A huge share of DMV homes, especially townhouses and newer neighborhoods in Bowie, Columbia, Reston, Gaithersburg, Germantown and across Northern Virginia, sit inside a homeowners association. Many HOAs require approval from an architectural review committee before you change anything on the outside of your home. Skip that step and you can be asked to undo finished work at your own cost.
WHAT USUALLY NEEDS APPROVAL
- Exterior paint colors, including the front door and shutters
- Decks, patios, porches and pergolas
- Fences and retaining walls
- Windows, exterior doors and storm doors
- Roofing material or color changes
- Additions, sheds and major landscaping
Interior work (kitchens, bathrooms, basements, painting inside) generally doesn't need HOA approval, though condo associations often have rules about work hours, noise, elevators and debris.
WHAT TO SUBMIT
| Item | Why They Ask |
|---|---|
| Application form | Each HOA or architectural committee has its own |
| Site plan or plat showing location | Setbacks, easements, neighbors' sightlines |
| Drawings or a sketch with dimensions | Size and height |
| Materials and colors (samples or spec sheets) | Matching the community's standards |
| Photos of the current condition | Context for the reviewers |
HOW LONG IT TAKES
Many committees meet monthly, and governing documents often give them 30 to 45 days to respond. Larger planned communities have their own design review bodies: Reston Association has a Design Review Board, and Columbia's villages each have architectural committees under their covenants. Build this time into your schedule, especially for spring deck and fence projects.
HOA APPROVAL IS NOT A PERMIT
This trips people up constantly. HOA approval covers how your project looks and fits community rules. A county or city building permit covers whether it's built safely to code. A new deck typically needs both. Neither replaces the other. For permit basics, see our DC, MD and VA permit guide.
Submit early and ask your contractor for the drawings and material specs the committee wants. A complete application usually gets approved at the first meeting; an incomplete one gets sent back and costs you a month.
IF YOU'RE DENIED
Ask for the specific reason in writing. Most denials are about one detail (a color, a railing style, a fence height) and can be resolved with a revised submission. For projects that often need review, see our guides to covered porches and curb appeal upgrades.
RELATED READING
DO YOU NEED A PERMIT TO REMODEL A BATHROOM?
Permit rules for Montgomery, Prince George's, Fairfax, Arlington & DC — what triggers a permit and what doesn't.
ADDING A ROOF OVER YOUR DECK: COVERED PORCH GUIDE
Gable vs. shed roofs, the structural upgrades almost every deck needs, permits, and what a covered porch costs in the DMV.
CURB APPEAL UPGRADES THAT ACTUALLY PAY OFF
Front doors, paint, lighting, washing and walkways — what each costs and what it returns.
Planning a project? See our Property Maintenance service page for scope, process and recent work.
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