Lakewood, CO Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required for
- installation or replacement of any fence
- Review authority
- Planning Director, decision is final
- Decision timeline
- 15 days from complete application
- Eligible applicants
- owner, consenting tenant, or registered contractor
- Permit validity
- 180 days to start work, one extension
- Unpermitted fence correction window
- 5 working days after notice
Summary
Lakewood, Colorado requires an administrative fence permit before any fence is installed or replaced anywhere in the city, under Zoning Ordinance § 17.2.14. The Planning Director reviews complete applications and must approve or deny within 15 days; the property owner, a consenting tenant, or a City-registered contractor may apply, and the Director's decision is final.
17.2.14.1: Applicability This Section establishes the procedures for the administrative planning review for the installation or replacement of a fence. 17.2.14.2: Review Authority The Director shall have the authority to review and render a decision on fence permits. The decision on fence permits shall be final.
A. Application: Any one or more of the following entities shall submit a fence permit application. a. All owners of all real property on which the fence will be located; or b. A tenant of the property with written consent of the property owner; or c. A contractor registered with the City of Lakewood.
B. Director's Review and Decision: ...within 15 days from the day of the complete application, either approve or deny the application based on standards in this Zoning Ordinance and any other applicable City standards.
C. Compliance with Fence Permit: ...If an illegal fence was erected without a permit, the City shall provide written notice to the property owner or the contractor of such findings and any violation must be corrected within five working days of notice. If actual work, either on or off site, is not commenced under any fence permit issued within 180 days from the date of such permit, the permit shall automatically expire. The Director may extend a fence permit up to 180 days for good cause.
Full Breakdown
Under § 17.2.14.1, the Zoning Ordinance "establishes the procedures for the administrative planning review for the installation or replacement of a fence," so the requirement covers both new fences and fences being replaced, not just additions. Section 17.2.14.2 puts the Planning Director in charge: the Director "shall have the authority to review and render a decision on fence permits," and that decision "shall be final," so this section builds in no separate appeal step.
To apply, § 17.2.14.3.A allows three kinds of applicants: every owner of the real property where the fence will sit, a tenant who has the property owner's written consent, or a contractor registered with the City of Lakewood; only one of them needs to submit the application. Once the Director judges the application complete, § 17.2.14.3.B gives the City 15 days to approve or deny it against the Zoning Ordinance's standards and any other applicable City requirements.
Compliance is mandatory: § 17.2.14.3.C.1 states "All fences shall be installed in accordance with a fence permit," and changing the terms of an issued permit without the Director's prior approval is unlawful. A fence permit is also time-limited. If work has not started, on site or off, within 180 days of issuance, the permit automatically expires, though the Director may grant one additional 180-day extension for good cause under § 17.2.14.3.C.5. Because this section sits in Article 2 (Procedures and Appeals), it governs the process of getting permission to build a fence, not how tall the fence may be or where it sits on the lot; those numeric limits live elsewhere in the Ordinance's dimensional standards.
Violations & Fines
If the City finds permitted work deviates from the approved application, § 17.2.14.3.C.3 requires notice to the applicant and property owner, with 15 days to correct the violation; an uncorrected violation triggers permit revocation by mailed notice, after which the owner or contractor gets five more days to fix it. A fence built with no permit at all draws written notice under § 17.2.14.3.C.4, and the owner or contractor must correct it within five working days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put up a new fence in Lakewood, CO?
Who can submit a fence permit application in Lakewood?
What happens if I build a fence without a permit in Lakewood?
How long does a Lakewood fence permit stay valid?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
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Fence Permit Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jefferson County handle fence permit requirements.