Getting HOA approval to do just about anything in your home depends on the HOA. But it’s also a lot easier than it seems.
There are pros and cons to living in an HOA community. One of those cons can rear its head when you want to do something like paint your home or do some roof work. It seems like every HOA has different rules and keeping abreast of them can be tricky.
We’re also talking strict rules rather than loopholes you can get around. Most HOAs have their own approved color schemes for which to stick to, for example. And those schemes are usually beiges, tans, and egg whites.
While many HOA boards require you to request approval to make alterations, if you’re one of the lucky few, you might not have to. For the most part, however, approval is needed, and so we should cover the basics on how to get the approval to make alterations on your HOA property.
Does My Property Require HOA Approval?
For most people who live in an HOA property, it’s common knowledge that there are some things that you can’t do without going to the board. Most of these rules and regulations are outlined in the process of signing your contracts, and you should always be sure to read them.
If you don’t remember reading anything about the rules of approval in making alterations, the first step you should take is to contact the HOA board itself. You won’t know whether you’ll be able to paint your home now or in the future unless you find out. Furthermore, not adhering to the standards of an HOA you live in can be bad news bears.
Essentially, if you don’t get approval from your HOA to paint your home, you could be seeing upwards of thousands of dollars in fines.
If the Board Says No, You Can Appeal
Sometimes, living in an HOA can feel like a bit of a compromise.
Having things like landscaping or cleaning thrown into the bill for you, or even sometimes menial repairs, can be great. That said, some people might wonder how their home can really be theirs if they can’t change aspects of it.
Every HOA has their own approved colors, but there are websites to help you find out what colors are allowed for the properties in your community. Plenty of paint brand websites also have color archives to help you mix and match or pick out the right shades of paint.
Note: Our personal favorite is the Sherwin-Wiliams Color Archive
If the board denies you your chosen color, you can appeal their decision.
In any community, compromise is key.
What Are Some HOA-Approved Paint Colors?
Living in a HOA, you’ll know by now that pastel shaes and sculpted bushes only exist in the movies. There’ll be no blacks, no neon pinks, and certainly no oranges. But that’s not to say you won’t get to shake things up while also sticking to the alloted color scheme.
Las Vegas HOAs can actually be exciting and fun places to live. They can also be more inventive than in other states. Work within the color allowances and some HOA boards will allow you to have embellishments on your property, such as when it comes to trim or fascia painting.
Again, it’s all about compromise.
What Do I Do if I Get Fined?
This can happen from time-to-time. In the rare cases it does, if you’ve applied or appealed to get the approval you needed and still got fined, it’s probably down to some crossed wires.
Paperwork gets lost and computer systems fail. Therefore, it’s usually a good idea to keep all of your HOA-related reading material somewhere safe. If you have the paperwork that states you received the approval or that the board is still considering it, it’ll make the fine disappear without a problem.
All in all, HOAs are great for many things. Just perhaps not the creative who wishes to paint a mural on the wall on the yard-side of their property. But then maybe that’s a good thing.
In Conclusion …
For more information about how to get approval from your HOA to paint your home or renovate it, don’t hesitate to contact us.