Manitou Springs, CO Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

C defines how building height is measured citywide: as an envelope created by offsetting the site's existing ground plane slope vertically up to the maximum height allowed for the zone district, with height measured from the established finished floor of the building. That envelope method matters on Manitou Springs' canyon terrain, because a home built into a slope is measured against the ground as it existed before construction, not an artificially cut or filled grade. 2-1. Footnote [2] also creates the one carve-out available citywide: a property inside the Historic District that receives a Material Change of Appearance Certification incorporating steep roof pitches, reviewed under the Historic District Design Guidelines, may exceed 25 feet up to a hard ceiling of 30 feet.

2 allows only narrow accessory-projection exceptions, such as chimneys, cupolas, or roof-mounted solar equipment extending up to 5 feet above the district maximum, provided they are not built to add usable floor area and do not conflict with FAA regulations. Because the Historic District sits inside city limits and overlaps residential zoning, a homeowner there must clear both the Title 18 height table and the separate Title 17 historic review before building above 25 feet.