Who Decides the Exterior Paint Color on an Ashland Townhouse or Condo?

TL;DR: In an Ashland condominium, the exterior color is almost always the association's decision, not the unit owner's and not the town's. Under Massachusetts condominium law, MGL c.183A, section 1, common areas include main walls, roofs and entrances "except as otherwise provided or stipulated in the master deed," so your master deed and bylaws have the final word. Ashland has no local historic district: a May 7, 2025 Town Meeting vote to create one failed, 111 to 66, short of the two-thirds it needed. And 14.9 percent of Ashland homes are single-family attached, the highest share of the 18 towns we serve.

Own a townhouse or condo in Ashland and wondering what you can paint? Call or text Dave at (774) 217-9567. We can work with you on the inside and with your board on the outside.

Say you have just bought a townhouse in an Ashland development and you want the front door a darker blue. It sounds like your call. Often it is not, and the answer is in a document you signed at closing and probably never read. This page is about who decides, where to look, and what is still yours to choose.

Why does this question come up so often in Ashland?

Because Ashland has more attached homes than anywhere else in our service area. Per American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 estimates, of Ashland's 8,094 housing units:

• 55.6 percent are single-family detached houses.
• 14.9 percent are single-family attached, the highest attached share of our 18 towns.
• 16.4 percent are in buildings with 5 or more units.

"Single-family attached" is the Census category for row houses, townhouses and double houses where the shared wall runs from the ground to the roof, as the Census Bureau's housing definitions describe a separate structure. That category tells you the building type, not the ownership. Some of these homes are condominium units. Others are owned outright, lot and all, with a neighbor on the other side of the wall. Which one you own changes the answer.

Who controls the exterior of an Ashland condo?

The organization of unit owners, usually called the association or the trust. Massachusetts condominium law gives it the common areas, and a condo's exterior walls are normally common area unless the master deed says otherwise.

Here is what the statute actually says, from MGL c.183A, section 1:

• Common areas, "except as otherwise provided or stipulated in the master deed," include "main walls, roofs" and "entrances and exits of the building," along with yards, lawns and parking areas.
• Common expenses are "the expenses of administration, maintenance, repair or replacement of the common areas and facilities." That is where an exterior repaint is normally paid for.
• A unit includes "the enclosed space therein," plus balconies, terraces and similar areas only "if any are stipulated in the master deed as being owned by the unit owner."

And section 10(k) requires the association to "designate a person or entity who shall oversee the maintenance and repair of the common areas," and to give every owner that contact in writing. If you are not sure who decides your exterior color, that designated person or management company is where to start.

Notice how often the statute defers to the master deed. That is the point. The law sets a default, and each Ashland condominium's own master deed, declaration of trust and bylaws fill in the details: which walls, which doors, which decks, and what approval process applies. We are painters, not lawyers, so read yours, and ask the board or your attorney when the wording is unclear.

What should you check in your documents before painting anything?

Four things, in this order. They answer most of the painting questions we get from Ashland owners in attached homes.

• The unit boundary. The master deed describes where your unit ends. Interior walls, ceilings and trim inside the enclosed space are usually yours. Exterior walls usually are not.
• Limited common areas. Front doors, decks and patios can be common area reserved for one owner's use. The statute lets the association designate those, and the documents say who maintains and paints them.
• Rules and approved colors. Many associations adopt rules or an approved color list for doors, shutters and decks. Get the current version in writing.
• Who hires the painter. If the association repaints the exterior, it hires the contractor and the cost is a common expense. If owners maintain their own doors or decks, the rules may still require board approval first.

The approval process itself, from a written request to the board's sign-off, is covered in our guide to HOA painting rules in Massachusetts. For boards and managers planning a full building, scheduling and common-area sequencing are in our multi-unit painting guide for property managers.

What if your Ashland townhouse is not a condo?

Then the exterior is generally yours to paint, subject to any covenants recorded with your deed. Check the deed and any homeowners association documents before choosing a color, because some developments restrict exterior colors by covenant rather than condominium law.

Even with no covenant, an attached home has a practical constraint: a shared wall and often a shared roofline. A color change that stops at the property line is visible from the street. Many owners in that position talk to the neighbor about trim and door colors first, and painting both sides of a shared wall in one visit is often simpler for everyone.

Does the town of Ashland review exterior paint color?

No. Ashland has no local historic district, so no town board reviews paint color on a private home, attached or detached. The color question in Ashland is a private one, between you and your association documents.

The town came close to changing that. Article 15 at the May 7, 2025 Annual Town Meeting would have added a Local Historic District bylaw as a new Chapter 32. The Town Clerk's recap records "Vote For 111/Against 66" and "Article Failed," because a two-thirds majority was required. 111 of 177 votes is about 63 percent. About 12 months later, the minutes of the May 6, 2026 Annual Town Meeting show no historic district article. The town's Historical Commission still exists, but it does not review paint color on private homes. For how local districts work elsewhere, see our historic district paint approval guide, and for a town where a district does exist, our Foxborough Baker Street certificate post.

Inside your unit, the usual rules apply. About 42.3 percent of Ashland homes were built before 1980, and anything built before 1978 brings lead paint rules into the prep. Those are covered in our Massachusetts lead paint guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can I paint the outside of my Ashland condo a different color?

Usually not on your own, because under MGL c.183A exterior walls are normally common areas controlled by the condominium association, unless your master deed makes them part of your unit.

Who pays to repaint the exterior of a Massachusetts condo?

Normally the association, because MGL c.183A section 1 defines common expenses to include the maintenance, repair or replacement of common areas, and exterior walls are usually common areas under the master deed.

Can I paint the inside of my condo unit without board approval?

In most Massachusetts condominiums, yes, because the unit includes the enclosed space inside it, but check your master deed and rules for any limits on shared walls, doors or hallways.

Does Ashland have a historic district that controls paint color?

No, Ashland has no local historic district, because a 2025 Town Meeting article to create one failed 111 to 66, short of the two-thirds majority it needed.

How common are townhouses in Ashland, MA?

About 14.9 percent of Ashland's housing units are single-family attached homes such as townhouses, the highest share of the 18 MetroWest towns we serve, per ACS 2020 to 2024 estimates.

The bottom line

In an Ashland condo, the association decides the exterior color and the master deed decides where the exterior begins. In a townhouse you own outright, the color is yours unless a covenant says otherwise. The town has no say either way. Read the documents first, get any approved color list in writing, and leave time for the board to respond before you book a painter. For everything else about painting in town, start at our Ashland painters page.

Paint Pro New England is based next door in Holliston and has painted homes across Ashland, Framingham, Hopkinton and the rest of our 18 towns since 2011, with Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams, fully insured, with a 2-year warranty on our work. See interior painting in Ashland and exterior painting in Ashland, or call (774) 217-9567 if you want a second opinion on what your documents allow.