Centennial, CO Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Front yard max height
- 4 ft., and no more than 50% opaque
- Side and rear max height
- 8 ft. in interior side, street side and rear yards
- Setback from property line
- 0 ft., but 6 in. from sidewalk or 5 ft. from street
- Front yard hedges
- 4 ft. maximum height
- Recreation court fences
- Up to 12 ft., vinyl-coated chain link, 25 ft. setback
- Penalty basis
- Minor offense; each day is a separate violation
Summary
Centennial caps residential fences and garden walls at 4 feet in front yards and 8 feet in interior side, street side and rear yards under Table 12-3-602 of the Land Development Code. Front, street side and rear fences must stay at least 6 inches from a sidewalk, or 5 feet from the street where no sidewalk exists. Interior side fences can sit on the property line.
Height and Setbacks for Fences and Garden Walls. The maximum height and minimum setbacks for fences and garden walls are set out in Table 12-3-602, Maximum Height and Minimum Setbacks for Fences and Garden Walls. Fences and Garden Walls shall not be located within required sight triangles and sight distances as required by Section 12-11-208 , Sight Triangle and Sight Distance Requirements. Table 12-3-602 Maximum Height and Minimum Setbacks for Fences and Garden Walls Location Front Yard Interior Side Yard Street Side Yard Rear Yard Maximum Height* 4 ft. 8 ft. 8 ft. 8 ft. Minimum Setback from Property Line* 0 ft., but at least 6 in. from sidewalk, if present; 5 ft. from streets, if no sidewalk. 0 ft. 0 ft., but at least 6 in. from sidewalk, if present; 5 ft. from streets, if no sidewalk. 0 ft., but at least 6 in. from sidewalk, if present; 5 ft. from streets, if no sidewalk. ... Fence Opacity. Fences that are installed in front yards shall be not more than fifty percent (50%) opaque. ... Hedges in front yards shall not exceed four feet in height.
Full Breakdown
Section 12-3-602 governs fences, garden walls and hedges on residential property in Centennial, and subsection B sets the numbers in Table 12-3-602. The maximum height is 4 feet in the front yard and 8 feet in the interior side yard, the street side yard and the rear yard. The minimum setback from the property line is 0 feet in every yard, with two conditions. Fences in the front yard, street side yard and rear yard must sit at least 6 inches from a sidewalk if one is present, and 5 feet from the street if there is no sidewalk. Interior side yard fences carry no such condition. Every fence and garden wall must also stay out of required sight triangles and sight distances, which Section 12-11-208 ties to the City's Roadway Design & Construction Standards Manual, so a corner lot can be held to a lower or more distant fence than the table alone suggests.
Front yard fences face a second test in subsection D: they can be no more than 50 percent opaque, so a solid 4-foot panel fence is not allowed there. Hedges in front yards cannot exceed 4 feet, and no hedge can extend over a public right-of-way or into a sight triangle.
Material and placement rules sit in subsection C. Chain link is allowed only in interior side yards and rear yards that are not also street yards. Welded wire, agricultural and chicken wire fences are limited to the AG district and to NC districts where such fences already existed, or to the inside of a split rail fence at no more than its height. Scrap lumber, plywood, tree branches, sheet metal, plastic or fiberglass sheets and barbed wire are banned as components, and the finished side must face out toward any trail, open space, park or adjacent right-of-way.
Subsection F carves out recreation fences. A basketball or tennis court fence can reach 12 feet if it is vinyl-coated chain link, sits in a side or rear yard in a residential zone district, and is set back 25 feet from residential property lines. Backstops and driving range netting can exceed 12 feet as the Director determines. Subsection G requires fences to stay upright within 20 degrees of perpendicular, and the Director can order an owner to repair or remove a hazardous or dilapidated fence at the owner's expense.
Violations & Fines
Under Section 12-15-201, building or maintaining a fence that breaks the Land Development Code is unlawful and a public nuisance. Unless the LDC, state law or federal law says otherwise, a violation is a minor offense as defined in Section 2-3-20 of the Municipal Code. Each calendar day of a continuing violation counts as a separate violation, so an over-height fence left standing accrues daily. Under Section 12-3-602(G), the Director can order a hazardous fence repaired or removed at the owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a fence be in my Centennial front yard?
Can I build an 8-foot fence in my backyard in Centennial?
Where is chain link allowed on a Centennial residential lot?
What happens if my fence is damaged or leaning?
Do hedges follow the same height limits as fences?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Centennial
How Centennial compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·Compare Centennial to another location·View the Colorado fence regulations overview
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Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Arapahoe County handle height limits.