101 local rules on file · Pop. 559 · Boulder County
Showing ordinances that apply to Eldorado Springs, CO
Eldorado Springs is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 559 in Boulder County, Colorado. Because Eldorado Springs is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, Boulder County ordinances apply directly to residential and commercial properties here. The rules below are the county-level regulations that govern your area. Nearby incorporated cities in Boulder County may have different rules.
Boulder County limits livestock by 'animal units' per acre set in the Land Use Code zoning tables. Agricultural (A) land allows up to four animal units per acre without Special Review; most other rural zones allow two. Residential zones (RR, ER, SR) allow up to four weaned animals.
Boulder County Land Use Code 4-516.E allows accessory chicken keeping by right in the agricultural and residential-agricultural zones. Building lots in the Suburban Residential (SR) district may keep up to eight hens; roosters are prohibited in SR. Larger zones use an animal-units-per-acre limit.
Boulder County Land Use Code 4-516.D permits accessory beekeeping by right in the F, A, RR, ER, SR, LI, GI, and MI zones. It is an Open Agricultural use. In the Suburban Residential (SR) zone, two colonies are allowed per building lot (a queen and her workers count as one
In unincorporated Boulder County, dogs off the owner's property must be under leash, voice, or electronic control. Ordinance 2022-8 makes it unlawful to let any dog run at large; a dog is presumed at large if it causes injury, damage, or trespass.
Boulder County has no breed-specific dog ban. Colorado state law (C.R.S. 18-9-204.5) regulates dangerous dogs by behavior, not breed, and C.R.S. 18-9-204.5(5)(b) bars any local regulation that is specific as to breed. The county handles risky dogs through its vicious-dog process.
Boulder County has no separate 'hoarding' ordinance, but Ordinance 2022-8 makes it unlawful to fail to provide any livestock or domestic animal with minimum care, or to neglect, mistreat, or abandon an animal. Neglected animals may be impounded, and cruelty is prosecutable under Colorado state law.
Boulder County's animal ordinance covers dogs, cats, ferrets, and livestock but sets no separate exotic-pet permit. Ownership of exotic and wild animals is governed by Colorado state law: Colorado Parks and Wildlife rules bar keeping most native and dangerous wildlife without a state license.
Boulder County's leash and at-large rules apply only to dogs, not cats. Cats are, however, covered by the mandatory rabies rule: Ordinance 2022-8 requires every dog, cat, and ferret to be vaccinated against rabies. A biting cat may be impounded for a 10-day observation.
Boulder County's animal ordinance sets no flat cap on the number of dogs or cats per household in the unincorporated area. Instead, keeping many animals is regulated indirectly through nuisance, barking, cruelty, and Land Use Code kennel/animal-units rules.
Boulder County residents may not intentionally feed big game or bears. Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulation and C.R.S. 33-6-131 make it illegal to intentionally feed big game (deer, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mountain goats) and prohibit leaving food that attracts bears and lions. Boulder County promotes bear-resistant trash.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 blanket ban on storing your own RV, trailer, or boat on your private lot, but you cannot live in an RV, and on public roads an RV left over 72 hours is towable as abandoned.
On unincorporated county roads you may not park within 5 feet of a driveway or junction, within 10 feet of a fire hydrant, in a bus stop, or where a sign prohibits it. Otherwise on-street parking is allowed.
There is no flat overnight parking ban on unincorporated Boulder County roads, but a vehicle left in one location for more than 72 continuous hours becomes an abandoned vehicle that can be ticketed and towed.
Boulder County's parking ordinance sets no special weight or size ban aimed at commercial trucks on county roads; the same abandoned-vehicle, sign, driveway, and hydrant rules apply. Land-use limits on outdoor business storage are the main restriction on private lots.
It is illegal to leave an abandoned or inoperable vehicle on public property in unincorporated Boulder County. A vehicle sitting over 72 hours qualifies as abandoned and, after notice, can be ticketed and towed.
You may not park within 5 feet of any public or private driveway or junction on an unincorporated county street. New driveways and access points must also meet county multimodal design standards and keep parking off the right-of-way.
Boulder County has no dedicated oversized-vehicle length or height parking ban on unincorporated roads. Oversized vehicles are governed by the same abandoned-vehicle, hydrant, driveway, and posted-sign rules as any other vehicle.
Boulder County controls parking through official signs, painted areas, and other parking control devices. Only the County Engineer may authorize their placement, and you must obey them even where more restrictive than a posted sign implies.
Boulder County sets no parking-ordinance rule reserving spaces for EV charging on public roads. EV requirements instead come from the adopted building/energy codes for new construction and from parking control devices in county lots.
In a county loading zone you may load or unload only briefly: up to 3 minutes in a passenger loading zone and up to 30 minutes in any other loading zone, unless a posted sign says otherwise.
In unincorporated Boulder County, fences 6 feet high or under (measured from existing grade) need no building permit. Fences over 6 feet require a permit and must meet the zoning district's setbacks. Fences of any height in a floodplain need a permit.
A building permit is required to build a fence over 6 feet high in unincorporated Boulder County, and for a fence of any height inside a 100-year floodplain. Over-6-foot fences must meet zoning setbacks and may need engineered footing plans.
Boulder County requires all fence components, including footings, to sit on the fence owner's own property, and bans fences from the road right-of-way. The county does not enforce private boundary disputes or subdivision covenants between neighbors.
In unincorporated Boulder County a retaining wall over 48 inches (4 feet), measured from bottom of footing to top, requires a building permit. Retaining walls are not counted as fences and must meet International Building Code structural design standards.
Boulder County fences must sit entirely on the owner's property, stay out of the road right-of-way, and not interfere with the sight triangle at intersections. Floodplain fences need a Floodplain Development Permit and specific open-fence designs.
Boulder County sets no general material palette for standard fences in the unincorporated area, but floodplain fences must use approved open designs, and masonry fences must meet International Building Code structural standards. Wildlife-safe materials may be required by Land Use approval.
Standard fences in unincorporated Boulder County have no county-mandated material palette, but floodplain and masonry fences do. Floodplain fences must follow open-design specs; masonry fences and retaining walls must meet International Building Code standards.
In unincorporated Boulder County, sound from a non-vehicular source in a residential area cannot exceed 55 dB(A) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., dropping to 50 dB(A) at night (7 p.m.-7 a.m.). Cities like Boulder and Longmont set their own quiet hours.
Construction in residential areas of unincorporated Boulder County may not exceed 80 dB(A) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or 75 dB(A) from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. The higher daytime cap applies for the permitted construction period.
Unincorporated Boulder County exempts leaf blowers, lawnmowers, snowblowers, and other hand or power tools of 5 horsepower or less from noise limits when used between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Outside those hours, general noise limits apply.
Boulder County's noise ordinance specifically exempts "the sound made by animals," so barking dogs are not enforced under the dB limits. Persistent barking is instead handled as a nuisance or under animal-control rules and, in cities, local barking-dog codes.
Amplified music in unincorporated Boulder County counts against the residential noise caps of 55 dB(A) day and 50 dB(A) night. Music from a parked vehicle is treated as a non-vehicular source, measured 10 feet from the property line.
Every vehicle in unincorporated Boulder County must have a working muffler with no cutoff or bypass. On roads, cars may not exceed 80-88 dB(A) depending on type and speed limit; on private property the cap is 78 dB(A).
Outdoor music in unincorporated Boulder County must stay within the 55 dB(A) daytime / 50 dB(A) nighttime residential caps, measured 10 feet from the property line. Government-permitted concerts, festivals, and special-use events are exempt.
Colorado's state noise statute sets the decibel ceilings Boulder County follows: 55 dB(A) residential, 60 commercial, 70 light industrial, and 80 industrial during the day, each dropping 5 dB(A) at night, measured 25 feet from the property line.
Boulder County's noise ordinance exempts "property used for manufacturing, industrial, or commercial business purposes" from its dB limits. Colorado's CRS 25-12-103 still caps industrial noise at 80 dB(A) day / 75 night and light industrial at 70/65.
Boulder County's noise ordinance does not regulate aircraft. Section 1.01.060(G) exempts "operation of aircraft or other activities which are subject to federal law with respect to noise control," leaving airplane and helicopter noise to the FAA.
Yes. Since March 5, 2024, no one may operate a short-term or vacation rental in unincorporated Boulder County without a county-issued Short-Term Rental License or Vacation Rental License under Ordinance 2023-02.
Apply online through Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting. The application must include proof of insurance, ownership, primary residence (if applicable), a parking plan, floor plan, a sales tax license, and notice to adjacent neighbors.
Occupancy is capped at eight individuals, or the occupancy limit of the approved on-site wastewater (septic) system, whichever is fewer. That number is the maximum people allowed on the premises at any one time while rented.
License fees are $350 (short-term) or $500 (vacation) for a two-year term. Operators must remit all applicable state and local sales and use taxes and hold a Colorado sales tax license or book only on tax-remitting platforms.
Applicants must submit a parking plan and provide satisfactory on-site parking. Short-term rentals need two on-site spaces; vacation rentals need two spaces or one per four occupants, whichever is fewer, all on-site.
Short-Term Rentals must be the owner's or tenant's primary residence, occupied more than six months per year, though the host may be absent up to 45 nights annually. Whole-home Vacation Rentals (owner absent) are separately capped and zone-restricted.
Ordinance 2023-02 sets no separate decibel standard, but each rental must provide guests county Good Neighbor Guidelines and a Local Manager who responds within one hour. Colorado's state noise limits (CRS 25-12-103) and county nuisance rules still apply.
Every licensed rental must have a Local Manager available whenever the premises is occupied who can respond to a renter or complainant within one hour in person. The owner may serve as manager if they meet this standard.
There is no cap on short-term rental licenses, but a host may be absent only up to 45 nights per year. Whole-home Vacation Rentals are capped at a combined 3.5% of housing units, set at 169 in Upper St. Vrain CCD and 73 in Bald Mountain CCD.
Yes. Applicants must show a certificate of insurance with adequate liability and property limits insuring at least $500,000 in liability and reflecting rental exposure. Coverage must stay in place for the entire two-year license period.
Under Ordinance 2023-1, the Board or Sheriff can ban all open fires including the sale and use of fireworks. During any fire ban or High Danger Conditions, no fireworks of any kind are permitted in unincorporated Boulder County. Bans are common every summer.
Backyard fire pits, campfires and charcoal grills are treated as "Open Fires" under Ordinance 2023-1. They are allowed when no fire ban is in effect, but during High Danger Conditions or a declared Stage 1/Stage 2 ban, all ignition sources are prohibited in unincorporated areas.
You cannot conduct open burning (slash, broadcast or pile burns) in unincorporated Boulder County without a permit, and you must give notice to the Sheriff's Office before starting. Agricultural burning is exempt from the permit but still requires prior notice. Apply through the county's Open Burning Portal.
Backyard fires, campfires and warming fires are "Open Fires" under county ordinance and are allowed only when no fire ban is declared. During High Danger Conditions or a Stage 1/Stage 2 restriction, all open flames are prohibited in unincorporated Boulder County.
Propane/LP-gas tanks in unincorporated Boulder County follow the adopted 2021 International Fire Code. Tanks up to 500 gallons must be at least 10 feet from buildings and property lines; larger tanks need 25-50 feet. Keep vegetation within 10 feet of the tank cleared and never place a tank under a
In Wildfire Zone 1 (West County) and Wildfire Zone 2 (East County), Boulder County requires full defensible space around structures whenever you build, add over 200 sq ft, or add a large accessory structure. Standards include ignition-resistant construction and clearing combustible vegetation near buildings.
Boulder County has no separate smoke-alarm ordinance; the requirement is set by Colorado state law and the adopted building code. A carbon monoxide alarm must be installed within 15 feet of each bedroom in dwellings with a fuel-fired appliance, fireplace, or attached garage on sale, permitted work, or new rental
Unincorporated Boulder County is divided into three Wildfire Zones. Building or expanding in Zone 1 (West County) or Zone 2 (East County) triggers wildfire mitigation code requirements, including ignition-resistant construction and defensible space. Zone 3 does not require full defensible space.
A pool, spa, or hot tub in unincorporated Boulder County must be enclosed by a barrier meeting 2021 ISPSC Section 305. The barrier must be at least 48 inches high measured from the outside, with no gaps a 4-inch sphere can pass, and any gate must be self-closing and self-latching.
A building permit is required to build a swimming pool, spa, or hot tub in unincorporated Boulder County. Any structure holding water over 24 inches deep is a regulated pool and must meet the county-adopted International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC).
Beyond the perimeter barrier, Boulder County requires spas to carry an insulated cover rated at least R-12, and small compliant spas may instead use an ASTM F1346 locking safety cover or an ISPSC Section 305 barrier. All pools follow the 2021 ISPSC's construction, entrapment-protection, and electrical safety provisions.
A hot tub or spa holding water over 24 inches deep is a regulated pool requiring a building permit and an insulated cover rated at least R-12. Public and semi-public spas must also meet Colorado's state health regulation, which requires spa water to turn over completely every 30 minutes.
Above-ground pools are regulated the same as in-ground pools in unincorporated Boulder County. Any above-ground pool holding water over 24 inches deep meets the ISPSC swimming-pool definition, requires a building permit, and must be enclosed by a compliant 48-inch barrier.
The Boulder County Land Use Code lets a home occupation operate as an accessory use to a residence, provided it stays clearly subordinate to the dwelling and does not change the character of the lot. Article 4-516(S) sets the limits on employees, floor area, traffic, and signage.
A home occupation in unincorporated Boulder County may display only a small identification sign. The Land Use Code limits it to a non-illuminated sign of two square feet or less, and the business must produce no noise, light, odor, or other effect noticeable beyond the property line.
Colorado's Cottage Foods Act lets you make and sell certain non-hazardous foods from your home kitchen without a health-department license, as long as you sell directly to the consumer, complete a food safety course, and earn no more than $10,000 net per product each year. This state law applies in
Boulder County does not require a license or permit for a home occupation. If you can meet the Land Use Code criteria, you may simply send a letter to the Land Use Department describing the use so staff can verify it is permitted.
A family child care home is treated as a residential use for zoning, so it is generally allowed in unincorporated Boulder County homes, and child care is specifically exempted from the home-occupation floor-area cap. The provider must still be licensed by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.
In unincorporated Boulder County a one-story detached storage shed 120 square feet or smaller (200 sq ft for an agricultural loafing shed) needs no building permit if it is under 12 feet tall, has no utilities, and meets zoning setbacks. Larger sheds require a building permit. Parcel size limits how
Carports are accessory structures under the Boulder County Land Use Code and must meet the zoning district's setbacks and height limits. Because a carport lacks two rigid walls, the code treats it differently from enclosed buildings in floodplains, where it may be built at grade with flood-resistant materials. Most carports
Unincorporated Boulder County allows accessory dwelling units by right in most residential districts under the Land Use Code (Article 4-516). An ADU must stay in common ownership with the main home, meet setbacks and floor-area limits, and comply with wastewater (OWTS) sizing. Inside Boulder, Longmont, Louisville and Lafayette, city rules
Converting a garage into living space, or into an accessory dwelling, requires a building permit and must comply with the Boulder County Land Use Code. A detached garage designed with habitable space (such as a second-floor unit) is treated as an accessory dwelling and counts toward the parcel's Residential Floor
Boulder County has no separate tiny-home category. A permanent tiny house on a foundation is regulated as a dwelling or accessory dwelling under the Land Use Code and building code; a tiny house on wheels or an RV is not an approved permanent residence outside a licensed manufactured/RV park. Manufactured
In unincorporated Boulder County, residential structures on land platted before August 29, 1994 may reach 35 feet; on other land the maximum is 30 feet, and in no event may any residential structure exceed 35 feet. Some districts allow up to 50 feet for non-residential uses.
In unincorporated Boulder County, setbacks are set by the Land Use Code Article 4 zoning table. For example, Agricultural (A) requires 35' front, 7' side, 15' rear; Suburban Residential (SR) requires 25' front, 7' side, 15' rear. Setbacks vary by district and road.
Rather than a flat lot-coverage percentage, unincorporated Boulder County caps Residential Floor Area per parcel, generally the larger of the neighborhood median or a set square-footage bonus over existing floor area, plus minimum lot sizes per zoning district (e.g., 35 acres in Agricultural).
Boulder County has no smoker-specific ordinance, but wood and charcoal smokers produce an open flame and are treated as "Open Fires" under Ordinance 2023-1. They are allowed when no fire ban is active and prohibited during High Danger Conditions or Stage 2 restrictions.
Gas and charcoal grills are legal in unincorporated Boulder County when no fire ban is in effect, but the ordinance classifies charcoal and wood-pellet grill fires as "Open Fires." During Stage 2 restrictions, charcoal and open-flame grilling is prohibited; gas grills are often still allowed under Stage 1.
Article 14 of the Boulder County Land Use Code bans rubbish, junk, garbage and inoperable vehicles on unincorporated land when they cause a public hazard or nuisance. The county can order removal and, on failure, abate the property at the owner's cost.
Uncontained trash, junk, and garbage on unincorporated land can be a nuisance violation under Land Use Code Article 14. Waste haulers licensed under Ordinance 2019-3 supply the pay-as-you-throw carts; larger trash carts cost more to discourage waste.
On residential lots of 2.5 acres or less in unincorporated Boulder County, weeds and brush over nine inches that create a nuisance must be removed under Land Use Code Article 14. Dilapidated, uninhabited structures are separately regulated as 'unsafe structures.'
Garage sales are allowed by right in every zoning district in unincorporated Boulder County. A garage or occasional sale may occur no more than four times a year, for no more than three days each. You cannot buy merchandise just to resell it at the sale.
On residential lots of 2.5 acres or less, brush, shrubs, grasses, and weeds must generally be kept under nine inches. Growth over nine inches that causes a nuisance violates Land Use Code Article 14; designated noxious weeds fall under the county's mandatory Weed Management Plan.
Boulder County's hauler ordinance sets cart and service requirements rather than a countywide curbside placement time. In bear country, food-waste organics must be collected in a bear-proof container. Follow your licensed hauler's set-out day and location instructions.
Under the Waste Hauler Ordinance (2019-3), haulers must provide curbside single-stream recycling in many regions and, in denser areas, curbside organics (food and yard waste) collection. Boulder County's Zero Waste goal (Resolution 2005-138) drives these mandates.
Boulder County uses private licensed haulers, not county trucks. Ordinance 2019-3 requires all haulers to be licensed and to offer Pay-As-You-Throw trash pricing plus curbside recycling and, in many regions, organics collection. Services vary by hauler region.
Boulder County residents can take mattresses, electronics, tires, scrap metal, and appliances to the Eco-Cycle CHaRM (Center for Hard to Recycle Materials) at 6400 Arapahoe Road, Boulder, open Monday–Saturday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Licensed haulers also offer bulky pickups.
Dumping trash on public or private land is illegal statewide under Colorado's littering law (C.R.S. 18-4-511), a class 2 petty offense with mandatory fines from $20 up to $1,000. On unincorporated county land, dumped rubbish is also a nuisance abatable under Land Use Code Article 14.
In unincorporated Boulder County, political and other noncommercial signs are allowed anywhere a commercial sign is allowed and are regulated content-neutrally under the Land Use Code (Article 13). They must meet the zoning district's height, area, and setback limits and may not be placed in the public right-of-way. Candidate and
Boulder County's Land Use Code (Article 13) does not exempt garage-sale signs generally; temporary signs must meet the zoning district's size and setback rules and may never be placed in a public street, road, or highway right-of-way. Signs not visible off-premises or from a public right-of-way are exempt from Article
Boulder County's Land Use Code (Article 7-1600) requires all outdoor light fixtures to be located, aimed, or shielded to minimize stray light trespassing across property boundaries. Beyond full shielding, this light-trespass standard is enforced through the building-permit lighting review for new and permitted development in the unincorporated county.
Boulder County has strong dark-sky lighting rules in Article 7-1600 of the Land Use Code. All outdoor lighting on new or permitted development must be fully shielded so light projects below the horizontal, with fixtures generally mounted no more than 12 feet high. Lighting plans must be submitted with building-permit
These unincorporated areas are also governed by Boulder County ordinances.