Fence Regulations in Boulder, CO (2026)
5 verified fence regulations for Boulder, Colorado, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Height Limits
Boulder caps most residential fences, walls, and hedges at seven feet under Section 9-9-15(c), B.R.C. 1981, with taller heights allowed only for specific exceptions like joint-agreement property-line fences, athletic-facility fencing, or noise barriers, and fences must stay eighteen inches off any public sidewalk.
Boulder Fence Height Capped at Seven Feet
Some RestrictionsSec. 9-9-15(c), B.R.C. 1981
(c)Height Standards: A maximum of seven feet in height is permitted for any individual fence, wall, hedge, or any combination thereof located within three feet of each other and located on the same property, except as otherwise permitted by this section. ... (b)(2)Location Near Sidewalks: No fence or wall is placed nearer than eighteen inches to any public sidewalk.
Fence Permit Requirements
Boulder regulates fences, walls, and hedges under Land Use Code Section 9-9-15, capping most fences at seven feet and barring placement within eighteen inches of a public sidewalk. Building a fence draws a Fence Permit and Retaining Wall Permit fee of $4.05 per $100 of value with no maximum, and a Class E contractor license is required to build fences commercially.
Boulder Fence Permit and Height Rules
Some RestrictionsBoulder Revised Code § 9-9-15(b)-(c)
(b)Location Standards: A fence, hedge, or wall, which includes retaining walls, columns, posts, piers, or similar structures, or any combination of such structures, is permitted if it meets the standards of this section, in addition to the requirements of Section 9-9-7, "Sight Triangles," and Chapter 10-5, "Building Code," B.R.C 1981. A fence, hedge, or wall is permitted if it meets the followi...
Neighbor Fence Rules
Boulder limits a fence, wall or hedge on a shared property line to seven feet, but abutting neighbors can jointly agree in writing to build up to twelve feet under Land Use Code Section 9-9-15(c)(2)(B). Height is measured from the higher grade within three feet of the line, and the city manager can order a reduction if someone has manipulated the grade to dodge the cap.
Boulder Shared Fence and Property-Line Rules
Some RestrictionsBoulder Municipal Code § 9-9-15(c)(2)(B)
A fence, wall, hedge, or any combination thereof located within three feet of each other and located on or within three feet of a property line, may be permitted up to a maximum of twelve feet in height, provided that the abutting property owners are in joint agreement and the height does not exceed seven feet when measured from the highest elevation of grade within three feet of either side of...
Retaining Walls
Boulder does not require a building permit for a retaining wall under three feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless it supports a surcharge or holds flammable liquids. Taller walls need a building permit, and a fence built on top of a retaining wall can rise up to 42 inches regardless of the combined height.
Boulder Retaining Wall Height and Permit Rule
Some RestrictionsBoulder Revised Code § 10-5-2(j) (IBC § 105.2, item 3) and § 9-9-15(c)(2)(A)
105.2 Work exempt from permit... Building permits shall not be required for the following: General:...3.Retaining walls which are not over 3 feet in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless supporting a surcharge or impounding Class I, II, or III-A flammable liquids... (2)Exceptions:(A)Fences on Retaining Walls: For the purposes of complying with applicable ...
Material Restrictions
Boulder outlaws barbed wire and electrically charged fencing citywide under Section 9-9-15(d), B.R.C. 1981, with narrow carve-outs for active construction sites and for containing livestock or protecting crops in the city's Agricultural and low-density residential districts, where an electric fence also needs its own fence permit.
Boulder Bans Barbed and Electric Fences Except Farms
Significant RestrictionsSec. 9-9-15(d), B.R.C. 1981
(d)Electric or Barbed Wire Fences: No barbed wire or other sharp, pointed, or electrically charged fence may be erected or maintained except as follows:(1)Temporary Construction Fences: A temporary fence on a site to protect the property during the period of construction which has an active building permit may be topped with barbed wire where the barbed wire is not less than eight feet above th...
Looking for Boulder County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Boulder city rules.
Fence Regulations in Boulder County →