Architectural review in Oakland County HOAs (Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Northville, Novi, Rochester Hills, etc.) is driven by the association's recorded declaration of CC&Rs and any architectural standards adopted by the board. Michigan courts routinely uphold reasonable architectural restrictions. Effective April 1, 2025, the Michigan Homeowner Energy Policy Act (2024 PA 64, codified at MCL 559.301 et seq.) sharply limits an HOA's authority to prohibit solar panels, clotheslines, energy-efficient windows, EV charging, and similar energy-saving improvements on a member's lot or limited common element.
Architectural Control Committee (ACC) review is a creature of the deed restrictions: homeowners must submit plans for additions, fences, sheds, exterior paint colors, roofing material, driveway changes, and (in many Oakland County subdivisions) landscaping changes for written approval before starting work. The committee must act reasonably and in good faith; a Michigan court will not enforce an ACC denial that is arbitrary, capricious, or applied unevenly. Snow-sidewalk-clearing and lead-paint disclosure obligations sit with the city or township, not the HOA — although associations may impose stricter snow-removal aesthetics. The Homeowner Energy Policy Act overrides any CC&R or ACC rule that effectively prohibits a 'covered energy-saving improvement,' including rooftop solar, ground-source heat pumps, and EV charging. Boards may still impose reasonable installation standards (location screening, color, height, drainage) so long as the standards do not significantly decrease the efficiency or significantly increase the cost of the improvement.
Building or modifying without ACC approval can trigger a written cure notice from the association, an injunction in Oakland County Circuit Court to remove the unauthorized improvement, and (per the CC&Rs) a fine schedule. For condos, MCL 559.147 governs unauthorized modifications to general or limited common elements and allows the association to force removal. Under MCL 559.206(b), if the condo documents expressly so provide, the prevailing party in an architectural enforcement suit can recover reasonable attorney fees.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Farmington Hills, MI
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Farmington Hills, MI
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Farmington Hills, MI
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Farmington Hills, MI
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Farmington Hills, MI
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Farmington Hills, MI
Farmington Hills does not require a Special Event Permit or City business license for a residential garage / yard sale at a private residence. The City Clerk...
See how Farmington Hills's architectural review rules stack up against other locations.
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