When someone buys a house, they’re likely making the largest investment of their life. Protecting that investment means pooling together with other like-minded neighbors to maintain property values. Everyone wants to keep up appearances and ensure neighbors can’t individually make radical changes that impact curb appeal. How does a community leadership team encourage residents to respect both community aesthetics and each other’s rights? Simple. Designate a group of volunteers to oversee architectural guidelines.
What Is an HOA Architectural Review Committee?
An HOA ARC, or Architectural Review Committee, is a select team of volunteers tasked with reviewing homeowner requests related to property modifications. This committee exists somewhat separately from the executive board that governs budgeting, vendors, and large-scale policymaking. However, homeowners can’t arbitrarily make changes without submitting applications and securing approval.
The HOA ARC exists specifically to maintain both community aesthetics and ensure every homeowner respects the original guidelines. Associations and condo complexes have a distinct look on day one of operation. They don’t want homeowners’ portions of the neighborhood to start looking radically different because of improvisational renovations. The ARC acts as a gatekeeper for modifications, ensuring the architectural standards remain high and everyone can peacefully enjoy their home.
What Does an HOA ARC Do?
Members of the ARC review and process homeowners’ requests to make exterior changes. For example, if someone wants to switch the color of their front door, replace their roof shingles, or build a backyard pool, they can’t simply hire contractors and get started. The homeowner must submit an application, giving the committee time to review the project.
HOA ARC members specifically check dimensions, colors, and materials against the governing documents. Your governing documents (often called CC&Rs) dictate what materials, styles, and colors are approved for homes. The committee ensures that everything homeowners wish to change matches existing parameters. This helps the neighborhood maintain its aesthetic so every house looks cohesive, clean, and purposefully designed.
Common Projects Reviewed
- Fence installations
- Exterior paint
- Roof replacements
- New landscaping
- Patio or deck additions
- Solar panels
- Pools and backyard structures
Why HOA Architectural Guidelines Are Important
Homeowner association architectural guidelines are how neighborhoods maintain their intended appearance. Without published rules, communities quickly fall into disorder because everyone has a different interpretation of what “good taste” is. HOA guidelines paint a clear picture of what the neighborhood should look like year over year, preserving property values.
If you own a home within an HOA, you probably want your house to retain its value. However, inconsistent renovations can seriously harm home values. If one neighbor decides to paint their garage bright orange, or another builds an oversized shed right on the property line, surrounding home values can plummet. Not only do architectural guidelines preserve aesthetics, but they also provide objective wording that makes enforcing them simple. Rules can’t care about who the homeowner is or if they’ve made donations to the HOA in the past. Instead, rules apply equally to every single resident, preventing disagreements and ensuring everyone is held to the same standards.
Imagine, for example, that one of your neighbors decides they want to put up a giant privacy fence on their property. This isn’t just any fence; it’s twice as tall as your backyard fence and blocks the sunlight coming into your house. Naturally, you’d be upset. But without rules, you and your frustrating neighbor are going to have a heated argument. Instead, the ARC serves as a buffer between combative neighbors. A member reviews the requested project, points homeowners towards the official fence guidelines, and ensures fences are built the approved distance from property lines. By following a standardized process, disagreements are solved before they start.
The HOA Architectural Review Process
Submitting an application to change your home’s appearance may feel intimidating, but the HOA ARC process is straightforward. Following these three steps can prevent homeowners from making costly mistakes.
Step 1: Submit an Application
Applications usually take the form of thorough paperwork submissions. To ensure ARC members have everything they need to properly evaluate the project, several helpful documents must be attached. A homeowner needs to supply as much information as possible, including detailed plans and drawings. More often than not, this means providing a property plot that highlights where changes will occur in direct relation to property lines. HOAs also typically require material specifications, such as paint swatches or furniture samples.
Step 2: Committee Reviews Application
Once an application is received, ARC members will pick an upcoming meeting to review the request. During this meeting, members will evaluate the project against specific criteria. They’re looking for changes that may damage neighbors’ views, violate utility easements, or alter natural drainage. The ARC reviews projects through the lens of how they will impact overall community aesthetics. Every renovation should match the style of nearby homes unless exceptions are granted.
Step 3: Approval or Denial
Following the meeting, members vote on whether to approve the request.
- Approval: If the project passes, it’s approved. The homeowner may receive minor requests, such as limiting construction hours or cleaning up excess materials.
- Revision: Sometimes the committee will want to make changes. For instance, they might approve the project but ask the homeowner to change the paint color or move the structure two feet back.
- Denial: If an ARC denies a request, there’s usually an option to appeal the decision.
- Appeal: That appeal is heard by the board of directors, which acts as a secondary review committee before entering the authorization process.
What Happens If Approval is Denied?
Let’s say you accidentally forget to submit an application or don’t want to wait for proper approval. You decide to begin work immediately, thinking whatever you do will look fine. This is a big problem.
Whenever a homeowner skips the architectural review process, they are willingly submitting themselves to fines and enforcement. If caught mid-project, the HOA can pause work until everything is approved. Even if the renovation is completed without approval, an offending homeowner will receive a notice of violation. They’ll be expected to make good on the violation by moving, replacing, or completely removing what was built. Start the approval process from day one to save yourself a headache.
Best Practices When Applying for ARC Approval
Homeowners can speed up their application process by being as thorough and detailed as possible. By cutting corners, you may slow down ARC deliberations.
- First, know the rules. HOAs typically have archives of information online for you to review before speaking to an advisor. Make sure you know the community guidelines before purchasing building materials or signing contracts.
- Second, give the ARC everything they could ask for. Drawings, photos, emails, material specifications — throw it all in the application. Missing information can kill an application, forcing you to start over.
- Finally, don’t wait until the last minute. Construction companies can be set up to start within days of receiving homeowners’ permission. Give the committee time to review your project. Waiting weeks to start isn’t unreasonable.
How Professional HOA Management Companies Can Help
Reviewing applications takes time. For volunteers who usually have full-time jobs and families, staying on top of new requests may not be realistic. Thankfully, there are solutions. HOA management companies deal with ARC applications daily. They provide immense structural support to volunteer leadership teams.
Professional management teams streamline application and approval systems. Each submission is logged within a secure software program that tracks progress along every step of the approval process. Committees no longer need to worry about paperwork. Third-party managers also serve as the main point of contact for homeowners, taking accountability upon themselves to send official communications. Their applications stay in one place, not scattered across multiple email inboxes. Having experienced administrators grade your landscaping techniques lets the ARC focus strictly on decision-making.
Goodwin & Company | Your Partner in HOA Agreements
Like any leadership position, managing architectural reviews requires strong communication skills and organizational abilities. Homeowners and committee members shouldn’t have to lose their weekend to complete ARC tasks. Here at Goodwin & Company, we strive to alleviate the administrative burdens volunteer teams face. We’ve helped neighborhoods prosper for over 25 years by offering customizable management options and organized procedures.
We understand that board and committee members are busy. They have families, jobs, and other associations they devote their free time to. Goodwin & Company is equipped to handle your ARC application process with detailed digital tracking software and concise communication. We work directly with your ARC to ensure every application is completed correctly and decisions are properly routed and enforced. Reach out today to learn how Goodwin & Company can support your ARC and keep your neighborhood running smoothly for years to come.
