HOA paint approval in the Denver metro, without the back-and-forth
Many metro HOAs want your colors approved before a brush touches the house, and some want it even when you are repainting the same color. Here is how approval usually works, what to send, and a tool that writes the request for you.
Direct answer
Before repainting in a covenant community, submit your colors to the HOA's architectural committee and wait for written approval. Colorado has about 11,800 community associations covering roughly 2.9 million residents, and rules differ by community: Highlands Ranch Community Association's covenant FAQ says all paint colors must be submitted, even existing colors, while Reunion in Commerce City routes painting through its Architectural Review Committee with a final HOA inspection. HOA approval is separate from the city: Denver itself requires no building permit to paint.
On the board, planning a community-wide repaint? See HOA community repaints for the bid specification and a phasing calculator.
The usual process
How approval typically works
- Find your design guidelines. Most associations post them on the HOA or metro district website, often with an approved color palette.
- Pick colors from the palette when one exists. Some communities publish palettes through a paint maker; Green Valley Ranch subdivisions such as Shadow Ridge and Fountain Hills have palettes hosted by Dunn-Edwards.
- Submit a request with your address, the manufacturer, color names and codes for body, trim and accent, and usually a photo of the house.
- Wait for written approval before work starts. Keep the approval letter with your estimate.
- Expect a final check. Some communities, Reunion among them, inspect the finished work.
Review windows vary by association, so build the wait into your schedule. If your project is exterior and the season is closing, submit early: an approval can sit unused for a winter, but a late approval cannot make the weather wait.
Free tool
Write your HOA color request in one minute
Before you hit send
What to attach
- A current photo of the front of the house, plus any side visible from the street
- Manufacturer, color name and color code for every color (body, trim, door, accents)
- Which surfaces get which color: siding, trim, fascia and soffit, garage door, front door, shutters
- Whether anything else changes, such as repairs or replaced trim. Some committees review those separately
- Your painter's contact information if the committee asks for it
We include color names and codes for each surface in every written estimate, which is usually exactly what a committee asks for.
Community notes
What we found for a few metro communities
| Community | What the published material says |
|---|---|
| Highlands Ranch Community Association | Covenant FAQ: paint colors go to the Architectural Committee, even existing colors. |
| Reunion (Commerce City) | Design and improvement request form covers painting; ARC review, final inspection by HOA staff, and ARC approval is not city or county approval. |
| Green Valley Ranch (Denver) | Subdivision palettes, such as Shadow Ridge and Fountain Hills, are published through Dunn-Edwards. |
Rules change. Always confirm with your association's current guidelines before you submit; the links are in the sources below.
Questions
Common questions
Do I need HOA approval to repaint the same color?
It depends on your association. Highlands Ranch Community Association’s covenant FAQ says paint colors must be submitted even when they are the existing colors. Check your community’s design guidelines; when in doubt, submit.
Do I need a city permit to paint my house in Denver?
No. Denver lists interior and exterior painting as work that needs no building permit. HOA approval is a separate, private requirement.
What does an HOA usually need for a paint request?
Your address, the paint manufacturer, color names and codes for the body, trim and any accents, which surfaces get which color, and usually a photo of the house.
Can a painter submit the HOA request for me?
Usually the homeowner submits, because the request comes from the owner of record. We provide the color names, codes and surface-by-surface scope in writing so the request is complete the first time.
Sources
Every number on this page comes from the source listed. Checked October 17, 2026.
- 2025 Statistical Review (Colorado associations and residents), Foundation for Community Association Research, 2025.
- Covenant FAQs: paint colors, Highlands Ranch Community Association.
- Reunion design and improvement request form, Reunion Metropolitan District.
- Shadow Ridge at Green Valley Ranch color palette, Dunn-Edwards.
- Fountain Hills at Green Valley Ranch color palette, Dunn-Edwards.
- Homeowner permits, City and County of Denver.
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