Modifications
Stonebridge Ranch Community Association
COMMUNITY MODIFICATIONS
Homeowners in Stonebridge Ranch are individually responsible for following the community’s Modification Design Guidelines and village-specific rules to maintain consistent aesthetics and property values.
The Modifications Committee—comprised of knowledgeable volunteers—reviews applications for exterior changes, offering support and guidance to ensure improvements align with community standards and avoid costly violations.
Stonebridge Ranch Community Association
MODIFICATION GUIDELINES
INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY
Owning a property within a master-planned community association doesn’t allow for “anything goes” modifications and upgrades when it comes to maintaining a home. By purchasing a home in Stonebridge Ranch, residents become members of the Stonebridge Ranch Community Association (SRCA) and assume individual responsibility for upholding our community covenants.
This includes adhering to the Modification Design Guidelines and village guidelines related to home upkeep. We all play a part in creating the cohesive appeal and high property values that Stonebridge Ranch is known for in North Texas. These desirable outcomes are not only the responsibility of the Board of Directors, committee volunteers, or professional staff, but rather the result of our collective efforts.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
It is the homeowner’s individual responsibility to be aware of, understand, and comply with community guidelines, we hope you’ll rely on the help of the Modifications Committee volunteers and professional compliance staff who are here to assist you. Their primary goal is to help you modify your property in a way that increases your home’s value as well as the value of your neighbors’ homes.
Our committee volunteers and professional staff take the time to study community guidelines in detail, familiarizing themselves not only with the Modification Design Guidelines but the village guidelines as well. They also spend many hours each week reviewing Modifications Applications, responding to questions, and more. Please consider them a resource, provided by the association to help you protect yourself from costly compliance violations.
ARE YOU CONSIDERING MAKING A CHANGE OR REPAIR TO YOUR PROPERTY?
Please be advised that many projects require homeowners to submit a Modification Application AND receive approval from the Modifications Committee prior to project start.
Failure to submit a required application, failure to receive approval prior to project start, or deviation from an approved plan can lead to a violation and/or fines on your account with the Stonebridge Ranch Community Association (SRCA). Thus, we urge you: please follow the 7 steps process in order to protect yourself. A few tips to get started:
- The word “modifications” can refer to a wide range of projects. Whether you’re hoping to add something new to your home exterior, or you need to repair, replace, or update already-existing features, you may need to submit an application and receive committee approval to do so.
- Why? The reason is simple. Stonebridge Ranch has been here for over thirty years. The Modification Design Guidelines are a living document which may be updated as needed by the Board of Directors in order to: clarify wording or intent; reflect changing home technologies; comply with new state legislation; etc. When you replace an existing structure on your property, you need to be sure your materials and specs meet the current version of SRCA guidelines.
SEVEN STEPS TO FOLLOW
1. Exterior vs Interior?
Is your home improvement located within the existing interior walls of your home? If so, this one’s easy! You may proceed as you see fit. Compliance applies only to exterior home additions and maintenance/modifications/replacements/upgrades.
2. Review the Modification Design Guidelines governing your type of project.
- You need to review both the SRCA Modification Design Guidelines and the village guidelines for your specific neighborhood. The SRCA guidelines protect the cohesive appeal of all of Stonebridge Ranch, and the guidelines for each village protect the unique details that set your neighborhood apart. In all cases, you need to follow the most restrictive guideline, whether it is located in the SRCA Modification Design Guidelines or your village’s guidelines.
- A number of villages in Stonebridge Ranch are part of the SRCA as well as members of a neighborhood sub-association. If your home is located in one of these villages, you may need to submit and receive modification approval from your sub-association after receiving project approval from the SRCA.
3. Application, yes or no?
- Some modifications require application submission and approval. Others do not so long as you comply with all applicable design guidelines when completing your home improvement project. Failure to submit a required Modification Application and receive committee approval can lead to violations and/or fines, so confirming whether you need to submit an application is a very important step. The submittal requirements are listed in the Modification Design Guidelines for each type of project (see screenshot below).
- COLOR PALETTE
Some projects do not require an application but do require you to use approved colors (see the section titled “Color Changes” in the Modification Design Guidelines.) - ROOFING SHINGLES
If you are replacing your roof and you want the quickest possible approval for your choice of materials, pick a shingle type (manufacturer, warranty, and color) from the Pre-Approved Roofing Selection List. Note:- Check the Pre-Approved Roofing Selection list even if you want to replace your roof with the same material as before. The guidelines do periodically change, so be sure your roofing material meets current requirements.
- When you choose from the list, you will receive automatic approval from the Stonebridge Ranch Community Association (SRCA) for your roof replacement upon submittal of your Modification Application.
- Some villages have more restrictive guidelines than those for the SRCA and do not permit all shingle types noted on the SRCA approved list. As always, be sure to read all guidelines and follow the most restrictive guideline.
- If your shingle type is NOT on the pre-approved SRCA list—even if you are replacing your roof with the same shingles as before—you’ll need to submit a Modification Application and receive approval from Committee. This is because your original roofing type may not be permitted by current requirements. The application process is designed to protect you. The Modifications Committee serves to confirm homeowner selections meet current SRCA standards.
4. Supply documentation
If an approved Modification Application is required for your type of project, you’ll need to include documentation and attach files to your application. You’ll find what documentation is required when you review the Modification Design Guidelines and village guidelines as noted in steps #2-3 above. Required documentation will include one or more of the following:
- A complete materials list for the project, including exact paint samples and/or stain color.
- A picture or drawing of the modification, complete with dimensions (height, width, depth, etc.).
- A site plan complete with dimensions. This plan must show the location of the following in relation to each other: the house, any other structures on the lot, the proposed structure including setbacks, and all property lines. You or your contractor will need to use a tape measure and complete the legwork necessary to supply these figures.
- Note that applications which are submitted without all required documents are automatically denied and must be resubmitted.
If you have questions regarding the required documents, please contact our staff BEFORE your submit your application.
For fencing or trash tote screening projects, contact Compliance Coordinator, at STONEB@Ciramail.com
For all other project types, please direct your questions to Administrative Assistant, at STONEB@Ciramail.com
5. Communicate with your neighbor
If you are making a modification which involves a shared fence or a retaining wall, you need to fill out the Neighbor Agreement Form and attach it to your Modification Application. We also encourage the common courtesy of informing your adjacent neighbors about your project to forewarn them of construction noise and activity.
6. Submit your application and applicable requirements forms.
- PDF Application. You may download and fill out theModification Application PDF
- Please return this to the association office. You can do so by mail, in person, or by email. Our office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5 PM. The main phone number is 214-733-5800.
- Submittal Requirements Form. Not all projects need additional information, but some modifications are more complex and mandates supplemental data. Please review the forms listed below and if there is one listed for your project, please download, fill out, and submit the form with your application. Applications missing required Submittal Requirements Forms are considered incomplete.
- When submitting by email, submit to STONEB@Ciramail.com. Note: depending on your type of project, you may also need to obtain a Building Permit from the City of McKinney prior to construction. The approval of an SRCA Modifications Application does not mean that approval will be granted by the City of McKinney and vice versa. Visit the City of McKinney website to learn more about construction permits.
7. Take responsibility.
The following tasks are the responsibility of the SRCA property owner, NOT the project contractor or any other party. It is your responsibility to:
- Read the Modification Design Guidelines and village guidelines to ensure your exterior property modification complies with all applicable requirements.
- Submit your Modification Application (if required) along with all related documentation and forms.
- Ensure that project construction begins only after you have received Modification Committee approval (if application and approval are required for your type of project).
- Construct the exact design approved by the Modifications Committee (if application and approval are required for your type of project). Altering from your SRCA-approved plan can lead to violations and fines.
Time Frame
Per SRCA governing documents, the volunteers of the committee have up to 30 days to respond to your Modification Application. However, they work to respond to applications in a more timely manner—within two weeks whenever possible.
Once an application is approved by the Modification Committee, the homeowner must commence and complete the approved plan within ninety (90) days. If more time is needed, the owner may request an extension in writing. (If the owner does not request an extension, they need to resubmit their application a second time when they are ready to tackle the home improvement project.)
MODIFICATION DESIGN GUIDELINES
Stonebridge Ranch is a master planned community. It was designed to be a place where one may live, work, and play without leaving the familiar landscape of home. This landscape is made up of both natural and man-made elements which have been selectively woven into our community’s infrastructure. They serve to unite both structural function and visual appearance to affirm a sense of belonging and community pride among residents.
The primary purpose of the SRCA Design Guidelines and Review Procedures for Residential Modifications (commonly referred to as the “Modification Design Guidelines”) is to aid and direct all property owners within Stonebridge Ranch. The document establishes a design framework which the individual owner uses when making exterior home improvements. The guidelines seek to balance latitude and flexibility with preserving the consistency and integrity of Stonebridge Ranch over time.
Using the Guidelines
We strongly encourage you to always review the linked PDF directly from this website to ensure you are reading the current version. If you save or print out a version of guidelines or policies and refer to them later for a different project, you may be setting yourself up for a compliance violation, as the guidelines do periodically change. We will always provide the current version of our guidelines at this website. We also encourage you to clear your browser to cache to ensure you are reading the current version, which is dated September 2021.
View the filed version of the Modification Design Guidelines with the county below in our Modification Documents.
MODIFICATION VOLUNTEERS
Without the Modification Committee’s oversight in regards to home modifications and landscaping upkeep, it would be difficult for Stonebridge Ranch to maintain a cohesive and premier appeal across the more than 70 unique villages over time. This committee plays a particularly crucial role in the long-term health of our association by assisting homeowners in the protection of property values.
As part of their many duties, the Modifications volunteers review all Modification Applications for exterior home improvements in Stonebridge Ranch. These applications include homeowners’ proposed alterations to existing residential structures, new additions to a property (such as building a back-yard arbor or installing a pool), replacing major exterior home elements (such as a roof or a fence), and maintaining and updating yard landscaping.
In order to have the expertise necessary to approve and deny Modifications Applications, the volunteers of this committee must be well-versed in the governing documents of our community. Not only do they have a working knowledge of the SRCA Modification Design Guidelines, but also the individual village guidelines for each of the 70+ villages within Stonebridge Ranch.
Because all these documents total more than 2000 pages, serving on the Modifications Committee requires a true commitment. Further, though our governing documents grant the committee up to 30 days to review each application, our volunteers do their very best to return each decision to the applicant within 14 business days. Ultimately, their service is two-fold: not only do they support each homeowner seeking to improve their own property, but they do so by helping to preserve the cohesive, united, and timeless visual appeal of one of the largest homeowners associations in Texas.
In the completion of their duties, the Modifications Committee meets twice a month to review applications and hear first-level homeowner appeals. Because Modification Committee meetings are held in executive session to discuss private property information, we do not publish their meeting minutes like we do for the other SRCA committees.
Annually the Modifications Committee also reviews the community’s Modification Design Guidelines. As needed with Board approval, the committee may update the guidelines in order to: clarify wording or intent; incorporate changing home technologies; reflect new state legislation; etc.
Storm Declarations
Occasionally, natural events such as severe hail storms affect our community at large. In the aftermath of such events, an unusually large number of residents may need to make exterior property modifications, such as replacing their roofing or fencing.
When deemed necessary by the Board of Directors, the association will issue a Storm Declaration in response. During such periods, the Modifications Committee reviews storm-related applications through an expedited process in order to support homeowners who need to make home improvements quickly. The turnaround time for applicable Modifications Applications during such times is typically 2 business days. In the aftermath of severe storm events in Stonebridge Ranch, please pay close attention to association communication channels, including the homepage of this website and our bi-weekly email blasts (you can sign up below under the header “Stay Connected”), to see if a Storm Declaration has been issued
Modifications Documents
