What is the HOA and ARC?
Sometimes, people can become confused with their property management company versus the Homeowners Association (HOA) and Architectural Review Committee (ARC). The property management company deals directly with taking care of things like lawn maintenance in common areas and handling any violations of the neighborhood’s covenants. They are paid to do this, typically through homeowners dues
An HOA and ARC is made up of volunteers from the community itself. No one on the HOA or ARC is being compensated for their time. Members of these committees do more than stopping your neighbor from painting their home lime green, they make sure that the scale and style of outdoor renovations mesh with the Homeowners Association’s design requirements.
What Updates Require Approval?
Different communities will require different things to be approved. Typically, any architectural changes to the property or exterior of the home will require approval. This could be the addition of a swimming pool, a new deck, paint color changes, retaining walls, removal of trees and more. Smaller things, like planting a rosebush or restaining your deck might not need any prior approval, though you should check your neighborhood’s rules first.
In most typical neighborhoods with an HOA, sheds require approval.
Common Restrictions on Sheds
In the covenants you should be able to find a list of restrictions that you must follow with your new structure.
Size and Height
Some HOAs have a size maximum. The most common maximum we’ve seen is a 12×12 shed, a 12×16 shed or any size shed up to 100 square feet. Height and roof pitch can also have maximums and minimums associated with them. The most common height maximum is typically not to exceed 12 feet at the highest point. If there’s a minimum roof pitch requirement, we most commonly see 6/12 or more.
Paint, Shingles and Siding
There may also be a requirement for your paint color, shingle color and style and siding style to match your house. For example, if you have Architectural-style shingles, you would need to match these and the colors of each to your home. Sometimes, if your home has multiple colors, you may be able to choose which colors to match and use.
Location
Where the shed will be located on your property is also something the HOA and ARC will care about. One of the concerns your HOA will have is how close the shed will be to your property line. In order to figure out where you can place your shed in relation to the property line, you will have to check your HOA regulations and the zoning regulations within both your city and county.
Other location concerns include whether or not the shed will be visible from the street. Most HOAs require the shed to be hidden by your house when looking at your property from the street.
Additional Requirements
Some HOAs will also require you to do further landscaping, lattice or other exterior aesthetic requirements in order for your shed to be approved. Others will determine if the shed may be pre-built and delivered, or built on-site. Others request a permanent foundation for your shed, making it difficult to take with you later on.
Submitting Forms for Your Custom Shed
Depending on the approval process set forth by your HOA committee, you may need to submit a number of documents to get the approval on your new shed. These documents can include:
-
- Shed image and dimensions- photos and drawings will work, you can use a drawing from a shed designer like our 3D Shed Designer to show size, color and style.
- Site plan- you may be asked to send in a scale drawing that shows the size of your lot, the size and location of your home and the size and location of your proposed shed. You can also find lot dimensions and pictures of your property at your county’s GIS website.
Why the Requirements on Sheds?
HOA requirements are intended to protect the value of homes in the neighborhood by preventing cheaply made sheds that are “eye sores”. The higher your home value, the more likely your neighborhood will have multiple of the above requirements to meet.
Design an HOA Compliant Shed
If you don’t have a shed of your own, but want to get one, check out our models or even start designing your own with our custom 3D Shed Designer. Not sure what’s best for your needs? Check out our idea gallery to see what other Shed Depot customers have created.
If you have any other questions fill out the form below and you will be contacted shortly.