Check With Your HOA Before You Buy

If you live in a community with a homeowners association, there's a good chance your playset needs approval before it goes in the ground.

We're telling you this up front because the alternative is expensive. A customer who installs a $4,000 playset and then receives a violation notice is looking at either a costly modification or a return — and returning freight-shipped playground equipment means paying shipping both ways plus a restocking fee. Ten minutes with your HOA documents now can save you well over a thousand dollars.

Here's how to handle it.

Step 1: Find your governing documents

The rules live in your CC&Rs — Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions — along with any architectural guidelines your association publishes separately.

You should have received these when you bought your home. If you can't find them, try:

• Your HOA's website or resident portal
• Your property management company
• Your closing documents
• Your county recorder's office (CC&Rs are recorded against the property)

Search the documents for terms like playground, play structure, swing set, recreational equipment, accessory structure, and architectural review.

Step 2: Know what HOAs typically regulate

Every association is different, but these are the restrictions that come up most often.

Height. Many associations cap the overall height of accessory structures — commonly somewhere in the [8 to 12 foot] range. Tall play towers with roofs and upper decks are the most likely to run into this.

Setbacks and placement. Minimum distances from property lines, fences, easements, and neighboring homes. Some communities also prohibit equipment in front or side yards entirely.

Visibility. A frequent one. Some associations require that play equipment not be visible from the street, sidewalks, or common areas — which can mean fencing, landscaping, or careful placement.

Materials and color. Wood versus metal versus vinyl, and approved color palettes. Bright plastic slides and vivid canopy fabrics are sometimes restricted in favor of natural or neutral tones. Roof and canopy materials get scrutinized often.

Permanent versus portable. Anchored or cemented structures usually require approval. Freestanding, movable equipment sometimes doesn't. Check how your documents draw the line.

Safety surfacing. Requirements around mulch containment, borders, or approved surfacing materials — sometimes for appearance as much as safety.

Screening and landscaping. Some approvals come conditioned on planting or fencing to soften the view from neighboring properties.

Removal obligations. A few associations require that equipment be removed when the home is sold or when children age out. Worth knowing before you commit.

Step 3: Submit for architectural approval

Most associations require written approval from an Architectural Review Committee (ARC) — sometimes called an Architectural Control Committee or Design Review Committee — before installation.

A typical submission includes:

• A completed application form from your HOA
• A plot plan or survey showing where the equipment will sit, with measured distances to property lines and structures
• Manufacturer specifications — dimensions, overall height, materials
• Photos or renderings of the product
• Color and material selections
• Your planned safety surfacing and any borders
• Your installation timeline

Give yourself time. Review periods commonly run [30 to 60 days], and some committees only meet monthly. Build that into your plans — especially if you're aiming for a birthday or the start of summer.

Get the approval in writing and keep it. Verbal approval from a board member is worth very little if the board composition changes or a neighbor complains two years later.

Step 4: Don't forget your city or county

HOA approval and municipal permits are separate things. Getting one doesn't get you the other.

Depending on where you live, your local building department may have its own rules on structure height, setbacks, fencing, and pool-adjacent placement. Some jurisdictions require a permit for accessory structures over a certain size; many don't require anything for residential play equipment. Call and ask — it's usually a five-minute phone call.

If your HOA says no

A denial isn't always final.

• Ask for the specific reason in writing. "It doesn't fit the community aesthetic" isn't actionable. "Exceeds the 10-foot height limit" is.
• Look for a modified design that clears the objection. A shorter tower, a different canopy color, a different location in the yard. We can often suggest a comparable model that solves the problem.
• Check your appeal rights. Many CC&Rs give homeowners the right to request reconsideration by the full board, and some states set requirements around response times and written explanations for denials.
• Talk to your neighbors. Objections frequently come from the people whose view changes. A conversation and a few shrubs solve more approvals than an appeal does.

How we help

Send us the model you're considering and we'll put together what your ARC needs:

• Full manufacturer specification sheets
• Dimensioned drawings, including overall height
• Available color and material options
• Use zone and footprint dimensions for your plot plan
• Product photography

If your association has restrictions that rule out your first choice, tell us the constraint — height limit, color palette, whatever it is — and we'll point you to models that fit. That's free, and it's a much better use of everyone's time than a return.

Contact us before you order. Especially if your HOA is strict.

A note on timing: We'd rather you get approval first and order second. Once freight-shipped equipment leaves the warehouse, returning it means paying shipping both ways plus a restocking fee. See our Return & Refund Policy for details.

Your pre-purchase checklist

• Located and read your CC&Rs and architectural guidelines
• Confirmed height, setback, and placement limits
• Confirmed any material, color, or visibility restrictions
• Measured your yard, including the full safety use zone
• Requested spec sheets from us
• Submitted your ARC application
• Received written approval
• Checked local permit requirements
• Ordered with confidence

For HOA Boards and Property Managers

Planning a playground for a common area, pool deck, or clubhouse lawn? The considerations are different from a backyard set, and the stakes are higher.

Commercial equipment is required

Residential playsets are built and rated for single-family backyard use. Installing one in a shared community space is a serious liability exposure — it fails the applicable safety standard, and your insurer may take the position that it voids coverage on a claim.

Community playgrounds need commercial-grade equipment built to ASTM F1487 and the CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook, ideally with IPEMA certification verifying third-party validation.

What your project needs to address

Accessibility. Common-area playgrounds in HOA communities are generally subject to accessibility requirements, which cover accessible routes to and around the playground, ground-level play components, and transfer systems. Requirements vary by community type and jurisdiction — confirm your specific obligations with your association's attorney.

Age separation. Standards call for separate areas and equipment for ages 2–5 and 5–12, with appropriate signage.

Safety surfacing. This is not optional and it is not decorative. Poured-in-place rubber, rubber tiles, or engineered wood fiber at the correct depth for your equipment's fall height, covering the full use zone. It's frequently the largest line item after the structure itself — budget for it from the start.

Shade. In warm climates, uncovered metal and plastic components can reach surface temperatures that cause contact burns. Shade structures are worth planning in rather than adding later.

Inspection and documentation. Establish a routine inspection schedule and keep written records. If a claim is ever filed, documented maintenance is one of the strongest things you can have.

Insurance and reserves. Notify your carrier before installation, and account for the equipment in your reserve study.

Working with us

We can support your project with:

• Equipment recommendations sized to your budget and site
• Formal written quotes suitable for board packets and reserve planning
• Full specifications, drawings, and certification documentation
• Safety surfacing calculations and quotes
• Purchase order processing and W-9
• Referrals to certified installers in your area

Email [sales@bigsmileplayground.com] or contact us with your site dimensions, age groups you need to serve, and target budget. We'll put together a proposal within [2–3] business days.
The information on this page is general guidance, not legal advice. Homeowners association rules, local ordinances, and accessibility requirements vary significantly. Always confirm requirements with your association and local authorities before purchasing or installing playground equipment.