Operations
HOA Architectural Review Application Template
The ARC application is the front door of the architectural review process. A clean form keeps decisions consistent across boards, gives the committee what it needs to decide on the merits, and creates a paper trail when an unhappy owner challenges a denial.
When to use
Use whenever an owner proposes an exterior change requiring ARC approval under the Declaration or Architectural Guidelines — typically paint colour, fencing, roofing, additions, landscaping changes, and similar.
How to use this template
- 1
Customise the categories list to match the modifications your Architectural Guidelines actually cover.
- 2
Specify the response window your guidelines provide — many state statutes set a default (often 30-60 days) if the guidelines are silent or longer than the statutory cap.
- 3
Require drawings, photos, and the contractor's licence on file before the clock starts. Incomplete applications shouldn't trigger the response deadline.
- 4
Make the ARC's decision document referenceable in the violation notice flow — "Application #[ID] was denied on [DATE] for the reasons stated" beats free-form prose later.
The template
[HOA NAME]
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW APPLICATION
Application #: [ASSIGNED ON RECEIPT]
Submitted: [DATE]
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
OWNER INFORMATION
Name: ____________________________________________
Property: ____________________________________________
Lot / Unit #: _________________
Phone: _________________ Email: _______________
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PROPOSED MODIFICATION
Category (check all that apply):
[ ] Exterior paint / staining [ ] Roofing replacement
[ ] Fence — new or replacement [ ] Driveway / hardscape
[ ] Landscaping — significant [ ] Solar / battery
[ ] Addition / structure [ ] Window / door change
[ ] Other: ______________________________________________
Description (narrative):
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Materials / Colours / Specifications:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Estimated start: [DATE] Estimated completion: [DATE]
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
CONTRACTOR (if applicable)
Company: ____________________________________________
Contact: ____________________________________________
Licence #: _________________ State: _____________
Insurance certificate enclosed: [ ] Yes [ ] N/A
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS
[ ] Site plan or plat marking the modification location
[ ] Drawings or photos of the proposed work (front view + relevant
adjacent views)
[ ] Material / colour samples (or links / brand specifications)
[ ] Neighbour acknowledgement, if required by Section
[GUIDELINES SECTION CITE]
[ ] Application fee, if any: $[FEE]
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
OWNER ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I acknowledge that:
1. I will not begin work until I receive written ARC approval (or the
guidelines' response window has expired without a decision, where
that is permitted).
2. The work will conform to my Declaration, the Architectural
Guidelines, and any conditions the ARC attaches to the approval.
3. Approval is for the work described in this application; material
changes require a new application.
4. If the ARC denies the application, I may request reconsideration in
writing within [RECONSIDERATION WINDOW] days of the denial.
Signed: _______________________________ Date: ______________
[OWNER SIGNATURE]
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
ARC USE ONLY
Received: ____________ Complete: [ ] Yes [ ] Incomplete (explain)
Decision: [ ] Approved [ ] Approved with conditions [ ] Denied
Decision date: _______________
Conditions / Reasons:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
ARC Chair signature: __________________________________________
cc: ARC file · Owner · [PROPERTY MANAGER]
Review with counsel before adopting. Several states (notably California's solar-rights statute, Texas's protected-improvement statutes) limit what an ARC can deny and prescribe response windows. Solar, flag, and religious-display requests have specific statutory protections in many states.
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