If you live in Boca West, PGA National, Mirasol, Valencia, Broken Sound, or almost any gated community in Palm Beach County, you cannot just pick a color and paint your house. The architectural review committee has to approve it first. Homeowners dread this process. It is not that bad if you know how it works.
Step one: find out if you even need approval
Most associations require approval for any exterior color change. Many also require it for a like-for-like repaint, because they want the manufacturer and product line on record. A few only care if the color changes. Call the management office or check the governing documents before you do anything else.
Step two: get the approved palette
Many communities publish an approved color book, often a set of body, trim, and accent combinations from a specific manufacturer. If yours does, your choices are already made for you and approval is fast. If not, you will submit your own colors for review.
Step three: the submittal
A typical Architectural Review Board (ARB) or Architectural Review Committee (ARC) application asks for:
- Paint manufacturer and product line for body, trim, and accents.
- Color names and codes.
- Sheen for each surface.
- Physical color chips or a rendering.
- Contractor name, license, and insurance certificate.
- Sometimes a photo of the house and a start date.
Missing any of these is the number one reason applications get kicked back. Fill in everything.
Step four: wait
Committees meet on a schedule, often monthly. Submit early. If you want the house painted before hurricane season, the application should go in weeks before you want the crew to start. Ask the management office when the next meeting is.
Step five: keep the approval letter
Once approved, keep the letter with your paint receipts. If a future board or a neighbor questions the color, you have the record.
How we help
We fill out ARB paperwork with homeowners in Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens, Boynton Beach, and Delray Beach all the time. We know which communities use which color books, we provide the license and insurance documentation the forms require, and we do not schedule exterior work until the approval is in hand. Painting a house the wrong color and repainting it is far more expensive than waiting a few weeks.
Condo associations are different
In a condo, the association usually owns the exterior and paints it on a schedule. Individual owners are generally responsible for the interior and sometimes the interior face of the front door. Anything visible from the corridor, including door color, typically needs board approval. See our commercial and HOA painting page for how we work with boards and property managers.
Need help with your ARB submittal?
We handle the paperwork as part of every exterior estimate in an HOA community.
