How to Find and Hire Historic Restoration Contractors

Owning and maintaining a historic home is a labor of love. The tradeoff for a whole lot of quality and charm is that you’ll have more complex home maintenance needs. That’s why it’s important to hire a historic restoration contractor to help out with repairs and renovations on historic homes. Learn more about contractors who specialize in old houses and how to hire the perfect one for your project.

What Services Does a Historic Restoration Contractor Offer?

Historic restoration contractors offer a multitude of services for your vintage home, including the following:

• Structural repairs and reinforcements

• Repair or replacement of historical features, such as moldings, windows, and doors

• Restoration of original flooring, woodwork, and plaster

• Repointing masonry and brickwork

• Historical painting techniques and finishes

• Roofing and exterior restoration in line with historical guidelines

• Upgrading systems (plumbing, electrical, HVAC) to modern codes without compromising historical aesthetics

• Improving home efficiency while maintaining historical accuracy as much as possible

• Consultation on period-appropriate materials and design

• Documentation and research to ensure historical accuracy in remodels and repairs

Can You DIY Historic Restoration Projects?

Many historic homeowners are passionate about design, and some may find themselves interested in tackling their historic restoration projects on their own. While DIY work can save a pretty penny, it can cost you a lot of time, money, and heartache if anything goes wrong. 

DIY historic home renovations can be complex and risky due to the need for specialized knowledge of period-specific materials and techniques. A reliable restoration pro can ensure the work maintains the structure’s historical integrity, meets modern safety codes, and avoids costly mistakes. For these reasons, it’s best to hire a local home remodeling company that specializes in historic restorations.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Historic Restoration Contractor?

The cost of a historic restoration contractor varies widely based on the scope of your project, but you can expect to pay between $100 and $400 per square foot for the work. Where in that range your pricing falls will depend mostly on the methods and materials necessary to restore your home in line with the period it’s from. You’ll pay more if your contractor needs to consult historians for particularly challenging restoration methods.

Tips for Hiring a Historic Restoration Contractor

Follow these steps before hiring a professional to help ensure your historic restoration project is as seamless and successful as possible.

1. Plan Your Historic Restoration Project Ahead

Finding the right historic restoration contractor to make your historic home dreams come true is easier when you have a clear vision for your home. When planning your historic restoration project, consider key factors such as the following:

• The specific areas of the home to be restored

• Whether the work is interior or exterior

• Any historical features you want to preserve or enhance

• Materials or techniques that might be necessary to maintain historical accuracy

• A clear budget

2. Check Your Historic Restoration Contractor’s Qualifications and References

It’s never a good idea to hire a professional to work in your home without doing your research, but this is even more true when dealing with a delicate and sensitive historical home. Ensure your pro has the necessary contractor licensing, insurance, and bonding required for historic restoration. 

Ask for references and speak to past clients about their experience. While it may not be possible, see if you can visit previous historic projects to assess the quality of the contractor’s work firsthand.

3. Interview Pros and Get Multiple Quotes

Even if you click with the first historic restoration contractor you meet with, try to slow down and interview a few more candidates. Ask for multiple quotes in writing to get a clear idea of what this project should cost and who can do the job properly and for the best price.

4. Get a Contract and Arrange Payments With Your Historic Restoration Contractor

Before kicking off any work, always formalize the project details with a written contract that includes the scope of work, timeline, payment schedule, and any materials being used. Clarify the down payment, payment structure, and when the final balance is due to avoid misunderstandings later.

5. Understanding Local Regulations

In many areas, historic homes are protected by local municipalities or organizations, so it’s crucial to understand regulations and rules regarding what you can and can’t do to your home. Speak with your local permitting office and the contractor you choose about historic restoration guidelines and restrictions.

It’s a good sign if your contractor has worked with local preservation offices, is familiar with the rules and necessary permits, and has completed other projects successfully while abiding by all applicable regulations.

Questions to Ask a Historic Restoration Contractor

The process of interviewing a historic restoration contractor can be a bit intimidating. Especially if this is your first major home remodel or renovation and you don’t know what questions you should be asking. To help you navigate the interview process, these are some helpful questions to start with:

• What is your experience with historic restoration projects?

• Are you licensed, insured, and bonded specifically for historic restoration work?

• Can you provide examples or photos of past restoration projects?

• Do you have references from clients with similar projects?

• What specific methods or materials will you use to preserve the home’s historical integrity?

• How do you handle unforeseen issues—such as structural damage or code compliance?

• Will you assist with obtaining the necessary permits for restoration work?

• How do you ensure your work meets both historical and modern safety standards?

• What is the estimated timeline for completing the project?

• Can you provide a detailed written estimate and contract?

Choosing the Right Historic Restoration Contractor

Choosing the right historic restoration contractor comes down to interviewing multiple candidates and finding the one that both aligns with your vision and has extensive experience working with historic restoration projects in your area.

When you speak with professionals near you, try to find one that specializes in the time period your home is from, as they’re most likely to be familiar with the materials and techniques they’ll need to use to keep your home as authentic to that period as possible. It’s best if the pro has past projects they can point to that are similar to your own.

You also want a contractor who is as passionate about historic restoration as you are. If you can find a pro who has experience with your home’s time period, has completed multiple projects successfully while following local guidelines, and leaves you feeling more excited about your project than you were before speaking to them, that’s probably the expert you want working on your home.

After Your Historic Restoration Contractor Has Finished

Once your historic restoration contractor completes the job, you can take the following steps to wrap up the project:

• Inspect the work to ensure it meets your expectations and the agreed-upon scope

• Make the final payment as outlined in your contract

• Leave a review to help future clients and boost the contractor’s reputation and offer to serve as a reference for the contractor (if satisfied with the work)

• Keep all documentation, including contracts, receipts, and warranties, for future reference or repairs

• Enjoy your “new” historic home