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The complete walkthrough of every document, color sample, product spec, and prep detail your Jacksonville HOA may need before approving your exterior repaint — with a sample packet format and the most common reasons submissions get delayed.
A complete Jacksonville HOA paint submission usually includes your property address, HOA name, body color, trim color, door or accent colors, paint manufacturer, color codes, sheen, product line, LRV (when required), photos or color samples, surface preparation details, and contractor documentation. Some Jacksonville HOAs may also require an official ARB or ARC form, neighbor acknowledgement, or submission directly through the management company. Every HOA is different — always confirm final requirements with your association before submitting.
Every HOA is different. This guide is for general homeowner education and does not replace your community’s covenants, architectural guidelines, management company instructions, or legal advice. Always confirm final requirements directly with your HOA, ARB, ARC, ACC, property manager, or association documents before painting.
A New Leaf Painting helps Jacksonville homeowners organize the paint-related information commonly requested by HOAs — including color codes, product specs, sheens, LRV details, prep scope, photos, and contractor documentation.
An HOA paint submission packet is the information your homeowners association or architectural review board uses to approve your exterior paint project before work begins. Different communities call it different things — an ARB application, an ARC submission, an architectural change request, or a design review packet — but the function is the same.
The packet typically contains:
The HOA reviews this information against your community’s covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) and its current architectural guidelines. If everything matches the approved standards and the packet is complete, the application is typically approved. If anything is missing or unclear, the application is usually returned for clarification — which means waiting for the next review cycle.
Most homeowners assume the hardest part of an HOA paint application is picking a color the architectural review board will like. After 25 years of preparing paint specifications across Northeast Florida — Marsh Landing, Sawgrass, Eagle Harbor, Nocatee, Julington Creek, Palencia, eTown, Deerwood, Glen Kernan, and dozens of other communities — what we see most often isn’t color rejection. It’s incomplete information.
Many HOA paint applications are delayed or rejected on the first review because they are incomplete — not because the color is automatically wrong. Missing color codes, sheen details, LRV values, photos, samples, or contractor documentation can push the request into another review cycle.
This is why the difference between a 4-week and a 12-week project usually comes down to whether the homeowner — or, more often, the painting contractor working on their behalf — submitted complete information on the first try.
The economics of incomplete submissions: If your repaint is timed around a specific weather window, school break, or move-in date, an extra review cycle can push the project out by another 3 to 6 weeks. We’ve seen homeowners postpone projects entire seasons because the first ARB cycle slipped and they couldn’t re-submit fast enough to start before the next weather window. Get the packet right the first time.
The components below are what most Northeast Florida HOA architectural review boards want to see, regardless of whether you live in a sub-association of Marsh Landing, a master-planned community like Nocatee, or a historic district like San Marco or Avondale. Some communities require additional information — we’ll cover those in the community-specific variations section — but these components are the universal floor.
Each component below includes what to include, why it matters, and (where helpful) an example of what the spec actually looks like.
The current version of your community’s architectural change application — sometimes called an Architectural Review Request (ARR), Architectural Modification Request (AMR), or Design Review Application. Pull this directly from your management company’s portal or website. Don’t reuse a form you got at closing; communities update their forms periodically and submitting an outdated version may trigger a rejection.
The form should be fully completed (no blank fields), signed by the homeowner of record, and dated. If your home is owned jointly, both signatures are typically required. If your home is held in a trust or LLC, the trustee or authorized representative signs.
Specify the manufacturer (Sherwin-Williams or Benjamin Moore) and the specific product line within that manufacturer’s catalog. “Sherwin-Williams” alone is usually not enough — Sherwin-Williams sells everything from contractor-grade SuperPaint to top-tier Emerald, and the durability difference between those products is significant.
For Northeast Florida exteriors, the product lines we typically recommend are Sherwin-Williams Duration, Sherwin-Williams Emerald, Benjamin Moore Regal Select Exterior, and Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior. Coastal communities like Marsh Landing, Sawgrass, Atlantic Beach, and Amelia Island often benefit from Emerald or Aura specifically because of their salt-air resistance — see our Ponte Vedra Beach salt air repainting guide for technical detail on why coastal exposure changes product selection.
Color names alone are usually not enough. ARBs typically want the manufacturer’s color code — the unique identifier that distinguishes “Alabaster” by Sherwin-Williams (SW 7008) from any other “Alabaster” by another manufacturer. Codes are also what let the ARB verify the color in the manufacturer’s database, confirm the LRV, and compare against the community’s approved palette.
Specify body, trim, and accent colors separately. If your home has multiple body colors (a common occurrence on stucco-and-fiber-cement combination homes), list each one with its placement.
Sheen — flat, satin, semi-gloss, or gloss — affects both how the color reads on the wall and how durable the paint film is. Many Northeast Florida HOA standards specify sheen requirements separately for body, trim, and accent. Submitting “Alabaster” without specifying flat versus satin is usually incomplete.
Common sheens for Florida exterior work: flat or low-lustre on stucco body walls (hides surface imperfections, reduces glare in strong sun), satin on fiber cement and wood siding body walls, satin or semi-gloss on trim, semi-gloss or gloss on doors and shutters.
LRV is a number from 0 (pure black) to 100 (pure white) measuring how much visible light a color reflects. Many Jacksonville HOA architectural standards specify LRV requirements because Florida’s intense UV environment makes color choice a durability issue, not just an aesthetic one. Common HOA rules require body wall LRV between 55 and 80, with separate ranges for trim and accents.
Manufacturers publish LRV in their color cards and online databases. Sherwin-Williams Alabaster is LRV 82. Accessible Beige is LRV 58. Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore is LRV 6 (acceptable for shutters and doors but generally not for body walls). The LRV section of our complete pillar guide walks through why this matters in detail.
A written description — and ideally a simple sketch or annotated photo — showing where each color goes on the home. Body color on stucco walls. Trim color on fascia, soffits, and window casings. Accent on shutters and front door. Garage door painted to match body. So on.
This is where many submissions fail. The homeowner lists three approved colors but doesn’t specify which goes where, and the ARB has to either guess or send the packet back for clarification. A clear placement plan eliminates that ambiguity. Some communities provide a fillable diagram template — use it. If yours doesn’t, write the placement plan in plain language as part of the application.
Most Jacksonville HOAs require physical color samples — either manufacturer paint chips, large-format printed color cards, or actual painted sample boards (typically 12″ x 12″ or larger). Some communities require both: chips for the application packet plus painted boards mounted to the home for the on-site review.
Why physical samples matter: monitor displays and printed brochures distort color significantly. A color that looks soft warm beige on the chip can read pink-orange on a south-facing stucco wall in afternoon Florida sun. The ARB wants to see the actual pigment under actual lighting conditions, not a photograph of the pigment.
Painted sample boards are the highest standard and tend to clear faster in strict communities like Marsh Landing, The Plantation at Ponte Vedra, and Sawgrass.
Most Jacksonville HOAs require 4 to 8 current photos showing all elevations of the home being repainted — front, sides, rear, plus close-ups of any architectural features that affect color placement (gables, columns, accent walls, dormers).
Photos should be recent (within 30 days of submission), taken in good daylight, and high enough resolution that details are visible. Don’t submit photos pulled from old listings or Google Street View — ARBs notice, and old photos can trigger questions about whether the home’s condition has changed since.
The prep work is half the job on any exterior repaint, and HOAs know it. Submission packets that specify thorough preparation tend to clear faster than packets that gloss over prep, because volunteer ARB members have all watched neighbors hire contractors who skipped prep and produced repaints that failed visibly within 2 to 3 years.
A complete prep scope typically specifies: pressure washing pressure and detergent, drying time before priming, scope of scraping and sanding, primer specification (oil-based stain-blocker on bare wood, bonding primer on stucco, corrosion-inhibiting on metal), caulking specification, wood and stucco repair scope, masking strategy, and number of topcoat applications. For Northeast Florida exterior work, two coats of premium topcoat over properly primed substrate is the standard.
Many HOAs ask for proof that the contractor is properly registered, insured, and qualified to perform the proposed scope of work. Depending on the project, this may include:
Our Iron-Clad Guarantee & Warranty page shows the documentation we provide for every HOA project.
An estimated start date and completion date so the ARB knows when work will be visible in the community. Some HOAs use this to coordinate with neighborhood-wide events (community garage sales, holiday decoration windows, golf tournaments at country club communities).
Don’t promise a tight timeline you can’t keep. Most exterior repaints in Northeast Florida take 5 to 10 working days for a typical single-family home, longer for two-story estates or homes requiring extensive prep. Build a 7-day weather buffer into your estimated completion date — Florida humidity and afternoon thunderstorms regularly push schedules.
Optional but recommended: A one-page contractor reference document listing 3 completed projects in your specific HOA community or a similar one, with addresses and dates. ARBs aren’t required to review references, but submitting them voluntarily signals professionalism and tends to shorten internal back-and-forth.
Before you submit your paint request, use our Jacksonville HOA Paint Submission Checklist to make sure you have the color codes, sheens, LRV values, photos, product specs, and contractor documents your HOA may ask for.
To make this concrete, here’s what a complete submission packet looks like, formatted as a typical Northeast Florida HOA repaint. The example below is a teaching template based on common requirements, not a specific submission. Use it as a model when you build your own packet — substitute your home’s actual address, your community’s actual ARB form, and the colors and products from your own project.
The home: roughly 4,800 sq ft Mediterranean-style stucco, two-story, with terracotta tile roof and copper accent details. Existing finish: 11-year-old paint failing on south and west elevations. Owner wants to refresh with a closer-to-original palette while addressing minor stucco crazing and full-perimeter caulking.
This is what a complete packet looks like. Every component is present. Every spec is verified against the manufacturer’s published data. The sheen, LRV, and product line are all explicit. The prep scope is detailed enough that the ARB can see what’s actually going to happen. The contractor information is documented with proof. The timeline is realistic.
For more on the technical reality of estate-home repaints — including lift access, salt-air rated coatings, and fall protection — see our two-story painting in Marsh Landing guide.
After a quarter-century of preparing paint specifications for ARBs across Northeast Florida, we’ve seen every variety of delay. Here are the most common — and most are preventable with a complete packet.
“Tan body, white trim” without manufacturer codes. The ARB can’t verify the color, can’t check the approved palette, and can’t confirm the LRV.
“Alabaster” exists at multiple manufacturers and the unmodified color name doesn’t tell the ARB which one you mean. Always pair the name with the manufacturer’s specific code.
Body, trim, and accent colors listed but no sheen for any of them. Many ARBs require sheen specified separately for each surface.
Three colors approved but no description of which goes where. The ARB has to either guess or send the packet back. Always include a written placement plan.
Some communities require LRV for each color. Submitting without it can stall the application until the missing values are provided.
Submission lists body and trim but forgets garage door, shutters, or front door. Every visible exterior surface should be addressed.
Selecting a color outside the community’s approved palette without explicitly requesting a variance. Many communities maintain pre-approved lists.
“We will paint the exterior” with no prep details. Always specify pressure washing, drying time, priming, caulking, and any wood/stucco repair.
Submitting without insurance certificates, business documentation, or qualification information that the HOA requires.
Photos pulled from MLS listings, Google Street View, or 5-year-old phone shots. ARBs want current photos in good daylight showing all elevations.
Submitting 2 weeks before the desired start with no buffer for a review cycle or any conditional modifications.
Submitting to the master HOA when the sub-association has architectural authority, or to the wrong management company for two-tier communities.
Most delays aren’t because the homeowner chose a bad color. They happen because the submission is incomplete or unclear. The pattern is consistent: incomplete information forces the ARB to make assumptions, and ARBs typically don’t make assumptions — they ask for more information, and that adds time.
Schedule an exterior painting estimate and we’ll help you organize the paint information your HOA may request — color codes, product specs, sheens, LRV details, prep scope, and contractor documentation.
The HOA application is technically the homeowner’s responsibility — your name, your signature, your property. But preparing the technical content of the packet is where a knowledgeable Jacksonville painting contractor can make the process much easier on you.
A professional contractor with HOA experience should be able to clearly explain — and document — what product, sheen, color codes, prep process, and surface preparation they’re using. If your painter can’t articulate those details, your HOA submission may be harder than it needs to be, and your finished result may not last as long in Florida weather.
When you hire A New Leaf Painting for an HOA exterior repaint, we help organize the paint-related details needed for your submission so you’re not left guessing on the technical fields. The application is still yours to sign and submit, but the spec details should not be a homework assignment for the homeowner.
HOA paint approval is a process between the homeowner and the association. We help with the parts of that process where painting expertise matters — and we’re transparent about the parts that fall outside what any contractor can control.
We recommend homeowners confirm final requirements directly with their HOA, property manager, or architectural review board before submitting any application.
These are the questions that catch homeowners off guard most often. A few minutes of confirmation up front can save weeks of resubmission later.
For specific approved palettes by community, see our Jacksonville HOA Paint Color Guide.
In many Jacksonville HOA communities, yes. Even if you are repainting the same color, the association may still require written approval before exterior painting begins. Some HOAs offer a simplified or expedited review for same-color repaints — but homeowners should confirm this in writing before scheduling the project.
The risk of skipping the request: if the existing paint has faded over 7 to 10 years, the new fresh coat won’t match what the ARB has on file. That mismatch can trigger a violation even though you used what you thought was the “same” color.
The safer path is always to file a brief written request stating “repainting in [color name and code], same as existing” with current photos attached. Same-color requests typically clear faster than full applications, but the documentation is what protects you if anyone ever questions the work.
If your HOA has sent a notice about faded paint, peeling paint, mildew, or an unapproved color, the worst thing to do is wait. Most HOAs give 30 to 60 days to come into compliance, and the fines that accrue after that window can add up quickly.
The best next step is to review the violation notice carefully, confirm exactly what the HOA is requesting, and prepare a clear repaint plan with colors, products, prep details, and timeline. If the violation requires returning to an approved color you no longer have on file, the HOA office or management company can usually provide the original approved palette or color records.
Bring Your Violation Letter to Your EstimateWe’ve handled HOA paint violation responses across Northeast Florida — from minor “needs touch-up” notices to forced full repaints after unapproved color jobs. The faster you get a complete packet in front of the ARB, the faster the violation closes.
The 11 components above are the universal floor across most of Northeast Florida. Some communities require additional documentation or modify the standard process in ways worth knowing about before you submit.
Marsh Landing Country Club and Sawgrass Players Club typically require physical painted sample boards (12″ x 12″ or larger) rather than manufacturer paint chips. The ARB reviews the boards in actual sunlight against the home itself before approving.
Eagle Harbor has multiple sub-associations including Stone Creek (managed separately by RealManage). Identify which sub-HOA your home belongs to and submit there. Master submissions get bounced back.
Most Nocatee sub-HOAs (Crosswater, Twenty Mile, Cypress Trails) use an online submission portal that’s faster than paper. Color binders are available at the management office for in-person reference. Adjacent-home color matching rule is enforced.
Pull your specific neighborhood’s supplemental covenants in addition to the master CDD documents. Hardie Board fiber cement homes have specific primer requirements — see our Hardie Board repainting guide.
Palencia’s Spanish/Mediterranean architecture means body color is reviewed against the existing terracotta tile roof. Trim is typically restricted to white and warm off-whites.
Historic districts require a COA application reviewed by the Historic District Council (San Marco) or Riverside Avondale Preservation (Avondale). Period-appropriate palettes are typically required. See our San Marco historic refinishing guide for context.
eTown uses The PARC Group’s online portal at etownjax.com. Submission is digital from start to finish. Tech-modern palette is broadly approved — more flexibility on contemporary grays and matte black accents than older communities tend to allow.
Queens Harbour Yacht & Country Club enforces visual coordination with neighboring estates, especially for canal-view properties. Color samples must be physical. Allow extra time during peak summer ARB load.
For complete management contacts, ARB submission methods, and meeting schedules across nearly 100 Northeast Florida communities, see our Jacksonville HOA Master Directory.
Most HOA paint approvals are not instant. Some communities review applications weekly, while others review them monthly or only at scheduled ARB meetings. To avoid delaying your painting project, submit your paint request before choosing a firm project start date.
If your packet bounces back as incomplete on the first cycle, add 3 to 6 weeks to this timeline. If you’re trying to start a project in October, that means you need to begin the packet assembly process in early August. If you wait until late September to start, you’re scheduling around Thanksgiving travel and the holiday season.
Florida-specific timing note: The strongest exterior painting window in Northeast Florida runs October through May — lower humidity, cooler temperatures, fewer afternoon thunderstorms, and ARB calendars less congested than peak summer. If you want a fall start, submit your packet by mid-August. If you want a spring start, submit by mid-January.
If you are trying to paint before a move-in, a sale, an inspection, or a specific weather window, contact us early so we can help prepare your paint details before your HOA deadline.
Most Jacksonville HOA communities require written approval before exterior painting begins. The covenants typically require approval for any exterior modification visible from the street, and a fresh coat of paint qualifies — even repainting in the same color often requires at least a brief written request.
Always confirm with your management company before scheduling work. Skipping the approval step can result in violation notices, fines, and forced repaints.
You may be required to repaint, pay fines, or submit a retroactive application. Most Jacksonville HOAs give 30 to 60 days to come into compliance once a violation is issued. If fines aren’t paid, the HOA may pursue further enforcement, which can include placing a lien on the home.
The total cost of skipping approval almost always exceeds the cost of doing it right the first time. If you’ve already received a violation letter, see our violation letter section above for next steps.
Some HOAs allow contractor involvement, while others require the homeowner to submit the application directly. The application is technically the homeowner’s legal responsibility — your name, your signature, your property — but contractors can typically prepare and attach the technical content.
A New Leaf Painting can help provide the paint-related details needed for your application — color codes, product specs, sheen, LRV, prep scope, contractor documentation. The homeowner of record signs and submits.
Most HOAs want color names with manufacturer codes, the manufacturer and product line, sheen for each surface, and where each color will be applied (body, trim, fascia, soffits, garage door, doors, shutters). Many also require LRV, current property photos, surface preparation details, and contractor documentation.
The full component list is in the components section above.
Yes. It is best to have written approval before scheduling exterior painting. Verbal approval doesn’t count, and starting work without written approval can trigger a violation even if the colors are within the approved palette.
Build the ARB review window into your project timeline. Plan for 30 to 45 days end-to-end for most Jacksonville communities, and don’t lock in crew dates until the approval letter is in hand.
If your contractor provides a complete spec packet upfront, assembling the application takes 1 to 2 hours. You complete and sign the application form, take current property photos (or use ones the contractor took during the estimate), attach the contractor’s spec packet, and either drop it off or upload it through the management portal.
If your contractor doesn’t provide the spec packet and you have to assemble the technical content yourself, plan for 4 to 8 hours of work plus calls to the manufacturer to verify codes and LRV.
No painting contractor can guarantee HOA approval. We can help prepare clear paint documentation, organize the technical specifications your application typically needs, and guide you through common submission requirements. Final approval is at the discretion of your community’s architectural review board.
What we can promise is that you won’t be left guessing on the spec details. The application is yours to sign and submit; the technical content shouldn’t be a homework assignment.
Florida HOA architectural review timelines depend on the statute, your association’s governing documents, and how your application was submitted. Florida Statute 720.3035 governs HOA architectural review, and 2024 amendments updated standards for transparency and timeliness.
If your HOA does not respond within the stated review period, do not assume you are approved without written confirmation. Request written status from the management company and consult your governing documents — or a qualified attorney — before assuming any default approval.
This varies by community. Some Jacksonville HOAs require work to begin within 60 to 90 days of approval, others within 6 months, and a few don’t have a strict expiration on approval. Always check your specific approval letter for any time limits.
If your project gets delayed past the approval window — for weather, scheduling, or financial reasons — most communities will renew the approval with a brief written request. Don’t assume an old approval is still valid.
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