Before You Build in Loveland, CO: Permit & Rule Checklist (2026)

Loveland regulates fence and wall height in the Unified Development Code (UDC) Title 18, with the fence and wall standards located in Section 18.04.07.06 (Supplemental Standards). Height is measured under UDC 18.19.01.02.C from finished grade directly beneath the fence to the tallest element, excluding support posts or ornamental features projecting no more than 6 inches above the top. On sloping ground built in stair-step (horizontal) sections, height is measured at the midpoint of each section. Berms or mounds beneath a fence are counted toward overall height.

Loveland adopted the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) by reference at LMC Chapter 15.54 via Ordinance 6811 (effective late 2025/2026). The ISPSC requires barriers around residential pools and spas that are at least 48 inches above grade on the outside, with no openings allowing passage of a 4-inch sphere, no horizontal members within climbable spacing on the outside face, and self-closing, self-latching gates with the latch at least 54 inches above grade (or with a locking device meeting other criteria). All electrical work must comply with NFPA 70 (Section 302.1 as amended by LMC 15.54.020.I).

Loveland Title 18 UDC regulates the placement and height of fences (Section 18.04.07.06) but the City does not adjudicate private boundary-fence cost-sharing disputes - those are civil matters under Colorado common law and the Colorado Fence Law (C.R.S. Title 35, Article 46). Loveland does not provide property-line surveys; property owners are responsible for establishing their own lot lines and any HOA fence rules that may further restrict installation. Construction noise from fence installation is regulated under LMC Chapter 9.50 (Noise) and standard construction-hour limits.

Loveland fences and walls are reviewed by Development Services for compliance with UDC Title 18 (zoning/design) and by the Building Division for compliance with the adopted I-Codes (LMC Title 15). Loveland's adopted residential code is the 2021 IRC (LMC Chapter 15.10, effective June 1, 2023), with the City processing adoption of the 2024 I-Codes; the 2024 ISPSC was adopted at LMC Chapter 15.54 by Ordinance 6811. Under IRC R105.2 (Work exempt from permit), fences not over 7 feet high are typically exempt from a building permit; under IBC 105.2 commercial fences not over 7 feet are also exempt. UDC compliance (height, location, zoning) is required regardless of whether a building permit is needed.

Loveland regulates retaining walls under the adopted I-Codes at LMC Title 15. The City has adopted the 2021 International Residential Code (LMC Chapter 15.10, effective June 1, 2023) and is processing adoption of the 2024 IBC. Under IRC R105.2 (Work exempt from permit), retaining walls not over 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall are exempt from permit, provided they do not support a surcharge. Any retaining wall that retains a surcharge (slope, driveway, structure) requires a permit and engineered design at any height. UDC Title 18 also regulates wall location and sight-distance.

Loveland's UDC defines fence and wall categories by visual transparency in Chapter 18.19.03: 'Solid Material Fence or Wall' (no view through, e.g., wood privacy, masonry), 'Limited Solid Material Fence or Wall' (partial view), 'Opaque Fence or Wall,' and 'Hedge' (live vegetation acting as a fence). 'Fence Section' is defined as a portion or panel attached to two supporting vertical posts or one post and a building wall. Section 18.04.07.06 then ties allowed materials to zone, yard, and street-frontage location, with the I-25 Corridor Sub-Area requiring open-style rail fencing on street-visible residential perimeters.

Loveland adopts the safety provisions of the 2024 ISPSC at LMC Chapter 15.54, including the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBA) drain-cover requirements, suction-entrapment avoidance, barrier rules, signage, and depth markings. Electrical work must comply with NFPA 70 per LMC 15.54.020(I). The 2024 ISPSC's chapters cover general regulations, public pools (Chapters 4-9) and residential pools/spas (Chapter 3 and 8 referencing the Aquatic Vessel Construction Code), all enforced by the Loveland Building Division.

Loveland requires a building permit from the Building Division for the construction, installation, alteration, repair, or replacement of every swimming pool and spa under the 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), adopted by reference at LMC Chapter 15.54 by Ordinance 6811. LMC 15.54.010 adopts the 2024 ISPSC (excluding all appendices); permit issuance, fees, and time limits are governed by LMC Chapter 15.04 (sections 15.04.190 for permits, 15.04.210 for appeals, 15.04.230 for violations) rather than the ISPSC's own administrative provisions, which are deleted by LMC 15.54.020(B)-(H).

Hot tubs, spas, and portable spas in Loveland fall under the 2024 ISPSC adopted at LMC Chapter 15.54. ISPSC Section 305.6 (Exemption for spas with safety covers) exempts a spa or hot tub from the 48-inch perimeter barrier requirement when it has a manually-operated, lockable safety cover that complies with ASTM F1346. Permits are required for installation; portable residential spas listed to UL 1563 or CSA C22.2 No. 218.1 have an internal-wiring exception under LMC 15.54.020(I), but the installation still requires compliance with the rest of the ISPSC and NFPA 70.

Loveland enforces the 2024 ISPSC residential pool barrier requirements through LMC Chapter 15.54. ISPSC Section 305 (Barrier Requirements) applies to all residential pools and spas more than 24 inches deep: a barrier at least 48 inches above grade measured on the exterior side, ground clearance no more than 2 inches above grade, no openings allowing passage of a 4-inch-diameter sphere, climbable horizontal-member spacing rules (no horizontal members within 45 inches of each other on the exterior, or vertical-member spacing no more than 1.75 inches), and self-closing/self-latching gates with the release at least 54 inches above ground.

Converting a Loveland garage to habitable living space requires a building permit and electrical permit from Loveland Building Division under the 2021 International Residential Code (change of occupancy from U to R-3). If the conversion creates a kitchen and a separate entrance, the result is an Accessory Dwelling Unit under Loveland UDC Title 18, which is permitted as-of-right (one ADU per single-family lot) under Colorado HB 24-1152 with size caps of 75% of the primary dwelling or 900-1,200 sq ft depending on lot size.

Loveland updated its Accessory Dwelling Unit regulations to comply with Colorado HB 24-1152 (effective June 30, 2025), which mandates that subject Front-Range jurisdictions allow at least one ADU as an accessory use to every single-unit detached dwelling through an administrative approval process. Loveland permits one ADU per single-family lot, capped at 75% of the primary dwelling's floor area or 900-1,200 sq ft (depending on lot size). Capital expansion fees are waived. Owner-occupancy cannot be required and parking is generally not required.

Loveland regulates tiny homes through dwelling type. Tiny homes on a permanent foundation (Tiny House on a Foundation / THoF) are governed by the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) Appendix Q as adopted in Loveland Municipal Code Title 15 - dwellings of 400 sq ft or less qualify for relaxed ceiling-height, loft, and stair standards. Tiny Houses on Wheels (THoW) are treated as recreational vehicles and generally cannot be used as permanent residences in Loveland residential zones. After Colorado HB 24-1152 (effective June 30, 2025), a permanently foundation-mounted tiny home may qualify as an ADU on a single-family lot subject to the 900-1,200 sq ft ADU size caps.

Loveland UDC Title 18 treats sheds and similar detached accessory structures as accessory uses subject to residential-zone setback standards - typically 5 ft from side and rear property lines, with the structure required to sit behind the principal dwelling. The 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) as adopted by Loveland in Title 15 exempts one-story detached residential accessory structures up to 200 sq ft (with no plumbing, electrical, or mechanical systems) from a building permit. Larger sheds, or any shed with electrical service, require a building permit through Loveland Building Division.

Loveland UDC Title 18 treats detached carports as accessory structures subject to residential-zone setbacks - typically 5 ft from side and rear property lines, with the carport required to sit behind the front building line of the principal dwelling. Attached carports follow the principal-building setbacks of the underlying zoning district. A building permit is required through Loveland Building Division under the 2021 International Residential Code with engineered wind-uplift anchorage for the Larimer County 115 mph basic wind speed.

Open burning in Loveland and surrounding Larimer County requires a burn permit issued through Larimer County. LFRA states: 'Burn permits ensure the use of open burning is done legally and in a coordinated manner with the Fire Departments.' Below 6,000 feet of elevation, permits are valid for 90 days year-round; above 6,000 feet, the burn season runs October 1 through May 1 only. On the day of a burn, the operator must notify dispatch at 970-962-2800 before ignition. Burning is prohibited during active Larimer County or LFRA burn restrictions and on Red Flag warning days. Recreational fires at one- and two-family homes are a separate, no-permit category (see fire-pit-rules).

Loveland Fire Rescue Authority (LFRA) allows recreational fires at one- and two-family homes without a permit, provided the fire is contained in a manufactured portable fire pit, outside fireplace, permanent fire pit, or chiminea. The container must include a screen or spark arrestor, may not exceed three feet in diameter, and the fire height may not exceed two feet. The fire must be at least 15 feet from any combustible object (structures, fences) and the ground within 5 feet must be cleared of combustibles. Only clean, dry wood may be burned and a non-impaired adult must monitor the fire until it is out cold.

Loveland does not impose a general tree-removal permit on established single-family residential property. Tree-removal review attaches through Title 18 (Unified Development Code) when removal involves a Significant Tree (defined at UDC § 4557), required landscape material, a buffer yard, or a tree designated for retention on an approved site plan. Removal of any tree planted in city right-of-way or on city property without written City consent is prohibited.

Loveland does not require a permit to prune healthy trees on private residential property. Trees on city streets, in the public right-of-way, and on city-owned property are maintained by the Parks & Recreation Department's Urban Forestry division, which manages approximately 25,000 publicly owned trees. Pruning, removing, or damaging a city-owned or right-of-way tree requires Urban Forester approval. Loveland has been a Tree City USA since 1989.

City of Loveland Utilities (Loveland Water and Power) serves customers inside the city from the Big Thompson River, the Charles Hansen Feeder Canal, and Green Ridge Glade Reservoir, with supplemental supply from the Colorado-Big Thompson (CBT) Project and Windy Gap Project administered by Northern Water. Loveland's water-treatment plant has 38 million gallons per day capacity. As of 2026, restrictions are voluntary, but the City may escalate to mandatory drought stages based on Northern Water's CBT quota allocation (currently 80% as of Aug 2024).