Roofing in a protected historic district is its own discipline
Old Town Key West is one of the most distinctive historic districts in the country — block after block of conch houses, Victorian “gingerbread” homes, and pastel cottages, much of it more than a century old. Because it’s a designated historic district, exterior changes there, roofing included, are reviewed by the Historic Architecture Review Commission, or HARC. That makes roofing an Old Town home a different undertaking than roofing a house in New Town or out on the Lower Keys, and it calls for a roofer who understands both the building code and the historic-district expectations. That’s work we specialize in.
What HARC is and why it matters
HARC exists to protect the historic character of Old Town — the look and feel that make Key West, Key West. When you change a roof on a contributing historic property in the district, the commission generally reviews the proposed work to make sure it’s appropriate to the building and the streetscape. In practice, that means the roof’s profile, material, and finish all matter, not just whether it keeps the rain out. It’s not red tape for its own sake; it’s the mechanism that has kept Old Town looking the way it does. We treat that with respect and design our historic work to earn approval. (Exactly what triggers review and what’s required for any given property: confirmed through the City of Key West.)
The classic profile for historic homes
For most Old Town homes, the historically authentic roof is the classic 5V-crimp metal “tin roof” — the silver, ridged profile that has crowned conch and Victorian houses on the island for generations. It’s generally the profile HARC favors on historic homes precisely because it belongs there. Built today in Galvalume or aluminum, it delivers that authentic look with modern resistance to Key West’s salt air. When we re-roof a historic home, matching that profile and an appropriate finish is usually the starting point.
Conch and Victorian homes
Old Town’s two signature house types each have their own roofing character. The classic conch house tends toward simple, steep gabled roofs — clean lines that the 5V-crimp profile suits perfectly. Victorian “gingerbread” homes carry more complexity: multiple gables, dormers, porches with their own low-slope roofs, and an abundance of trim and detail to work around and preserve. We’re comfortable on both, matching profiles and details so the new roof reads as part of the original house rather than something bolted on.
Matching profile, finish, and detail
Getting a historic roof right is a matter of details: the right profile, an appropriate finish and color, the way the roof meets the trim and the porches, and clean flashing that doesn’t disrupt the look. We work to match what’s there and what the district expects, so the finished roof honors the home’s history while quietly delivering modern, storm-rated, corrosion-resistant performance underneath.
Helping you through the approval process
Navigating HARC review can feel daunting if you’ve never done it, but it’s familiar territory for us. We help homeowners understand what the commission is likely to expect, prepare the kind of profile-and-finish details that support an application, and coordinate the roofing work with the approval so the project moves cleanly from plan to permit to finished roof. (HARC application steps and timelines: confirmed through the City of Key West.)
Roof your historic home right
Call (786) 589-8668 or request a free inspection. We’ll help you put a roof on your Old Town home that satisfies HARC and stands up to Key West.