How Loveland Handles Landscaping Rules: A Practical Guide

Loveland maintains 122 local ordinances across all categories, and 6 of those deal specifically with landscaping rules. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Loveland falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Tree Trimming

Loveland property owners must keep tree branches trimmed to at least 8 feet over a public sidewalk and 14 feet over a street or alley travel lane, under Municipal Code § 12.32.135. Vegetation can't encroach onto the sidewalk or street plane at all, and the city's Urban Forester can order the work done, or do it and bill the owner, if it isn't.

Key details: Governing section: Loveland Municipal Code § 12.32.135. Sidewalk clearance: 8 feet minimum. Street/alley clearance: 14 feet minimum. Enforcement official: City Urban Forester. Tree contractor license needed: For work above 15 feet.

An owner who fails to maintain clearance can be ordered to do the work by the Urban Forester under § 12.32.135(C) and § 12.32.170, and noncompliance is enforceable through a summons into Loveland Municipal Court, a notice of abatement, or other lawful means under § 12.32.150. Where a tree is dead or dangerous, adjoining owners can be held jointly and severally liable for removal costs under § 12.32.140. Penalties don't waive the City's right to recover its own removal or treatment costs, per § 12.32.200.

Composting

Loveland allows occupants of one-unit or duplex homes to keep a backyard compost pile of layered plant refuse and soil, but the pile has to be fully enclosed and kept from putrefying or drawing insects and animals. A compost pile that becomes a nuisance loses its protection under the code.

Key details: Eligible properties: One-unit and duplex residential only. Enclosure requirement: Compost pile must be fully enclosed. Nuisance trigger: Putrefying, or attracting insects or animals. Governing chapter: Ch. 16.12, Accumulations of Waste Material.

A compost pile that isn't fully enclosed, or that putrefies or draws insects or animals, becomes an ordinary nuisance under § 16.12.050, and the City Manager or a designee can order it removed after a Notice and Order to Abate. Removal by the City is billed to the owner or occupant under the Chapter 16.44 assessment process, with the standard Accumulations of Waste Material deadlines of 72 hours, or 24 hours for a health hazard.

The rules around composting in Loveland lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Weed Ordinances

Loveland caps ordinary weeds and grass at eight inches on every lot in the city, with noxious weeds under the state Weed Act banned regardless of height. Ornamental, native and turf grasses shown on an approved landscape plan or growing in a designated natural area are exempt from the height cap.

Key details: Height limit: 8 inches for non-noxious weeds and grasses. Noxious weeds (Weed Act): Prohibited at any height. Abatement deadline: 10 days after Notice and Order to Abate. Exempt grasses: Approved-plan, landscape-supplement, or natural-area grasses. Cost recovery: City removal cost plus 10% inspection fee, becomes a lien.

A violation is a public nuisance under § 16.32.020(F). The notice schedule at § 16.44.020(D) gives a Weed Control violation ten days to abate after a Notice and Order to Abate under § 16.44.010. If the owner doesn't cut and remove the growth in that window, the City can enter the property, mow or clear it, and assess the cost plus a 10% inspection charge under § 16.44.050, which becomes a lien if unpaid within 30 days of the notice of assessment.

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees

In Loveland, Colorado, a significant tree shown on a City-approved landscape plan cannot be removed without City sign-off. The Unified Development Code lists nine specific grounds for approval, from disease and safety hazards to utility conflicts, and requires on-site replacement when preservation is not feasible.

Key details: Governs: significant trees on approved landscape plans. Removal grounds: 9 listed criteria, City approval required. Survey required: certified arborist, landscape architect, or surveyor. Grading limit: no cut/fill over 4 inches in drip line. Replacement: required on-site if preservation infeasible.

Removing a significant tree shown on an approved landscape plan without meeting one of the nine criteria and obtaining City approval violates UDC § 18.08.05.02. Cutting, filling deeper than four inches, paving, or storing materials within a protected tree's critical root zone or dripline, or grading without the required barricade, violates § 18.08.05.03. Under § 18.18.03.02, any person, firm, or corporation convicted of violating the UDC faces a fine up to the maximum set by the Loveland Municipal Code, up to one year of incarceration, or both, and the City may also seek injunctions or abatement under § 18.18.02.

Artificial Turf

Loveland's Unified Development Code bans nonfunctional artificial turfgrass on commercial, industrial, institutional, and common-interest-community property, in street rights-of-way, parkways, parking lots, medians, and transportation corridors, and separately in the common landscape areas of platted residential developments. The code's own private-lot category is not swept into either ban.

Key details: Banned locations: commercial, industrial, institutional, CIC property. Also banned: ROW, parkways, parking lots, medians, corridors. Common areas: banned in subdivision common landscape areas. Private lots: not included in either turf ban. Parkway exception: Director may approve for safety or drainage.

Installing or retaining nonfunctional artificial turfgrass on commercial, industrial, institutional, or common-interest-community property, in a street right-of-way, parkway, parking lot, median, or transportation corridor violates UDC § 18.08.02.01.C.2, and installing it in a subdivision's common landscape area violates § 18.08.02.04.C.2. The City may order removal as a condition of development or redevelopment approval, and under § 18.18.03.02 a person, firm, or corporation convicted of a UDC violation faces a fine up to the Municipal Code maximum, up to one year of incarceration, or both.

Water Restrictions

Loveland caps outdoor sprinkling flow, requires a permit for underground sprinkler systems, and lets the city manager impose an emergency ban on outdoor potable water use when supply runs short. Violating an active ban draws escalating fines up to $1,000 per day.

Key details: Max hose diameter: 3/4 inch. Base flow limit: 10 gpm per 10,000 sq ft lot. Additional flow: 5 gpm per extra 10,000 sq ft. Underground system: Written permit required. Ban violation fine: $50-$1,000 per day.

The city manager and designated staff act as peace officers and enforce Section 13.04.235 bans by issuing municipal court summonses. A first violation draws only a written warning; a second or later violation carries a fine of $50 to $1,000, and each day a violation continues is a separate misdemeanor. Watering in violation of an active ban is also treated as wasting of water under Section 13.04.170, which can lead to termination of the customer's water service.

The Bottom Line

Loveland's landscaping rules 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 Loveland is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Loveland's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.