The Jacksonville HOA
Exterior Paint Color Guide

In most Jacksonville HOAs, yes — technically. The covenants typically require approval for “any exterior modification visible from the street,” and a fresh coat of paint qualifies. In practice, a one-line written request that says “repainting in [color name and code], same as existing” is usually approved within a week with no fuss.

The risk of skipping the request: if the existing paint has faded over 7–10 years, the new fresh coat won’t match what the ARB has on file — which can trigger a violation even though you used the “same” color.

Plan for 30 to 45 days, end-to-end. Some communities are faster — well-run sub-HOAs with active ARB committees can turn around an approval in two weeks. Others (Marsh Landing, The Plantation, Sawgrass) review on fixed schedules and you may wait up to six weeks if you miss a meeting deadline.

The single biggest delay is incomplete submissions. Submit the form, the physical color samples, the manufacturer information, and the LRV all at once. A second-round request slows everything by another 14–30 days.

Sometimes, yes. Many HOAs maintain an approved list plus a rule against same-color adjacency — meaning if your immediate neighbor or the home directly across the street already uses that color, you can be denied even though the color itself is on the list. Crosswater at Nocatee enforces this explicitly.

Submit a backup choice with your application. It saves a full review cycle if your first choice gets rejected for adjacency reasons.

You receive a violation letter. Most HOAs give 30–60 days to come into compliance, which means submitting an after-the-fact application or repainting in an approved color. If you don’t respond, fines start accruing — typically $25 to $100 per day, depending on the community.

If fines aren’t paid, the HOA can place a lien on your home. We’ve seen liens prevent home sales until the violation is cured. The total cost of “skipping” approval almost always exceeds the cost of doing it right the first time.

“Banned” is too strong. “Heavily restricted” is closer. Most Jacksonville HOAs allow dark accent colors on shutters, doors, and trim — black, deep navy, charcoal, espresso. What’s typically restricted is using dark colors on the main body of the home.

Beyond HOA rules, there’s a Florida-climate reason to be cautious with dark body colors: a south-facing dark stucco wall can hit 150°F+ in July sun, which accelerates paint failure significantly. Most premium exterior paints — Sherwin-Williams Emerald, Benjamin Moore Aura — are formulated for darker colors, but the HOA rule and the climate reality both push the same direction.

Officially, the homeowner is responsible — the HOA has no contractual relationship with your painter. But most experienced Jacksonville painting contractors will help with the paperwork, since the painter has the product specs, color codes, LRV data, and prep details that the application requires.

At A New Leaf, we prepare and submit the ARB application for every client at no extra charge. We’ve handled hundreds of these submissions across Jacksonville’s gated communities — we know which forms each HOA uses, which committees meet on which schedule, and what gets rejected for what reasons.

Color chips are tiny squares lit by office fluorescents. They will not look the same on your home in 2 PM Florida sunlight. Always paint a 24″ x 24″ sample directly on the wall — or a large sample board mounted to the wall — and view it at 9 AM, noon, and 5 PM, on multiple sides of the house.

Most ARBs require a sample-on-wall step before final approval. That requirement is for your benefit. A color that looks soft warm beige on the chip can read pink-orange on a south-facing stucco wall in July afternoon sun.

Keep every piece of correspondence. When you sell, the buyer’s lender and title company will request HOA estoppel letters confirming the home is in compliance. If the title search reveals any unresolved exterior modification — including paint — closing can be delayed until it’s documented or cured.

File your ARB approval letter with the rest of your home documents. It’s a small piece of paper that prevents major closing-day headaches years later.