 6-10 weeks minimum
•Custom-milled lumber: Setting knives at the lumber yard for specific profiles
What Causes Overruns
•Undiscovered termite damage: Hidden behind walls until demolition
•Lead paint removal vs. encapsulation: Decisions that affect scope and cost
•Asbestos remediation: Professional removal requirements
•Scope creep: "While we're in there" discoveries add up
Character Is in the Finishes, Not the Guts
Most of the character lives in the finished materials, not in the systems. Florida Building Code does not give historic homes a pass on wiring, plumbing, or HVAC. We update those to current FBC, hide Schluter Kerdi waterproofing behind period tile, run Simpson Strong-Tie connectors behind original trim, and the house ends up looking exactly like it did in the early 1900s with modern guts.
Ready to Discuss Your Historic Renovation Project?
Free 48-hour estimate from a team that has run dozens of dual-track applications without an outright rejection since 2016, building on 20+ years combined leadership experience in Pinellas County construction. We file your Certificate of Appropriateness, coordinate dual-track permitting through St. Petersburg's Historic Preservation Office and the Building Department, and manage architect, structural engineer, and every trade under single accountability.
What Requires a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA)
•Demolition
•New construction
•Exterior alterations
•Roofline changes
•Additions
•Window/door style changes
•Siding changes
What Doesn't Require a COA
•Interior work
•Routine maintenance
•Like-for-like repairs
•Painting any color
•Landscaping
•Mechanical equipment not visible from street
We file the COA application (filing fee $250 to $500), coordinate the dual-track approval with the St. Petersburg Building Department and the Historic Preservation Office, and handle the structural engineer stamps. The process is administrative not adversarial. The Secretary of the Interior Standards — the same federal preservation framework that governs Section 106 reviews on National Register properties — guide what is appropriate; they do not prevent appropriate change. We coordinate this process for design-build clients with 20+ years combined leadership experience in Pinellas County historic work and have run dozens of dual-track applications without an outright rejection.
Period-Appropriate Materials & Safety
Period-Appropriate Materials
Generally Acceptable
•Wood (drop siding, lap siding, board-and-batten)
•Brick (red clay common for chimneys and porch piers; lime-based mortar required for repointing)
•Stucco (smooth or textured; lime-based mortar where original masonry exists)
•Historic masonry with lime-based mortar (Type O, not Type N — Type N's high Portland content fractures historic brick)
•Hardie board fiber cement or LP SmartSide engineered wood siding (vinyl rejected by review board)
•Slate, terra cotta tile, standing-seam metal, or 5V crimp metal roofing
•Original old-growth heart pine flooring (refinished, not replaced)
•Hex tile or subway tile in historic bathrooms
•Single-pane wood sash windows (restored or replicated to original profile)
Generally Not Acceptable
•Vinyl siding
•Aluminum siding
•Vinyl windows
Lead Paint & Asbestos
Lead paint: Either removed and replaced to eliminate it completely, or encapsulated with a heavy encapsulant-type paint. We can scrape and sand lead paint, but it requires special safety requirements and site prep.
Asbestos: Can be encapsulated or removed. It needs to be very carefully dealt with because there are specific requirements for how it is handled and disposed of. We won't leave asbestos in place if we can avoid it.
Adjacent to downtown, quieter character. One of St. Pete's two designated Artist Enclaves (the other is Historic Kenwood), with the Hexagon Block Sidewalk Preservation overlay protecting the streetscape pavers. Mix of 1920s through 1940s Key West cottages and Craftsman bungalows on pier-and-beam foundations. Not a Local Historic District like Granada Terrace, so no Certificate of Appropriateness required for interior or structural work.
Property owners in Old Northeast, Kenwood, Roser Park, Historic Uptown, and other designated districts who maintain historical accuracy and preserve specified materials can qualify for a freeze on ad valorem taxes for up to 10 years. The St. Petersburg Historic Preservation Office provides the list of qualifying requirements, and work must follow Secretary of the Interior Standards.
THE DIFFERENCE
WHY CHOOSE REVOLUTION FOR HISTORIC RENOVATION
What sets us apart from other contractors in St. Petersburg.
IN-HOUSE LABOR
20+ in-house W-2 carpenters with skilled finish carpentry expertise. Period-correct trim matching, old-growth heart pine restoration, and custom millwork — all done in-house, never subcontracted.
OPEN-BOOK T&M PRICING
Weekly budget reports showing labor hours, materials invoices, and remaining contingency. By the time we break ground, about 75% of line items are committed at fixed price — bringing total budget certainty to 90-95% before construction begins. Single-contract accountability: one contract, one dedicated superintendent, no finger-pointing.
LOCAL EXPERTISE
Renovating Old Northeast, Kenwood, Roser Park, and Historic Uptown homes since 2016 with 20+ years combined leadership experience. We know the St. Petersburg Historic Preservation Office, the Secretary of the Interior Standards, and the quirks of early 1900s construction.
PRESERVATION AWARD WINNERS
Recognized by Preserve the Burg for a whole-house historic remodel. Per Jeremy Wharton: "the house probably honestly should have been torn down, but we went through a historic remodel and basically rebuilt from the studs out a hundred-year-old wood single-family home." Free 48-hour estimates for any historic district project. Navigating St. Petersburg's COA dual-track approval process since 2016.
Who We Build For
High-Net-Worth Owners Done with Fixed-Bid Surprises
Late-career owners of $750K+ Old Northeast and Roser Park homes — contributing structures inside St. Pete's local historic districts. They want a contractor who handles the Certificate of Appropriateness application with the Historic and Archaeological Review Commission (HARC), specifies period-correct trim profiles, and matches existing plaster repair to 1910s-1930s framing. Most of our historic work is for owners who care about both the COA review board and the open-book T&M weekly budget reports — not contractors who treat historic process as paperwork to delegate.
Capital-Rich Relocators Building Legacy Homes
Capital-rich relocators from higher-cost markets — Northeast, California, Chicago — building legacy homes on Snell Isle, Tierra Verde, Shore Acres, or the downtown waterfront. They need a contractor who knows FEMA flood-zone math cold, not a paper contractor who walks away when the regs get hard. Revolution has $20M+ of flood-zone work going back to Hurricane Michael in 2018 and has cleared dozens of 49% rule substantial-improvement calculations across coastal Pinellas. With 20+ in-house W-2 carpenters, the schedule does not stall waiting on subs.
Historic Renovation Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a historic renovation take?
A light refresh — paint, fixtures, selective millwork repair — takes 4-6 weeks. Standard renovations with systems upgrades, period-correct trim matching, and custom millwork run 3-6 months. Full preservation remodels done to the studs, including old-growth heart pine floor restoration and lime-based plaster repair, can take 6-12 months. Dual-track approval through the St. Petersburg Building Department plus historic review board sign-off typically adds 6-10 weeks, and possibly more if setback variances or board hearings are required.
How much does a historic renovation cost in St. Petersburg?
A cosmetic refresh runs $50,000-$100,000, or roughly $75-$150/sqft. Standard historic renovations with systems upgrades, period-correct wood windows, and custom millwork cost $150,000-$300,000 ($150-$250/sqft). Full preservation remodels starting from the studs run $400,000+ ($250-$400/sqft). Budget 15-20% for soft costs — architect fees, structural engineer stamps, COA application fees ($250-$500), and historic review board compliance. The work is labor-heavy because of old-growth heart pine sourcing, period-accurate materials, and the skilled finish carpentry required.
Do I need permits for a historic renovation?
Yes. Interior work follows standard permitting through the St. Petersburg Building Department. Exterior changes, demolition, new construction, roofline alterations, additions, and changes to windows, doors, or siding require a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) from St. Petersburg's Historic Preservation Office before you can pull a building permit. This dual-track approval — building permit plus historic review board sign-off — typically takes 6-10 weeks. We file the COA application and coordinate both tracks so nothing stalls.
How does Revolution's T&M approach work?
Open-book T&M pricing means you pay for actual costs, not a padded estimate. You receive weekly budget reports showing labor hours, materials invoices, and remaining contingency. We're a hybrid — not technically a design-build firm with designers on salary — but we coordinate the architect, structural engineer, and every trade under one contract with single accountability. No finger-pointing between separate companies. You see exactly where your money goes, and our dedicated superintendent keeps the project on track daily.
What can and can't be changed on a historic home?
The requirements follow the Secretary of the Interior Standards for historic preservation — they're not overly burdensome. Most finishes can be replaced with modern materials if it's your decision. The key decision point is usually windows — restoring period-correct wood windows versus switching to vinyl (which most review boards reject). Exterior siding changes must use approved materials like Hardie board fiber cement or LP SmartSide engineered wood, not vinyl. Interior work typically doesn't require a COA at all.
How do you bring an old home up to code without destroying character?
Per Jeremy Wharton, "the code doesn't allow for us to say that it's historical and get any special consideration. So if there is outdated wiring, plumbing, HVAC, we're going to find a way to update it to current code." That is the load-bearing reality of historic work in St. Pete. The character lives in the finished materials, heart pine flooring, lath-and-plaster walls, original sash windows, period casing, not in the systems. We update wiring, plumbing, and HVAC to current Florida Building Code, hide Simpson Strong-Tie connectors behind original trim, run Schluter Kerdi waterproofing behind period tile, and the house ends up looking exactly like it did in the early 1900s with modern guts.
How do you handle lead paint and asbestos?
Lead paint is either removed and replaced to eliminate it completely, or encapsulated with a heavy encapsulant-type paint. Asbestos can be encapsulated or removed — both require EPA-certified handling and disposal. We won't leave asbestos in place if we can avoid it. Budget $5,000-$15,000 for lead paint remediation and $3,000-$10,000 for asbestos abatement depending on scope. These are concerns in any house through the '70s, not just historic properties. Read our full guide on <a href='/blog/lead-paint-asbestos-older-homes'>lead paint and asbestos in older homes</a>.
Are there tax incentives for historic preservation?
Yes. St. Petersburg offers a 10-year property tax freeze on ad valorem taxes for owners who maintain historical accuracy and preserve specified materials. The St. Petersburg Historic Preservation Office provides the list of qualifying requirements. For properties listed on the National Register, federal tax credits of 20% of qualified rehabilitation expenses may also apply. These incentives can offset 15-25% of total project cost on eligible historic renovations.
Are historic homes exempt from Florida Building Code?
No. Florida Building Code does not give historic homes a pass on wiring, plumbing, HVAC, or structural standards. The Certificate of Appropriateness regulates how the house looks from the street; Florida Building Code regulates what is inside the walls. Both review tracks run in parallel, both are binding. Per Jeremy Wharton, "the code doesn't allow for us to say that it's historical and get any special consideration." This is the most-misunderstood reality of historic renovation in St. Pete: homeowners walk in expecting some kind of historic carve-out and there isn't one.
Do I need my home to be historically designated to renovate it?
No. Historic designation only matters for one thing: whether your renovation requires a Certificate of Appropriateness from St. Petersburg's Historic Preservation Office. If your house is in a designated district — Old Northeast, Old Southeast, Roser Park, Granada Terrace, Historic Uptown, Historic Kenwood, Ingleside, or the proposed Mirror Lake Local Historic District per Jeremy Wharton's roster — exterior changes need a COA. Interior renovations do not. If your house is historically constructed but not in a designated district (Bahama Shores, Crescent Lake, parts of Euclid-St. Paul's), there is no COA at all. The renovation logic stays the same: update the guts to current Florida Building Code, preserve the original character in the finished materials.
TESTIMONIALS
LOVED BY OUR CUSTOMERS
Nothing means more to us than making our clients happy, unless perhaps it is making them so happy they come back to us or refer us to their friends and family!
"We had multiple contractors tell us that our 100-year old bungalow in Old Southeast should be torn down instead of remodeled. Revolution worked with us on an extensive plan to rebuild structural components and remodel the entire house. Now we have the best house in the block!"
Sean K.
Old Southeast
"The guys at Revolution have done projects for us in two houses now. They added a master bathroom for us in northeast St Pete and then remodeled every square inch of a 4500-sq. ft house in Pinellas Pt. Through every challenge over two years of construction they have been there pushing our projects forward. We wouldn't use anybody else!"
Adlai G.
Pinellas Point
"Awesome company! I had Revolution Contractors do some work on my house and did an amazing job!!! The guys there are great to work with and very professional and knowledgeable on there work. I am very happy they way there work came out and will be getting more work done on my house from them."
Jason Shelton
"Find them to be very professional, provide sufficient info for bidding, easy to contact, and most importantly they pay good. All and all NuTrend really enjoys a very productive and lucrative relationship with Revolution Contractors would recommend them and do often"
David Silvia
"On a challenging structural project for an investment property Revolution saw me through all sorts of headaches with the building department and were able to carry off multiple layout changes with gorgeous results. They've done multiple projects for my family as well as my group of closest friends and are now working on my primary residence!"
Jan S.
"Revolution Contractors have helped my family on numerous projects, providing guidance and honesty throughout all projects. The crew is hardworking and reliable. The owners are quick to respond and very honest. Definitely would recommend!"
