Every homeowner’s association has its own set of CC&Rs and rules and regulations, and each one was designed to ensure that community standards will be strictly upheld and that homeowners can co-exist harmoniously. Additionally, HOA management guidelines are included in these rules and by-laws to help the HOA Board perform its duties.
Within these CC&Rs and rules are regulations on home maintenance that every homeowner must follow, which also covers home improvements and renovation. If you are a homeowner looking to renovate your home, it is strongly advised that you seek prior approval from your HOA to ensure that work will run smoothly, thus reducing the risk of costly delays.
You should also take note of these common HOA home renovation regulations:
1. Schedules
Depending on the scale and scope of your renovation project, the HOA might impose a strict schedule for the entire project, from the general timeframe (start and completion) to specific daily schedules (8:00 am to 3 pm on weekdays only and no weekend work, for instance). In general, this rule is imposed in consideration of your neighbors who may be disturbed by all the construction noise.
2. Materials
Apart from checking the materials you’ll be using to ensure their safety for the community and also to make sure that these are in keeping with the corresponding stipulations in the CC&Rs, materials here also refer to how these will be delivered to you, where you will be storing them, and how you will be using them. Again, this is in consideration of your neighbors and the community. In general, anything that can potentially disrupt the peace in the community will need to be pre-approved by the Board (and even by your neighbors if the Board decides to bring it up at a community meeting).
3. Clean-up
HOAs enforce daily clean-up to prevent accidents and also to maintain curb appeal. During clean-up, the homeowner and construction workers should be careful not to damage adjoining or nearby properties. In other words, make sure not to accidentally leave debris, remnants, or dirt on the neighbor’s yard.
The point of getting prior approval from your HOA is to ensure that your renovations are within the HOA’s rules and regulations, especially if the project involves installing a new plumbing system for a new bathroom or an electrical system for a new wing. Approval is also needed if you will be doing major work on the exterior of your property (which will be visible thus could affect the overall appeal of the community).
Not all home renovations need to be pre-approved, however. Homeowners associations generally allow such interior renovations as replacing the kitchen countertop and sink, adding a fresh coat of paint on the walls, installing new wallpaper, or updating interior trims.