Old Town · Georgetown, TX 78626
What a roofer should check on an older home, when the City’s historic review comes in, whether metal fits, and how color changes both the heat and the look of the street.
South of Downtown
Old Town is one of Georgetown’s two historic overlay districts: in the City’s words, mostly residential areas between Downtown and Southwestern University, reaching south to parts of 17th, 18th and 19th Streets. It was created in 2004, and it sits next to the Downtown Overlay around the Square without being part of it. Three National Register historic districts lie inside it.
That status shapes a re-roof. The City says a change of roofing material in the overlay may need a Certificate of Appropriateness before the permit, and its design guidelines favor repairing old materials and replacing them in kind. So the work starts with two questions: what’s really under the roof, and what does the City need to see first. We’ll answer the first on the roof and help you ask the second.
An older house
A roof on an older house is a stack of decisions made over decades. Pick a part of the roof to see what we look at, why it matters more on an older home, and what the City’s own rules say about it.
What we check
Why it matters on an older house
A house that has been re-roofed more than once can carry an older roof under the visible one, and the materials and fastening underneath may not match what you see from the street. What is there decides whether a tear-off is required.
General roofing guidance.
What we check
Why it matters on an older house
Most roof leaks start where the roof stops: at chimneys, dormers and walls rather than out in the field of shingles. On a house that has been re-roofed several times, original flashing is sometimes left in place and roofed around, which is why it gets looked at on its own.
General roofing guidance.
What we check
Why it matters on an older house
The deck is the part you never see and the part every new roof depends on. Older houses can have board decking rather than sheets, and some was laid for a different roof than the one on it now. Decking condition is a common reason a quote changes once the old roof is off, so it is worth asking how a contractor prices it before work starts.
General roofing guidance.
What we check
Why it matters on an older house
Older attics were often built before today's ventilation and insulation practice, and later changes can block what airflow there was. A re-roof is the natural time to fix ventilation. Insulation and duct location also decide how much a roof's color matters; the calculator below shows why.
General roofing guidance.
What we check
Why it matters on an older house
Additions and porch roofs added over the years meet the original roof at new valleys and walls, and those joints are where water finds its way in. A heavier material, or a different one, may also call for a look at what is holding the roof up.
General roofing guidance.
Before work starts
Find out what the City needs, get the permit, and keep the insurance record straight. The City decides what applies to your parcel; this is how to ask.
Step 1
Old Town is one of Georgetown's two historic overlay districts. What the City's own pages and forms say about a roof:
We read the code that takes effect November 1, 2026, but couldn't read the version in force before then, and the City's documents describe a home's “contributing” status in different ways. So none of this tells you what your house needs. Ask the City's historic preservation staff whether your parcel is in the overlay, how it is listed on the survey, and whether your roof plan needs a COA, before you sign a contract.
City Certificate of Appropriateness pageStep 2
Per the City's roofing permit page (undated; confirm current fees and steps with the City):
The same page says that when framing, roof slope or decking is replaced, the City wants construction plans, and that a residential permit is valid for 180 days. In a historic overlay, the 2026 code says no building permit is issued until the COA review is done, so Step 1 comes first. Whether a parcel falls inside the City Limits is the City's call.
City re-roofing permit pageStep 3
If the roof work follows a storm, the paperwork starts before any of the approvals. The Texas Department of Insurance's after-hail steps:
Policies differ, and a historic review can shape what material goes back on. Ask your insurer how your policy treats that before you choose; see the questions below.
TDI: what to do after hailThe City’s Historic and Architectural Review Commission meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. We’ll put together photos, material samples and a written scope of work for your application.
Metal
Metal can suit an older house, and the City’s own guidelines name standing seam among the materials that may be acceptable. Whether it suits yours is a design question and, in the overlay, a review question. Here is what’s solid and what’s folklore.
Long vertical panels with raised seams and no exposed fasteners: strong vertical lines and a flat, even surface. The look depends a great deal on seam height and panel width, which is why the City’s guidelines name both: double-lock seams no more than 1.5 inches high and 18-inch pans (3.5.E.4). Ask to see the profile, not just the color.
Overlapping courses with a textured, horizontal read. The same guideline lists dimensional asphalt shingles that emulate wood shingles, and its appendix advises re-securing or replacing loose shingles in kind to match the existing color, texture, size and profile. Staying with what’s on the house is usually the simplest path in the overlay.
The Old Town chapter of the guidelines has no separate roof color rule that we found. A change of roof material is what the City’s re-roof page flags for possible review, and the guidelines say energy efficiency should never be a reason to remove or modify a historic feature (3.5.N.2). Pick a color for the house and the street first; the calculator below shows what it does for heat.
Color, heat and the look of the street
On an older street, the roof is a big share of what neighbors see, and its color also sets how hot it runs. Compare two BioGreen metal colors for both: the swatches for the look, the modeled roof temperature and ceiling heat for the summer.
Color A
Chestnut Brown
Modeled roof surface, peak sun
Peak heat through the ceiling (upper bound)
Color B
Light Stone
Modeled roof surface, peak sun
Peak heat through the ceiling (upper bound)
On a clear Central Texas summer afternoon, Light Stone is modeled to run about 24°F cooler on its surface than Chestnut Brown, and to let up to about 30% less peak heat through your ceiling at R-19.
Rough yearly cooling-cost difference for 2,000 sq ft of roof: $24 to $57 (middle estimate $44), from 152 to 361 kWh. A range from published cool-roof studies, not a bill prediction.
Color is one factor. Attic insulation, ventilation, a radiant barrier, where the ducts run and the age of your air conditioner often matter as much or more, and savings from color alone can be modest.
What this leaves out. Attic ventilation, radiant barriers, where the ducts run, shade from trees, air leaks and how your thermostat is set. The Department of Energy says savings depend on climate, how well the roof assembly is insulated, the roof type and the efficiency of your heating and cooling. Treat every number here as a comparison between two colors, not a forecast of your bill.
Screens aren’t paint. Swatches here are approximate on-screen colors; request a physical sample. Ask us for Chestnut Brown and Light Stone.
Request free samples and a quote* Solar reflectance is not on the chart; it is worked back from the published SRI under the stated emittance assumption. SRI and LRV are as published on the BioGreen color chart.
Color charts, ours included, print LRV right next to SRI, and it’s easy to read them as two ways of saying how much sun a roof turns away. They aren’t. One describes the look; the other describes the heat.
LRV: the look
Light Reflectance Value measures visible light only: how light or dark the color looks to your eye. Only visible light affects color, and about half of the sun’s energy arrives as invisible near-infrared, according to Berkeley Lab.
SRI: the heat
Solar Reflectance Index rolls the whole sun (ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared) together with how well the surface sheds heat, and says how hot it runs between a standard black (0) and a standard white (100), per ASTM E1980. For heat, compare SRI.
Old Town storm record
Every hail report of 1 inch or larger (the National Weather Service's severe threshold) filed within 5 miles of the center of the Old Town Overlay District, near South College Street, from July 2005 (where the archive's record for this area begins) to today.
Data as of October 25, 2026 · refreshed daily
Largest report on record
2.75"
May 28, 2020 · 0.5 mi away
Most recent 1″+ report
April 18, 2026
1.00" · 2.5 mi away
Reports of 1″ or larger
43
on 14 separate days since July 2005
All sized hail reports
80
including smaller than 1″
2005 to 2026 (year to date). Busiest year: 2023, with 11 reports. Counts are individual reports, not storms: one storm can produce several reports from different observers.
Largest report each day, distance from the record’s center.
| Date | Hail size | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| May 28, 2020 | 2.75" | 0.5 mi |
| May 2, 2007 | 2.75" | 1.6 mi |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 2.50" | 3.3 mi |
| Sep 24, 2023 | 2.50" | 2.3 mi |
| Oct 15, 2019 | 1.75" | 1.2 mi |
| Jun 4, 2007 | 1.75" | 1.1 mi |
| Mar 19, 2013 | 1.50" | 3.4 mi |
| Jun 16, 2019 | 1.25" | 1.6 mi |
| Apr 18, 2026 | 1.00" | 2.5 mi |
| May 9, 2024 | 1.00" | 1.6 mi |
Green marker: the center of the Old Town Overlay District, near South College Street, the record’s center. Dots: reports of 1″ or larger, colored by size. Dashed ring: 5 miles.
Newest first, with each report’s distance from the center of the Old Town Overlay District, near South College Street. Reports of 1″ or larger are marked. The location is the National Weather Service’s own description of where it was reported.
| Date | Size | Distance | Reported location |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2026 | 0.75" | 3.5 mi | 3 W Weir |
| Apr 18, 2026 | 1.00"1″+ | 2.5 mi | 4 SE Georgetown |
| Apr 30, 2025 | 0.75" | 3.5 mi | 3 W Weir |
| Apr 30, 2025 | 0.50" | 3.2 mi | 1 SE Serenada |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.25"1″+ | 3.5 mi | 5 S Weir |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.50"1″+ | 2.5 mi | 3 SW Weir |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.00"1″+ | 3.5 mi | 5 S Weir |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.25"1″+ | 3.5 mi | 5 S Weir |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.00"1″+ | 3.8 mi | 4 NNW Round Rock |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.00"1″+ | 1.3 mi | 2 SE Georgetown |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.25"1″+ | 2.7 mi | 4 ESE Georgetown |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.53"1″+ | 1.6 mi | 3 SSE Georgetown |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.38"1″+ | 3.3 mi | 4 SSE Georgetown |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 1.00"1″+ | 4.4 mi | 3 N Round Rock |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 0.75" | 4.4 mi | 3 N Round Rock |
| Apr 22, 2025 | 2.50"1″+ | 3.3 mi | 5 SSE Georgetown |
| Mar 23, 2025 | 0.75" | 1.7 mi | 2 S Georgetown |
| Mar 23, 2025 | 0.50" | 1.3 mi | 2 SE Georgetown |
| Mar 23, 2025 | 0.75" | 1.7 mi | 1 W Georgetown |
| Mar 23, 2025 | 0.75" | 0.7 mi | 1 S Georgetown |
| Mar 23, 2025 | 0.50" | 2.1 mi | 1 NW Georgetown |
| Dec 7, 2024 | 0.50" | 2.6 mi | 2 NE Georgetown |
| May 9, 2024 | 1.00"1″+ | 1.6 mi | Georgetown |
| Sep 24, 2023 | 2.25"1″+ | 0.5 mi | 1 SSE GEORGETOWN |
| Sep 24, 2023 | 1.00"1″+ | 4 mi | 2 ESE SERENADA |
| Sep 24, 2023 | 1.75"1″+ | 0.5 mi | 1 SSE GEORGETOWN |
| Sep 24, 2023 | 1.75"1″+ | 4.5 mi | 1 SW SERENADA |
| Sep 24, 2023 | 1.00"1″+ | 3.5 mi | 3 W WEIR |
| Sep 24, 2023 | 1.00"1″+ | 2.8 mi | 3 SSW GEORGETOWN |
| Sep 24, 2023 | 0.75" | 1.9 mi | 2 S GEORGETOWN |
| Sep 24, 2023 | 2.50"1″+ | 2.3 mi | 2 SW GEORGETOWN |
| Sep 24, 2023 | 1.00"1″+ | 3 mi | 1 ENE GEORGETOWN DAM |
| Sep 24, 2023 | 0.88" | 4.7 mi | 2 E SERENADA |
| Apr 28, 2023 | 1.00"1″+ | 2.5 mi | 3 ESE GEORGETOWN |
| Apr 28, 2023 | 1.00"1″+ | 4.1 mi | 3 SSW GEORGETOWN DAM |
| Apr 28, 2023 | 1.00"1″+ | 1.7 mi | 2 SSE GEORGETOWN |
| Mar 21, 2022 | 0.75" | 1.9 mi | 3 ESE GEORGETOWN |
| Mar 21, 2022 | 0.88" | 0.7 mi | 1 SE GEORGETOWN |
| Jun 2, 2021 | 0.50" | 3.3 mi | 2 SW WEIR |
| May 28, 2020 | 2.75"1″+ | 0.5 mi | 1 SSE GEORGETOWN |
| May 28, 2020 | 2.75"1″+ | 0.5 mi | 1 SSE GEORGETOWN |
| May 28, 2020 | 1.00"1″+ | 1.3 mi | 2 SE GEORGETOWN |
| May 28, 2020 | 2.50"1″+ | 1.9 mi | 2 S GEORGETOWN |
| Oct 15, 2019 | 1.00"1″+ | 2.1 mi | 3 SE GEORGETOWN |
| Oct 15, 2019 | 1.75"1″+ | 1.2 mi | 1 ENE GEORGETOWN |
| Oct 15, 2019 | 1.75"1″+ | 1.2 mi | 1 ENE GEORGETOWN |
| Jun 16, 2019 | 0.70" | 3.3 mi | 2 SE SERENADA |
| Jun 16, 2019 | 0.88" | 1.2 mi | GEORGETOWN |
| Jun 16, 2019 | 1.25"1″+ | 1.6 mi | GEORGETOWN |
| Dec 26, 2018 | 0.88" | 4.4 mi | 2 SSW WEIR |
| Apr 13, 2018 | 1.00"1″+ | 0.5 mi | 1 ESE GEORGETOWN |
| Feb 21, 2018 | 0.25" | 1.7 mi | 2 SSW GEORGETOWN |
| Feb 11, 2018 | 0.25" | 1.2 mi | 1 SSW GEORGETOWN |
| Apr 29, 2017 | 0.75" | 3.9 mi | 2 SW WEIR |
| Apr 29, 2017 | 0.50" | 3.5 mi | 3 NE GEORGETOWN |
| Apr 29, 2017 | 0.25" | 4.8 mi | 4 NNE GEORGETOWN |
| Apr 2, 2017 | 0.75" | 1.6 mi | GEORGETOWN |
| Apr 2, 2017 | 0.50" | 3.4 mi | SUN CITY |
| Apr 2, 2017 | 1.00"1″+ | 1.6 mi | GEORGETOWN |
| Apr 9, 2016 | 0.25" | 1.6 mi | GEORGETOWN |
| Apr 6, 2014 | 0.70" | 1.6 mi | GEORGETOWN |
| Apr 6, 2014 | 0.25" | 1.6 mi | GEORGETOWN |
| Apr 27, 2013 | 0.25" | 4.3 mi | 1 W SUN CITY |
| Mar 19, 2013 | 1.00"1″+ | 3.3 mi | 4 E GEORGETOWN |
| Mar 19, 2013 | 1.00"1″+ | 1.6 mi | GEORGETOWN |
| Mar 19, 2013 | 0.88" | 3.4 mi | SUN CITY |
| Mar 19, 2013 | 1.50"1″+ | 3.4 mi | SUN CITY |
| Apr 4, 2011 | 0.50" | 3.3 mi | 5 SSE GEORGETOWN |
| Apr 4, 2011 | 0.75" | 4.3 mi | 5 NW HUTTO |
| Mar 5, 2011 | 0.50" | 3.1 mi | 2 W GEORGETOWN |
| Apr 23, 2010 | 0.25" | 0.9 mi | 2 SSE GEORGETOWN |
| Mar 24, 2010 | 0.25" | 3 mi | 3 SW GEORGETOWN |
| Feb 10, 2009 | 0.25" | 1.1 mi | 1 S GEORGETOWN |
| Apr 4, 2008 | 1.00"1″+ | 1.4 mi | 2 S GEORGETOWN |
| Apr 4, 2008 | 1.00"1″+ | 1.4 mi | 2 S GEORGETOWN |
| Apr 4, 2008 | 1.00"1″+ | 2.1 mi | 1 N GEORGETOWN |
| Apr 4, 2008 | 0.88" | 4.3 mi | 4 NE GEORGETOWN |
| Jun 4, 2007 | 1.75"1″+ | 1.1 mi | 1 S GEORGETOWN |
| May 2, 2007 | 1.50"1″+ | 4.2 mi | 3 W GEORGETOWN |
| May 2, 2007 | 2.75"1″+ | 1.6 mi | GEORGETOWN |
These are reports within about 5 miles, not findings of damage at any address.
Each one records hail that someone (a trained spotter, law enforcement, the media or the public) reported at one place and time; it doesn’t show what fell on a particular roof. They are preliminary National Weather Service Local Storm Reports as archived by the Iowa Environmental Mesonet, which notes its archive is not complete or official. NOAA’s official storm record is published in the NOAA Storm Events Database. Dates are Central time.
The record above covers 5 miles around the middle of the overlay. This lookup checks reports within 1 mile of your home over the last 5 years.
Enter your street address followed by Georgetown, TX 78626.
How this record overlaps our other Georgetown pages
Checked when this page was built in October 2026, against each page’s saved record. The Wolf Ranch record, centered about 2 miles west, shares all 38 of its 1-inch-or-larger reports with this one. All but one of this record’s 43 appear in the Sun City 10-mile record, centered about 6.4 miles north-northwest. The Berry Creek record, about 5 miles north, shares 15 of them.
We’ll look for hail, wind, and tornado reports within 1 mile of this address over the last 5 years, using National Weather Service local storm reports.
What neighbors have asked
Who reviews changes to Old Town houses, and how strictly, has been argued over in public for years. The short version, from the City’s records and local reporting:
2016 survey
The City's historic resources survey identifies 1,677 properties: 191 high, 589 medium and 897 low priority. Community Impact later reported 865 of them were in Old Town, most rated low priority.
City of Georgetown (georgetowntexas.gov)Community Impact, October 11, 2018
October 2018
Community Impact reported the council voted 5-2 to have an ordinance drafted that would make HARC advisory.
March 2019
The council moved instead to keep HARC's authority. As reported, staff would review alterations to low-priority buildings, single- and two-family homes would no longer be exempt from Certificate of Appropriateness review, and in-kind materials could be used on low- and medium-priority buildings.
July 2021
The City adopts its current Historic District Design Guidelines, with a chapter for Old Town (Ord. 2021-53).
September 2025
In one Old Town case, for a new detached garage behind a medium-priority house, City staff's analysis found a brown composite shingle roof consistent with the guidelines and recommended approval. The agenda packet doesn't show the commission's vote.
November 1, 2026
The rewritten development code takes effect, with a Downtown and Old Town chapter and a new review table. Community Impact reported the August 11 adoption plan in April.
May 2020 · City permit records
Georgetown normally issues about 400 re-roofing permits a year. After a May 2020 hailstorm it issued 5,488, according to City records reported by Community Impact in July 2021. The City’s re-roof page warns that permit processing time may change after a hail storm.
Community Impact, July 22, 2021April 22, 2025 · Local news
FOX San Antonio reported a Tuesday-night storm that hit south and southeast Georgetown and east Round Rock, naming the Saddle Creek neighborhood. A local roofing company’s president estimated 40,000 to 50,000 homes were affected; that is his estimate, not a count. The article didn’t report hail size, and it didn’t name Old Town. The storm record on this page holds 12 hail reports from that date within 5 miles of the overlay's center, the nearest 1.3 miles away.
FOX San Antonio, April 23, 2025Neither report says anything about a particular Old Town roof, and a report near a house isn’t a finding of damage. Only an inspection can say what reached yours.
No deals on your deductible
Texas law says you pay your own deductible. A contractor who promises or agrees to pay, waive, absorb or rebate it without your insurer's consent commits a Class B misdemeanor, and your insurer can hold back the replacement-cost payment until you show you paid it.
Ins. Code §707.002, §707.004; Bus. & Com. Code §27.02(c), (d)No cash up front for supplies
The Texas Department of Insurance says not to pay in full up front, to be wary of a large down payment, and not to make the final payment until the work is done.
TDIDon't sign over the insurance money
Pay against a written contract and invoice. TDI warns never to sign a contract saying you agree to the repairs “for the value of the insurance proceeds”; the City's re-roof page says that means giving the contractor every penny the insurer pays.
TDI; City re-roof pageCheck the City's registered list
Roofing contractors register with the City of Georgetown, at no cost. The City's re-roof page links its list of currently registered roofing contractors, labelled as of August 1, 2026. The City also says the owner stays responsible for finishing permits and inspections, even if a contractor walks away from the job.
City re-roof and registration pagesOffered a deal on your deductible? The Texas Department of Insurance says to report it to the Texas Attorney General at 800-621-0508.
Possibly, and the City is the one to ask. Every re-roof inside the City Limits needs a City permit. On top of that, the City's re-roof page says that if your address is in the Old Town Overlay or Downtown Overlay, you may need a Certificate of Appropriateness if you are changing materials. A Certificate of Appropriateness is approved either by the Historic Preservation Officer, with no public hearing, or by the Historic and Architectural Review Commission after one public hearing, and it comes before the building permit. Whether your house is on the City's historic resources survey, and at what priority, may decide which. Call the City's historic preservation staff with your address before you sign a contract.
Metal isn't ruled out. The City's re-roof page says metal roofs are allowed when installed to the 2021 International Residential Code, and the Old Town chapter of the City's Historic District Design Guidelines lists standing seam metal, with double-lock seams no more than 1.5 inches high and 18-inch pans, among the roof materials that may be acceptable depending on the building style. That list sits in the guidelines' section on building design and new construction; for an existing historic house the same guidelines say to repair deteriorated materials where possible and replace them in kind. Switching from shingles to metal is a change of material, so ask the City whether your house needs a Certificate of Appropriateness first.
Under the rewritten development code that takes effect November 1, 2026, ordinary maintenance and repair, meaning work that corrects deterioration or damage, including storm damage, without changing the property's existing appearance and materials, needs no Certificate of Appropriateness, and the roof row of the review table covers replacing roof materials with different roof materials. We couldn't read the code in force before that date, and we can't tell you how the City will view your particular house, so confirm with the City's historic preservation staff. Either way, the City permit is still required.
No. The City of Georgetown's re-roof rules say the existing covering has to come off first when the roof already has two or more layers of any type of roofing, when it is water-soaked or deteriorated to the point of being unacceptable as a base, or when it is wood shake, slate, clay or cement tile. The City also notes that roof framing may need to be examined before re-roofing, and that if framing, the roof's slope or the decking is being replaced, it wants a set of construction plans with the permit.
The Old Town chapter of the City's Historic District Design Guidelines sets the terms: panels must sit on the same plane as the roof, be in scale with the roof line, not damage historic features, and be a color compatible with the surrounding roof. The guidelines ask that solar go on secondary structures or additions where possible, and say panels may not be visible from the public right-of-way. Check with the City's historic preservation staff about review before you get a solar quote.
No. They are two separate historic overlay districts. The City describes the Old Town Overlay as mostly residential areas between Downtown and Southwestern University and south to parts of 17th, 18th and 19th Streets, and the 2026 development code says it abuts but does not include the Downtown Overlay District, whose Area 1 is the Town Square Historic District. Both overlays use the City's Certificate of Appropriateness process and its Historic District Design Guidelines, but the guidelines have separate chapters for each.
It can help, but by less than people expect, and color is only one factor. A higher-SRI color runs cooler in the sun and sends less heat into the attic. How much that saves depends on your attic insulation, ventilation, where the ducts run and your air conditioner; the U.S. Department of Energy says savings depend on climate, how well the roof assembly is insulated, the roof type and the efficiency of your heating and cooling. The color and heat calculator on this page shows the modeled difference for two colors and a yearly range from published studies, with every assumption listed.
How standing-seam roofs are built and installed, with project photos. In Old Town, a switch to metal is a change of material for the City to review.
About standing-seam roofsA roof replaced through an insurance claim may qualify for Class 4 impact-resistant shingles at no additional upgrade charge.
See if your roof qualifiesEvery BioGreen metal color, the SRI-versus-LRV explainer, all the assumptions and every source.
Roof colors and heatHow insurers pay roof claims in two stages, what recoverable depreciation means, and what an adjuster's report contains.
How insurance roof claims workNot in Old Town? We serve all of Georgetown and the I-35 corridor.
All Georgetown service areasSources and last checked
Each source was checked on the date shown. Storm data on this page is as of October 25, 2026.
Iowa Environmental Mesonet, Iowa State University
Used for: Every storm figure on this page: the yearly chart, largest and most recent reports, the full report list with distances, the map, and the overlap with our other Georgetown pages.
IEM states its archive is not complete or official.
Checked October 25, 2026
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Used for: Where to check NOAA's official storm record for any date on this page.
Checked October 25, 2026
National Weather Service
Used for: The 1.00-inch severe hail threshold, effective January 5, 2010, used to filter the record.
Checked October 24, 2026
City page
Historic PreservationCity of Georgetown (georgetowntexas.gov)
Used for: Old Town as one of two historic overlay districts, “mostly residential areas between Downtown and Southwestern University and south to parts of 17th, 18th and 19th Streets”; that projects in the overlays are reviewed through a COA by the Historic Preservation Officer or HARC.
Undated page. It points readers to UDC Sec. 3.13 and 4.08 on Municode, which refused our requests (HTTP 403).
Checked October 25, 2026
City page
Certificate of AppropriatenessCity of Georgetown (georgetowntexas.gov)
Used for: When a COA is required, that staff (HPO) review has no public hearing and HARC review has one, that the building permit comes after the COA, and that the application asks for current photos of what needs repair or replacement.
Undated page.
Checked October 25, 2026
City page
Certificate of Appropriateness Checklist, with Scope of Work formCity of Georgetown Development Manual, effective March 26, 2025
Used for: The $505 HARC and $185 staff review fees (staff set the final fee), digital submittal on two days a month, and the scope-of-work question about altering, removing or replacing a historic roof.
Checked October 25, 2026
City page
Historic and Architectural Review CommissionCity of Georgetown (georgetowntexas.gov)
Used for: What HARC reviews in the Downtown and Old Town districts, and that it meets on the second and fourth Thursdays at 6 pm.
Undated page.
Checked October 25, 2026
City code
Unified Development Code, as adopted August 11, 2026 (Ch. 5 Downtown and Old Town Code; Ch. 18 definitions)City of Georgetown
Used for: Old Town Overlay created by Ord. 2004-22 (April 13, 2004) and abutting but not including the Downtown Overlay (5.03.010); the roof row of Table 5.11.010-1 and its same-or-similar footnote; the ordinary maintenance and repair exemption and its definition; no building permit before COA review (5.11.010.C).
Takes effect November 1, 2026 (Sec. 1.09). The code in force before then (UDC Sec. 3.13 on Municode) refused our requests, so it wasn't read.
Checked October 25, 2026
City code
Historic District Design Guidelines, Chapter 3: Old Town (adopted July 27, 2021, Ord. 2021-53)City of Georgetown
Used for: Repair deteriorated materials rather than replace them when possible, and replace in kind (3.2.B, 3.2.E); roof materials that may be acceptable depending on building style, including standing seam within stated seam and pan limits (3.5.E.4); roof forms (3.5.E.1); solar on the roof plane and out of public view (3.3.M); energy efficiency never a reason to remove historic features (3.5.N.2); the appendix note on re-securing or replacing loose shingles in kind.
3.5.E sits in the guidelines' building and new-construction section; for an existing historic house, the repair and replace-in-kind guidance comes first.
Checked October 25, 2026
City page
Historic Resource SurveyCity of Georgetown (georgetowntexas.gov)
Used for: That the 2016 survey identifies 1,677 properties (191 high, 589 medium and 897 low priority), that survey-listed properties in the overlays may need a COA for certain changes, and that priority may set the level of review.
The survey report (September 2017) counts 1,676 resources and treats resources built in 1974 or earlier as historic-age. The report and the City's FAQ describe low-priority “contributing” status differently, so this page doesn't state it.
Checked October 25, 2026
City GIS
Old Town Overlay layer, City of Georgetown GISCity of Georgetown (Historic Properties web map)
Used for: The storm record's center point: the overlay polygon's center of area. Point checks put it inside the Old Town layer and outside the Downtown Overlay and the four National Register district layers.
Layer last edited October 1, 2025. A map check, not a parcel determination.
Checked October 25, 2026
City of Georgetown
Used for: That the center point falls inside Georgetown's City Limits polygon.
A point check, not a parcel determination.
Checked October 25, 2026
OpenStreetMap Nominatim
Used for: That the center point sits on South College Street, Georgetown, 78626.
Checked October 25, 2026
City page
Re-Roofing PermitsCity of Georgetown (georgetowntexas.gov)
Used for: Step 2 of the roadmap and the older-home guide: the permit, the $60.00 fee, ten to fifteen business days (and that hail storms can change that), the online final inspection, the tear-off conditions (water-soaked or deteriorated roofs, wood shake, slate, clay or cement tile, two or more layers), that roof framing may need checking, plans when framing, slope or decking is replaced, the 2021 IRC, the 180-day permit, that metal roofs are allowed when installed to code, and the overlay COA line. Also the registered contractor list and the owner's responsibility for permits and inspections.
Undated page. Its list of registered roofing contractors is labelled as of 8.1.2026.
Checked October 25, 2026
City page
Contractor RegistrationCity of Georgetown (georgetowntexas.gov)
Used for: That roofing contractors must register with the City through MGO Connect, and that registration is free.
Undated page.
Checked October 24, 2026
Local news
Commission's role in Georgetown's historic preservation under new debateCommunity Impact, October 11, 2018
Used for: That 865 of the 1,677 surveyed properties were in Old Town and that most Old Town properties were rated low priority, as the newspaper reported, and the 2018 council vote to have an ordinance drafted making HARC advisory.
The counts are the newspaper's; we didn't find them in a City document.
Checked October 25, 2026
Local news
Georgetown City Council advances plan to preserve HARC authorityCommunity Impact, March 27, 2019
Used for: That in 2019 the council moved to keep HARC's authority, with staff reviewing low-priority alterations, single- and two-family homes no longer exempt from COA review, and in-kind materials allowed for low- and medium-priority buildings.
Reporting on a proposal at the time; the code text that followed is what governs.
Checked October 25, 2026
Local news
Georgetown shares details of Unified Development Code updateCommunity Impact, April 29, 2026
Used for: That the final UDC ordinance was slated for approval August 11 and the new code takes effect November 1.
Checked October 25, 2026
City page
HARC agenda packet, meeting of September 11, 2025 (case 2025-30-COA)City of Georgetown
Used for: One recent Old Town case: for a new detached garage behind a medium-priority house, staff's analysis under Guideline 3.5.E found a brown composite shingle roof compliant and recommended approval.
A staff recommendation; the packet doesn't show the commission's vote. The address and owner aren't repeated here.
Checked October 25, 2026
Local news
Roofing scam complaints lead Georgetown officials to consider how to protect residentsCommunity Impact, July 22, 2021
Used for: The storm-season permit figures, from City records: about 400 re-roofing permits in a normal year and 5,488 after the May 2020 hailstorm.
Reporting from 2021. Its description of the City's contractor rules at the time is not used here.
Checked October 24, 2026
Local news
Hailstorm wreaks havoc in Georgetown, damages thousands of homesFOX San Antonio, April 23, 2025
Used for: The April 2025 storm as reported: Tuesday night (April 22), south and southeast Georgetown and east Round Rock, the Saddle Creek neighborhood named, and a roofing company president's estimate of 40,000 to 50,000 homes affected.
The article does not name Old Town and does not report hail size. The homes figure is one person's estimate.
Checked October 25, 2026
State rule
Insurance Code ch. 707 and Business & Commerce Code §27.02 (HB 2102, enrolled)Texas Legislature, 86th Regular Session, effective September 1, 2019
Used for: The deductible protection: you must pay it (§707.002), the insurer may withhold replacement-cost payments until you show proof (§707.004), and the offense and penalty (§27.02(c), (d)).
Read in the enrolled bill. TDI's roofing law page (updated March 24, 2025) cites the same sections.
Checked October 24, 2026
State agency
Roofing and insurance: Know the lawTexas Department of Insurance, last updated March 24, 2025
Used for: That it is illegal for a contractor to offer to waive, rebate or absorb a deductible.
Checked October 24, 2026
State agency
How to avoid contracting scamsTexas Department of Insurance, last updated December 9, 2025
Used for: Paying up front and the insurance-proceeds contract warning.
Checked October 24, 2026
State agency
Hail damage to your home or car? What to do next.Texas Department of Insurance, last updated December 9, 2025
Used for: Step 3 of the roadmap: file as soon as you can, photograph and video the damage, make temporary repairs and keep receipts.
Checked October 24, 2026
Manufacturer data
BioGreen metal roof color chartE4 Roofing / Bio Green
Used for: Every color's name, SRI and LRV, as published by the manufacturer, and the premium note on Natural Rust.
On-screen swatches are sampled from the chart image and are approximate; request a physical sample.
Checked October 25, 2026
Research
ASTM E1980, Standard Practice for Calculating Solar Reflectance Index of Horizontal and Low-Sloped Opaque Surfaces (2001 edition)ASTM International (open copy hosted by NeoTech Coatings)
Used for: The SRI definition: the standard black (solar reflectance 0.05, emittance 0.90) and white (0.80, 0.90) surfaces, the reference conditions (1,000 W/m², 310 K air, 300 K sky, convection 5, 12 and 30 W/m²K) and the surface heat balance the calculator inverts.
The current edition (E1980-11) is paywalled; the CRRC document below confirms the same black and white references.
Checked October 25, 2026
Research
SRI calculator spreadsheet (SRI-calc10.xls)Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Heat Island Group (listed by DOE's Building America Solution Center)
Used for: A check on our implementation: it reproduces the spreadsheet's worked example (SRI 83.57 for reflectance 0.70, emittance 0.80).
Checked October 25, 2026
Industry data
Understanding the Solar Reflectance Index: A Calculated ValueCool Roof Rating Council, updated April 2024
Used for: That SRI is calculated from solar reflectance and thermal emittance per ASTM E1980, against standard white (100) and standard black (0).
Checked October 25, 2026
Industry data
Rated Roof Products Directory (full export)Cool Roof Rating Council
Used for: The emittance assumptions: 0.83 for comparable SMP-painted metal, and 0.30 with solar reflectance 0.68 (SRI 64) for a rated Zincalume Plus product when new.
CRRC lists that Zincalume Plus product lower after three years of weathering (SRI 46). The calculator uses values for a new roof.
Checked October 25, 2026
Research
Cool Science: Cool RoofsLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Heat Island Group
Used for: That only visible light affects color, that about half of the sun's energy is invisible near-infrared, and that cool-colored dark roofs reflect more of it.
Undated page.
Checked October 25, 2026
Research
Advances in measuring solar reflectance (talk)Ronnen Levinson, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, June 30, 2009
Used for: Solar reflectance weighs ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared reflectance at about 6.6%, 44.7% and 48.7%.
Checked October 25, 2026
Federal agency
PVWatts v8 hourly typical-year run for Georgetown (NSRDB PSM v3 TMY)National Laboratory of the Rockies developer API (developer.nlr.gov; PVWatts previously ran at developer.nrel.gov)
Used for: Peak July sun: 1,026 W/m² on a flat surface; at a 6:12 pitch, 1,000 facing south, 1,020 west and 864 north. Also a July mean daily high of 35.9 °C in the same typical-year data.
Typical-year data, not a design extreme. Run for 30.6334, -97.6719; the nearest data cell is about 1.3 miles away.
Checked October 25, 2026
Federal agency
U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, Georgetown Lake (USC00413507)NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
Used for: The July normal daily high, 95.9 °F, used as the summer afternoon air temperature.
Checked October 25, 2026
Research
Cool Surface Savings database (Savings Explorer), from Solar-Reflective “Cool” Walls (LBNL-2001296, 2019)Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, linked from EPA's cool roofs page
Used for: The central yearly estimate: Houston (climate zone 2A) single-family homes, cooling electricity saved per m² of roof per unit of solar reflectance, 12.1, 6.1 and 3.9 kWh at roof R-values of 13.3, 27.3 and 32.4; and the 24.0 °C cooling setpoint.
Simulated (EnergyPlus). No Austin row; Houston stands in for zone 2A.
Checked October 25, 2026
Research
The Impact of Reflectivity and Emissivity of Roofs on Building Cooling and Heating Energy UseAkbari & Konopacki, LBNL, Thermal Envelopes VII, 1998
Used for: The low end of the yearly range (Fort Worth new house, R-19, 4.3 kWh per m² per unit reflectance), and that savings depend on climate and roof insulation.
Simulated (DOE-2). Its dollar figures use 1990s prices and aren't used.
Checked October 25, 2026
Research
Measured and Simulated Performance of Reflective Roofing Systems in Residential Buildings (FSEC-PF-331-98)Parker, Huang, Konopacki, Gartland, Sherwin & Gu, ASHRAE Transactions 104(1), 1998
Used for: The high end of the yearly range (Fort Worth new house, R-30, attic ducts, SEER 10, about 6.5 kWh per m² per unit reflectance), the SEER 10 reference, and that savings vary with insulation, duct location, ventilation and air conditioner size.
Simulated with an attic-duct model; its measured retrofits were in Florida.
Checked October 25, 2026
Research
Potential benefits of cool roofs on commercial buildingsLevinson & Akbari, Energy Efficiency 3:53–109, 2010
Used for: The method's scaling: savings roughly proportional to the change in reflectance, roof area and solar resource, and inversely to the roof's R-value.
A commercial-building study; only its scaling relationship is used.
Checked October 25, 2026
Research
Comparative Evaluation of the Impact of Roofing Systems on Residential Cooling Energy Demand in FloridaParker, Sonne & Sherwin, FSEC, ACEEE Summer Study 2002
Used for: Side-by-side measured homes: white reflective roofs cut cooling energy 18–26%, and white metal had the best cooling performance, helped by cooling off faster at night.
Measured in Fort Myers, Florida, not Texas. Context only; not used in the yearly range.
Checked October 25, 2026
Federal agency
Cool Roofs (Energy Saver)U.S. Department of Energy (archived copy of June 18, 2026)
Used for: That conventional roofs can reach 150 °F or more and a reflective roof can stay more than 50 °F cooler; that savings depend on climate, insulation, roof type and HVAC efficiency; that cool roofs can carry a winter heating penalty; and that unpainted metal gets hotter in the sun than painted metal of similar reflectance.
The live page returned 404 when checked, so the archived copy is linked.
Checked October 25, 2026
Federal agency
Recommended Home Insulation R-ValuesENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA)
Used for: Climate zone 2 attic recommendations: R-49 for an uninsulated attic, R-38 where 3–4 inches already exist.
Checked October 25, 2026
Federal agency
Guide to Determining Climate Regions by County (PNNL-17211 Rev. 3)PNNL for U.S. DOE Building America, August 2015
Used for: Williamson County as hot-humid climate zone 2A.
Based on the 2012 IECC climate map.
Checked October 25, 2026
Federal agency
10 CFR 430.32(c), central air conditioner energy conservation standards; 69 FR (August 17, 2004)U.S. Department of Energy (eCFR; Federal Register)
Used for: The air conditioner tiers: 13 SEER from January 23, 2006 (up from 10); 14 SEER in Texas from 2015 through 2022; 14.3 SEER2 for split systems under 45,000 Btu/h in the Southeast, which includes Texas, from 2023.
Checked October 25, 2026
Federal agency
Energy conversion calculatorsU.S. Energy Information Administration
Used for: 1 kWh = 3,412 Btu, used with SEER (Btu per watt-hour) to relate cooling load to electricity.
Checked October 25, 2026
Federal agency
Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (August 2026)U.S. Energy Information Administration, released October 23, 2026
Used for: The default electric rate: Texas residential average, 15.91 ¢/kWh in August 2026.
Your own bill's rate is better; change it in the calculator.
Checked October 25, 2026
Free, no-obligation inspections. We'll check the layers, the flashing and the decking from the attic, bring material and color samples, and tell you straight what the City may need to see.