COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, October 15, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- For many Colorado Springs homeowners, choosing a new exterior color involves more than picking a swatch. In neighborhoods governed by homeowners associations, covenants and design rules can shape what a house is allowed to look like, and local painting company Simplify Painting is encouraging residents to check those rules before work begins.

The Colorado Division of Real Estate's 2024 HOA Information and Resource Center Annual Report counts 8,362 active common interest community registrations in Colorado. The report estimates that approximately 2.7 million people, or about 46 percent of Coloradans, live in a common interest community.

Rules about exterior appearance are part of how many of those communities operate, and disagreements over them can reach the state. The HOA Center reported receiving 3,811 inquiries and complaints from 300 individuals in 2024.

Among the complaint categories the report lists, improper or selective enforcement of covenants and not following governing documents each appeared 67 times.

The state office has limits. The Division of Real Estate states that its HOA Center does not mediate or arbitrate on behalf of homeowners, board members, or community association managers, and does not investigate or intervene in disputes between homeowners and associations. For homeowners, that makes reading the governing documents before a project the practical safeguard.

Tom Reber founded Simplify Painting, one of the painting companies colorado springs homeowners have worked with since 2015. He said association approvals come up often in the city's newer neighborhoods.

"In a lot of the communities we work in, the color question gets answered by the HOA before it gets answered by the homeowner," Reber said. "We'd much rather see the approved palette at the first walkthrough than find out after the first coat is on."

Exterior projects carry the most visibility. Simplify Painting's exterior painters colorado springs crews schedule work after any required association approval is in place.

"My advice to a neighbor is to pull the design guidelines and submit the request before booking a painter," Reber said. "A few weeks of approval time is a lot easier to plan around than repainting a house twice."

Interior work typically falls outside association review. Homeowners waiting on exterior approval often move ahead with colorado springs interior painting projects in the meantime.

The same applies to kitchens. cabinet painting colorado springs projects can usually proceed on their own schedule while exterior plans are reviewed. Simplify Painting offers complimentary estimates.

References:
[1] Colorado Division of Real Estate — 2024 HOA Information & Resource Center Annual Report: https://dre.colorado.gov/sites/dre/files/documents/2025-03-10%202024%20HOA%20Annual%20Report.pdf
[2] Colorado Division of Real Estate — HOA Center: https://dre.colorado.gov/hoa-center

About Simplify Painting

Simplify Painting is a licensed and insured residential painting company based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, founded by Tom Reber and serving the area since 2015. The company provides exterior, interior, and cabinet painting.

It serves Colorado Springs and nearby communities, including Broadmoor, Briargate, Flying Horse, Monument, Black Forest, Manitou Springs, Fountain, Falcon, and Woodland Park.

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