HOA Approval for a New Roof in the Tulsa Suburbs
Many Tulsa-area subdivisions regulate roof material and color. Here is how to get approval without delaying the job.
A large share of the houses built around Tulsa since the 1990s sit inside a homeowners association. In Broken Arrow, Bixby, Jenks, Owasso and South Tulsa, many of those associations have covenants that cover the roof: its material, its color and sometimes its style.
HOA approval rarely stops a replacement, but skipping it can mean a violation letter after the crew has gone home. Here is how to handle it.
Find What Your Covenants Say
The rules live in the recorded declaration of covenants and the architectural guidelines, which may be a separate document. Your HOA's management company or website usually has both. Look for:
- Whether a new roof installation in Tulsa needs approval at all
- Approved roofing materials (architectural shingles, metal, stone-coated steel)
- Approved colors or a required color palette
- Minimum shingle weight or style, such as dimensional shingles only
- How to submit a request and how long the committee has to respond
Submit the Request Early
Most architectural committees want a short form, the product name and color, and sometimes a photo or sample. Ask your contractor for the manufacturer's product sheet and a color image. Submit before you sign a start date, and keep a dated copy of what you sent.
Upgrading Within the Rules
Many homeowners use a replacement to move to Class 4 impact-resistant shingles. Because most of those lines look like standard architectural shingles, approval usually comes down to color. Metal and stone-coated steel are more likely to need a closer look from the committee, so ask before you commit to them.
If heat is a concern, lighter or reflective shingles may be an option within the approved palette; see roof color and Tulsa heat.
HOA Approval Is Not a Permit
An association's sign-off and a city permit are separate. Whether a permit is needed depends on the city: Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Jenks and Owasso each run their own building departments. Your contractor should know the rules for your address. See roof replacement permits in Tulsa.
Checklist
- Read the covenants and architectural guidelines.
- Pick a material and color that fit them.
- Submit the request with the product sheet and color image.
- Get approval in writing before the start date.
- Give the approval letter to your contractor.
- Confirm the permit, if one is needed, is separate and in place.
Local notes for suburbs with large HOA neighborhoods are on the Broken Arrow, Bixby, Jenks and Owasso pages.
