Longmont's Fence Regulations: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles fence regulations a little differently. In Longmont, Colorado, there are 3 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Height Limits

Longmont caps fence and wall height at six feet on residential property and eight feet on mixed-use, nonresidential, and arterial-abutting residential lots, measured from finished grade to the fence top.

Key details: Residential max height: 6 feet. Nonresidential/mixed-use max: 8 feet. Front yard fences: 42 inches max. Measurement point: From finished grade.

Fences exceeding the applicable height limit violate the development code and are subject to enforcement, including stop-work orders and required removal or modification of the noncompliant fence.

Material Restrictions

Longmont bans barbed wire, tin or sheet metal, and electrically charged fences citywide, with a narrow industrial-district exception for barbed wire topping woven-wire fences.

Key details: Barbed wire: Prohibited (limited industrial exception). Tin/sheet metal fences: Prohibited. Electric fences: Prohibited. Invisible pet fences: Allowed exception.

Constructing or maintaining a prohibited barbed-wire, sheet-metal, or electrified fence violates the development code and can trigger a correction order requiring removal or replacement of the fence.

Compared to other cities, Longmont takes a harder line on material restrictions. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Fence Permit Requirements

Longmont requires a building permit before any fence or wall goes up: Municipal Code § 15.05.100.C bars construction until a plan has been submitted and a permit issued through the city's standard building-permit process. Applications go to the planning and development services department and are reviewed and issued by the chief building official under § 15.02.120.

Key details: Permit required: Before any fence or wall construction. Reviewed by: Planning and development services dept.. Issued by: Chief building official. Applies: Citywide inside Longmont city limits. Materials rule: Earth-tone colors required, § 15.05.100.B.1.

Building without the required permit is a development-code violation under § 15.09.030, and § 15.09.040 treats each day the unpermitted fence stands as a separate offense. Under § 15.09.050 the city can withhold or deny the permit outright, revoke or suspend a permit already issued, issue a stop-work order on the construction, and go to court for an injunction requiring the fence's removal or modification.

The Bottom Line

Longmont's fence regulations rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Longmont is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Longmont's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.