Mesa County, CO Fence Regulations: Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- By-right fence height
- Up to 7 feet, no permit
- Over 7 feet
- Planning clearance and building permit required
- Intersection sight triangle
- No obstruction 3-11 ft high, 25-ft legs
- Driveway sight triangle
- No obstruction 3-8 ft high
- Enforcement
- Mesa County Public Works Department
Summary
Mesa County lets fences and walls rise to seven feet by right before triggering a building permit, measured from the ground at the fence's base. Near intersections and driveways, though, the Land Development Code cuts that allowance sharply: nothing may block vision between three and eleven feet inside the intersection visibility triangle, or between three and eight feet at a driveway.
A. Intersections
1. No fence, wall, hedge, landscaping, sign or other material or structure that will obstruct vision between a height of three (3) feet and eleven (11) feet shall be erected, placed or maintained within the triangular area formed by an imaginary line starting at the point of intersection of property lines and extending twenty-five (25) feet from their point of intersection.
Full Breakdown
03(A), Fence Height Measurement, in the 2020 Land Development Code sets the baseline: height is measured from the ground level where the fence sits, and grade cannot be altered solely to increase the effective fence height. 03: any fence or wall over seven feet is treated as a structure needing planning clearance and a building permit. 03(A)(2) allows pillars or support posts to exceed that maximum by up to one foot at intervals no closer than eight feet. 19, Intersection and Driveway Visibility. 19(A)(2). 19(B)(2) waives that limit where a turnaround driveway or a parkway wider than eight feet already ensures visibility.
19(D) puts enforcement with the Public Works Department: after written notice of noncompliance, the property owner must remove the obstruction, and if they don't within a reasonable time, the county removes it.
Violations & Fines
A fence, wall, hedge or sign that obstructs vision inside a required intersection or driveway visibility triangle violates Section 8.19 and Section 11.02(B) of the Land Development Code. The Public Works Department gives written notice of noncompliance and a reasonable time to remove the obstruction under Section 8.19(D); if the owner does not comply, the county removes the obstruction itself, separate from any Chapter 11 penalty for the underlying violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can I build a fence in unincorporated Mesa County without a permit?
Can I put a six-foot fence on my corner lot?
What's the visibility rule for a driveway?
Who enforces the sight-triangle rule if a neighbor's fence blocks a driver's view?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mesa County
How Mesa County compares: Cities That Allow the Tallest Residential Fences·Compare Mesa County to another location·View the Colorado fence regulations overview
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