9 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Boulder County, Colorado.
Verified from official government sources
In unincorporated Boulder County, properties 2.5 acres or smaller must keep grasses, shrubs and brush cut to less than 9 inches. Larger rural acreage is exempt but must still control noxious weeds.
Boulder County Code Compliance (Land Use Code enforcement)
properties that are 2½ acres or smaller are required to be maintained in harmony with generally accepted neighborhood aesthetics. This includes keeping grasses, shrubs and brush cut to less than 9 inches in height.
Boulder County does not require a permit to trim your own trees. In Wildfire Zones 1 and 2, the county requires vegetation thinning and defensible space around structures under its wildfire building rules.
Boulder County Wildfire Mitigation Code Requirements
Full defensible space is required in Wildfire Zone 1 – West County and Wildfire Zone 2 – East County. Full defensible space is NOT required in Wildfire Zone 3 – East County.
Boulder County sets no general permit to remove trees on your own private, non-hazardous land. Removal for defensible space is encouraged, but larger forest-clearing may trigger Land Use Code review and Open Space trees are protected.
Under the Colorado Noxious Weed Act, all Boulder County property owners must manage noxious weeds likely to damage neighboring land. List A and List B species carry mandatory eradication or containment on public and private property.
Boulder County has no countywide watering-day schedule; outdoor watering rules are set by your local water provider (such as Longmont, Left Hand, or Northern Water districts). Colorado water law also governs wells and rainwater use.
Under Colorado HB16-1005, Boulder County residents may collect rooftop rainwater in up to two rain barrels totaling no more than 110 gallons, for outdoor use only on the same property. No permit is required.
Boulder County encourages native and water-wise landscaping and imposes no lawn requirement on rural land. Colorado law (SB23-178) bars HOAs from banning xeriscape or drought-tolerant plantings.
Boulder County sets no countywide ban on residential artificial turf. Colorado SB23-178 prevents HOAs from prohibiting nonvegetative turf grass, though drought-tolerant living landscaping is generally preferred.
Backyard composting is allowed and strongly encouraged in Boulder County. The county's Zero Waste program provides compost collection, but home compost piles must not create odor, pest, or rubbish nuisances.
2 cities in Boulder County have their own landscaping rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Boulder County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Boulder County Ordinance Hub →