Do you mean to tell me there’s an organization that tells me what I can and cannot do at my own house, and we pay them to do that? Well, yes, but it’s not quite that simple, so let’s discuss what this means for you as a homeowner before you picket. Most homeowners are on the fence about whether they like their HOA or not. The HOA board serves as a sort of gatekeeper to ensure the neighborhood you have invested in doesn’t become an offensive eye sore. Don’t spend too much time going off the rails debating the value of an HOA with your panel of neighbors, just read our post and call us with any questions. Now that we’ve chained as many fence puns together as possible let’s link it together and lattice answer some of your fence questions. Nailed it!
What is a homeowners’ association (HOA) and what can they say about my fence?
A homeowners association, or HOA, is an organization or board of people that are elected by the residents of a community or neighborhood and represent the best interests of the residents by protecting home values through implementing and enforcing guidelines known as covenants and restrictions. Homeowners associations also assess and collect homeowner dues to pay for the maintenance of common areas and the development of new amenities. An HOA will typically dictate what type of fence and the height of the fence that a homeowner is allowed to have installed at their home and will even restrict where the fence can be built on the property. Most state laws allow an HOA to fine its residents for violation of provisions in the association bylaws or covenants. Your HOA may fine you for having the wrong fence style or the incorrect fence material. You could be fined if your fence is too tall or not tall enough. If you install your fence too close to the front of your home or too far from your property line, your HOA might fine you. Fines for your fence may continue to compound each day that a violation continues without being resolved. Having your fence installed wrong can result in costly fines and fence repairs to have the issue corrected. If you neglect to pay your fee or fines, you may lose the use of common areas and voting rights within your HOA, and may even result in liens against your property. Contact a local Big Jerry’s Fencing fence expert to ensure your fence is installed properly the first time and avoid the headache of a potential HOA fence violation.
Review the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) Guidelines & Covenants to understand restrictions for fences.
You should reach out to your Homeowners Association to inquire about their fence guidelines and restrictions. Most communities will have an Architectural Review Committee (ARC) that can provide you with the HOA Covenant documentation or architectural design guidelines. This document will typically lay out all the requirements for your home’s new fence. The most common limitations surround the fence type and fence layout. This means you may see a section that discusses what materials your fence can be built out of. Some neighborhoods require vinyl fences and aluminum fences while other communities allow for certain wood fence styles and chain link fences. The ARC will typically outline specific requirements for the style of fence being built, for instance you may be allowed to have a wood fence, but only board on board wood fences with lattice at the top for visibility. Other neighborhoods may say you can have a vinyl fence, but they specifically want 6ft tall tongue-and-groove white vinyl privacy fences installed at the homes in the neighborhood. Properties that about a lake or nature preservation often require fences with visibility, like a black aluminum fence. Next, you may see guidelines on where the fence can be installed on the property. It is common to find restrictions for how far forward the fence is allowed to be installed, and it may vary depending on what type of lot you live on. For instance, verbiage like “for interior lots, fencing shall not extend beyond ten (10) ft. before the front wall plane of the porch, house, or garage” and “for lots abutting a lake, the fencing shall not extend into the lake maintenance easement or top of the bank.” Or you may find something like “In corner lots, fencing along the street side property line shall be set back five (5) feet.”
Throwing a wrench in your fence plans even further, what do you do when your neighbor already has a fence? Are you supposed to build a fence right next to the existing one or can you share that existing fence boundary? This answer can vary from state to state, county to county, and neighborhood to neighborhood.
Even when following all the guidelines outlined in the provided documentation, you often will still read that “all fencing must be reviewed on an individual basis”, which means you still need to submit the ARC application and likely pay an application fee.
Submitting the Architectural Review Committee (ARC) Form or Fence Application right the first time
You should contact your homeowners’ association directly to inquire about their fence application process. Usually, you just need to complete an ARC application with your information and submit it back to the HOA with the fence sketch that your fence company provided for you. A good fence company will provide a fence sketch that includes the homeowner’s name, homeowners’ address, and homeowners’ contact information along with the proposed fence layout as well as a fence picture and description of the fence that you were quoted.
HOAs love working with Big Jerry’s Fencing because we provide fence sketches using real satellite imagery of your property and provide qualified sketches drawn directly onto a copy of your property survey with measurements of each respective fence line. This makes it easy and clean for members of the HOA Architectural Review Committee to review your fence plans and provide quick and efficient approvals the first time you submit the fence application.
Our fence company has found that most HOAs review fence applications every 30 days and provide fence approvals or requests for revisions after that initial review. If your initial fence application is denied, you typically have to pay another application fee the next time you submit your fence application. Don’t waste time and money getting your new fence installed at your home and use a top fence company that is familiar with your community guidelines or knows how to read and understand the ARC documents. If you have questions or need additional guidance, please reach out to your local Big Jerry’s Fencing fence expert, and we would be more than happy to get you pointed in the right direction and assist you in the process of purchasing your fence.
Is an HOA Approval for my fence the same as a Fence Permit from the City or County?
An approval for your fence installation from your homeowner’s association is not the same thing as a Fence Permit or Building Permit from your City or County office. Check local city and county ordinances to learn more about obtaining a fence permit for your property. If you are unsure if you need a fence permit, reach out to a fence company near you and ask for assistance. Big Jerry’s Fencing wants to be the fence company you go to with all your fence needs and fence questions, call or click bigjerrysfencing.com today to get started with getting a new fence built around your home.
Let Big Jerry’s Fencing help you get the perfect fence for your home.
At Big Jerry’s Fencing, our online draw-your-fence tool makes it easy to view your home and show us what needs to be fenced in your yard. If your neighbor has an existing fence in their yard, you can easily illustrate only the spots you need to be fenced in. You can even show us where you want the gates to be installed so you can easily access your yard from any side of your home that you want. One of our local fence experts will reach out to you and assist you in providing you with a fair and hassle-free fence estimate.
Big Jerry’s Fencing is a top-rated fence company located near you in Atlanta, Charlotte, Clayton, Creedmoor, Durham, Fayetteville, and Brunswick CO, Greensboro, Harnett County, Holly Springs, Nash County, Raleigh, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Nashville, Boise, Baton Rouge, East Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Northwest Arkansas. We make buying fences quick and easy, so you can protect your loved ones and your investments. We also offer fence financing to help you purchase your fence. Don’t hold off on your home improvement projects any longer. Call us today or click online to get a free fence estimate and let Big Jerry’s Fencing add protection, privacy, and value to your home.
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