Getting HOA Board Approval for Holiday Lighting

An HOA board can usually approve holiday lighting in one meeting when it receives a written package covering the display areas, a budget range, install and removal dates, responsibilities, and how power and access will be handled.

Key takeaways

What goes in the approval package
Presenting the budget
Clarify responsibilities in writing
Approve early enough to schedule
Keep the approved plan on file

What goes in the approval package

Keep it to one or two pages: the list of display areas, a simple site sketch or photos, the budget range, install and removal dates, and who is responsible for what. Boards approve plans, not ideas.

The board planning guide covers how to build the scope.

Presenting the budget

Show the cost by area so the board can fund the priority areas and defer the rest. Separate one-time purchases from recurring service. See the budget guide for categories.

Clarify responsibilities in writing

State who installs, who maintains during the season, who handles outages, who removes and who stores. Anything not written tends to become a dispute in December.

Approve early enough to schedule

Install calendars fill in the fall. A board that approves in late summer or early fall has a better chance of a preferred install date than one approving in November.

Keep the approved plan on file

Filing the approved package makes next year's approval a short renewal. That is the basis of an annual program.

Frequently asked questions

How early should the board approve?

Late summer or early fall, so installation can be scheduled before November calendars fill.

Does the board need a site walk first?

A site walk helps confirm power and access before the numbers are final. See the site walk guide.

Can the plan be approved in phases?

Yes. Many boards fund priority areas first and add others in later years.