Tag: What You Should Know

Roofing In Your HOA: What You Should Know

As one of the most experienced HOA roofers in Chicagoland, the team at Roofing by Hernandez felt t would be a good idea to share some tips on roofing in a homeowner’s association so that our customers will feel more comfortable with the process from the initial call for an estimate to the final inspection of finished roofing work – not to mention the time our team spend inside your community. That can play a role in not only how your neighbors feel about you but any future projects you may be planning. After all, if the HOA board feels like you fouled up their operation with your roofing project they may be unwilling to let you do what you want the next time.

But there’s more to roofing in a HOA than just what happens while the workers are onsite. In fact, much of the legwork for roofing in a HOA will have to be done prior to your ever calling Roofing by Hernandez at (312) 439-0556 for a free HOA roofing estimate. And that means you’ll be the one in charge of the process until our team arrives on the property to handle the actual roofing work. Once we’re there you’ll also be in charge of sharing the HOA roofing covenants with us so we’re on the same page.

Don’t worry if you don’t know what a roofing covenant is yet. We’ll take the time to explain it briefly for you here and take all the time necessary to explain it to you when we meet in person. So let’s go ahead and get started with a few things you should expect when it’s time for a roofing project in your HOA.

There’s More Than Just Roofing To Projects In Chicagoland HOAs

The first thing you need to consider when you need roofing services in your HOA is whether or not your community has guidelines that govern all contractor work done inside the boundaries of the HOA. We recommend looking into your HOA’s rules and regulations by checking your own paperwork – oftentimes it will be spelled out very clearly – and by reaching out to your HOA board directly to get answers and guidance straight from the horse’s mouth, as they say.

By going straight to the people in charge of how your HOA operates you may avoid any unpleasantness that can sometimes creep into a roofing or roofing-related project. Whether it’s noise or vehicles, access or cooperation – you’ll always be better off if you get straight answers about how best to move forward. Avoid contention and you’ll be fine!

Your Chicagoland HOA May Have Architectural Guidelines In Place

While you may not even be aware of it, 99% of HOAs have some form of architectural guidelines that regulate modification and alteration to a home. That applies to roofing believe it or not so you’re going to want to have a look at whatever specific architectural guidelines your HOA uses. Some of these guidelines can seem pretty odd – like you cannot have façade decorative walls – while others are even more clear about restricted roofing types and materials – like no flat roofing of any kind. Those seem out of place in Chicagoland but each HOA makes its own rules to preserve the identity and atmosphere of their community. And there’s property values too and you don’t want to mess with those!

3 Important Items To Keep In Mind Prior To HOA Roofing Projects

As we mentioned earlier, every HOA in America will have covenants that dictate what can be done to your home and how it must be accomplished to stay within the framework of the HOA. These covenants apply to roofing in three distinct ways which we’ll break down in detail below and must be adhered to at all times during your HOA roofing project so that you don’t run afoul of your HOA board and/or your neighbors. At Roofing by Hernandez, we know these covenants by heart because we’re the #1 HOA roofer in Chicago but we’ll go over them so that you don’t ever make a mistake when it comes to covenants.

HOA Roofing Covenant #1: Proper Documentation

Okay this is a covenant that might not apply to you but more and more Chicagoland HOAs are adopting it so we’ll cover it here. We have to because it’s the linchpin of everything if it’s required and would ruin the whole roofing project if it was a part of your community guidelines and ignored. We’re talking about documentation of the work to be done – specifically the roof repair or replacement. A great many HOA boards want to approve the plans before the work actually begins – presumably to identify any issues before they cause the HOA and the homeowner problems – so you’re going to want to have the Roofing by Hernandez team prepare these plans for your HOA board and answer any additional questions they may have about the labor and to be done.

HOA Roofing Covenant #2: Approved Roofing Materials

A lot of Chicago-area HOAs take an interest in what types of materials are used when roofing takes place. Yes, they want to ensure that a homeowner doesn’t go outside the lines with the materials they choose. They want to control the types of roofing that are employed to repair or replace an existing roof and that’s totally fine. However, there’s another aspect of this that you need to consider. Many HOAs want you to use specific materials that comply with their own guidelines. This could be something like synthetic shingles that match an approved list or hail-resistant materials that stand up to the local weather better than what you may have wished to use in the first place.

Remember, most covenants like this are made for the benefit of everyone as the fewer hail damage repairs have to be made the fewer roofing contractors interrupting life in your community. While it can seem intrusive it’s often for the greater good so be sure to check with your HOA about specific materials they require so you don’t end up paying to remove it yourself!

HOA Covenant #3: Accepted Color Palettes

The last roofing covenant for HOAs that we’ll talk about is color palettes. Many HOA communities share common color schemes for a reason. They want the whole community to reflect a certain look. Whether that’s because they want to maximize property values or minimize personality is not something we think about. Why? Because we’re your HOA roofer and not a member of the board or a homeowner who has a stake. We simply recommend that you use the approved color palettes for your roofing project so that the finished results don’t stick out from the other homes in your HOA. Even when your home is given some freedom of color choice the HOA will still require roofing materials to be inline with the colors of the home so your options are dictated by what’s allowed. Don’t worry – we can help you match any roofing material color you need fast!

Ignoring Your Chicago HOA Guidelines Will Cost You

Now that we’ve gone over the biggest items to watch out for before, during and after your roofing project is completed, it’s time to mention one final thing. If you look closely at the bylaws for your HOA you’ll find a clause that states that any changes required due to breaking rules or ignoring guidelines must be paid for by the homeowner. That means if you choose the wrong color shingles they could force you to pay to remove them for the right color. Seriously, that’s too expensive to risk so follow the guidelines and call Roofing by Hernandez at (312) 439-0556 to walk you through exactly what needs to take place for an effective and successful HOA roofing project in Chicagoland!

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