Due to the age of the homes in Montgomery Village, Architectural Standards has been seeing an increase in roof replacements over the last several years. Today’s roofs can last 30 to 40 years or more, and therefore have a major and long-lasting impact on the aesthetics of a home and community. Roofs are also an expensive feature of a home. Before replacing your roof, it is important to reach out to Architectural Standards to learn about the process of applying for written approval for your new roof. Apply before you buy to avoid an architectural violation and the potential of having to pay to replace your roof a second time to bring it into compliance. Read ahead to learn more about important considerations when replacing your roof.

When deciding on colors for your roof, you’ll first need to factor in the architectural criteria for your community. Many of our communities were designed with standard roof colors, which means that all roofs in the community need to be the same color. We are always happy to work with residents to determine color equivalents to criteria colors across roof manufacturer brands.

Other communities in the Village do not have standard colors, which means that residents can choose to keep the color that is currently on their home, or they can update their color scheme to something new. In those communities without standard roof colors, replacing a roof can be a good opportunity to update a home and prepare it for the next 30 to 40 years of changes in color trends. You can access your community criteria by logging into your Member Dashboard at www.montgomeryvillage.com or by contacting the Architectural Standards Department at 240-243-2364.

The style of your roof is something else to consider. Roofs typically come in 3-tab and architectural profiles; roof manufacturers have different brand names for these roof styles. 3-tab roofs have a flat profile—the shingles are a uniform shape and are installed next to each other on the roof. Architectural style roofs have a three-dimensional quality to them—the shingles overlap and are cut into different shapes for architectural interest on the roof.

Just like with the color of your roof, check your community criteria to determine if your community requires a specific style roof or shingle. If it does not, work with your roofing company to determine which style works best for your roofing needs and then indicate the style on your application.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Architectural Standards Department staff for assistance at any time during your roof replacement selection and application process. We are here to help; just call 240-243-2364 to speak with a staff member. Property Improvement Request applications can be submitted online at www.montgomeryvillage.com/pir.

Roof applications are typically reviewed by staff at our weekly review meetings. Applications received by 5 p.m. on Tuesday will be reviewed the following Thursday. Our average turnaround time on applications is 10 business days, from receipt of application to decision letter being sent to the homeowner. Some applications may take longer to return, others may take less time depending on the complexity and completeness of the application. If you are replacing your roof due to damage or another emergency situation, please indicate that on your application and we will give it priority in the review process.

We look forward to working with you to enhance the beauty of our planned community.