Heatherwood of Plano Homeowners Association, Inc.

What Heatherwood of Plano Homeowners Association, Inc.'s governing documents say

Heatherwood of Plano (McKinney, TX) is a standard single-family homeowners association (HOA) community of 912 homes on 540 acres. This guide is for homeowners and prospective buyers who want to know what exterior changes require approval and what the community's standards are. The document you have is the association's Architectural Review Guidelines — not the full Declaration or Bylaws, so it only covers the design and modification rules for lots.

• Architectural review process: Most exterior changes to your lot or home need prior approval from the Architecture Control Committee (the ACC). You must submit an Architectural Change Request Form with supporting materials. The ACC has up to 90 days to decide, though it usually answers within a week. Some common items (like certain fencing, roofing, and landscaping) have 'Prior Approval' and can proceed immediately after submitting the form.
• Fences: Fences must be at least 6 feet but no more than 8 feet tall (measured from lot ground level). Only three styles are allowed: side-by-side solid panel, board-on-board, and shadow box (cedar). Fence stain colors must be muted earth tones in the brown family. If your fence faces a common area or street, the posts and rails must face the interior of your yard (effective Jan 1, 2022). Wrought iron is allowed only for homes adjacent to HOA common areas.
• Painting & color changes: Exterior trim and garage doors must be painted in white, brown, or beige palette colors. Bright primary/secondary colors, black, and pastels are prohibited. Front doors can be painted or stained as an accent but bright colors are generally not allowed. Painting over brick or stone masonry requires a full Architectural Change Request Form (not just prior approval).
• Landscaping & tree rules: Your lot must maintain the minimum landscaping originally installed (canopy trees, ornamental trees, foundation shrubs, turf). You must keep at least one tree — if your only tree dies, replace it. Trees and shrubs should be North Texas native species; desert or tropical plantings over 2 feet tall are not allowed. Removal of 50% or more of a flowerbed's area requires an Architectural Change Request Form.
• Pools, sheds, play equipment & outdoor structures: Pools, spas, hot tubs, sheds, play equipment, and playhouses are allowed only in the rear yard, not visible from the street or common areas. Play equipment height is limited to 12 feet; sheds must be neutral and complement the house's color. Above-ground pools are not approved. All must meet City of McKinney permit requirements.
• Basketball goals & flagpoles: Permanent basketball goals must have a transparent acrylic backboard, be attached above the garage or set in concrete next to the driveway at least 10 feet from any street/sidewalk. Portable goals must stay off sidewalks and streets. Flagpoles set in concrete require full Architectural Change Request Form approval; house-mounted poles need prior approval. Flags are limited to the U.S. flag, Texas flag, and official/replica flags of U.S. armed forces branches.
• Solar energy & rain collection: Solar panels are allowed but cannot extend beyond the roofline or be placed on the front-facing roof slope unless necessary for energy production (per a solar contractor's NREL modeling). Ground-level solar equipment must be in the fenced back yard and not taller than the fence. Rain barrels are allowed only in side or back yards and must not be visible from the street unless disguised.
• What this document doesn't cover: This is a partial document — it only covers architectural and landscaping guidelines. It does not include the full Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs), the association's Bylaws, or any rules about assessments, leasing, pets, parking, or use of common areas (though the text mentions a separate 'Policies, Rules and Guidelines' document exists). For those rules, you would need to read the full governing documents.

Plain-language summary generated from the governing documents on file for this community. It may be incomplete and is not legal advice — read the full documents below or consult the official recorded versions.