Colorado Springs, CO Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard residential cap
- 35 ft in A, R-E, R-1 9, R-1 6, R-2
- R-4 cap
- 40 ft maximum building height
- R-5 cap
- 50 ft maximum building height
- Public-assembly exception
- Extra setback per extra foot of height
- Controlling table
- Table 7.4.2-A overrides Article 7.2 conflicts
- Overlay limit
- FAA 14 CFR Part 77 near airport/USAFA
Summary
Colorado Springs caps single-family and two-family home height at 35 feet in most residential zone districts, rising to 40 feet in R-4 and 50 feet in R-5 under the Unified Development Code's dimensional standards table. Schools, religious institutions, and similar public-assembly buildings can exceed the cap by adding matching extra side and rear setback.
7.4.201: GENERAL DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS: ... In case of conflict between the dimensions shown in this Section 7.4.201 and the dimensions shown for individual zone districts in Article 7.2: Zone Districts, the dimensions in this Section shall control. Accessory structures shall meet the required minimum setbacks and maximum heights applicable to primary structures unless otherwise noted... Zone District A R-E R-1 9 R-1 6 R-2 R-4 R-5 ... Height Building height (maximum) 35 ft 35 ft 35 ft 35 ft 35 ft 40 ft 50 ft [2] ... [2] A school, religious institution, and other places of public assembly permitted in the zone district may exceed the building height maximums if the side and rear setback requirements are increased by an additional foot for each foot that the height of the building exceeds the building height maximum.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 26-23, passed June 9, 2026).
Full Breakdown
2, the table controls. Its Building Height (Maximum) row sets a 35-foot cap in the A, R-E, R-1 9, R-1 6, and R-2 districts, rising to 40 feet in R-4 and 50 feet in R-5. 203 applies. Footnote [2] to the table lets a school, religious institution, or other place of public assembly exceed the height maximum, but only if it increases its side and rear setback requirements by one additional foot for every foot the building exceeds the cap. The section also flags that the FAA's rules on Safe, Efficient Use, and Preservation of the Navigable Airspace, 14 CFR Part 77, can further limit building height on land near Colorado Springs Airport and the United States Air Force Academy, layering a federal ceiling on top of the zoning maximum in those areas.
Violations & Fines
Building above the applicable height maximum without qualifying for the school/religious-use setback trade-off, an approved height bonus, or an incentive under § 7.4.202 is a zoning code violation. Because Article 4 sets no standalone fine, enforcement runs through the Code's general penalty, § 1.1.201: a fine of up to $2,500, up to 189 days in jail, probation, or a combination, imposed by Municipal Court, in addition to any stop-work or plan-correction action tied to the building permit review.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can I build a house in Colorado Springs?
Can a church or school building exceed the height limit?
Which controls if the zone district rules and the dimensional table disagree on height?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Colorado Springs
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