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Assimilate Help Center
Assimilate is an HOA architectural submission repository. Instead of paying thousands for duplicate engineering, homeowners find a prior board-approved design, submit a reuse request, and receive conditional approval in hours -- not weeks.
How it works
Browse the repository
Open the Assimilate repository for your community and filter by design type -- deck railing, fence, window replacement, HVAC, and more. Each listing shows the original approval date, engineer consent status, and any reuse conditions.
Submit a reuse request
Found a matching prior design? Click Request Reuse. Your board administrator receives an email notification immediately and has 24 hours to respond. You get an email whether it is approved or denied.
Get conditional approval
If approved, you have written board authorization to start work -- no engineer re-engagement, no duplicate drawings. If the admin does not respond within 8 days, the request auto-denies and you are notified to follow up directly.
Frequently asked questions
What is Assimilate?
Assimilate is a shared repository for HOA architectural submissions -- deck railings, fences, window replacements, HVAC systems -- that lets homeowners reuse board-approved designs from neighbors instead of paying engineers $2,000-$4,000 to redraw identical work. When you find a submission, you submit a reuse request, the board reviews it (usually within 24 hours), and if approved you skip the engineering cost entirely.
Who can use Assimilate?
Homeowners in participating HOA communities can browse the repository and submit reuse requests. Board administrators manage submissions, approve or deny reuse requests, and generate compliance reports. Engineers who originally created the designs can grant reuse permission at upload time. The interface is available in both English and Spanish.
What happens if the original engineer did not give reuse permission?
Submissions without engineer consent are flagged as requiring consent before reuse. You cannot submit a reuse request for those. You will need to commission your own drawings, or ask the board admin to contact the engineer for retroactive permission.
Does reuse permission transfer when the original homeowner sells their unit?
By default, yes -- consent stays with the property unless the engineer or original homeowner selected the revoke-on-sale option at upload time. Most submissions do not carry that restriction.
What if my board administrator never responds?
The system sends escalation reminders at 72 hours and 7 days. If 8 days pass with no response, the request auto-denies and you receive a notification with a suggestion to follow up with the board directly or commission new drawings.
Can contractors access the repository?
Only if your board admin enables contractor access in settings -- the default is homeowner-only. When enabled, contractors can browse submissions read-only but cannot see homeowner or engineer contact information. Only homeowners can submit reuse requests.
What file types can I upload?
PDFs, CAD files (DWG/DXF), and photos (JPG/PNG). Each file must be under 5 MB -- compress large PDFs before uploading. Each community has a 2 GB storage limit; if you are close to it within the first 90 days, the system emails your admin with optimization guidance.
What if my reuse request is denied?
The board admin includes a reason in the denial, such as the design not being suitable for your unit type or a site review being required. You can revise your request, select a different submission, or commission custom drawings. Denials do not block future requests -- you can try again immediately.
Can I upload a submission on behalf of someone else?
Board admins can upload submissions for any homeowner, which is useful for historical backfill of older approved projects. Homeowners can only upload their own. All uploads require accurate unit number and original homeowner records.
How much does Assimilate cost?
Assimilate is $45/month per community, billed month-to-month. Your board admin can cancel anytime -- no annual commitment. At 70% duplication rates, communities typically see $150,000-$380,000 in annual engineering savings, making the subscription cost negligible compared to what it saves.
My community just signed up. Why is the repository empty?
Assimilate is most valuable when seeded with historical approved projects. After signup, your board admin receives an onboarding kit with step-by-step templates for uploading past submissions. If nothing is uploaded within 7 days, a follow-up email arrives with a short video walkthrough. Communities with 5-10 historical submissions see twice the reuse rate within a year.
Still need help?
Reach the Assimilate team directly -- board administrators, homeowners, and engineers welcome.
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