San Antonio Conservation Society Building Grants

San Antonio Conservation Society Building Grants is sponsored by San Antonio Conservation Society. Offers grants for the restoration or rehabilitation of residential or commercial historic structures in the San Antonio area that are at least 50 years old.

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The exemption can be extended for an additional five years for a total of 15 years for owners who remain in the same house for the entire period of the exemption. Owners of historic properties in San Antonio may be eligible for certain incentives for rehabilitation either through local or federal programs.

Substantial Rehabilitation A tax exemption is available for designated local landmarks and properties within local historic districts that undergo a substantial rehabilitation.

Substantial rehabilitation includes improvements that extend the life of a building, such as: Benefits After Certification & Verification Residential properties are eligible for one of the two incentive options below: 10-Year Tax Freeze: This incentive freezes the City property tax line at the pre-improvement value (value at the start of work) for ten years.

Therefore, the City property tax line will be assessed based upon the value of the property before the substantial rehabilitation occurred. 5 Zero/5 Fifty: No City property taxes are owed for the first five years of the incentive (the City property tax line is assessed at zero). For the subsequent five years of the incentive, the City property tax line is assessed at 50% of the post-rehabilitation value.

Commercial properties are only eligible for the 5 Zero/5 Fifty tax exemption: No City property taxes are owed for the first five years. For the last five years of the incentive, City property taxes are assessed at 50% of the post-rehabilitation value. The Substantial Rehabilitation Tax Incentive remains with the property and is transferrable to new property owners.

NOTE: City property taxes refer to the City of San Antonio line on your tax bill (Entity 21). Additional taxing agencies, such as SAISD, Bexar County, and the River Authority, are not affected by this City incentive.

To qualify for the tax incentive properties must be designated historic and the rehabilitation project must meet a cost threshold of 30% of the property’s Improvement Homesite Value, as determined by Bexar County Appraisal District (BCAD).

The application process is administered in two parts: Submitted at the beginning stages of work so the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) staff can verify that you will qualify for the program. Submitted once you are fully done with the project, including closure of all permits. If the work that you are using to qualify for the incentive has already been completed, both application packages may be submitted together.

Both applications require review and approval by the Historic and Design Review Commission (HDRC). After approval of verification, the tax exemption will go into effect the following calendar year. The Historic Tax Certification and Verification applications are available on the Submit an Application page.

Contact OHP staff for further details.

Step-by-Step Guide for Redeeming Substantial Exemptions (PDF, 2MB) Local Tax Incentives Brochure (PDF, 553KB) San Antonio Conservation Society Grants Program Using the proceeds from its annual presentation of "A Night In Old San Antonio®" (NIOSA®) and in keeping with its mission, the San Antonio Conservation Society accepts applications for grants to individuals and organizations for restoration or rehabilitation of residential or commercial structures in the San Antonio area that are at least 50 years old.

Examples of grant projects funded in past years include restoration or rehabilitation of: Visit the San Antonio Conservation Society website for more information about their program. Federal Historic Tax Credits Other Federal Tax Incentives for Historic Preservation National Trust For Historic Preservation: Find Funding The Federal Historic Tax Credit: Transforming Communities (PDF, 3MB)