Building in an HOA
You live in an HOA and you’d like to build your dream deck, outdoor living space or renovate your home. What do you do and how do you go about it? An HOA or homeowners association is a neighborhood that manages common areas and community property. An HOA creates and enforces “covenants, conditions and restrictions” (CC&R) that a homeowner must abide by as a part of the HOA. These conditions could be requirements like a consistent shingle color on all the homes in the HOA, it could be standards on what colors your house is supposed to be or even the type of siding that is used in building a home.
An HOA often has regulations on how or what can be built in a particular neighborhood so it’s important to know what you are allowed to do before starting a project. So what do you need to do? Where do you start?
Figure out your HOA requirements
Let’s say you want to build a shed on your property. You should first figure out your HOA requirements for a shed. Some examples include, some HOAs require a shed to match the siding of your home or the shingle color, some require a specific size or even placement of the shed. Inquire with your HOA before you start looking for the right contractor for your project.
Hire a Contractor
Once you have a little more understanding of the requirements, hire a contractor that can meet your needs. You’ll most likely need a custom builder that can meet any specific requirements by the HOA.
Work with your contractor to create a vision and plan for your project. If you’re looking to build a shed or a deck and outdoor bar, having a contractor that understands HOA rules and regulations will help you with the process. With your contractors help, contact your HOA to find out the building plan requirements, and costs associated with permits or filing and what details will be needed to complete the process.
File Building permits & HOA building requirements
Once you’ve envisioned your project, work with your contractor to apply for the appropriate building permits with the city and with your HOA. Some contractors will help you file the permits at a fee so that it takes away the headache for you. Familiarize yourself with your city or townships building requirements and compare them to those of your HOA’s.
Details matter. Put as much detail into your permit applications as possible. If your HOA needs specific siding or shingles, make sure to include the specific material you’ll be using. Any changes to electrical, plumbing or load bearing walls is particularly important to state clearly.
Tip: If your building permits with the township ask for specific drawings or renderings send them to both the HOA and the building permits. It’s better to send too much detail than not enough.
Buffer your timeline
Knowing that an HOA and building permits can take 1-2 months to approve depending on the complexity of the project, build in a lot of time into your schedule to get your project complete. Your contractor should be able to help you with this as well. E.g. If you want to use your new deck in the summer, start contacting contractors in the fall the year before, fill out permits and apply during the winter in hope to break ground on your project early spring.
With patience, attention to detail and a great contractor to help guide you through the process acquiring a permit from your HOA shouldn’t be difficult.
Looking for a contractor that can help you through the HOA process with any of your outdoor living projects? Contact Lincoln Built today! Check out our video that walks you through the HOA permit process for building a shed in the central PA area.
