Government · Historic Preservation
Madison County Courthouse
Madison County
The Madison County Courthouse is a landmark government building requiring meticulous roof restoration that respected the original architectural intent while meeting modern building codes. Ocean Group executed a complete historic roof renovation — matching original profiles, materials, and detailing to preserve the building's character for the next generation.
Historic courthouse work demands a contractor who understands that "close enough" isn't acceptable. Every tile profile, every ridge detail, every flashing termination was executed to match the original construction — because historic preservation boards don't accept shortcuts, and neither do we.
Building Type
Government Courthouse
Scope
Historic Roof Restoration
Standard
Historic Preservation Compliant
Contractor
Ocean Group Construction
Hospitality · Historic Hotel · Cohen Esrey
Hotel Grim — Historic Hotel Renovation
Cohen Esrey Development
Hotel Grim is a historic hotel property that underwent a comprehensive renovation under Cohen Esrey's development umbrella. Ocean Group was brought in for the roof restoration scope — a project that required coordinating with architects, preservation consultants, and the general contractor to deliver a roofing system that honored the building's historic character while providing modern waterproofing performance.
Historic hotel renovations are among the most demanding roofing scopes in the industry. The building is often occupied or under active renovation on other floors. Access is constrained. Material specifications must satisfy both the architect and the preservation authority. And the finished product must look like it's been there for 100 years — not like someone just slapped a new roof on a landmark.
Building Type
Historic Hotel
Scope
Historic Roof Renovation
Contractor
Ocean Group Construction
Ludowici Clay Tile — The Standard in Historic Roofing
Ludowici has been manufacturing architectural clay roof tile in America since 1888. When an architect specifies Ludowici, they're specifying the gold standard for historic, institutional, and landmark roofing. Ocean Group installs Ludowici clay tile systems for historic restorations, government buildings, churches, universities, and high-end residential properties.
Ludowici Profiles We Install
- Ludowici Spanish — the classic barrel profile for Mediterranean and Spanish Colonial architecture
- Ludowici Flat Interlocking — clean lines for Federal, Georgian, and contemporary institutional buildings
- Ludowici French — the low-profile interlocking tile for French Colonial and Beaux-Arts architecture
- Ludowici Williamsburg — historically accurate profiles for Colonial-era restoration projects
- Ludowici Custom — Ludowici manufactures custom profiles to match existing historic tile when standard profiles don't match
Why Ludowici for Historic Projects
- Color matching — Ludowici can custom-blend clay colors to match existing tile on partial restoration projects
- 100+ year lifespan — genuine clay tile outlasts every other roofing material. Period.
- Historic tax credit compliance — Ludowici tile meets the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for historic rehabilitation
- Fire rating — Class A non-combustible, critical for government and institutional buildings
- LEED eligible — natural clay, recyclable, zero VOC, qualifies for green building credits
Historic Roofing Services
Full Historic Roof Restoration
Complete tear-off and reinstallation with historically accurate materials, profiles, and detailing. Preservation board documentation and approval coordination.
Clay Tile Matching & Replacement
Source matching tile for partial repairs — including custom Ludowici runs when existing tile profiles are no longer in standard production.
Slate Roof Restoration
Historic slate roofing repair and replacement. Individual slate replacement, flashing renewal, and complete re-slating for landmark buildings.
Copper Work & Ornamental Metal
Copper roofing, copper flashing, decorative copper elements, finials, and ridge cresting for landmark and institutional buildings.
Preservation Board Coordination
Documentation packages, material specifications, and mockup installations for historic preservation review boards and tax credit applications.
Adaptive Reuse Roofing
Historic buildings converted to modern use — hotels, offices, residential. Roofing that satisfies preservation standards while meeting current building codes.
Why Owners and GCs Trust Ocean Group for Historic Work
Historic roofing isn't a volume game. It's a precision game. Every project is unique, every specification is non-negotiable, and every shortcut shows. We bring:
- Courthouse and hotel renovation experience — proven on the highest-scrutiny building types
- Ludowici clay tile expertise — we know the profiles, the attachment systems, and the detailing standards
- Decra stone coated steel knowledge — for buildings where weight matters but the aesthetic must stay historic
- Coordination capability — we work within GC schedules on active renovation sites without disrupting other trades
- Documentation discipline — submittals, mockups, progress photos, and preservation board packages delivered on time
- Dual licensed CCC + CGC — roofing contractor and general contractor credentials for any scope complexity
Frequently Asked Questions
What roofing materials are approved for historic buildings in Florida?
The Secretary of the Interior's Standards generally require matching the original material in appearance and character. For clay tile, Ludowici custom-fired clay tile is the premium option — available in all historic profiles including flat, barrel, S-tile, and specialty shapes. For buildings where weight is a concern, Decra stone coated steel replicates historic tile aesthetics at dramatically lower weight.
How do you match existing clay tile profiles on a historic building?
Ludowici Roof Tile manufactures custom profiles specifically for historic restoration — including profiles no longer in standard production. We source matching tile through their custom runs, coordinate with preservation boards on acceptable matches, and install mockups for approval before full production begins. Tile matching is a specialized skill we've applied on courthouse and hotel renovation projects across Florida.
Are there tax incentives for historic building roof restoration in Florida?
Historic buildings certified by the National Park Service may be eligible for a 20% federal historic tax credit and Florida's 20% state credit (income-producing properties) when rehabilitated according to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. Roofing must match historic character — Ludowici clay tile and appropriate metal systems typically qualify. We coordinate submittals with the Florida SHPO process.
How do you waterproof a historic roof without compromising its appearance?
Modern waterproofing membranes go beneath the restored tile or slate surface — invisible and hidden. We use high-performance underlayment systems appropriate for each historic roofing type. Proper detailing at gutters, flashings, and ridges is where historic roofs most commonly fail, and where we focus the most attention during every restoration project.