Did you know?

The California State Historical Building Code (SHBC) permits owners of designated historic properties to use special building codes. Since the historic fabric of these buildings dates back to a time before current building codes were observed, the SHBC permits exceptions to the Uniform Building Code (UBC). The SHBC helps preserve the integrity of design and materials inherent in historic buildings while maintaining safety standards and relieving owners of these properties from undue financial burden required to meet current building codes. Unfortunately, few owners of historic buildings in Elk Grove take advantage of the SHBC. Please contact the City of Elk Grove's Planning Department at (916) 478-2265 to find out whether your building can qualify to use the State Historical Building Code.

Tax incentives exist for qualified historic preservation projects in Elk Grove. The Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program offers a 20% tax credit, far more valuable than a tax deduction, to preserve historic properties. Income producing properties listed on the National Register of Historic places or in certain historic districts that are preserved in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's standards qualify. The same program offers a 10% tax credit for the rehabilitation of non-residential, non-historic buildings built before 1936.

The historic use of most historic resources is a permitted use, even if that use is not currently allowed in the property's underlying zone.

Historic resources are eligible for a waiver of Historic Preservation Committee fees and a 50% reduction in parking requirements (for commercial uses in historic resources with limited off-street parking) when proposed changes to the resources are consistent with The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring and Reconstructing Historic Buildings or The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes . See the "Reference Links" tab on the left side of this page to access these documents.

The City is currently developing additional incentives for preserving historic resources.