Tips for Painting Your HOA This Spring

As the season of renewal, spring inspires many homeowners to refresh their property inside and out. If your home is part of a homeowner’s association (HOA), though, you might be somewhat restricted in these rejuvenating endeavors. Just about every HOA comes with a Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs), a document that outlines the sorts of things one can and cannot do with their property. The purpose of these CC&Rs is primarily to preserve and enhance the HOA’s overall appearance, consistency, and property values. Should you violate these rules, you may be penalized to varying degrees (i.e. fines, suspension of certain privileges, forced compliance, etc.). So, if you’re planning to repaint your HOA property this spring, it’s important to keep these various conditions and restrictions in mind and understand how to navigate approval processes.

With all that in mind, here are some tips for painting your HOA this spring to get the results you desire without rocking the boat.

Look into Your HOA’s Color Restrictions and Guidelines

Color tends to be the main concern for those seeking to repaint their property. Homeowners who are not part of any HOA have the liberty to choose virtually any color scheme for their house exterior and interior rooms (for better or worse). On the other hand, those inside an HOA must abide by their association’s color restrictions, which are subject to change and can vary in scope and strictness from one HOA to the next. These color codes (if you will) primarily deal with exterior colors since these are what onlookers and potential buyers or renters will initially see. That said, your HOA might have certain rules regarding how to select interior paint colors as well.

Rather than assume, though, take the time to examine your CC&Rs, specifically looking for information regarding exterior and interior paint color selection. Doing so will benefit your springtime painting prospects in two important ways: 1. it will allow you to get a head start on picking colors for your upcoming project, and 2. it will protect you from any potential issues you may have with your HOA’s board. As you sort through your color options, you might not find the exact shade or hue you desire for your home, but you might come across something that suits your preferences and keeps you compliant.

See if Your HOA Has a List of Pre-Approved Painting Contractors

Color selection isn’t the only matter that HOAs care about. In order to maintain a certain level of quality and consistency for all of its facilities, an HOA must take care when selecting the local house painting contractors with which it decides to work. In other words, you might not be at liberty to hire just any painting service you find online or hear about from a friend or family member. Instead, you’ll probably be limited to choosing from a handful (or fewer) of contractors that your HOA deems acceptable for a given project. While this lack of freedom might irk you, it’s also convenient to have a pre-approved list of painters to choose from. This way, you don’t need to spend days or weeks comparing dozens of local contractors, and you can rest assured that whoever you hire will provide quality results and adhere to your HOA’s various rules.

If your HOA does not have a pre-selected assortment of painters, it’s worth asking the board and others within your HOA about potential options. The more questions you ask and precautions you take in preparing for your spring painting project, the better.

Get to Know Your HOA’s Approval Process

Every HOA has a different approval process. As mentioned above, certain decisions are pre-approved, meaning you can hire a contractor or select colors without additional paperwork or permission. Other decisions, meanwhile, are not so clear-cut or pre-packaged. On top of that, some HOAs still require further acknowledgement for pre-approved processes. Whatever the case, it’s critical that you understand your HOA’s particular processes for requesting and granting approvals for various matters. You should know things like who to contact to request approvals (i.e. management board or the HOA itself), how long it typically takes to receive permission, who is liable for any mistakes made after the approval has been granted, and so on. If you simply play it all by ear, you might end up throwing a wrench in your spring painting project before it even begins. So, take the time this winter to truly grasp your HOA’s approval processes so you’re ready to hit the ground running come springtime.

Make Sure Your Contractor Is on the Same Page

Even if you find and hire a painter that’s within your HOA’s network, it’s important to make sure that they’re truly experienced with HOA painting projects, in regular contact with your HOA, and capable of completing the job in a timely manner. Of course, your contractor should check all these boxes by default if they’ve been pre-selected by your HOA. Still, do what you can to inform the project coordinator of any and all HOA requirements before they get to work. The less room there is for confusion, the better off everyone will be.

Take Care of Any Cleaning or Landscaping Prior to Springtime Painting

Lastly, there are plenty of things to take care of before interior or exterior home painting can begin this spring. For instance, your interior spaces should be cleaned and cleared out to make way for painting. As for your exterior, you might want to hire pressure washing services to thoroughly clean your home’s face -- most exterior painting professionals in your HOA’s network will provide these cleaning and preparation services as well. Your exterior might also require some landscaping (i.e. trimming trees and shrubs) if certain features have the potential to interfere with the painting project. Most HOAs have their own landscape service to take care of these matters on a routine basis.

The Sooner You Start Planning Your HOA Spring Painting Project, the Better

No matter the season, HOA painting projects tend to involve a fair amount of red tape. As such, it’s a good idea to start planning your spring painting project as soon as possible. This way, you can better understand your HOA’s conditions, restrictions, and approval processes, select the right contractor for your needs and make the necessary preparations for a successful paint job.

At Nash Painting, we’ve painted countless HOA properties in Nashville, TN, Brentwood, TN, and Franklin, TN because we’re trusted to provide consistent, quality results. To learn more about us, our services, and our values, call us at 615-829-6858 today!