Hurricane Shutters and HOA Approval in Lake Worth
Homeowners Associations are common in most Lake Worth residential communities. These associations regulate various aspects of your community from the color you paint your house to the types of hurricane shutters you use. Choosing hurricane shutters for your home is a big enough decision on its own and you do not want to be concerned with HOA fines. At Category 5 Manufacturing, we make, sell, and install a variety of hurricane shutters that are all HOA approved for your peace of mind.
A History of Hurricane Shutters is South Florida
Prior to Hurricane Andrew, HOA’s were able to ban hurricane shutter due to aesthetic reasons. However, following Hurricane Andrew, a law was passed stating that homeowners have a right to protect themselves. Even if a home has impact windows, no association can ban the use of hurricane shutters completely. What they can control is the type of hurricane shutters used, setting standards for color, attachments, location, when the shutters can be deployed and more.
Shutter Aesthetics
Although storm shutter options like plywood and corrugated storm panels are banned by some associations, generally it is the color and location that associations in Lake Worth limit. In order to blend in more with the homes, clear or white shutters may be required to get approval from your HOA. At Category 5 Manufacturing our Storm Panels are offered in multiple finishes including steel, clear, aluminum mill, or aluminum white. Other elements such as the type of bolts used are also commonly regulated. These types of requests are easy for our team to accommodate.
Duration of Shutter Deployment
A common limitation on shutters is how long you can keep them up. Some associations will enforce a limit when the shutters can be deployed during hurricane season (June 1st to November 30th). Other associations may not let you put them up until the first storm of the season is named and will require the shutters come down as soon as the storm no longer presents a threat. Regardless of the exact rule, you must follow them to avoid hefty fines from your HOA. These requirements may seem annoying and might cause you to put up and take down your shutters several times within one hurricane season, but it is best for your home and shutters anyways. Keeping hurricane shutters deployed for long periods of time may lead to damaged shutters and present a fire hazard. Hurricane shutters should only be deployed when they are needed and removed as soon as you are safely able to.
Required Notification from your HOA
If your HOA decides to amend any of their rules, they are required to send out notification 14 days prior to a Board Meeting. If you are not notified of the meeting or the proposed change in a timely manner, then you have a right to protest any vote or supposedly passed amendment.
Last Minute Precautions
Most associations with rules against plywood will not say anything while you are last minute installing plywood to protect your home from a tropical storm or hurricane. Preventing you from protecting your home could be a liability for the association. However, they will likely say something following the storm and warn that it cannot happen again. If you repeatedly go against your association’s rules, you can expect fines and possible legal action against you. Plywood is commonly not allowed by associations, takes hours to install, and can cause damage to your home when being installed. Our recommendation at Category 5 is to install proper HOA approved shutters prior to hurricane season to avoid conflict and ensure your home will be safe.
Shutter Styles Offered by Category 5:
- Accordion Shutters
- Bahama Shutters
- Colonial Shutters
- Roll-Up Shutters
- Storm Panels
- Recessed Track Accordion Shutters
Failure to follow rules set forth by your community’s HOA can be costly and time-consuming. Additionally, balancing functionality, safety, and aesthetics is a priority for both HOA’s as well as individual homeowners. That is why at Category 5 Manufacturing we provide HOA approved hurricane shutters to residents throughout the Lake Worth area. Contact us to learn more about the hurricane shutter styles we offer.