Nearly half of Colorado residents live in communities governed by homeowners associations, where design covenants can dictate everything from roof color to mailbox style. For homeowners planning exterior painting projects, those rules often determine whether a chosen color ever makes it onto the siding.
According to The Colorado Division of Real Estate's 2024 HOA Information and Resource Center Annual Report, Colorado has 8,362 active common interest community registrations, and approximately 2.7 million people—about 46 percent of the state's population—live in such communities. The report also notes that the HOA Center received 3,811 inquiries and complaints from 300 individuals in 2024. Among complaint categories, improper or selective enforcement of covenants and not following governing documents each appeared 67 times.
However, the state's ability to resolve disputes is limited. The Division of Real Estate states that its HOA Center does not mediate or arbitrate on behalf of homeowners, board members, or community association managers, and does not investigate or intervene in disputes between homeowners and associations. This means that for homeowners, reading and following governing documents before starting a project is the most practical safeguard.
Tom Reber, founder of Simplify Painting, a Colorado Springs company that has served the area since 2015, says association approvals are a common part of exterior painting projects in newer neighborhoods. "In a lot of the communities we work in, the color question gets answered by the HOA before it gets answered by the homeowner," Reber said. "We'd much rather see the approved palette at the first walkthrough than find out after the first coat is on."
Simplify Painting's exterior painters colorado springs crews schedule work only after any required association approval is in place. Reber advises homeowners to pull design guidelines and submit requests before booking a painter. "A few weeks of approval time is a lot easier to plan around than repainting a house twice," he said.
Interior work typically falls outside association review, so homeowners waiting on exterior approval often proceed with colorado springs interior painting in the meantime. The same applies to kitchens, where cabinet painting colorado springs projects can usually move forward on their own schedule while exterior plans are reviewed.
For readers, the takeaway is clear: in HOA communities, a few weeks spent securing approval can prevent costly repainting and potential conflicts. As more Coloradans move into common interest communities, understanding and complying with covenant rules becomes an essential step in any exterior home improvement project.
