How Colorado Springs Handles Fence Regulations: A Practical Guide

Colorado Springs maintains 144 local ordinances across all categories, and 5 of those deal specifically with fence regulations. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Colorado Springs falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Retaining Walls

Colorado Springs allows fences atop retaining walls so long as the fence material alone (excluding the wall) stays within the permitted fence height, and opaque walls and fences visible from a street are limited to 3 feet in the landscape setback.

Key details: Fence-on-wall measure: Fence material only, excludes retaining wall. Street-facing opaque wall/fence: 3 ft in landscape setback. Taller retaining wall: Manager approval + plantings. Grade alteration: Prohibited to gain height. Code Section: UDC 7.4.910B.7; 7.6.204B; 7.4.905.

A fence-and-wall combination that exceeds the allowed fence height for the location, or an over-height opaque retaining wall placed in a required landscaped setback without Manager approval, is a zoning violation that Code Enforcement can require to be lowered, relocated, or softened with plantings. Artificially raising grade to gain height is expressly prohibited.

Material Restrictions

Colorado Springs permits masonry, solid wood, and chain-link with permahedge inserts or opaque slats, but prohibits tarps, plastic sheeting, and polypropylene when visible off-site, and tightly restricts barbed wire, razor wire, and electric shock fencing.

Key details: Permitted: Masonry, solid wood, chain-link with inserts/opaque slats. Prohibited off-site visible: Tarps, plastic sheeting, polypropylene. Barbed/razor wire: Commercial/industrial only, 6 ft+ above grade. Residential razor wire: Prohibited. Code Section: UDC 7.4.910D.

Use of prohibited materials (tarps/plastic sheeting visible off-site, residential razor wire, barbed wire in the front setback) is a zoning violation enforced by Code Enforcement; owners are typically ordered to remove or replace the non-compliant material. Battery-charged electric fences must carry conspicuous warning signs at no more than 30-foot intervals.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Colorado Springs actively enforces its material restrictions requirements.

Fence Permit Requirements

A fence under 7 feet that meets UDC standards needs no permit in Colorado Springs. Fences 7 feet or taller are accessory structures requiring a building permit through Pikes Peak Regional Building Department.

Key details: Permit threshold: 7 ft (becomes accessory structure). Permitting authority: Pikes Peak Regional Building Department. PPRBD phone: (719) 327-2880. Under 7 ft compliant fence: No permit required. Code Section: UDC 7.4.910B; Part 7.4.2.

Building a fence of 7 feet or more without a Regional Building permit can result in a stop-work order, after-the-fact permit requirements, code-enforcement citations, and removal or lowering of the fence. Fences that violate UDC height, material, or sight-line standards are enforced by the city Code Enforcement Division regardless of permit status.

Height Limits

Beyond the height and material standards in UDC § 7.4.910, Colorado Springs UDC § 7.4.904.G makes every fence, wall and barrier the owner's ongoing responsibility to keep in good repair. Damaged, broken, or peeling-paint fencing must be repaired, replaced, or refinished, and the whole landscaped area kept neat and orderly.

Key details: Who must maintain: Property owner, unless covenant assigns it to an HOA. Standard required: "Good repair"; no damage, breaks, or failing paint. Applies alongside: § 7.4.910 height/location/material fence rules. Enforcement path: UDC Part 7.5.9 notice-and-order process. Repeat violation rule: Each day of disrepair is a separate violation.

A fence, wall, or other barrier left damaged, broken, or with failing paint is a violation of § 7.4.904.G.8, enforced under the UDC's general Part 7.5.9 process: the Manager may inspect the property, issue a notice and order to abate, and each day the disrepair continues after notice counts as a separate violation under § 7.5.903.D.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Colorado Springs gives residents more flexibility on height limits.

Neighbor Fence Rules

No Colorado Springs ordinance requires neighbors to share boundary-fence costs; the UDC only governs placement, height, and materials. Colorado's statutory partition-fence cost-sharing applies to adjoining agricultural or grazing land, not typical residential lots.

Key details: City cost-share ordinance: None (UDC governs placement only). State partition fence law: C.R.S. 35-46-112 (agricultural/grazing land). Lawful fence standard: C.R.S. 35-46-101. Residential cost-sharing: Private civil matter; no statewide duty.

The city enforces only UDC 7.4.910 placement, height, material, and sight-line standards through Code Enforcement; it does not adjudicate cost-sharing or boundary-line disputes. Residential cost-sharing and encroachment disagreements must be resolved privately or in civil court, not by the city.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Colorado Springs gives residents more flexibility on neighbor fence rules.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Colorado Springs gives residents more room on fence regulations. 2 of the 5 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

These rules come from Colorado Springs's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.