Most homeowners’ associations want a fence proposal reviewed before you build. The architectural committee is not after a blueprint, they want to see where the fence goes, how tall it is and what it is made of. A clean diagram answers all three.
What an HOA diagram should show
Cover these and most committees are satisfied:
- Property lines: the boundary of your lot, ideally traced from your plot plan or survey.
- The fence path: every run, marked clearly against the boundary and the house.
- Height and material: note the height (a common limit is 6 ft in back yards, 4 ft in front) and the material, such as cedar privacy or vinyl.
- Gates: where each gate sits and how wide it is.
- Setbacks: if your HOA or city requires the fence set back from the boundary or sidewalk, show that gap.
You usually don’t need a surveyor
For the application itself, a tidy to-scale sketch over your existing plot plan is normally enough. Some HOAs do ask for a stamped survey, so read your covenants before you spend on one. Either way, a labelled diagram speeds the review.
A free way to draw it
You do not need design software. Open the free fence drawing tool, and if you have a plot plan or survey, upload it as a backdrop and trace your boundary and fence runs over it. Type each run’s real length, set the height and material, mark the gates, then export a PDF to attach to your application. Nothing you draw is uploaded, it all stays on your device.
Check the specifics
Every HOA writes its own rules on height, material, colour and which side faces out. Read your community’s fence guidelines first, then build the diagram to match. A proposal that already meets the rules clears review far faster.