In most Colorado Springs neighborhoods with an HOA, you need written approval from the architectural committee before a new roof goes on, even when you are replacing shingles with the same color. The HOA can control appearance: color, profile and sometimes brand or tier. Colorado law limits it in a few important ways: it cannot require cedar shakes or other flammable roofing, cannot block fire-hardened materials, and cannot effectively ban evaporative coolers or attic fans. Get the approval in writing before materials are ordered, and plan on the review taking a few weeks.
This is general information about Colorado law, not legal advice. Your declaration, design guidelines and the statutes control.
What your HOA can usually control
- Color. Many communities keep an approved color list, or require a sample board for anything new.
- Profile and style. Architectural laminated shingles versus 3-tab, or a requirement that a shingle look like shake or slate.
- Material class. Some guidelines name allowed materials (asphalt, concrete tile, stone-coated steel) and require a minimum weight or tier.
- Visible accessories. Ridge vents, drip edge color, and how exposed flashing and vents are finished.
- Process. What you submit, who signs, how long the committee has, and whether work can start before a decision.
Neighborhoods without an HOA have none of this layer, only PPRBD’s code. In some newer areas a metro district, not an HOA, enforces the covenants and reviews exterior changes, so check which entity your covenants name.
What Colorado law stops an HOA from requiring
| Rule | What it means for your roof | Source |
|---|---|---|
| No required cedar shakes or flammable roofing | An HOA cannot force a wood shake roof, even if the original homes had one | C.R.S. 38-33.3-106.5(2) |
| Fire-hardened materials allowed | Covenants cannot disallow fire-hardened building materials on residential property; existing conflicting provisions were voided | HB24-1091, signed March 12, 2024 |
| Evaporative coolers, attic fans and vents | An HOA may not effectively prohibit them, but can set reasonable rules on size, placement and look | C.R.S. 38-33.3-106.7 |
| Renewable energy devices | An HOA cannot effectively prohibit solar and other renewable energy generation devices | C.R.S. 38-33.3-106.5(1.5) |
The pattern: the HOA keeps control of appearance, but not of safety and energy basics. A committee can ask that a Class A alternative look like shake, but it cannot insist on the shake.
The city code adds its own floor. Pikes Peak Regional Building Department’s reroof guidelines require at least a Class A roof covering on one- and two-family homes in the City of Colorado Springs, excluding solid wood roofing products. So inside city limits, a wood shake roof is off the table no matter what the covenants say. Our page on wood roof fire hazards explains why.
HOA approval and the PPRBD permit are separate
PPRBD issues the reroof permit and inspects the finished roof for code: tear-off to the deck, drip edge, Class A covering, and an ice barrier above 7,000 feet. It does not check your covenants. Your HOA reviews appearance and does not inspect for code. You need both, and the order matters: get the HOA approval first, because PPRBD treats stocking materials on the driveway or roof as the start of the project.
A submittal that gets approved the first time
- Read the current design guidelines, not the copy from closing. Ask the management company if you are not sure which version applies.
- Name the exact product. Manufacturer, line and color, for example an Owens Corning Duration FLEX shingle in a named color. “Brown architectural shingle” invites a request for more information.
- Attach the manufacturer’s color sheet or a physical sample, plus a photo of the house showing which slopes are being replaced.
- List everything visible that changes. Ridge vent style, drip edge color, skylights, gutters, and any new roof penetrations.
- Note any code-driven change, such as replacing a wood roof with a Class A product, and cite the rule.
- Keep the approval letter with your permit and warranty documents. Buyers and title companies ask for it.
If you are weighing an upgrade that some committees question, start with the product page: our comparison of Duration and Duration FLEX shingles and our guide to stone-coated steel roofing both cover how each looks from the street.
Timing after a hail storm
After a large storm, every house in a subdivision may submit at once, and committees that meet monthly fall behind. Submit as soon as you have chosen the product and color, even while the insurance claim is still open, and ask the management company whether the committee will approve a pre-listed product and color by email. If a leak cannot wait, a temporary repair is not a roof replacement; see how to find and fix a roof leak. Evaporative coolers deserve a look during the same project, because a rooftop cooler curb is one of the most common leak points on Colorado Springs homes.
Austin homeowners face different rules under Texas law; see HOA roof rules in Texas.
How we help
We prepare the product, color and scope details your committee asks for, in the format your guidelines use, and we schedule the roof work around the committee’s decision. Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews. Book a free Colorado Springs roof inspection or call (719) 488-2800; we respond the same business day. If you serve on the board and the association replaces the roofs itself, see HOA roof reserve planning and our commercial and HOA roofing hub.
Sources: C.R.S. 38-33.3-106.5 and C.R.S. 38-33.3-106.7 (unofficial reproductions); HB24-1091, Fire-Hardened Building Materials in Real Property; PPRBD Reroof Guidelines (rev. 03/05/2024).
