Reston Association Design Review for a Roof Replacement

Who reviews what

Reston Association's Design Review Board (DRB) is described by RA as an independent agency of the association responsible for reviewing exterior alterations to properties within RA. It's made up of nine volunteer members: six design professionals and three lay members. Most day-to-day decisions, though, come from RA's covenants staff, who review applications that meet a Design Guideline's criteria. Every property is assigned a covenants advisor, and that person is your first stop.

RA's Member Guide to Covenants says that most exterior alterations or additions, no matter how large or small and including tree removal, need review and approval by either the DRB or covenants staff before they're carried out. A new roof changes one of the most visible surfaces of a house, so it's squarely in scope.

The five levels of review

Each RA Design Guideline sets the level of review its projects need. According to the Member Guide, the levels are:

1. No Application: the project meets criteria that don't require one, though the guideline may ask you to notify your covenants advisor so the file is updated.
2. Staff: covenants staff review the application against the guideline and issue the decision.
3. Consultation: staff review the application together with a DRB member.
4. Panel: three DRB members (two design professionals and one lay member) review the application at a scheduled meeting.
5. Full DRB: all nine members review the application at a scheduled meeting.

RA's FAQ adds that certain applications, such as pools, screened porches, sunrooms, major additions, appeals, and applications with affected parties, go to a Panel or the Full DRB, while most others can be handled by staff. A straightforward re-roof is usually on the simpler end, but the guideline for your property type is what decides.

How the Roofing guideline works for cluster homes

RA's Roofing guideline for cluster properties has two paths. No application is required if your covenants advisor has been contacted to verify that the change matches all aspects of the cluster's DRB-approved color palette, and to enter it into the DRB's records for your property. For all other projects, you complete an application, collect neighbors' signatures, and staff review it.

Staff apply two tests. The roofing should be compatible in appearance, color and quality with the other colors and materials on the house and with its architecture, and it should be compatible with what's existing and approved in the cluster. The guideline also notes that the DRB generally won't approve partial re-roofing in a different color or material: the whole structure must be re-roofed at once. If your current shingle has been discontinued, RA staff will help you pick an appropriate replacement.

Single-family homes that aren't in a cluster don't use cluster standards, according to RA's general overview of the Design Guidelines. They follow the Design Guidelines for single-family detached property instead. Ask your covenants advisor which roofing guideline and review level apply to your house.

What a roofing application asks for

RA's DRB application includes a submittal checklist. For roofing, it asks for:

• A color photo showing the manufacturer, style and material (an aerial map view if needed).
• The type and style of material: 3-tab, architectural, wood, simulated shakes, metal, tile, composition and so on.
• Any existing or proposed change to gutters and downspouts, or the addition of gutter guards.
• Color photos of each elevation: front, rear and sides.

The application itself asks for a written project summary listing materials, dimensions, type, style and colors, plus wide-angle color photos of the house. RA has also published a sample roof application for a cluster property that shows how a finished package is laid out. Incomplete applications are returned, so it's worth getting this right the first time.

This is where your roofer helps. A written scope that names the manufacturer, product line, color and any gutter or skylight changes gives you most of what the checklist wants, and it keeps the application and the installed roof identical.

Neighbor notification

The Reston Deed requires applicants to notify neighbors, and RA's guidance spells out who. A single-family detached home that isn't in a sub-association notifies at least the three most affected neighboring owners, one of whom must share a property line. Homes in a cluster or condominium association need the signature of a cluster or condominium board officer along with neighbors. Signatures have to come from owners, not renters.

RA's FAQ asks applicants to show neighbors the full plans and materials when asking for signatures, and it's explicit that a signature attests that the neighbor was notified, not that they approve. If a neighbor isn't available or has concerns about signing, contact covenants staff; there are alternative ways to give notice.

After the decision

RA's FAQ says owners may not begin construction related to a project, including tree removal, until they have the final written decision. Approved work must begin within six months and be substantially completed within eighteen months, unless the decision says otherwise. The decision may also include conditions, so read it before the roofing crew arrives and keep it with your scope.