The Home Owners Association (HOA) is a great and affordable option for many people to own a home. But it also has its own disadvantage. One of them is the fact that you cannot freely paint your home to your liking.
HOA has unique standards that you have to abide especially when it comes to painting jobs. Of course, there are also rules about how your lawn should look like and even what kind of holiday decoration you can put on your yard. Non-compliance will result in hefty fines and penalties.
So, we have compiled some simple tips on how to keep your exterior painting project HOA compliant.
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Research Restrictions and Rules
Before you go looking for paint color, research what is allowed by your HOA. Is there any restriction as to the shade? Go to your HOA website or office and find out the list of actions that are not allowed. If you have a Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&R), you should be able to find the ins and outs regarding what is an acceptable color.
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Get HOA Approval
HOA may have unique restrictions but it helps to ask for permission before a major exterior paint job. Before you talk to them, make a list of your chosen paint brands, types, and colors. Present to them a plan on how you want to go about it, including the list of contractors who will be doing the job. You may have to go through a tedious approval process but at least you tried.
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Be Aware of Scheduling Parameters
Check with your HOA the time restriction as to when you apply paint. This could be a specific day or year depending on the HOA. If you’ve been approved to repaint your home, you should at least know when you can do it to avoid hefty fines.
Also, try to build empathy with your neighbors. Sometimes, the scheduling parameters have something to do with not disturbing your neighbor.
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Look around the neighborhood
It’s very easy to gauge the acceptability of your painting plans. Just look around your neighborhood and check the color and design they are using. As with most HOA, it is important that all homes look uniform.
Let’s say all homes in the neighborhood are following nude tones and no bright colors, then avoid colors that the HOA will deny for sure like red, blue, or yellow. Try to pick colors within the standard color palette of your neighborhood and you will have a higher chance of approval.
FAQ
What colors can I paint my door in an HOA?
Many HOAs do not restrict painting interiors. However, your painting your home inside will not affect your HOA standing but you should treat it differently if you wish to paint your exterior door. Always ask your HOA about the standards and restrictions.
What program lets you find the approved color schemes used by an HOA?
Find out the color schemes approved by your HOA by searching it on the website. Better yet, contact your HOA for pre-approved colors.
We understand that HOA by-laws may have certain restrictions or limitations, so we want to make sure that our painting job will be 100% compliant with your HOA standards. If you need a new paint job done for your home, feel free to contact us.