Fountain, CO Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Max height
- Seven feet, citywide default cap
- Height variance
- Zoning administrator may allow more, no by-right exception
- Corner sight triangle
- No fence 3-9 feet tall inside the triangle
- Hydrant clearance
- No fence within 36 inches of a hydrant
- Penalty
- Up to $2,650 fine, no jail time
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 1742, January 14, 2020
Summary
Fountain caps fences at seven feet under Fountain Municipal Code § 17.11.020(C), bars any fence that blocks sightlines at a street or driveway intersection under § 17.11.020(A), and forbids anything three to nine feet tall inside a corner sight triangle under § 17.08.030(C).
No landscaping, fence, utility equipment, wall or other structure shall be constructed or maintained in the area identified as the sight distance area (a.k.a. sight triangle) between three feet in height and nine feet in height above the roadway. ... No fence shall be allowed that will inhibit visibility and cause a safety hazard at street or driveway intersections. ... No fence shall be higher than seven feet, unless additional height is necessary by the zoning administrator for security, the screening of incompatible uses, required compliance with state or federal law or others deemed acceptable by the zoning administrator.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
Fountain's General Fence Regulations, adopted with the rest of Title 17 by Ordinance No. 020(C). The zoning administrator can approve additional height, but only for security, to screen an incompatible use, to meet a state or federal requirement, or for another reason the administrator finds acceptable; there is no by-right exception above seven feet. Corner and driveway visibility gets separate, overlapping protection. 030(C), in the Access and Driveways chapter, is more specific: no fence, wall, landscaping or utility equipment may be built or maintained in the 'sight distance area,' also called the sight triangle, at any height between three feet and nine feet above the roadway, at both stop-controlled and uncontrolled intersections.
1, which scale with the posted speed of the intersecting road. 020(F) adds a separate, unrelated clearance rule: no fence may sit closer than 36 inches to a fire hydrant, and it cannot restrict the hydrant's use. 020(B) requires every fence to be built in a workmanlike manner from standard fence material and kept in a condition of reasonable repair, so a fence that has fallen into disrepair is itself a separate violation from height or visibility.
Violations & Fines
An over-height fence, or one that blocks the corner sight triangle, is a Title 17 zoning violation. The zoning administrator can require it lowered, relocated or removed, and prosecution runs through Fountain's Chapter 1.12 general penalty, capped at a $2,650 fine with no jail time for a zoning offense, with each day the fence remains noncompliant charged as a separate violation under § 1.12.010(C).
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can my fence be in Fountain?
Can I build a fence on a corner lot?
Can I build a fence next to a fire hydrant?
What happens if my fence violates the height or visibility rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fountain
How Fountain compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·Compare Fountain to another location·View the Colorado fence regulations overview
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Height Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in El Paso County handle height limits.