Resources

One of the main goals of our Association is education - to teach our neighbors about the uniqueness of our homes, the responsibility we bear as neighbors to preserve our city for future generations, and the proper steps to take to update and restore our houses. The information below should provide you all that you need to get started on your next project!

Property Improvements

The most frequently asked question is - how do I responsibly preserve and update my home? Who should I engage and what resources exist to guide me on this journey? Our step-by-step explanation will summarize some of the key elements to the process.

The SA Preservation Rehabber Club has a list of recommended contractors for those looking to work on their historic home.

Learn more

Historic Design Guidelines

The City of San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) has published several guidelines for the citizens to learn more about how to update all aspects of a historic property and how the City and the US Department of Interior approach historic design. These easy-to-read brochures help you answer “Why should I preserve?” and “How do I preserve?” and provide more details behind the different approval processes. All of the brochures can be found below:

#1 Introduction

#2 Exteriors

#3 Additions

#4 New Construction

#5 Site Elements

#6 Signage

#7 Historic Resources

Grants

The Conservation Society of San Antonio offers competitive grants once a year for the restoration or rehabilitation of residential or commercial historic structures built in the past 50 years. Applications for the 2026 Building Grants begin August 2026. Click here to find out more information.

A tax exemption is available for designated local landmarks and properties within local historic districts that undergo a substantial rehabilitation. Learn more about incentives from OHP here.

Research

Follow the link below to watch “Become a Citizen Historian” and learn how genealogists and historians find information about historic places, people, and events in San Antonio. All tools discussed in the workshop are available for free online and with your San Antonio Public Library card.