Getting Backlit House Numbers Approved by Your HOA

Most HOAs review house numbers and exterior lighting through an architectural committee. Applications that answer the committee's questions up front tend to go through quickly. Here is what committees usually ask for, the details that help with backlit numbers, and a cover letter you can copy.

Step by step

Read your community's rules

Look in the architectural guidelines or CC&Rs for house numbers, exterior lighting and colour temperature. Some communities set a standard size, colour or finish for numbers; others cap how warm or bright outdoor lights can be.
Choose a finish and size that fit

If the rules cap colour temperature at 3000K, choose the matte black Neutra digits (3000K warm white) or the 6 inch on its warm setting. Digits should be at least 4 inches tall for fire code.
Put the packet together

The manufacturer's specifications (print or attach the specifications page), a photo of the wall marked with where the numbers will go, a mock-up (a screenshot of your number in the address builder), and photos of finished installs from our customer photos.
Submit it with a cover letter

Use the letter below, filled in with your details, along with any form your HOA requires. Some ask for neighbours' signatures.
Allow a few weeks

Committees commonly decide within two to six weeks. Some guidelines treat an application as approved if the committee does not answer in time; check yours.

What committees look for, and the answers

Light colour	Many HOA and dark-sky rules ask for 3000K or warmer. Black Neutra digits are 3000K warm white, and the 6 inch can be wired to its warm strip. Brushed stainless is 6000K cool white, so it suits communities without a colour limit.
Glare and light source	The LEDs are hidden behind each digit and light the wall around it, so there is no visible bulb.
Brightness	Every set ships with a dimmer. Rated LED output at full power is about 220 lumens for a 4 inch digit, 330 to 400 for an 8 inch and up to about 460 for a 12 inch; actual output is lower. Rules that cap brightness usually set 450 to 1,000 lumens per fixture.
Power	Low voltage, 12V DC, from a plug-in or wire-in driver.
Size and readability	Fire codes require address numbers at least 4 inches tall, contrasting with the background and visible from the street. Digits come in 4, 6, 8 and 12 inch.
Mounting	Flush to the wall, with no standoffs and no visible wiring.

Address visibility is a safety requirement as well as a style choice, and some California jurisdictions require house numbers to be lit. If your committee is hesitant, it is worth mentioning.

Let an AI assistant read your HOA rules

HOA documents are long. An assistant can find the rules that matter, check them against these numbers and draft your request in a couple of minutes.

Download your HOA's architectural guidelines or CC&Rs, usually a PDF on the HOA or management company website.
Open an assistant with the prompt below: ChatGPT opens with it already filled in; for Gemini and Claude the button copies it, so paste it into the chat.
Attach your HOA document to the chat and send.

Ask ChatGPT Copy and open Gemini Copy and open Claude

I want to install backlit LED house numbers and need my HOA's approval. I will attach my HOA's architectural guidelines or CC&Rs. If I have not attached them yet, ask me to upload them before you answer.

Please:
1. Find every rule that applies to house numbers, address signs, exterior lighting, colour temperature, brightness, mounting or exterior changes, and quote each one with its section number.
2. Tell me whether the product below meets each rule, and flag anything unclear.
3. Tell me what my HOA's application needs: forms, photos, neighbour signatures, fees, deadlines.
4. Draft a short, polite approval request to the architectural committee using the details below, with blanks for my address, digit size and finish.

The product: JELSCO backlit LED house numbers (guide: jelsco.com/pages/hoa-approval, specifications: jelsco.com/pages/specifications). Individual metal digits, 4, 6, 8 or 12 inches tall, mounted flush to the wall with no standoffs. LEDs hidden behind each digit light the wall around it, so no bulb is visible. Matte black Neutra digits are 3000K warm white; brushed stainless digits are 6000K cool white; the 6 inch has both and is wired to one. Every set includes a dimmer. Low voltage, 12V DC, from a plug-in or wire-in driver. Rated LED output at full power is about 220 lumens for a 4 inch digit, 330 to 400 for an 8 inch and up to about 460 for a 12 inch; actual output is lower. Fire codes require address numbers at least 4 inches tall, contrasting with the background and visible from the street.

An assistant can misread a document, so check what it quotes against the original. Your HOA's committee makes the decision.

A cover letter you can copy

Fill in the parts in brackets and delete what does not apply.

To the Architectural Review Committee,

I am requesting approval to replace the house numbers at [your address] with backlit LED house numbers.

Product: JELSCO backlit LED house numbers, [black Neutra / brushed stainless], [4 / 6 / 8 / 12] inch digits.
Location: [on the wall beside the front door / on the garage / other], as shown in the attached photo and mock-up.

Lighting:
- The LEDs sit behind each digit and light the wall around it. No bulb or light source is visible.
- Colour temperature: [3000K warm white].
- Every set includes a dimmer, so brightness can be turned down to suit the street.
- Low voltage: the digits run on 12V DC from a driver connected to the house.

Size and visibility: the digits are [size] inches tall and contrast with the wall, meeting the fire code requirement that address numbers be at least 4 inches tall and visible from the street.

Mounting: flush to the wall with the supplied anchors and screws. No standoffs, no visible wiring.

Attached: the manufacturer's specifications (jelsco.com/pages/specifications), a photo of the location, a mock-up of the numbers, and photos of installed examples.

Thank you for considering this request.

[Your name]
[Phone or email]

Ready for the mock-up? Type your house number into the address builder to see it in each finish and size, then screenshot it for your application. Questions about a specific requirement: info@jelsco.com.