Georgetown HARC & Historic District Fence Approval
Fences for Old Town and Downtown homes, from the Certificate of Appropriateness to the finished build.
or call (512) 337-3714 · Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
Building a Fence in Old Town or Downtown Georgetown?
If your home is in Georgetown’s Downtown or Old Town Historic Overlay District, a new fence can take more than a regular permit. A fence that doesn’t meet the district’s standards needs a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA). Depending on the fence and the property, that approval comes either from the city’s Historic Preservation Officer or from the Historic and Architectural Review Commission (HARC) at a public hearing. Only after the COA is approved can the fence permit itself be filed.
HARC has a reputation for being a tough process, and it can be. The commission reviews projects against the city’s code and the Historic District Design Guidelines, applications are accepted only on set days, and every step runs on the city’s calendar. Sagamore Fence & Deck is based right here in Georgetown at 6550 FM 1105, and we handle HARC applications for our customers from start to finish. We know the process, the timelines and the requirements inside and out, and every application we’ve taken through HARC has been approved.
Most Georgetown fences never need HARC at all, but nearly all of them need a city fence permit, and many need HOA approval too. This page covers all three, so you know what to expect before you build.
Reviewed by Tony Perez, owner of Sagamore Fence & Deck.
Our end-to-end HARC process
How We Take a Historic District Fence From Idea to Approval
CHECK
We visit your property, confirm whether it sits in the Downtown or Old Town overlay, look up its priority level on the city's historic map, and tell you whether your fence needs a COA and who reviews it.
DESIGN
We design a fence that suits the house and the district's guidelines, then prepare the COA package: site plan, elevations, materials, photos, the scope-of-work form and the letter of intent.
APPROVE
We file on the city's submittal day, answer staff review comments and, when your fence goes to the commission, present the application for you at the HARC public hearing.
BUILD
With the COA approved, we file your City of Georgetown fence permit, build the fence exactly as approved, and the city inspects it once it's done.
Who Needs HARC Review for a Fence?
Start with location. Georgetown has two historic overlays: the Downtown Overlay District, which covers the historic downtown and the commercial and residential areas around it, and the Old Town Overlay District, mostly residential streets between downtown and Southwestern University and south to parts of 17th, 18th and 19th Streets. You can look up any address on the city’s interactive historic properties map.
Inside the overlays, the basic fence standards for homes are:
- Front yard and street-side fences along a local or collector street: no taller than 4 feet and at least 50% open, like wrought iron or a picket fence with picket-width gaps.
- Rear-yard fences along a local or collector street: set back at least 10 feet.
- Other side and rear fences: the citywide limits, generally up to 6 feet.
A fence that meets these standards generally needs only the regular fence permit. If you want something different, like a taller or more solid fence facing the street, you’ll need a Certificate of Appropriateness. Some requests, such as a rear-yard fence set back at least 10 feet that meets the design guidelines’ material standards, can be approved administratively by the Historic Preservation Officer. Others go to HARC. As the city’s fence permit page puts it, fences in the Downtown or Old Town overlay that don’t meet the applicable guidelines require a COA and HARC’s approval.
What to Expect: The City's HARC Timeline
COA and HARC applications follow the Planning Department’s published schedule, so it pays to start early. Here’s how the city lays it out:
- Submittal days: new applications are accepted only two days a month, online through MyGovernmentOnline, by 6:00 a.m. on the due date. The dates are on the city’s application submittal calendar.
- Staff review: after a quick completeness check, the first technical review is scheduled for 4 weeks (20 business days), a second round for 3 weeks and any later rounds for 2 weeks each, per the city’s Development Manual.
- Public hearing: HARC applications then go before the commission, which meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month (see upcoming HARC meetings). We present the application at the hearing for you.
- Fence permit: once the COA is approved, the fence permit is a separate application. The city aims to process fence permits within 10 business days of a complete application.
Our typical timeline is about 4 to 6 weeks from start to finish. The exact timing depends on the city’s application submittal dates, the scheduled HARC meetings, and gathering the documents and signatures with you. A complete, well-prepared application is the best way to avoid extra review rounds, and at your free consultation we’ll walk you through the dates for your project.
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What We Need From You
Not much. For a COA, the city requires a Property Owner’s Consent Form signed by you, which lets us apply on your behalf. We take care of the drawings, photos, letter of intent and the rest of the package.
If you have a survey of your lot, send it over, since both the COA site plan and the fence permit are drawn from it. If you don’t have one, we can coordinate a new survey with an outside survey company. And let us know early if your street also has an HOA or deed restrictions, so the design works for everyone who has to sign off.
Georgetown Fence Permits and HOA Approval
City fence permits. Most Georgetown fences never go near HARC, but almost all of them need a City of Georgetown fence permit, and the city has a very specific way it wants them submitted. Applications go through MyGovernmentOnline with a survey of the property showing the fence’s location, height and material, and plans need to be legible with the height, length and material spelled out. The city aims to review complete applications within 10 business days, and every new fence is inspected after it’s built. We know the process well and can submit your fence permit for you. The full rules are on the city’s fence permit page, and our Georgetown fence and deck page covers local soil, neighborhoods and more.
HOA approval. HOA applications work differently. Most HOAs now take applications through online portals that only the homeowner can log in to, so in most cases we can’t submit the HOA application ourselves. Instead, we prepare it for you: the documents your HOA asks for, such as the fence drawing and material details, plus a survey markup showing exactly where the fence will go. You upload it to your HOA’s portal. If you don’t have a survey, we can coordinate one with an outside survey company. For more on what HOAs usually ask for, see common HOA requirements in Texas.
Georgetown Historic District Fence FAQs
Do I need HARC approval to build a fence in Old Town Georgetown?
Not always. In the Downtown and Old Town Historic Overlay Districts, a front-yard or street-side fence that’s no taller than 4 feet and at least 50% open, or a rear-yard fence set back at least 10 feet from the street, generally needs only the regular fence permit. A fence that doesn’t meet the district’s standards needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, approved either administratively by the Historic Preservation Officer or by HARC at a public hearing. We check your address and design at the free consultation and tell you which applies.
What is a Certificate of Appropriateness?
A Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) is the City of Georgetown’s approval for certain work in a historic overlay district, including fences that don’t meet the district’s standards. It’s issued by the Historic Preservation Officer or by HARC, based on the city’s development code and the Downtown and Old Town Design Guidelines. Once you have an approved COA, the fence permit is a separate application.
How long does HARC approval take?
Typically about 4 to 6 weeks from start to finish. The exact timing depends on the city’s application submittal dates, which come up twice a month, the scheduled HARC meetings on the second and fourth Thursdays, and gathering the documents and signatures with you. We’ll walk you through the dates for your project at the consultation.
Who presents my application at the HARC hearing?
We do. When your fence goes to the commission, we present the application at the HARC public hearing on your behalf, so you don’t have to handle it yourself.
Have you had HARC applications approved before?
Yes. We handle HARC applications for customers in Georgetown’s historic districts from start to finish, including presenting them at the public hearing, and every application we’ve taken through HARC has been approved. No one can promise how the commission will rule on a particular project, but we know the process, the timelines and the requirements inside and out.
Can you submit my HOA application for me?
In most cases, no. Most HOAs now use online portals that only the homeowner can access. What we do is prepare everything for you: the documents your HOA asks for and a survey markup showing where the fence will go. You submit it through your HOA’s portal.
What if I don't have a survey of my property?
The City of Georgetown asks for a survey showing the fence’s location, height and material with the fence permit, and HOAs often want to see one too. If you don’t have a survey, we can coordinate a new one with an outside survey company, then mark it up for your permit and HOA application.
Planning a Fence in Georgetown's Historic District?
Tell us about your property and we'll tell you whether it needs HARC review, then handle the application, the permit and the build. Call (512) 337-3714, use our instant quote tool for a ballpark, or request your free estimate.
