Commerce City, CO Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

Sec. 21-7730 of the Commerce City Land Development Code treats barbed wire, razor wire, and electric fencing as specialty materials rather than options for ordinary residential fencing. Razor wire and any fencing with sharp projection tips are prohibited outright in every zoning district, with no exception. Barbed wire fencing is likewise prohibited in all zone districts except: fences in industrial zone districts, which may be topped with up to three strands of barbed wire installed at least six feet above grade; agricultural zoned districts, where barbed wire may be used as fencing material; and rural properties used for agricultural purposes but not zoned agricultural, as determined by the director.

None of these exceptions reach residential zoning districts, so a homeowner cannot install barbed or razor wire on a residential lot. Electric fences follow the same pattern: they are permitted only in agricultural zoned districts for agricultural and security purposes and in industrial districts for security purposes, never in residential areas. Where allowed, an electric fence used to contain livestock in an agricultural district is limited to two electric strands, and an industrial-district electric fence must sit behind a nonelectric perimeter fence, post warning signs in English and Spanish at set intervals, use a battery power source not exceeding 12 volts direct current, and be set back at least 20 feet from any residential or public-zoned property line unless a solid perimeter fence is built instead.

Beyond these specialty materials, Sec. 21-7731(4) also bars sheet plastic, sheet metal, and plywood fencing citywide, allows corrugated metal only in industrial districts, and prohibits chain-link fencing fitted with inserts, slats, or fabric screening material.