If your house is in a Florida community governed by a homeowners’ association, most exterior changes need written approval from the association’s architectural review committee before work starts: roof, windows, doors, paint color, additions, pools, fences, driveways and landscaping. Florida Statutes section 720.3035 limits that power to what your declaration and published guidelines actually say, bars the association from regulating interiors that cannot be seen from outside, and requires any denial to be in writing and cite the specific rule.

The details matter because HOA approval is a separate track from your building permit, it runs on the committee’s calendar, and an incomplete application costs a full review cycle.

HOA or condo association: which rules apply to you?

Florida splits community associations into two statutes. Single-family neighborhoods, townhome communities and most gated subdivisions are homeowners’ associations under Chapter 720. Condominium buildings fall under Chapter 718, which works very differently, because in a condo the walls, slab and exterior belong to the association as common elements.

This article covers Chapter 720 communities. If you live in a high-rise in Aventura or Sunny Isles, read our guide to condo renovation rules in Miami instead.

What does an HOA architectural review committee actually review?

The committee (often called the ARC, ARB or modifications committee) reviews changes that affect how your property looks from the street, from neighbors’ lots and from common areas. In most South Florida communities that list includes:

  • Roofing. Material, color and profile.
  • Windows and exterior doors. Frame color, glass tint and the size of new openings.
  • Exterior paint and stucco. Many communities publish an approved color palette.
  • Additions. Room additions, second stories, covered patios and garage conversions get the closest scrutiny, including setbacks.
  • Pools, decks, screen enclosures and summer kitchens.
  • Fences, walls and gates. Height, material and location relative to the lot line.
  • Driveways, pavers and walkways.
  • Landscaping and tree removal.
  • Hurricane protection and generators. Shutters, impact glass and fixed generators, which Florida law now treats specially (more below).

What the committee usually does not review is the inside of your house. A kitchen remodel or a bathroom renovation that does not change the exterior is generally outside its reach, although the community may still have rules about work hours, contractor parking and dumpsters.

What Florida Statute 720.3035 says about architectural review

Section 720.3035 is the part of Chapter 720 that governs architectural control. As of the 2026 Florida Statutes, the main points for a homeowner planning a renovation are these:

  1. The committee’s authority is limited to the documents. It may review plans and enforce standards only to the extent the declaration or the association’s published guidelines say so or reasonably imply it, and it must apply those standards evenly to every owner.
  2. Interiors are off limits. The association may not enforce rules on parts of a structure that are not visible from the frontage, an adjacent lot, a common area or a golf course. It also may not require review of an air-conditioning system that is not visible and is substantially similar to one already approved.
  3. No permit-first requirement. The association may not make a government building permit a condition of its review. You can apply to the HOA and the building department in parallel.
  4. You choose among the allowed options. If the declaration lists approved materials, colors, sizes or locations, the owner picks from them.
  5. Denials must be specific. A denial has to be in writing and identify the rule relied on and the part of your plan that does not conform.
  6. There is a remedy for abuse. If an association unreasonably, knowingly and willfully infringes an owner’s architectural rights, the owner may recover damages and attorney fees.
  7. Hurricane protection has its own rule. Every HOA board must adopt hurricane protection specifications that comply with the building code, and it may not deny an application for hurricane protection that conforms to those specifications. It can still require that the installation fit an existing unified look. The statute’s definition covers impact windows and doors, storm shutters, exterior fixed generators and roof systems meeting the ASCE 7-22 wind standard.

The statute was amended in 2024 and again in 2026. Where it and your declaration seem to conflict, ask a community association attorney.

How long does HOA approval take in Florida?

Chapter 720 does not set a single statewide deadline for architectural review. The timeline comes from your community’s declaration and guidelines, and it varies widely. Some documents give the committee a fixed response period; others are silent.

The practical driver is the meeting calendar. If the committee meets monthly, a package that misses the cutoff waits a month, and one that comes back with questions waits another. For an addition, a new roof or a full window replacement, the HOA can become the longest lead item before construction.

Find two things in your documents before planning a schedule:

  • The review period, and whether silence counts as approval, denial or nothing at all.
  • Whether approval expires if work does not start, or finish, within a set time. Many approvals do, and an expired approval means reapplying.

HOA approval and the building permit are two separate things

One does not cover the other. The building department (Miami-Dade, Broward, or your city) checks code compliance: structure, wind load, electrical, plumbing, energy. The HOA checks appearance and compliance with private covenants. An HOA cannot approve something the code forbids, and a permit does not override a covenant.

Because the association may not require a permit before reviewing your plans, the efficient sequence is to prepare one set of drawings and submit to both at the same time. If the HOA asks for changes, revise before the permit is issued rather than after. Our guides to Miami-Dade permits and Broward remodeling permits cover the building-department side.

What a complete HOA application looks like

Every community has its own form, but committees look for the same things:

  • A clear description of the work. Not “exterior renovation.” Say what is being removed, what is going in, and where.
  • A site plan or survey showing the change in relation to lot lines and setbacks, for anything that changes the footprint: additions, pools, fences, driveways.
  • Elevations or a rendering for anything visible from the street.
  • Product data and samples. Roof tile model and color, window frame finish and glass tint, paint chips with manufacturer codes, paver samples.
  • The contractor’s information and insurance certificate, if your community asks for it. Some do at the application stage, others before work starts.
  • Neighbor acknowledgment where the documents require it, usually for fences or work near a shared lot line.
  • A construction deposit, if the community requires one against damage to roads or common areas.

Rules that apply during construction

Approval of the design is only half of it. Most Florida HOAs also regulate how the work happens. Typical provisions cover permitted work hours and days, where trucks and dumpsters may sit and for how long, portable toilet placement, debris and dust control, and signage. Gated communities add gate access lists and sometimes vendor registration.

A dumpster left a day too long or a crew starting an hour early is how a good relationship with management turns into a violation letter. We read the community rules before mobilizing.

What to do if the HOA denies your application

Start with the written denial. Under 720.3035 it must name the rule and the nonconforming element. Often the fix is narrow: a different color from the approved palette, a fence moved back, a lower roofline. Revise and resubmit that element rather than arguing the whole project.

If the denial cites a standard missing from your declaration or published guidelines, or one other owners are not held to, you may have grounds to push back. If the stakes are high, such as an addition or a major exterior change, pay for an hour with a community association attorney before you either give up or start work. Building without approval is the worst option: the association can seek to have the work removed at your expense, and that cost is entirely avoidable.

How we handle the HOA side of a project

We are an HOA-approved contractor in communities and buildings across South Florida, which means associations have already reviewed our insurance and paperwork. On exterior work we prepare the drawings, product data and samples the committee needs as part of the same package we use for the permit, so the two tracks move together. On larger projects such as a whole-home renovation or an addition, we build the review calendar into the schedule from the first meeting.

Approval usually comes down to completeness. The committee usually wants to say yes; it just needs everything in front of it to do so.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need HOA approval to renovate the inside of my house in Florida?

Generally no. Florida Statute 720.3035 says an association may not enforce rules on parts of a structure that are not visible from the frontage, an adjacent parcel, a common area or a golf course. An interior kitchen or bathroom remodel usually falls outside architectural review. Your community may still regulate work hours, contractor parking and dumpsters while the job is underway, so check the rules before you start.

Can my HOA require a building permit before reviewing my plans?

No. Under section 720.3035, an association may not require you to obtain a government building permit as a condition of its architectural review. That means you can submit to the HOA and the building department at the same time. Doing them in parallel, from the same set of drawings, is usually the fastest way to get a project started.

How long does my HOA have to approve my renovation request?

Florida law does not set one statewide deadline for HOA architectural review. The review period, and what happens if the committee does not respond in time, is set by your declaration and the association’s published guidelines. Many committees meet monthly, so plan on at least one meeting cycle for simple requests and more for additions, roofs or full window replacements.

Can my HOA deny impact windows or hurricane shutters?

Florida law requires every HOA board to adopt hurricane protection specifications that meet the building code. The association may not deny an application for hurricane protection that conforms to those specifications, which cover impact windows and doors, shutters, fixed generators and qualifying roof systems. It can still require the installation to match an existing unified building scheme, such as a frame color.

What happens if I renovate without HOA approval?

The association can pursue enforcement under your declaration, which may include fines and a demand that the unapproved work be removed or changed at your cost. If it goes to court you may also face the association’s legal fees. Even when the work would likely have been approved, building first turns a routine application into a dispute. Apply first, and keep the written approval with your project records.

Is an HOA the same as a condo association in Florida?

No. Homeowners’ associations for single-family and townhome communities are governed by Chapter 720 of the Florida Statutes. Condominium associations are governed by Chapter 718. In a condo, the association owns and controls the structure and exterior as common elements, so its review of a renovation goes much deeper, often into plumbing, flooring and anything that touches the slab.