In the City of St. Louis's eighteen ordinance-designated historic districts, no building permit for exterior work can be issued until the Cultural Resources Office (CRO) or the Preservation Board approves it, and the office's approved replacement window list does not include a vinyl window. That is the rule in one sentence. The rest of this guide is what each district actually says, façade by façade, so you can see what will pass before you spend money on a quote.
Which neighborhoods are City Historic Districts?
Eighteen, by ordinance: Benton Park, Central West End, Cherokee-Lemp Brewery, Compton Hill, Fox Park, Hyde Park (plus the Hyde Park Extension under Ordinance 69299), Kingsbury-Washington Terrace, Lafayette Square, McKinley Heights, North I-44, Shaw Neighborhood, Skinker DeBaliviere, Soulard, The Ville, Tower Grove East, Union Station and Visitation Park.
Not on the list, despite often being described as "historic": Tower Grove South, Old North St. Louis and the Compton Heights name (the local district is Compton Hill). A National Register listing on its own does not bring privately funded window work under CRO review; the office's review authority runs through the local district ordinances and City Landmark designations. If your block is National Register only, you may choose any product — though if you are using historic tax credits, those carry their own standards.
How the review works
- The Building Division automatically refers a permit application in a CRO area to the office. Per the CRO: "No permit may be issued without the Cultural Resources Office or the Preservation Board's approval."
- The City's residential permit criteria say that in a historic district, windows, doors and exterior painting require approval, and that a permit "is usually required by the Cultural Resources Office even though it is not required by the Building Code." In other words, the ordinary City exemption for same-opening window replacement does not get you out of CRO review.
- The office reviews roughly 2,000 exterior-alteration permits a year, offers a free preliminary review before you commit, and keeps a "CRO Hotspot" desk in City Hall for small projects. A matching replacement is typically approved within days.
The approved replacement window list
The CRO's list (updated June 18, 2025) sets a hierarchy:
- All-wood sash replacement kits replicating the original sash within the existing frame (example named: Marvin Tilt-Pac).
- All-wood full-frame replacements replicating the original.
- Approved non-wood products:
- Color-finished aluminum: Crown M-1400; Quaker H650 Historic single-hung; EFCO Historic double-hung.
- Composite: Andersen "Renewal" double-hung.
Conforming wood and clad-wood lines named: Marvin Ultimate double-hung G2 and Magnum; Jeld-Wen Custom Wood double-hung; Kolbe Heritage and Sterling (with the St. Louis checkrail); Andersen E-Series clad; Pella Architect Series Traditional (wood and aluminum-clad LX) and Pella Reserve Traditional; Sierra Pacific Westchester clad; Rivertown Historic Wood double-hung; Loewen; Weather Shield Premium; Lincoln Quantum; STL Historic Windows; Midwest Insulated Glass.
Named as non-conforming: Jeld-Wen Siteline and Builders clad; Lincoln double-hung and sash kit; Windsor; ZapPak; other Pella wood double-hungs; Quaker Wood double-hung.
General condition on everything: the replacement "must replicate historic double-hung windows in configuration, size, dimension of individual members, placement and trim," and "some historic districts may have additional restrictions." There is no vinyl product anywhere on the list.
What each district's standard says
The standards are written by façade. "Public" or "street-facing" is what you see from the sidewalk; "semi-public" or "side" is a side elevation visible from the street; "private" or "rear" faces the alley or yard.
| District | Street-facing / public façade | Side / semi-public | Rear / private | Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soulard (§203) | Existing window repaired, or replacement duplicating the original; "shall be made of wood or finished aluminum"; muntin, sash and frame profiles match; double-hung may become single-hung; no tinted, reflective, glass-block or plastic glazing (Lexan excepted) | "Wood; Vinyl-coated wood; or Finished … aluminum. Clear anodized aluminum is prohibited." | "Glass types and materials on Private Facades are not regulated" | New or resized openings match adjacent proportions with toothed-in jambs |
| Benton Park (§203) | Same as Soulard: "wood or finished aluminum" | Wood, vinyl-coated wood or finished aluminum | Not regulated as to material | "No new window openings shall be created in a Public Facade"; no public-façade opening altered in length or width |
| Lafayette Square (rev. eff. 2-21-2019, §203) | Primary public façades: "all wood or composite clad wood including basement windows … paintable material. Metal clad wood shall be prohibited." Sill/jamb inserts within existing sills and jambs prohibited; lights, arrangement and method of opening must match | Secondary/rear: materials in 203.1 plus "Fiberglass and composite materials" and "Metal-clad wood"; secondary public façades within 10 ft of a public sidewalk must be wood | As secondary | Exterior storms on primary façade must be painted wood; low-e acceptable if non-reflective and untinted |
| Central West End (Dec. 2018 standards; Ord. 69423) | Repair preferred; replacements duplicate the original; "Replacement windows shall be wood, clad wood, or a composite material" | Highly visible side elevations: "wood, wood-clad, or aluminum"; sides seen only obliquely or at a distance "may be wood, aluminum, or vinyl" keeping size, configuration and operation | "Replacement windows may be of any material. Window openings may be altered." | No size change or new openings on street-facing façades; reflective/tinted glass and glass block prohibited |
| Skinker DeBaliviere (rev. 11-11-2018, Ord. 70821) | "Special Windows" retained, repaired or custom replicated; "Standard Windows may be replaced with replacement windows or sashes that duplicate the window in profile, dimension and design" — pointing to the CRO list; traditional brickmold; exterior-applied muntins; no new muntin pattern; "Visible historic brickmold and window frames shall not be concealed with coil stock" | Same for visible façades | — | "Window openings on Visible facades shall not be altered in size or permanently closed" |
| Shaw Neighborhood (Ord. 57986) | "Both new or replacement windows and door frames shall be limited to wood or color finished aluminum. Glass blocks are not permitted. Raw or unfinished aluminum is not acceptable." | — | — | Openings "in the same vertical and horizontal proportions and style as in the original" |
| Hyde Park | "New and replacement window frames and door frames shall be limited to wood or color finished aluminum. A color code of white, dark green, gray, or wood tones shall be followed." Storms: wood or color-finished aluminum | — | — | — |
| Compton Hill (Ord. 57702) | "Storm doors, storm windows, and window frames shall be of wood, color finished material. Mill finished aluminum or similar metal is not permitted." | — | — | — |
| Tower Grove East | The adopted ordinance applies the standards to new construction and additions only; no replacement-window standard for existing buildings in the adopted text | — | — | — |
Districts we have not yet read in full (standards exist at the CRO ordinances page; treat the approved list and the "wood or finished aluminum" pattern as the safe assumption until we add them): Fox Park, McKinley Heights, Cherokee-Lemp Brewery, Kingsbury-Washington Terrace, North I-44, The Ville, Union Station, Visitation Park.
The pattern across everything read: vinyl is never allowed on a street-facing façade; wood or color-finished aluminum is the universal baseline; clad wood and composite are allowed in the Central West End, Lafayette Square's secondary façades and via the CRO list in Skinker DeBaliviere; vinyl appears only on Central West End oblique sides and rear elevations, and on the unregulated private façades of Soulard and Benton Park.
What this means when you are buying
- Find your district first. The CRO has a map; we check it before quoting. The difference between a Soulard public façade and the alley side is a different product and roughly double the price.
- Repair before replace. Every district read prefers repair of original sash, and a sash-replacement kit in a sound frame is the top of the approved list. Window repair covers restoration.
- Match the configuration. One-over-one stays one-over-one; a cottage sash stays a cottage sash. Simulated divided lights with exterior-applied muntins are acceptable in Skinker DeBaliviere; a new muntin pattern is not.
- Keep the brickmould. It is the visible frame around a brick opening. Do not let anyone wrap it in aluminum coil — Skinker DeBaliviere prohibits it by name, and it fails review elsewhere.
- Use the rear. Where the district allows another material on private façades, a vinyl or fiberglass unit at the back is a legitimate way to control the budget.
- Lead-safe applies. Essentially every building in these districts predates 1978; window replacement is always an RRP job. See lead-safe window replacement.
Outside the City
Kirkwood, Webster Groves, Ferguson, University City and St. Charles (the Frenchtown and Main Street areas) each have their own landmark or preservation provisions, and Alton and Belleville across the river have historic districts of their own. We have not yet verified their window standards against the ordinance text; before quoting a street-facing window on a designated property in those cities we confirm with the city's planning office, and we will add them here as we do.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a variance to use vinyl on the front? In the districts whose standards say "wood or finished aluminum," a vinyl front window is contrary to the adopted standard, not a judgment call, and we do not recommend pursuing it.
Does CRO review apply to storm windows? Yes in most districts: Soulard regulates exterior storm material and finish; Lafayette Square requires painted wood storms on primary façades. Interior storms are generally unregulated.
How long does approval take? For a replacement that matches the original and uses a listed product, typically days. Non-listed products are evaluated case by case and take longer.
My house burned or was hit by the 2025 tornado. Do the rules still apply? Yes. Storm damage does not suspend the district standard; the approved-list product is the like-kind replacement, and we document that for the insurer. See storm damage window replacement.
Where do I read the standards myself? Each district's standards PDF is linked from the CRO's "City Historic District Ordinances" page on stlouis-mo.gov; the approved window list is on the office's "Approved Historic Window List" page.
Next step
Historic district windows is the service that handles the product selection, the submission and the installation. Related: replacing windows in a brick house · window permits in St. Louis.