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Why Did My HOA Reject My Remodel Request as Too Vague?
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Why "too vague" is the most common rejection
Architectural committees reject requests for being vague far more often than for being unreasonable. If your remodel request came back marked "too vague," it usually means the committee couldn't tell exactly what you're building, where, or out of what materials — not that they've decided against the project itself.
What the committee is actually allowed to consider
Under Fla. Stat. 720.3035, a Florida homeowners' association's authority to review location, size, type, or appearance of your project is permitted only to the extent that authority is specifically stated or reasonably inferred in your community's governing documents. A committee cannot invent a standard that isn't written down somewhere in those documents.
This cuts both ways: it limits what the committee can hold you to, but it also means your own declaration may already prohibit — or tightly restrict — the kind of remodel you're planning. The statute doesn't override your declaration; it works alongside it.
What "vague" usually means in practice
Based on how these rejections happen, a request is likely to be called vague if it's missing:
- What exactly you want to build or change
- Where on the property it will go
- What materials it will be made of
- Dimensions, size, or color, where those apply
Add those details and resubmit. A clear, specific description is what committees expect to receive.
Get the committee's own written standards
Fla. Stat. 720.303 gives you the right to inspect the association's official records. That's how you can get a copy of the written architectural standards the committee is supposed to be applying to your request — so you know what they're measuring you against before you resubmit.
What this can't tell you
- Whether your own declaration prohibits your specific project — you have to read your declaration and bylaws to know that.
- Whether the committee will actually approve your resubmission. Nothing here is a promise of an outcome.
- If you live in a condominium, cooperative, timeshare, or mobile home park, this page does not apply to you. Those are governed by different statutes — condominiums specifically by Chapter 718 — not Chapter 720.
- If you've already received a violation notice or a fine, this is the wrong tool. Use the HOA violation responder instead.
This is not legal advice. For anything contested, talk to a Florida community association attorney.
What to do next
The free tool below reads your own project description — what you want to build, where, and out of what — and writes it into a request formatted the way committees expect to receive one, along with what Florida law does and doesn't let a committee consider. Plans start at $4.99 for one project, or $29 per month for contractors handling multiple requests.
ARC Request Builder reads what you type and explains Florida Chapter 720 in plain language. It can be wrong, it is not legal advice, and it is not a substitute for reading your community's own declaration and bylaws, and your declaration may prohibit the project outright regardless of how well the request is written. For anything contested, talk to a Florida community association attorney.