Westminster, CO Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit-exempt fence height
- 30 inches or under
- Permit-required fence height
- Over 30 inches
- First unpermitted offense fee
- Doubled, $250 minimum
- Repeat unpermitted offense fee
- Tripled, $500 minimum
- Mobile home lot fences
- Require their own permit
Summary
Westminster only exempts a fence from a building permit if it's 30 inches or shorter. Anything taller, including most of the 6-foot side and rear yard fences the zoning code allows, triggers the same building permit process as any other structure under Section 11-9-3(A)(2).
(A)Permits Required:(1)General. No person shall construct, install, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, replace, convert, demolish, equip, or change the occupancy of any building or structure; electrical system; plumbing system; heating, ventilating, cooling, or refrigeration system; gas system, incinerator or other miscellaneous heat-producing appliance; swimming pool, spa or hot tub; fire protection system, or other work regulated by this Code, or portion thereof, in the City, or cause the same to be done without first obtaining a building permit for all such work from the Building Official, except as follows:...(2)Exempt work...A building permit shall not be required for the following: Building: ...(n)Fences not over 30 inches high.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12).
Full Breakdown
Westminster's building code, not its zoning chapter, controls when a fence needs a permit. Section 11-9-3(A)(1) requires a building permit before anyone builds, alters, or replaces a building, structure, or other regulated work in the City, with narrow exceptions for public utility emergency repairs. " That's a lower bar than most legal fences in Westminster ever get: the zoning code separately allows front-yard fences up to 36 inches and side or rear yard fences up to six feet under Section 11-4-6(P)(3), so the great majority of fences built in the City actually cross the 30-inch permit line even though they comply with the height limit.
Mobile home park perimeter fences get their own cross-reference: Section 11-4-6(P)(5) requires chain link construction capped at 36 inches and states that "fence permit issuance and fees therefor shall be in accordance with the provisions of this Code," tying the fence rule directly back to Chapter 9's permit process. Getting the permit means filing an application with the Building Official, submitting a site plan when required, and paying the fee set in the City's "Building Permit Fee Schedule" adopted by City Council resolution under Section 11-9-3(E)(2).
Skipping the permit is expensive: under (E)(5), the fee for a permit issued after work has already started doubles, with a $250 minimum, for a first offense, triples with a $500 minimum for a repeat offense, and a third unpermitted job can cost a contractor their City registration.
Violations & Fines
Building a fence taller than 30 inches without first pulling a permit means the fee for the permit you eventually get is doubled, with a $250 minimum for a first offense, tripled with a $500 minimum for a second offense, and a third unpermitted job can lead to revocation of a contractor's City registration under Section 11-9-3(E)(5). Work commenced without a permit still has to comply fully with the Building Codes regardless of the increased fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my backyard fence need a permit in Westminster?
I didn't know I needed a permit for my new fence. What happens now?
Do mobile home park fences follow the same permit rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Westminster
Compare Westminster to another location·View the Colorado fence regulations overview
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