For a seemingly minor thing, paint has the potential to create a lot of conflict within an HOA community.
Color is very personal, and homeowners (rightfully) have strong feelings about how their homes appear. The problem is that owners don’t have the freedom to choose their favorite colors if they live in a governed community.
Table of contents
- Can HOAs deny color proposals simply because they don’t like them?
- Architectural guidelines and exterior paint
- Architectural review committees and approval processes
- Modifying paint schemes
- General advice and information for painting your home
- Stores with preapproved HOA paint colors
Exterior paint colors are determined by the HOA
In order to maintain uniformity and visual appeal, homeowners associations have authorization to say what colors homeowners can and can’t paint their homes. While they don’t have control over how the inside of a home looks, they can create color schemes for exterior surfaces, doors, roofs and trims.
Can HOAs deny color proposals simply because they don’t like them?
In a way, yes. Usually, an architectural committee is tasked with reviewing paint applications, and if the colors don’t fit with the aesthetics of the community, it can reject the proposal.
Maintaining a consistent and harmonious neighborhood character presents a benefit to owners by maintaining the value of their properties. As such, associations can turn down a color that would stick out.
Architectural guidelines and exterior paint
As a best practice, HOAs should have approved paint options available in writing. This information is usually included in a community’s architectural guidelines. Also known as design rules or architectural standards, architectural guidelines establish an association’s policies and procedures for changes and improvements to an owner’s property. Guidelines address aesthetic considerations in addition to other matters.
Architectural guidelines are developed and approved by the board. Adopting or amending these guidelines is considered an operating rule change, meaning the board does not need a vote from owners if it wants to change or add to guidelines. However, the board must at least notify members and give them time to respond before a guideline can officially be adopted.
By notifying owners of proposed changes, such as new paint schemes, they still have an opportunity to object to changes they do not support.
HOAs can minimize exterior paint issues
When it comes to exterior paint and architectural guidelines, as a best practice, pre-approved color schemes should be readily available (with names and color codes included).
HOAs that are vague and use concepts like “earth” or “neutral” tones to direct owners inevitably end up doing more work. Everyone interprets those concepts differently, and an owner may challenge the board or architectural review committee if they believe a reasonable paint scheme is being rejected arbitrarily.
Make the application process easy for owners, and if an application is rejected, help them understand what they can do to get their next application approved.
Owners can also minimize exterior paint issues
If owners are repainting a home or replacing a roof using the exact same color scheme as the original, and no updates have been made to the guidelines since the last time paint was applied, then they should be able to proceed with the project without asking the HOA for approval.
If owners are selecting a new paint scheme, or changes have been made to the guidelines, they should always submit an architectural change request following the procedure required by the association.
That’s because the sample that the owner selected may be from a different paint provider than the one used by the HOA, resulting in a difference in color.
Furthermore, some HOAs have rules that prevent neighbors from having matching color schemes. While associations strive to maintain uniformity, they don’t want all homes to look exactly the same, either. Exact copies can come off as a bit dystopian and inauthentic. So even if an owner selects a pre-approved color scheme, they may not be able to apply it if their neighbor has used the same one.
Sometimes it’s easier to ask forgiveness instead of permission. This is not one of those cases.
Architectural review committees and approval processes
When it comes to approving applications to make changes to the exterior of a home, most HOAs have an architectural review committee (ARC) to streamline the process.
Once an application has been reviewed, the ARC usually sends its recommendations to the board. Board members should be responsible for making final decisions regarding applications since they are ultimately the ones responsible for governing the community.
The CC&Rs or guidelines should provide a timeframe for how long the committee and board have to respond to an application. If no response is received within the allotted time, owners may be able to move forward with their paint choices, even if they do not meet the community’s architectural standards. That’s because if the dispute ended up in court, a judge would question why an owner would be expected to follow rules when the board did not.
Communities that accept online requests generally have an easier time managing and responding to requests. Online applications simplify the process for owners, too.
If an application is disapproved, the written decision must include both an explanation of why the application was rejected, and a description of what the owner would need to do in order for their request to be reconsidered by the board.
Modifying paint schemes
Board members may decide to update paint schemes from time to time. Unless stated in their governing documents, they do not need a vote from owners to make this amendment, but owners must be notified before the change is adopted.
A board could seek input from members though. While it takes more effort to organize, voting puts the power in the hands of the community (plus, the board is less likely to hear complaints about paint colors if they are not responsible for making the final decision).
General advice and information for painting your home
Below are some helpful points to keep in mind if you belong to an HOA and plan to paint your home within the next couple of years.
- Most associations require owners to repaint the exterior of their homes every 7-10 years for upkeep
- Gloss or high gloss finishes are not usually allowed
- Preapproved exterior paint for sidings, trims, gutters, and garages is generally neutral/light
- Bright or dark accent colors are generally reserved for front doors and shutters
- The gutters and trim should match
- You cannot mix colors from different color schemes
- Painting over brick requires a more detailed review of the exact paint and method to use
Paint lifecycle
Outdoor paint can last for up to a decade, depending on the surface it is applied to, the quality of the paint, the application method, and the severity of the environment. Subject to these factors, the following is a general rule of thumb for repainting exterior surfaces:
- New materials – 10 years or more
- Brick – 10 years or more
- Wood – every 5 to 7 years
- Stucco – every 5 to 6 years
- Metal – every 2 to 3 years
What went wrong?
Problems with a past or current paint application can create a multitude of issues, all of which require you to repaint sooner than you anticipated.
- Peeling – peeling often occurs if paint was applied to wet wood. It can also result from moisture within the structure pushing its way out. Dirty or glossy surfaces can also cause peeling
- Alligatoring – Paint that shrinks into individual islands and exposes the previous surface is called alligatoring. This usually happens because the top coat is not adhering to the paint below. It could be a matter of incompatibility, or a second coat was applied too soon
- Blistering – Paint blisters usually occur due to moisture or improper painting
- Chalking – When paint has a dusty surface, it’s not necessarily bad. Some oil-based and alkyd-based paints are designed to chalk when it gets wet. But if foundations, sidewalks, or plants become dusty from the paint, too much chalking is occurring. This may be due to painting over highly porous surfaces. Low-quality paint may also be the cause of excessive chalking
- Running sags – This is usually caused when too much paint is on the brush. When it dries, the surface appears wavy and irregular
Stores with preapproved HOA paint colors
Some HOAs are thoughtful enough to register preapproved color schemes with a local paint store. Sherwin Williams is probably the most popular HOA paint database, but your association might be registered with a different store.
This makes it easier for owners to be certain that the paint they are purchasing is the same paint their association has preapproved.
Inspiration
