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HOA architectural review, without the email chains

Homeowners submit fence, paint, addition, and landscaping requests with photos and plans through the member portal. The board approves, adds conditions, or denies, and every decision is emailed to the homeowner and kept on the association's record.

Start with Starter Architectural review guide
Included on Starter ($5/month) and higher plans. No per-unit or per-request fee.

Architectural approvals need a paper trail

Years after a fence goes up, a new board or a new owner asks whether it was approved, and under what conditions. If the answer is in a former committee member's inbox, the association can't show it. Consistent, documented decisions also protect the board when a denial is challenged.

  • Requests arriving by email, text, and paper form
  • Photos and plans scattered across inboxes
  • Approval conditions nobody wrote down
  • No record of why a request was denied

Everything the committee needs to review requests

From submission to decision letter, in one place.

A request form, ready on day one

Applicant and property, project details, contractor information, and attachments. The form is created automatically, so there is nothing for the board to build.

Photos, plans, and permits attached

Homeowners attach the files the committee needs to review the project, and everything stays together on the request.

One dashboard for every request

Filter by pending, approved, or denied to see what needs a decision, instead of digging through email threads.

Approve, add conditions, or deny

Approve as submitted, approve with conditions such as "fence must be stained, not painted," or deny with at least one stated reason and an explanation.

Decision letters and notifications

The homeowner is emailed the decision, and a decision letter is available as a PDF. Every decision requires typing APPROVE or DENY first, so nothing goes out by accident.

A record that stays put

Decided requests are locked, so the record cannot be edited after the fact. Board-only internal notes stay off the member portal. A mistaken decision can be reset to pending.

How an architectural request works

  1. Turn on ARC

    Publish your public page, enable the member portal, and switch on ARC in the portal settings.

  2. Homeowner submits

    The homeowner describes the project and attaches photos, plans, or permits from the portal.

  3. Board reviews

    The request appears as pending, with every detail and attachment in one place.

  4. Decision is recorded

    Approve, approve with conditions, or deny. The homeowner is emailed and the request is locked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Architectural review starts on the $5/month Starter plan. Requests can include photos, plans, and permits, and storing those files for your association is not part of the free plan. There is no per-unit or per-request fee. See pricing.

No. The request form is created automatically. It collects applicant and property details, project details, contractor information, and attachments.

Through the member portal, reached from your association's public page. To turn ARC on, publish your public page, enable the member portal, and switch on ARC / Modification Requests in the portal settings.

The board selects at least one reason, such as height, setback, color, materials, or an incomplete application, and writes an explanation. The homeowner is emailed the decision, and a decision letter is available as a PDF.

No. Once a decision is recorded, the request is locked as part of the board's official record. If the board made a mistake, it can reset the request to pending and decide again.

No. The board reviews and decides. Formtabulous collects the request, records the decision and conditions, and notifies the homeowner. Review standards come from your governing documents; see governing documents explained.
Tool Self-managed HOA software How volunteer boards run their HOA without a management company.
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Guide Governing documents explained CC&Rs, bylaws, and rules, and which one controls.
Tool HOA dues & payments Collect dues and assessments online by card or ACH.
Tool All HOA tools Overview of every tool for self-managed boards.

Move architectural requests out of the inbox

Turn on ARC, share your portal link with homeowners, and review the first request with every photo and plan in one place. Starter is $5/month, with no per-unit fee.

Start with Starter Read the docs