Longmont, CO Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max height, R-SF district
- 35 feet
- Measured from
- average finished grade to highest point
- Governing table
- Table 15.03.020(2)
- Admin modification cap for height
- 25 percent (about 8.75 feet)
- Rooftop exceptions
- chimneys/elevators up to 10 ft, parapets 5 ft
- First civil penalty
- $100.00, rising to $500.00
- Criminal penalty
- up to $500.00 fine and 90 days jail
Summary
In Longmont's R-SF single-family district, Table 15.03.020(2) of the Land Development Code caps building height at 35 feet. Section 15.03.080.D measures that height from the average finished grade at the center of every wall to the top of the highest part of the building, and the same 35-foot cap applies lot by lot regardless of roof style.
Table 15.03.020(2). R-SF District Dimensional Standards. Lot Standards (Minimum): Lot area 5,000 square feet; Lot area—alley garage access 4,000 square feet. A. Lot width 50 feet; Lot width—alley garage access 40 feet. Setbacks (Minimum): B. Front yard, dwelling 15 feet; Front yard, dwelling—alley garage access 10 feet. C. Front yard, front-facing garage 20 feet. D. Side yard, (no street frontage) 5 feet. E. Rear yard, without alley 20 feet; Rear yard, abutting an alley 6 feet. Building Standards (Maximum): F. Building height 35 feet. Notes: [1] Reduced lot area and width is permitted for affordable housing pursuant to section 15.03.080.B. [2] Refer to residential density section 15.03.080.B.3. [3] Refer to section 15.04.040 for accessory structure standards. [4] Refer to section 15.02.080.E.3.d for ADU setbacks.
Full Breakdown
The R-SF district dimensional table sets a 35-foot maximum building height alongside a 5,000-square-foot minimum lot area (4,000 square feet with alley garage access), a 50-foot minimum lot width, a 15-foot front setback for the dwelling, a 20-foot front setback for a front-facing garage, 5-foot side setbacks, and a 20-foot rear setback that drops to 6 feet along an alley. 4 in the code. 080(2): chimneys, cooling towers, smokestacks, ventilators, flues, elevator bulkheads and stairway enclosures may rise up to 10 feet above the roof as long as they cover no more than 5 percent of the roof's horizontal area; parapet walls may rise 5 feet; roof-mounted solar on a flat roof may rise 5 feet; and belfries, spires, steeples, cupolas and domes on places of worship may extend above the roofline entirely, provided none of these features are used as living space.
A 15-foot affordable-housing or transit-proximity height bonus exists in the code, but it runs to the R-MF and mixed-use (MU-N, MU-C, MU-D, MU-E, MU-R) districts, not to R-SF. 75 additional feet is the practical ceiling for a discretionary bump in this district. 040.
Violations & Fines
Building above 35 feet without an approved modification is a violation of the development code under section 15.09.030, and section 15.09.040 makes each day the violation continues a separate offense. The director can withhold or revoke building permits and certificates of occupancy, issue a stop-work order, and seek an injunction or abatement under chapter 9.04 (section 15.09.050). Administrative civil penalties run through chapter 2.97: $100 for a first administrative order, $200 for a second within 12 months, and $500 for a third or later order within that same 12-month window, with each day of continued violation counted separately. Any violation is also a criminal offense under the general penalty in section 1.12.010, punishable by a fine up to $500.00 and up to 90 days in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum house height allowed in Longmont's R-SF district?
Can a chimney or elevator shaft stick up higher than 35 feet?
Can the city approve a taller house than 35 feet?
What happens if I build over the height limit without approval?
Does this 35-foot cap apply to apartment buildings too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Longmont
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Structure Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Boulder County handle structure height limits.