Cornice Repair in a St. Louis Historic District: Where to Start
In this guide
Start by finding out what condition the cornice is in, then take that to the city. A written repair scope gives the city's historic-preservation office something specific to respond to, and it is better than describing the work from memory or from a contractor's pitch.
Working on an older building? See how our cornice inspection works.
Does cornice repair need historic review?
It may, and the answer depends on the address, including whether the building is in a historic district. We do not state what the city requires. Ask the City of St. Louis historic-preservation office before work starts, and if your building is outside the city, ask your own municipality.
Do not rely on a neighbor's experience or on a contractor's description of what is usually allowed. Conditions vary by property.
How is historic review different from an engineer's assessment?
They answer different questions. An engineer's assessment says what condition the cornice and wall are in, why, and what repair would address it. Historic review is the city's process for deciding whether proposed exterior work is acceptable under the rules that apply to the property.
One does not replace the other. A condition report will not approve work, and an approval will not tell you whether the wall behind the cornice is sound. The partner guide on historic review and cornice repair in St. Louis covers the distinction in more detail.
How does a repair scope help the conversation?
A city reviewer can only respond to what is put in front of them. A written scope documents the existing condition, identifies the material, explains what work is proposed and says why. That gives the reviewer clearer information than a photograph and a general description would.
The scope also helps you ask a more useful question. Instead of asking whether you can fix the cornice, you can ask how the proposed scope should be handled. You do not need to settle on a repair method to begin. A cornice repair scope is meant to be that document.
What order makes sense?
- Gather safe photographs from the ground and any earlier reports or repair proposals.
- Have the condition assessed so the cause and the scope are known.
- Ask the building and historic-preservation offices what applies to that scope.
- Have contractors bid against the same written scope.
- Agree on the records you expect when the work is finished.
Steps can overlap, and what an earlier step finds may change a later one.
What should you bring when you contact the city?
- The address.
- Photographs of the cornice taken from the ground.
- Any engineer's report you already have.
- A description of the work you have in mind, even if it is not final.
Ask what the city needs to see and in what form. The answers will tell you what the written scope should contain.
What if something is loose before review is finished?
Safety comes first. If material is loose over a sidewalk or doorway, keep people out from under it and call. Do not climb up or pull at it. Ask the relevant offices what applies to urgent work at your address instead of assuming. If something has already come down, a fallen masonry assessment addresses that case.
Does the engineer perform the repair?
No. The engineer assesses and writes the scope, and does not sell or perform repairs. That separation keeps the document a statement of condition and need, not a sales proposal, which is useful when someone else has to review it.
Where do you begin?
Read about our cornice inspection and send the address, a few photographs and any city correspondence. Then use the findings to ask the historic-preservation office the right question.
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