Arapahoe County, CO Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required from
- PWD Building Division
- Governing section
- LDC § 4-1.5.A, General Provisions
- Fee authority
- Set by the Board of County Commissioners
- Enclosure threshold
- Applies to barriers over 15% of a zone lot's area
- Permit condition
- Must show compliance with the Fence Regulations section
Summary
No one may erect, build, enlarge, alter or move a fence in unincorporated Arapahoe County without first getting a fence permit from the PWD Building Division. The Division won't issue the permit unless the applicant shows the fence complies with the Fence Regulations chapter, and the Board of County Commissioners sets and can change the permit fee.
a. No person, firm or corporation shall erect, construct, enlarge, alter or move any fence in the County without first obtaining a fence permit from the PWD Building Division, pursuant to this Section. b. No fence permit shall be issued by the PWD Building Division unless the applicant for such permit demonstrates compliance with the provisions of this Section. c. Fees for fence permits issued pursuant to this Section shall be set by the Board of County Commissioners to cover the costs of inspections and administration of this Section, and may be amended as necessary by the Board. Fees shall be paid by the applicant prior to the issuance of the fence permit.
Full Breakdown
A. 1 bars any person, firm or corporation from erecting, constructing, enlarging, altering or moving any fence in the county without first obtaining a fence permit from the Public Works and Development (PWD) Building Division. 5 have to be satisfied before the permit is granted, not just represented on paper. 3 puts fee-setting in the hands of the Board of County Commissioners, who set the fence-permit fee to cover inspection and administration costs and may amend it as needed; the applicant has to pay before the permit is issued.
4: to promote public health, safety and welfare, protect the County's economic and aesthetic value, and prevent traffic hazards and nuisances, and it clarifies that the section is meant to regulate fences that serve as a boundary between adjoining properties or as a barrier or enclosure of more than 15 percent of a zone lot's area. This permit requirement runs only in unincorporated Arapahoe County -- Aurora, Centennial, Littleton, Englewood, Greenwood Village and the county's other incorporated cities issue fence permits under their own municipal codes, not this one.
Violations & Fines
Building, enlarging or moving a fence without first securing a PWD Building Division permit violates § 4-1.5.A.1 outright; separately, the chapter gives the PWD Director or designee, or the Zoning Administrator or designee, authority to inspect any fence in the county and order repair or removal of one that is a hazard or nuisance from inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, obsolescence or abandonment, or that otherwise constitutes a zoning violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build a fence in unincorporated Arapahoe County?
Who sets the fence permit fee?
Can the County deny my fence permit application?
Does this permit rule apply to a fence in Aurora or Centennial?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arapahoe County
Compare Arapahoe County to another location·View the Colorado fence regulations overview
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