How to Read Your HOA’s Landscaping Requirements Before You Design Anything
Before you buy a single plant, pull three documents from your HOA: the CC&Rs, the design or architectural guidelines, and the ARC (architectural review committee) application form. Together, they spell out what you can plant, how much turf you can remove, what fencing and hardscape are allowed, and whether you need approval before breaking ground. In Eagle Mountain — where nearly every neighborhood, from The Ranches to City Center, sits under some layer of HOA or master-association control — skipping this step is the single most common reason homeowners end up redoing a landscaping project.
It’s an easy step to skip, because HOA documents aren’t exactly light reading. But in a city growing as fast as Eagle Mountain, where governing documents get updated as new phases are added and water restrictions tighten, the version you remember from move-in day may already be out of date.
The Three Documents Every Eagle Mountain Homeowner Should Pull First
Your HOA’s rules aren’t in one place — they’re spread across a few documents, and each one answers a different question.
CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions). This is the legal document recorded against your property. It usually sets the broad strokes: minimum landscaped area, prohibited materials (like artificial turf or gravel-only yards in some neighborhoods), fencing height limits, and deadlines for completing landscaping after move-in — often 6 to 12 months in newer Eagle Mountain phases.
Design or Architectural Guidelines. This is where the specifics live: approved plant lists, hardscape material requirements, setback distances from sidewalks and property lines, and — increasingly common here — turf percentage caps tied to secondary water availability. If your neighborhood has one, this document matters more day-to-day than the CC&Rs.
ARC Application. Most Eagle Mountain HOAs require a submitted plan — even a simple sketch with a plant list — before work starts, not after. Some master associations (The Ranches is a good example, given how many individual neighborhoods sit under one umbrella association) also require separate sign-off from both the neighborhood HOA and the master association.
What Eagle Mountain HOAs Typically Restrict
Requirements vary by neighborhood, but these categories show up across nearly every Cedar Valley HOA. Confirm each against your own documents before finalizing a design.
| Category | What’s Commonly Restricted | Why It Matters Here |
| Turf & lawn area | Minimum or maximum grass percentage; some newer phases cap turf to reduce secondary water demand | Cedar Valley’s dry climate is pushing more HOAs toward turf reduction rules |
| Approved plants | Non-native or water-heavy species may be restricted or require ARC sign-off | High-desert soil and wind limit what actually thrives anyway |
| Rock, mulch & gravel | Type, color, and depth often specified; all-gravel yards frequently disallowed | Keeps a consistent look across fast-growing subdivisions |
| Hardscape & edging | Material and height limits on retaining walls, borders, and paths | Ties into setback and drainage requirements |
| Fencing | Height, material, and placement relative to sidewalks | Sightline and uniformity rules are common in master-planned communities |
| Timeline | Landscaping deadline after closing (commonly 6–12 months) | Enforced with fines in many Eagle Mountain HOAs |
The Approval Process, Step by Step
1. Request the current CC&Rs and design guidelines directly from your HOA management company — not from a neighbor or an old buyer’s packet. Documents get amended as new phases are added.
2. Sketch your plan with the plant list, materials, and turf percentage noted, even if it’s not a full design.
3. Submit the ARC application before ordering materials or hiring anyone to break ground.
4. Wait for written approval. Verbal sign-off from a board member doesn’t count if a violation notice shows up later.
5. Keep the approval on file. If your HOA is under a master association, keep proof of sign-off from both.
Common Mistakes That Get Landscaping Plans Rejected
The most frequent rejection reasons in Eagle Mountain aren’t dramatic — they’re small mismatches between what a homeowner assumed and what the documents actually say: using a turf percentage from an older phase’s rules, choosing gravel or artificial turf without checking if it’s allowed, skipping ARC approval because the project felt too small to matter, or relying on a verbal ‘it should be fine’ instead of a written sign-off. Each of these is avoidable by reading the actual current documents before ordering a single plant.
Get It Right the First Time
Once you know what your HOA actually allows, Millburn Lawn & Landscape can design and install a plan built to pass ARC approval the first time — no redo, no fines, no guessing. Call Millburn Lawn & Landscape at 801-810-5452 to start a design that fits both your yard and your Eagle Mountain HOA’s requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need HOA approval for a small landscaping project?
In most Eagle Mountain HOAs, yes. Even minor changes — a new flower bed, replacing turf with gravel, or adding edging — typically require ARC submission if they change what’s visible from the street.
What happens if I landscape without HOA approval?
Most CC&Rs allow the HOA to issue a violation notice and require the work to be redone or removed at the homeowner’s expense, plus possible fines that accrue until it’s corrected.
Where do I get my HOA’s current CC&Rs and design guidelines?
Request them directly from your HOA’s management company. Don’t rely on documents from your closing packet — they may predate amendments made as new phases were added.
Are there different rules for The Ranches versus City Center?
Yes. Individual neighborhoods can have their own design guidelines layered under a master association’s CC&Rs, so a rule in one Ranches neighborhood may not apply the same way in another.
Can my HOA require drought-tolerant landscaping?
Increasingly, yes. As secondary water use gets tighter across Cedar Valley, more Eagle Mountain HOAs are adding turf-percentage caps or approved drought-tolerant plant lists to their design guidelines.
How long do I have to complete landscaping after closing?
Commonly 6 to 12 months in newer Eagle Mountain phases, though the exact deadline is set in your specific CC&Rs.
