Part of our series on the 10 most common mistakes homeowners make after a hurricane damages their screen enclosure, pool cage, screen room, or patio cover.

If you live in a community with a homeowners association, rebuilding your enclosure usually takes two approvals, not one: a building permit from your city or county, and approval from your HOA's architectural review board (ARB). After a storm, it's tempting to assume the HOA won't mind you putting back what was already there. That assumption can get expensive.

Why "it was already approved" may not be enough

Your original enclosure was approved years ago, under the rules in place at the time. A rebuild often isn't identical. It may need to meet current building code, which can change its framing or roofline, and your association's guidelines may have changed since then too. Frame color, roof style, height, and how the enclosure looks from the street are all things an ARB may care about.

In some communities, the rules even vary within the community. In places like Hammock Bay, each neighborhood has its own ARB requirements for screen enclosures, so what's approved on one street may not be approved on the next.

"Every community we work in has its own rules, and some neighborhoods inside those communities have their own on top of that. Getting the approval right the first time saves everybody weeks." — Eric Vanheteren, Aluminum Building Systems

What can go wrong if you skip it

If you rebuild without approval, your association may be able to demand changes or even removal, depending on its governing documents, and fines can follow. Fixing a finished enclosure costs far more than getting the design approved before anything is built.

What Florida law says about the process

Florida's HOA law has changed in your favor in the last few years:

• If your application is denied, the association must tell you why in writing, citing the specific rule it's relying on.

• You don't need your building permit before you apply. As of July 1, 2026, an association can't deny an application just because you haven't gotten your permit yet. You can work on both approvals at the same time.

• Response times come from your community's documents. State law doesn't set a deadline, but many declarations do, and in some communities a missed deadline counts as approval.

How to do it right

• Get the approval in writing before work starts. A verbal okay from a board member, the manager, or a neighbor isn't approval.

• Remember that HOA approval and a building permit are two different things. You need both.

• Check whether your association has posted anything about storm repairs. Some communities share guidance after a storm.

• Ask your contractor what they'll provide for your ARB application, such as drawings, product details, and frame color. Someone who works in your community regularly will know what your board expects to see.

"We'd rather wait on a signature than tear down something we just built." — Eric Vanheteren, Aluminum Building Systems

When you're ready

Next in this series: After Isaias: Don’t Treat a Patio Cover, Screen Room, or Carport Like a Pool Cage