Kiawah Partners Architectural Review Boards

Enhancing the Beauty of Nature With Sustainable Development

The goal of the Kiawah Partners Architectural Review Boards (ARB) is to achieve an uncommon and visually pleasing blend of natural beauty and manmade improvements by providing standards and guidelines for community areas as well as residences.

Design Review for Kiawah Island

Architectural design review on Kiawah Island is transitioning from Kiawah Partners to the Kiawah Island Community Association (KICA). As of Oct. 6, 2026, Phase 1 is underway: KICA’s interim Design Review Board (DRB) now reviews all commercial projects, new construction and major improvements for multifamily properties, and all projects on KICA common property.

The transition is structured across four phases:

  • Phase 1 covers all commercial projects, new construction and major improvements for multifamily properties, and all projects for KICA’s own common property, applicable on or after the date the agreement takes effect, which is went into effect Oct. 6.
  • Phase 2 adds maintenance applications for single-family and multifamily properties. KICA can begin this phase with three months’ advance notice.
  • Phase 3 adds improvement applications for those property types, at least six months after Phase 2 begins.
  • Phase 4 brings single-family new construction and major renovation applications under KICA review, at least six months after Phase 3 begins.


Applications already filed with the ARB will stay there until they’re complete. KICA will announce each transition phase well in advance through their weekly newsletter and on the Design Review webpage, including who to contact and where to submit.

Learn more here.

ARB Benefits for Homeowners

The ARB is committed to protecting and enhancing your precious asset. To do this, we help you achieve an environmentally sensitive design for your new home through careful consideration of the configuration of your home site, the Lowcountry climate, existing vegetation, and topography of the building site. Thus, one of our primary objectives is to assist you with your planning efforts, and we stand ready to do so.

Enhance Value with Smart, Sustainable Design – Kiawah Island Insights – June 2014

“Gnarled limbs pruned by prevailing breezes, dense undergrowth dappled with sunlight, native grasses speckled with salt spray: the natural beauty of Kiawah Island is its greatest asset. The role of the Architectural Review Board (ARB) is to preserve this beauty by ensuring that each home is a careful addition to its natural setting. Difficult to accomplish? Yes. Rewarding when achieved? Definitely!”