Questions to Ask Your HOA Before Permanent Lights

Rules vary from one HOA to the next, so the safest first step is to ask your own. Many San Antonio neighborhoods, including parts of Stone Oak, have design review. This list gives you the questions to ask and a plain description of the product to include.

Start with your own documents

We cannot tell you what your association allows, and we do not guess. Your covenants, conditions, and restrictions, and any architectural guidelines, are the source. Many associations post them online or can send them on request.

Look for sections on exterior changes, exterior lighting, seasonal decorations, and colors.

Questions to ask

Is an application required for exterior lighting on the roofline? Who reviews it, and how are applications submitted? What does the review need to include: photos, a product sheet, a description of the work?

Are there limits on the colors that can be used, or on color changing lights? Are there limits on the hours lights can run? Are holiday colors treated differently from everyday colors? Is there a limit on brightness?

Be ready to describe the product

Reviewers respond to clear information. Here is a plain description you can adapt: a low-profile LED track mounted flush along the roofline, color-matched to the trim and in a waterproof, anti-UV sealed housing. The lights are controlled from an app, with schedules, zones, and saved scenes. A professional installs it, and nothing is hung from a ladder.

You can also tell the board that you can set a fixed warm white scene and a schedule. Offering limits up front may help a board feel comfortable. Facts like the 16 million+ colors are optional to mention.

Ask about timing

Find out how long reviews usually take and when the board meets. If you want lights up before a particular season, apply early. We cannot predict your board's schedule, so ask.

If you want to talk through what to submit, bring your guidelines to the free design consult. We can walk the roofline with you and help you describe it.

Gated and master planned neighborhoods

Larger master planned areas can have more than one layer of rules, such as a neighborhood association inside a larger community association. In Stone Oak, for example, separate neighborhoods can have separate associations. Our page on permanent lighting in Stone Oak covers this.

If you are unsure who to ask, start with your property manager or the association contact on your dues statement.

Be a good neighbor too

Even where rules allow it, a considerate schedule goes a long way. You can keep everyday scenes calm and save bright, colorful looks for holidays and game nights. The app makes that easy: set the schedule once and the lights follow it.

If a neighbor has concerns, a quiet warm white on a timer is a simple answer. You do not need to give up the colorful scenes, only choose when to use them.

What goes in the application

Keep the application short and specific. Include photos of the front of the house, a description of where the lights will run, the colors you plan to use for everyday and for holidays, and the hours you plan to run them.

If your board has a form, fill in every field. If it does not, a one-page letter with photos is a reasonable start. Ask whether the board wants a product sheet, and if so, tell us at the consult so we can help you gather the facts.

After approval

Keep a copy of the approval with your records. Tell your installer about any conditions, such as color limits or run times, and set those in the app so they stay in force automatically.

To learn more about how the system works, see permanent outdoor lighting in San Antonio. To plan your install, request a free design consult.