Fast Track or Commission
From Exhibit A of the City's 2026 COA application packet:
| Fast Track (staff) | Historic Preservation Commission |
|---|---|
| Secondary or rear facades not visible from the street | New doors or openings on the primary facade, or doors not in wood or original material |
| In-kind replacement of under 50% of primary facade materials (original material, or fiber cement for wood) | Windows not in wood or aluminum-clad wood |
| Detached garages and rear-yard accessory buildings | Changes to roof height or pitch; roofing other than asphalt or original material |
| Driveway access from the alley or corner side street | Siding other than wood, fiber cement or original; changes to reveal or profile |
| Open wood or iron fences; fences in interior side or rear yards | Porch enclosure or changes to porch size, style or materials |
| Painting, landscaping, signs | Changes to shutters or awnings |
| Storm windows and doors; AC units, gutters | New principal buildings, additions, demolition of a principal building |
| New front-street driveways; non-open, non-wood street-facing fences | |
| New attached garages; solar panels and skylights on the principal building |
Some work is exempt from review altogether; a building permit may still be required (call (630) 420-6100, option 2). Demolition has its own COA criteria under Municipal Code 6-11-8:2, and the City's regulations page says total demolition for new construction is "highly discouraged" in the 2010 design manual.
How a Commission COA runs
- Staff recommend a meeting before a first application.
- Email the application; staff check completeness, comment, and schedule the case.
- Mail or hand-deliver letters to owners within 300 feet at least 15 days before the meeting; post the sign 15 to 30 days before ($100 refundable deposit); file a notarized affidavit of notice.
- Attend the 7 p.m. meeting. The packet says the Commission meets on the 4th Thursday but "typically meets every other month", so a missed slot can cost two months.
- The approved COA is emailed, and is valid for three years. Inspection may be before-and-after photos or a site visit.
There is no filing fee. Drawings must be 11" x 17" or smaller and include a site plan and elevations; work the design manual "discourages" needs written answers to extra factors (5.3 and 5.4).
What it means when you hire
- Specify the material. On the front facade, the line between Fast Track and a hearing is often the material: windows in wood or aluminum-clad wood are off the Commission list, while any other window material, such as vinyl, goes to the Commission. Get the window and siding product named in the bid.
- Put the COA on the schedule. A Commission case needs at least 15 days of notice plus the meeting cycle. Ask who prepares the drawings, letters and sign, and who attends.
- Check the address. Search the City's "Your Place" map to confirm the lot is in the district before paying for design.
What Naperville remodel and addition permits show
| Measure | Remodel & repair | Addition |
|---|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,057 | 299 |
| Firms | 467 | 189 |
| Usual filed value | $46,300 | $94,500 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $25,000 to $77,000 | $72,500 to $141,960 |
| Passed final (a year or more old) | 77.7% | 65.3% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 175 | 422 |
| Firms with exactly one permit | 68.1% | 76.2% |
An addition in Naperville already runs a usual 422 days from permit to final, before any Commission time is added in front. 76.2% of addition firms filed only one permit, so few builders have done many; ask for a district project and check its COA in the Commission's records. Prices by firm: Naperville remodel cost and addition cost; counts by year: Naperville permit statistics.
Compare Naperville addition contractors →
Related
Older permits on a house: Naperville building permit search. Registration and licensing: Naperville contractor license lookup. Typical prices: Naperville home improvement costs. Compare firms: remodelers.
What this does not tell you
Our Naperville permits do not mark district properties or carry COAs. Filed values are the applicant's estimate. Meeting dates for 2026 are not in the packet; confirm them with the City's planning staff.
How we know this
District size, the COA requirement, demolition criteria and the 2010 manual are from the City's Regulations for Historic Districts and Landmarked Properties page; Fast Track and Commission lists, fees, notice and validity from the 2026 COA application packet; both read 23 October 2026. Permit counts are City of Naperville building permits on homes classified as remodel/repair or addition, October 2023 to September 2026; final share uses permits a year or more old.
Numbers come from City of Naperville building permits (the current permit system plus the city's older records), data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need approval to remodel a house in the Naperville historic district?
For exterior work, usually. A Certificate of Appropriateness is generally required for exterior alteration, construction, demolition or material changes on a district or landmark property. Interior work is not on the City's COA list. Some work is exempt and a building permit may still be needed.
- What is a Fast Track COA in Naperville?
Staff approval without a Commission hearing. The 2026 packet lists work such as secondary or rear facades not visible from the street, in-kind replacement of under 50% of primary facade materials, detached garages and rear accessory buildings, open wood or iron fences, painting, storm windows and AC units.
- Can I replace windows with vinyl in the Naperville historic district?
Not through Fast Track on the front. The packet sends primary-facade windows 'not in wood or aluminum-clad wood' to the Historic Preservation Commission, which may approve, approve with conditions or deny.
- How much does a Naperville COA cost?
There is no filing fee. A Commission case needs a notification sign with a $100 refundable deposit, and a building permit, if required, has its own fee.
- Can I put solar panels on a house in the Naperville historic district?
Only with a Commission COA if they go on the principal building: the packet lists 'solar panels and skylights on principal structures' among items for Historic Preservation Commission review.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Boulder's demolition review for houses over 50 years old: what counts as demolition, the fees, and the 180-day stay
- Greensboro historic district rules: the COA for College Hill, Dunleath and Fisher Park, and how it changes hiring
- How to legalize unpermitted work: the steps, what it costs, and how long a retroactive permit takes
- Miami's FEMA 50% rule: when a remodel in a flood zone means raising the house
- Do I need a remodel permit in Naperville? Kitchens, baths, basements, the fee and who may do the work
- Do I need a remodel permit in St. Louis? The City's list, the $10-per-$1,000 fee and the historic district catch
For one city
- Regulations for Historic Districts and Landmarked Properties — City of Naperville (accessed 2026-10-23)
- 2026 Historic Preservation Commission COA application packet — City of Naperville (accessed 2026-10-23)