Fence Company in Fort Collins, CO

The City of Fort Collins doesn't require a building permit for a fence 6 feet tall or shorter. A fence taller than 6 feet does need one. Either way, the zoning rules in Section 4.3.5(C) of the Land Use Code still apply, and they are what most often change a fence plan.

Front yard fences can be no more than 4 feet tall, and rear yard fences no more than 6 feet. On a side yard, the 4 foot limit applies alongside the front yard and the 6 foot limit applies alongside the back. Near a street corner or driveway, the visual clearance triangle caps fences at 42 inches, and anything over 32 inches there has to be open split rail.

Fences have to sit on your own property and at least 2 feet back from a public sidewalk. Along an alley, a fence must be at least 3 feet from the lot line if your garage door is set back 20 feet or more, and at least 8 feet if it is closer. No fence can go inside an access or drainage easement, electric fences aren't allowed in any zone, and barbed wire is limited to the Employment and Industrial districts.

We check your lot against these rules at the site visit, so the fence you approve is one you can keep.

Wind is the hardest thing on a fence here. In April 2024, parts of Northern Colorado saw gusts over 100 mph, and at least one north Fort Collins homeowner had a fence torn out of the yard. A solid 6 foot privacy fence acts like a sail, so post depth, post spacing and concrete matter more than the boards.

Larimer County uses a 30 inch frost depth for footings. We set end, corner and gate posts deep enough that frost heave doesn't push them up over the winter, and we can suggest shadowbox or slightly gapped boards on exposed lots to let some wind through.