PPRBD requires grading permits for excavation or fill over 50 cubic yards or slopes over 10%. Drainage must not adversely affect neighboring properties under Colorado common-law rules. Retaining walls over 4 ft need engineering. Black Forest and Cedar Heights foothills face specialized hillside grading requirements.
Grading and drainage in El Paso County regulated by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD) and the Colorado Springs Drainage Criteria Manual. Grading permits required for excavation or fill over 50 cubic yards, slopes over 10%, or work in floodplains/wetlands. Site grading must direct drainage away from structures (minimum 6-inch drop in first 10 feet) and must not adversely affect neighboring properties (Colorado modified-civil-law rule — can't concentrate drainage onto neighbor). Drainage swales, French drains, catch basins, and drywells may be required. Retaining walls over 4 ft need engineered design per IRC Section R404 — structural calculations, soils report, PE stamp. Compaction testing required for structural fill — 95% Standard Proctor typical. Final grade must match approved plans and pass PPRBD inspection. Colorado Springs Hillside Overlay (CSCC §7.3.603) limits slopes over 10% — maximum cuts/fills, stepped terracing, and slope-stability analysis. Pikes Peak granite and decomposed granite soils are relatively stable but expansive clay soils (Pierre Shale, Fountain Formation) common in valleys require special design. Expansive soils drive widespread structural damage — Colorado Springs is in one of the nation's highest-risk expansive soil zones. Black Forest and Cedar Heights foothill grading involves specialized hillside engineering. Waldo Canyon and Black Forest burn scar sites require post-fire hydrology analysis.
Unpermitted grading: PPRBD stop-work order, $250-$2,500 fine, required remediation. Redirecting drainage onto neighbor: civil liability plus corrective injunction. Slope failure from improper grading: owner liability for downslope damage.
Fountain, CO
Construction noise in Fountain is governed by C.R.S. §25-12-103 state noise standards. Construction during industrial-zone dB limits is allowed; work outside...
Fountain, CO
Fountain enforces noise control under its municipal code (available via Municode). The Colorado state noise framework (C.R.S. §25-12-103) establishes baselin...
Fountain, CO
Barking dogs that create ongoing disturbances are a nuisance under Fountain's municipal code (Title 6 — Regulation of Animals, available via Municode). El Pa...
Fountain, CO
Fountain requires vehicles on private property to be parked on improved or defined surfaces. Parking on lawns or unpaved areas in a manner that creates a nui...
Fountain, CO
Fountain does not have a publicly documented citywide RV street parking ban like Colorado Springs. El Paso County general parking standards may apply. On pri...
Fountain, CO
Colorado state law (C.R.S. §42-4-1204) and Fountain's traffic code limit large commercial vehicle parking in residential areas. Heavy trucks (typically GVWR ...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in El Paso County.
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