The Westhaven Design Review Board Cheat Sheet for Deck Projects: What Gets Approved, What Doesn't
Westhaven's Design Review Board has the most rigorous reputation of any architectural review body in Williamson County. The DRB protects the design coherence that defines Westhaven's identity as a master-planned Southern Land Company community, and that protection translates into specific review standards that decide which deck designs clear approval on the first submission and which come back for revisions.
For Westhaven homeowners considering a deck addition, deck rebuild, screened porch, or covered porch, knowing the DRB's actual standards before the design phase saves weeks of revision cycles and keeps the project moving. This guide is a working reference compiled from twenty-plus years of Deck Craft project work inside Westhaven plus current verified information about the community's structure and design ethos.
For exact submittal forms, current meeting dates, and specific fee schedules, contact Westwood Management directly through your Westhaven resident portal. The information here is the substantive design and process context that lives outside that portal.
Westhaven's DRB Reputation
Westhaven is twenty years old as of 2026 and has been Nashville's preeminent master-planned community for most of that period. The DRB exists to maintain the architectural coherence that makes Westhaven recognizably Westhaven — the consistent palette of materials, the proportional language of the homes, the streetscape character that makes the community visually distinct from any other Franklin subdivision.
The DRB's reputation for rigor is earned. Resident-voice sources, contractor experience, and the visible consistency of the community itself all point to the same thing: this is not a rubber-stamp ARC. Submissions that do not match Westhaven's design vocabulary get sent back. Submissions that match clear approval on the first review.
The reputation is not a complaint. It is the reason Westhaven property values have held the way they have. The DRB's strictness is the architectural infrastructure that protects every Westhaven homeowner's investment.
What the DRB Reviews on a Deck Project
The DRB reviews the architectural integration of any exterior addition or alteration visible from inside or outside the community. For a deck project specifically, the review covers:
The deck design at plan and elevation level. Footprint, height above grade, projection from the house, integration with the existing architecture.
Materials specifications for the decking, the framing visible from below or the side, the railing system, and any covered or screened elements.
Color and finish for any painted or stained surfaces.
Site plan implications — how the deck affects the existing landscape, mature trees, drainage, and neighbor sightlines.
Lighting if outdoor lighting is integrated into the deck.
Architectural integration — the most subjective and most important review category. Does the new deck read as part of the original house architecture, or does it read as a contractor add-on?
The DRB does not review structural framing engineering for code compliance — that is the City of Franklin's job. The DRB reviews whether the deck looks right against the rest of Westhaven.
The Design Vocabulary That Gets Approved
The Westhaven design vocabulary skews traditional and architecturally cohesive. Decks that integrate with that vocabulary clear DRB review consistently. The patterns:
Proportional language matching the home. Westhaven homes have specific proportional rhythms — column spacing, window-to-wall ratios, eave depths, trim detailing. A deck that picks up those rhythms reads as integrated. A deck that uses contemporary horizontal proportions on a traditional Westhaven elevation reads as wrong.
Railing systems with traditional baluster geometry. Two-by-two square balusters at four-inch on-center spacing, square or turned posts at corners and intermediate intervals, traditional cap-and-shoe profile detailing. Cable rail, glass rail, and aggressive horizontal aluminum infill systems consistently get sent back regardless of how well-made they are.
Material continuity with the existing house exterior. If the home has stained wood porch railings on the front, the back deck railings should match the stain or echo the wood. If the home has painted white trim, painted white deck details integrate cleanly.
Picture-frame border decking installations. A picture-frame perimeter detail in a contrasting tone reads more architecturally finished than continuous board installation. The picture-frame approach is the consistent specification on premium Westhaven projects.
Stair geometry that feels generous. Standard code-minimum stairs (seven-and-three-quarter-inch rise) read tight on Westhaven elevations. Six-and-a-half to seven-inch rise with deeper treads reads more proportionally correct on the architectural language.
Built-in lighting integrated into post caps and stair risers. Surface-mounted contemporary lighting fixtures read as add-on. Integrated lighting reads as designed-in.
Materials That Consistently Clear DRB Review
Specific material specifications that clear Westhaven DRB review on most first submissions:
TimberTech AZEK PVC in heritage-color palettes. Vintage line in Weathered Teak, Coastline, English Walnut, or Dark Hickory. The PaintPro line in colors that match the existing exterior trim. The dimensional stability and UV resistance match Westhaven's long-term performance expectations.
Trex Transcend in deeper espresso, havana, or slate tones. Specifically the deeper-toned options that read warmer with traditional architecture. The lighter contemporary tones are less consistent for Westhaven applications.
Deckorators Voyage in heritage tones. The mineral-core dimensional stability is appropriate for the long-service-life expectation, and the heritage palette integrates with traditional architecture.
Pressure-treated wood with quality stain finish in colors matching existing trim. For projects where the architectural language explicitly calls for wood, stained pressure-treated remains an approved specification.
IPE or Cumaru hardwood for premium projects where the architectural intent supports the specification. The natural silvering of these hardwoods integrates with traditional Westhaven elevations.
Aluminum picture-frame border and railing infill in matte black or bronze finish. Specifically as architectural metal accent within a traditional baluster system rather than as the dominant railing material.
Architectural composite porch ceiling profiles. TimberTech AZEK Porch line for screened porch and covered porch applications, in tongue-and-groove profile.
Materials That Consistently Get Sent Back
Specific material specifications that the Westhaven DRB has historically declined or required revision on:
Horizontal cable rail systems. The visual language reads contemporary in a way that Westhaven's traditional architecture does not support.
Glass panel rail systems except in specific architectural contexts.
Light-tone composite decking on traditional elevations — the lighter contemporary composite tones read as out of period against Westhaven's typical home palettes.
Visible exposed-screw decking installations. Hidden fastener installation is the consistent expectation for premium-tier work in Westhaven.
Contemporary aluminum railing systems as the dominant railing material rather than as accent.
PVC or composite trim profiles that do not match the home's existing exterior trim profile. The DRB notices trim profile mismatches.
Surface-mounted contemporary outdoor lighting fixtures rather than integrated lighting.
Pressure-treated wood left unfinished to weather naturally to gray. The DRB expects finished surfaces.
Decks that project beyond what the existing architecture supports without complementary architectural elements (column extensions, fascia details, trim returns) that integrate the new construction with the original house.
The Submittal Package Components
Westhaven DRB submittal packages typically include the following components, though the specific forms and current requirements should be confirmed directly with Westwood Management through your resident portal:
Plan drawings showing the deck footprint at scale with dimensions and the relationship to the existing house footprint.
Elevation drawings showing the deck as it will appear from the most relevant viewing angles — typically the rear elevation and any side elevation visible from neighboring properties or community streets.
Materials specifications for the decking, the railing system, the framing materials visible in the finished installation, and any covered or screened elements. Manufacturer documentation rather than generic descriptions.
Color and finish specifications for any painted or stained surfaces, with reference samples or specific paint codes.
Site plan showing the deck in the context of the existing landscape, mature trees, and any relevant drainage or grading.
Lighting plan if integrated lighting is part of the design.
Photograph of the existing back of the house showing what the new deck will integrate with, providing the DRB visual context.
A complete submittal that includes all of these components in a coherent package will move through DRB review faster than a packet that requires the reviewer to ask for missing items. Half-complete submittals are the single most common cause of approval delays.
Westwood Management as the Operational Front Door
Westwood Management is the property management company that administers Westhaven's HOA operations including DRB submittal handling. For exact current submittal forms, fee schedules, meeting dates, and approval timelines, Westwood Management is the authoritative point of contact.
The relationship is administrative rather than design-evaluative. Westwood Management routes submissions through the DRB, communicates DRB decisions back to homeowners, and coordinates the workflow. The DRB itself makes the design decisions.
For Westhaven homeowners working with a contractor who has not previously worked Westhaven projects, the contractor's first call should be to Westwood Management to confirm the current submittal requirements and the DRB meeting schedule. We have done this many times; the management staff is generally helpful and responsive.
The Parallel City of Franklin Permit
Westhaven sits inside the City of Franklin's jurisdiction for building permits. The City of Franklin operates under the 2024 International Residential Code effective January 1, 2026, the most current code edition in the area.
The City of Franklin building permit and the Westhaven DRB approval are separate, parallel processes. Both are required before construction can begin. The standard practice is to file both packages the same week so the timelines run together rather than sequentially.
City of Franklin permit submittal goes to Building & Neighborhood Services at 109 3rd Avenue South. Permit review on a complete submittal typically runs five to seven business days. We covered the City of Franklin permit process in detail in our Williamson County Deck Permit Guide.
Common Reasons the DRB Sends Projects Back for Revision
The patterns we have seen most often when Westhaven DRB sends a deck project back for revision:
Railing system out of period. Horizontal cable rail, aggressive aluminum infill, or glass panel railing on a traditional architectural context.
Composite color out of palette. Light contemporary tones on a traditional elevation, or composite specification that does not visually integrate with the existing home's color palette.
Missing elevation drawings. Plan drawings only, without showing how the deck appears in elevation. The DRB cannot evaluate architectural integration without elevation drawings.
Inadequate materials documentation. Generic descriptions ("composite decking") rather than specific manufacturer and product specifications with documentation.
Decking direction wrong for the architecture. Boards installed perpendicular to the home's primary architectural lines when parallel installation would integrate better.
Stair geometry too steep. Code-minimum rise on stair runs that read tight against the rest of the home's proportional language.
Contemporary lighting fixtures as primary lighting. Surface-mounted modern fixtures rather than integrated post-cap or recessed lighting.
Project drawings out of scale or proportionally inaccurate. The DRB needs accurately scaled drawings to evaluate the proposal; rough sketches do not provide enough information.
Working With the DRB Rather Than Against It
The most successful Westhaven projects are designed from the start to clear DRB review on the first submission. That is a different design approach than the standard "design what the homeowner wants, then figure out what the ARC will accept" workflow.
Pre-design conversation with the DRB is rarely necessary but always helpful for projects with unusual design intent. A short conversation with Westwood Management before drafting can clarify whether a specific design direction is likely to clear review.
Reference projects within Westhaven that have similar architectural context provide design guidance. Driving the neighborhood and noting how successful integrations look on similar homes is a useful design exercise.
Material samples in the DRB submittal rather than just specifications. The DRB evaluates color and texture more accurately when the actual material is in hand.
Architectural elevation drawings done well. The elevation drawings are the single most important DRB submittal document. Investment in producing them clearly pays back through faster approval.
Designs that explicitly reference existing architectural elements of the home. The deck design that says "we picked up this column profile from the front porch" reads as integrated. The deck design that says "we used standard 4x4 posts" reads as generic.
We design every Westhaven project for first-submission DRB approval, which is meaningfully different from designing for code compliance and then revising for ARC feedback.
A Personal Note on Twenty-Plus Years of Westhaven Projects
Deck Craft has been working Westhaven projects since the community was in early build-out twenty years ago. The DRB has evolved over that period, the resident demographic has cycled through generations of homeowners, the architectural styles within the community have expanded as new phases opened, but the underlying design coherence that defines Westhaven has held throughout.
The institutional knowledge of how the DRB actually evaluates submissions builds through projects rather than through documentation. Twenty-plus years of working inside this community has produced a working understanding of what clears review and what does not — the kind of knowledge that does not exist on any HOA portal because it is not the kind of knowledge that gets written down.
For Westhaven homeowners, the right contractor for a deck project is the contractor who has done dozens or hundreds of Westhaven projects rather than the contractor whose first Westhaven project this would be. The DRB review process punishes inexperience.
That is the project we are quoting.
For verified Westhaven community context including Southern Land Company history, the Westhaven Foundation, the Town Center, and the geographic anchors that define the community, see our Westhaven deck builder service area page.
For City of Franklin permit context including the Building & Neighborhood Services submittal process and the 2024 IRC requirements, see our Williamson County Deck Permit Guide.
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