Architectural Review Process in Michigan

Why architectural review exists at all

Architectural control provisions live in your association's declaration or master deed and bylaws, and they exist to protect property values by keeping the community's exterior appearance consistent. In Michigan condominium associations, exterior elements are frequently classified as general common elements or limited common elements under the master deed, structured consistent with the Michigan Condominium Act — which means an individual unit owner typically does not have unilateral authority to alter them, even if the change is entirely inside what feels like "their" balcony, patio, or exterior door. In single-family HOAs, the declaration's architectural control section governs everything from paint colors and fencing to roofing materials and solar panel placement.

What typically requires approval

Common categories requiring architectural committee or board approval before you start work include: exterior paint or siding changes, fencing, deck or patio additions, roofing material or color changes, window replacements that alter the exterior appearance, satellite dishes and solar panel installations, and any structural addition. Michigan-specific requests that come up often include snow-load-rated deck or roof modifications, storm door installations, and generator placement — all worth confirming with your architectural guidelines before purchase, since return policies on installed equipment are rarely as flexible as return policies on the equipment itself.

The typical approval process

Submit a complete application

Most associations require a written architectural request that includes a description of the work, materials and colors to be used, a rough timeline, and in many cases a site plan or contractor's drawing for larger projects. Incomplete applications are the single biggest cause of approval delays — submit everything the guidelines ask for the first time rather than in pieces.

Wait for a written response

Bylaws typically set a response window (commonly 30 to 60 days) within which the architectural committee or board must approve, deny, or request more information. If you don't hear back within that window, check whether your governing documents treat silence as approval — this varies by association, so don't assume either way.

Get it in writing before you start

Verbal approval from a board member at the mailbox is not the same as a written approval letter. Keep the written approval on file — it's your protection if a future board or committee later questions the modification.

If you start work without approval

Unapproved modifications can result in a violation notice, a fine schedule under the association's enforcement policy, and in some cases a formal demand to restore the property to its prior condition at the owner's expense. This is a genuinely costly mistake in Michigan, where undoing exterior work (removing installed siding or a completed deck, for example) mid-project during winter months can mean the restoration itself has to wait for a weather window. It is almost always cheaper and faster to get approval before ordering materials than to fight a violation after the work is done.

Putting it into practice