What Happens if You Paint Your Home Without HOA Painting Approval

When you’re getting tired of your home’s look, you may want to change it up a bit, and one of the best ways to do this is to give your humble abode a nice new paint job!

Painting your home is a very affordable way to doll up your home. You won’t need to spend time and money on expensive architectural changes and house painting is pretty easy to do if you have the right equipment—or you can just hire a trusty painting company to get the job done.

But before you start painting away, you’ll want to speak with your local Home Owners Association, or HOA, first. If you go ahead and paint your home without HOA painting approval, you might get into a bit of trouble.

So let’s take a look at what could happen if you paint your home without getting HOA painting approval and how you can avoid any trouble.

What could happen if you paint your home without HOA approval?

It’s important to be aware of the troubling situations you may find yourself in without HOA approval. Here’s what could happen:

1. You could face a fine

Probably the most common consequence of painting your home without getting approval from the HOA is being fined. These fines can vary from a few hundred dollars to thousands, depending on where you live.

Also, these fines may change depending on the agreement you signed at the time you purchased your home. If you’re fined, make sure to pay the fine off as soon as possible or you might be looking at bigger issues going forward.

2. You could be forced to repaint or remove the paint

Sometimes, if the HOA isn’t happy with your new paint job, they might ask you to repaint your home to fit their guidelines. They might either ask you to paint your home in a completely different color or ask you to remove the paint.

Either way, repainting your home is going to be very expensive and it can cost you a lot of time too. Also, removing the paint could cause damage to your home’s exterior, which may lead to you spending more money to fix what’s broken.

3. You could damage your relationship with the HOA

If you don’t abide by HOA painting guidelines, chances are that your relationship with your local HOA will be tarnished. When your HOA loses trust in you, it may lead to difficulty in the future.

For example, if any complaint is raised against you by your neighbors, the HOA may not be too willing to look at your version of events. Therefore, it’s important to maintain a good relationship with the HOA; you don’t want it to be difficult to continue living within your community.

4. You may have legal action taken against you

Although this isn’t very common, some HOAs may take legal action if you don’t follow their painting guidelines—however, this can be a worst-case scenario for a homeowner.

Sometimes, this type of dispute can take years to resolve and can be very costly. Also, if the HOA takes legal action, it could damage your reputation within the community and harm your personal and professional image.

How can you avoid trouble with your HOA?

There’s a lot of trouble you may face when you don’t abide by your HOA’s painting guidelines. So here are the steps you need to take to get permission from your HOA:

1. Take a look at the rules and regulations your HOA has put forward

This is with regard to the exterior painting of homes. Make sure to check which colors, color schemes, and painting styles are acceptable and also which kinds of paints are recommended for homes in your neighborhood. For instance, some neighborhoods may only allow eco-friendly paint.

2. Visit your local HOA’s website and look for a formal application

Fill it up with all the necessary information and submit it to your HOA. Some of the information that you may need to include in the form are details of your home painting projects, the color, type, and brand of paint you’re using, and the name of the painting company, if you decide to hire one.

3. Wait for approval from your HOA

This could take some time but as they say, patience is a virtue. Although you may be in a hurry to give your home a new look, it’s best to wait for HOA approval. In some cases, they may call you for a meeting. Either way, once you’ve gotten approval, you’re good to go!

Get your HOA painting approval ASAP

It can be a drag having to look at the same paint job every single day, so don’t be shy—just give your home the snazzy new paint job it deserves, but not after you’ve talked things over with your HOA!

And don’t forget—you can always call on exterior painters in San Diego to get the job done!