In a subdivision built after about 2000 — Daybreak, Suncrest, most of Herriman, big chunks of Draper and Lehi — the HOA architectural review committee is a bigger scheduling risk than the city building department. City plan review is predictable. An ARC that meets on the third Tuesday of the month is not.
We have submitted a lot of these packets. Here is what committees actually look at, what to send, and how to keep HOA review off your critical path.
What the committee is actually judging
Almost no HOA cares about your framing. They care about what the neighbors will see. In practice, review comes down to six things:
- Color and material. Does the decking, railing, and pergola finish coordinate with the home's approved exterior palette?
- Height and massing. Especially for pergolas and patio covers — many CC&Rs cap accessory structure height around 10 to 12 feet.
- Setbacks and lot coverage. HOA setbacks are sometimes stricter than the city's.
- Visibility from the street. Rear-yard structures usually sail through; anything on a corner lot or a side yard gets scrutiny.
- Roofing on covered structures. If a patio cover is roofed, most communities require the shingle or metal to match the house.
- Drainage. Newer communities increasingly ask that you not redirect water onto a neighbor's lot.
What belongs in the submission packet
A complete packet gets approved on the first pass. An incomplete one gets tabled to the next monthly meeting, which is how a two-week approval becomes a seven-week one. We assemble all of this for clients as part of the build.
- Completed ARC application form from the management company.
- Site plan or plat showing the structure's footprint with dimensions to property lines.
- Elevation drawing showing height above grade, especially for pergolas and covers.
- Material and color specification — brand, line, and color name (for example, Trex Select in Pebble Grey).
- Photos of the existing rear elevation.
- A product photo or rendering of the finished structure.
- Contractor license and insurance certificate — required by most management companies.
Two additions that measurably increase first-pass approval: a note stating the color match to the home's existing trim, and a line confirming no change to lot drainage.
Realistic timelines by community type
| Community type | Typical decision time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Self-managed small HOA | 1–3 weeks | Often a single board member reviews by email |
| Professionally managed suburban HOA | 2–5 weeks | Monthly meeting cadence drives the timeline |
| Master-planned (Daybreak-style) | 3–6 weeks | Detailed design guidelines; resubmittals common |
| Mountain / view communities (Suncrest, Park City area) | 4–8 weeks | Height, view corridors, and exterior color heavily reviewed |
| No HOA | 0 | City permit only — see the permit guide |
Note the overlap with our building season. An approval submitted in February is invisible on your schedule; the same approval submitted in May costs you the early-summer slot. That is the core argument in the best time to build in Utah.
How HOA review sequences with the city permit
These are two independent approvals, and they do not know about each other. The city will issue a permit for something your HOA later rejects, and the HOA will approve something the city will not permit.
- Design finalized and materials chosen.
- HOA packet submitted first — it is the slower and less predictable of the two.
- City permit application submitted in parallel once the design is locked. Both reviews run at the same time.
- Any HOA-driven design change gets sent to the city as a revision before we break ground.
- Build starts only when both approvals are in hand.
City-side requirements by jurisdiction are covered in deck permits in Utah cities.
The five most common rejection reasons
- Missing dimensioned site plan — by far number one.
- Pergola or cover height exceeding the CC&R cap, usually by a foot or two.
- Deck color that does not tie to the home's approved palette.
- Structure encroaching a rear or side easement the homeowner did not know existed.
- No contractor insurance certificate attached.
Every one of these is avoidable at submission. If your committee tables a project, ask specifically what would make it approvable — most will tell you, and a one-line revision usually clears it at the next meeting.
- HOAs review appearance, height, setbacks, and drainage — not your framing.
- A complete packet with a dimensioned site plan and named color spec usually clears on the first pass.
- Budget 2–6 weeks for professionally managed communities, longer in mountain and master-planned neighborhoods.
- Submit the HOA packet first and run the city permit in parallel; they are independent approvals.
- Submitting in winter keeps HOA review completely off your build schedule.
Frequently asked questions
+Do I need HOA approval for a deck that isn't visible from the street?
Usually yes. Most CC&Rs require approval for any permanent structure regardless of visibility. Visibility affects how closely they scrutinize it, not whether you have to apply.
+Who submits the HOA packet, me or the builder?
The homeowner is the member of record, so the application goes in under your name — but we assemble the whole packet, including the site plan, elevations, material specs, and our license and insurance certificate.
+What if the HOA rejects my pergola height?
Most height rejections are resolved by dropping the beam a foot or reworking the post detail. We redraw and resubmit at the next meeting, and it almost always clears. Ask the committee for the specific dimension they will accept.
Jake walks every site himself. Quoted in 48 hours.
- What Does a Deck Cost in Utah? A 2026 Pricing Guide From a Trex Pro BuilderReal Utah deck pricing for 2026. Trex composite vs. cedar vs. pressure-treated. Cost by size and material, what drives the price up, and how to budget without surprises.
- Trex vs. Wood Decks in Utah: Which Actually Lasts in Our Climate?Utah's freeze-thaw cycle destroys most wood decks by year seven. Trex outlasts it three times over. The honest comparison from a builder who installs both.
- Best Time of Year to Build a Deck in UtahWhen you sign matters more than when we build. Here is how Utah's seasons affect deck pricing, scheduling, and how much of the summer you actually get on the new deck.