Texas HOA Building Regulations Guide

Texas Property Code Chapter 209 (the Texas Residential Property Owners Protection Act) and Chapter 202 govern how HOAs enforce deed restrictions statewide. Under Section 202.006, HOAs must record all restrictive covenants in the county deed records — meaning your title search at the Burnet County Clerk's Office or Williamson County Clerk's Office will reveal exactly what restrictions apply before you build.

HOAs in Texas can legally regulate structure height and setbacks, exterior materials, roofing colors and types, fence styles and heights, accessory structures like barns and metal buildings, and landscaping standards — all without additional state approval. However, under Section 209.006, an HOA must provide written notice and an opportunity to cure before assessing fines. Fines typically start at $200 per day for ongoing violations.

Importantly, Texas law does not require HOAs to be 'reasonable' in their restrictions — only that the restrictions be uniformly applied. This means an HOA can prohibit metal roofing even if it's the most practical choice for Hill Country hail seasons (March through May). In our 7+ years working across the Hill Country, we've seen homeowners lose $15,000–$40,000 in forced removal costs by skipping the HOA review process.

Most HOAs in the Hill Country — including those in Horseshoe Bay, Meadowlakes near Marble Falls, and subdivisions off Ranch Road 1431 in Leander and Liberty Hill — require an Architectural Review Committee (ARC) submission before any permitted construction begins. The process typically runs 15–45 days from submission to written approval, though some larger communities like Horseshoe Bay Resort take up to 60 days.

Step 1: Request the current ARC application packet from your HOA management company. Requirements change — always use the current year's version.

Step 2: Prepare a full site plan drawn to scale showing proposed structure location, setbacks from property lines, and distances from existing structures. Most HOAs require a minimum 1/8-inch-per-foot scale drawing.

Step 3: Submit exterior material samples or specification sheets. For metal buildings, this means panel color chips, gauge documentation (typically 26-gauge minimum), and finish type (Galvalume vs. painted steel).

Step 4: Include elevation drawings showing all four sides of the structure at finished grade.

Step 5: Await written ARC approval — do not begin site prep or order materials until you have this in hand. From our experience with Burnet County permitting, some inspectors will ask to see HOA approval alongside your county permit application.

Metal buildings and barndominiums are among the most frequently restricted structure types in Hill Country HOAs. Based on our barndominium construction projects across Burnet, Llano, and Travis Counties, here is what we see restricted most often:

Exterior cladding requirements are the most common restriction. Many HOAs require a minimum percentage of masonry — typically 80% on the front elevation and 50% on other elevations — which directly affects metal building design. This doesn't eliminate a barndominium as an option, but it does require thoughtful architectural planning to incorporate stone or brick wainscoting.

Roof pitch minimums are the second most common restriction. HOAs frequently require a minimum 4:12 pitch, which affects standard agricultural-style metal buildings that often use a 1:12 or 2:12 slope. Upgrading to a 4:12 or 6:12 pitch adds roughly $8–$15 per square foot to the structure cost.

Color palette restrictions are common in planned communities. Horseshoe Bay and similar resort communities maintain strict color palettes — typically earth tones — and Galvalume (bare metal) finishes are often prohibited on visible elevations. Painted 26-gauge Kynar-coated panels in approved colors are usually compliant.

Height limits typically range from 24 to 35 feet in residential HOAs. Most standard residential metal buildings and barndominiums fall within this range, but multi-story designs or tall monitor-style roofs may require variance requests.

This is one of the most common questions we receive at TMB Construction. The short answer: both apply, and the stricter standard wins. HOA deed restrictions and Burnet County or Llano County building codes operate independently — satisfying one does not exempt you from the other.

Burnet County follows the International Building Code (IBC 2021) and the International Residential Code (IRC 2021) for residential construction. Structures over 200 square feet generally require a building permit from the Burnet County Development Services office at 133 E. Jackson Street. Setbacks under county code are typically 25 feet from the front property line and 10 feet from side and rear lines in most unincorporated areas — but your HOA may require 30 or 40-foot front setbacks, which is what you must follow.

Within city limits — such as Marble Falls city limits along US-281 or Burnet city proper — you answer to both the city's building department and the HOA. Georgetown and Liberty Hill, both in Williamson County, have their own municipal building departments with adopted codes that may differ from county standards.

Texas does not have a statewide residential construction licensing board since the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) was dissolved in 2009, but all contractors must hold appropriate TDLR licenses for certain trades. Always verify your contractor is licensed and insured — TMB Construction is fully licensed and insured in Texas.

Under Texas Property Code Section 209.0057, HOAs must adopt a written fine policy and make it available to all members. Fines for unapproved construction violations are among the most costly enforcement actions — they accrue daily until the violation is cured, and in extreme cases, HOAs can file suit to compel removal of unpermitted structures.

In our 7+ years building across the Hill Country, we've seen homeowners face enforcement actions ranging from $5,000 in accrued fines for an unapproved storage shed to full demolition orders on a 1,200-square-foot addition that exceeded setback requirements. The average cost of forced removal and remediation typically runs $12,000–$30,000 for accessory structures and significantly more for primary structure modifications.

If you receive an HOA violation notice, Texas Property Code Section 209.006 gives you the right to a hearing before the Board before any fine is levied. You have 30 days from written notice to request this hearing. For construction disputes specifically, consider requesting a variance — most HOA governing documents include a variance process where you can demonstrate hardship or unique lot conditions.

The Texas Office of the Attorney General also provides a homeowner rights helpline at 1-800-252-8011 for HOA-related disputes. For major disputes, the Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) can serve as a neutral mediator between homeowners and HOA boards.

At TMB Construction, our process for HOA-restricted projects begins before design, not after. When a client in Horseshoe Bay calls us about a new barndominium or custom home addition, the first thing we do is request their CC&Rs and any ARC design guidelines — documents that are legally available to all property owners under Texas Property Code Section 202.006.

We then design to HOA standards from the start. This means specifying compliant roofing materials — for example, Class 4 impact-resistant shingles or stone-coated steel panels that satisfy both HOA aesthetic rules and provide real protection during the March–May hail season — and engineering setbacks, heights, and masonry percentages into the initial plans rather than retrofitting compliance later.

Our clients in Marble Falls, Kingsland, and Bertram have benefited from our experience preparing ARC submission packages that include all required documentation: scaled site plans, four-elevation drawings, material specification sheets, and color samples. A complete, professional submission dramatically reduces ARC review times and revision requests.

Because our team handles design through construction with no core subcontractors, we can make real-time design adjustments if the ARC requests modifications — without the coordination delays that come from managing multiple separate firms. Call us at 830-289-3852 to discuss your project and get a free estimate that accounts for any HOA-specific requirements.

Three project types generate the most HOA conflicts in the Hill Country: roofing replacements, home additions, and accessory structures like workshops, barns, and detached garages.

Roofing replacements are often overlooked as HOA-regulated. Many homeowners assume a like-for-like replacement doesn't require ARC approval — but most HOA governing documents require approval for any change in roofing material or color, even during repair. Burnet County's average summer high of 96°F and periodic hail events make roofing decisions particularly consequential. We recommend Class 4 impact-resistant metal roofing or architectural shingles with a UL 2218 Class 4 rating where HOA rules allow — these reduce insurance premiums by 20–30% with most Texas carriers.

Home additions in HOA communities require full ARC review and must meet both the HOA's design standards and IBC 2021 structural requirements. Additions that increase impervious cover may also trigger stormwater management review — Burnet County and Williamson County both have impervious cover limits in certain watershed protection zones.

Accessory structures — including metal workshops, barns, and carports — face the strictest HOA scrutiny. Common restrictions include requiring accessory structures to match the primary home's exterior finish within 75–85% material similarity, limiting total accessory square footage to 50% of the primary home's footprint, and prohibiting visibility from the street. Always confirm these limits before ordering a pre-engineered metal building kit.