What the Davis-Stirling Act requires of your HOA's architectural review, the deadlines they must meet, and how to get a decision in writing.
Codes are amended locally. Where a city adopts an amendment that changes the answer, the section below says so — and the permit counter, not this page, is the final word.
California common interest developments run under the Davis-Stirling Act, codified at Civil Code §4000 and following since the 2014 recodification. A garage door is usually the largest single element of a home's street elevation, so it lands squarely inside the architectural provisions of almost every set of governing documents in the state.
The association's architectural review procedure must be fair, reasonable and expeditious, and it must state a maximum time for a decision. Decisions must be made in good faith, must not be arbitrary or capricious, and must be delivered in writing. If the application is denied, the written decision must identify the provision of the governing documents it relies on. Those are obligations on the board, not courtesies.
Manufacturer's product sheet, exact model and color name, panel and window configuration, a photograph of the existing elevation and a rendering or a photograph of the same door installed elsewhere in the community. Most denials are really requests for information wearing a denial's clothing.
A broken spring at 7 p.m. is not an architectural change and does not wait for a committee. Like-for-like repair generally sits outside architectural review entirely. Where the association owns or maintains the door as common area — common in attached townhouse developments — the association may be the party responsible for the repair, and §4600 governs how exclusive-use common area is granted. Establish which of those you are in before the door breaks, not after.
Ask for the written decision and the governing-document provision it cites, which §4765 entitles you to. A denial that cannot point to a provision is a denial worth appealing. Coming back with a compliant color or panel style is usually faster and cheaper than a fight.
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