Fort Collins, CO Property Maintenance: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (2026)
Key Facts
- Clearance deadline
- 24 hours after snowfall
- Who's responsible
- Property owner or occupant
- City remedy
- Removal or abrasive, billed to owner
- Appeal window
- 10 days to request review/hearing
- Unpaid cost penalty
- 10% added, collected with property tax
Summary
Fort Collins property owners and occupants have 24 hours after snow or ice accumulates to clear the sidewalk abutting their lot under Municipal Code § 20-102. Miss the deadline and the City Manager can have it removed or treated with abrasive material and bill the cost back to the property as a lien.
(a)The owners or occupants of property abutting sidewalks within the City shall at all times keep the sidewalks abutting the lot or lots owned or occupied by them free and clear of snow and ice. If any such owners or occupants shall fail to remove the snow and ice from the sidewalks abutting their property within twenty-four (24) hours after the accumulation of snow and ice, then the City Manager may at once have the hazard corrected by removal of snow and ice from the sidewalk or by the application of abrasive material; and the cost, including inspection and other incidental costs in connection therewith, including the costs for carrying charges and costs of administration, shall be assessed against the property abutting the snow obstruction and the owner thereof.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 155 | Transitional Land Use Code (for project before May 17, 2024): Supplement 61 | Traffic Code: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
Section 20-102(a) states that the owners or occupants of property abutting sidewalks within the City shall at all times keep the sidewalks abutting the lot or lots owned or occupied by them free and clear of snow and ice, and sets a firm clock: if they fail to remove the snow and ice from the sidewalks abutting their property within twenty-four (24) hours after the accumulation, the City Manager may at once have the hazard corrected by removal of snow and ice from the sidewalk or by the application of abrasive material.
The City then assesses the cost, including inspection and administrative charges, against the abutting property and its owner. An owner who disputes the nuisance finding or the cost assessment has ten days from the notice of assessment to file a written request for review with the Neighborhood Services Manager or a hearing before the Referee under Subsection (b). Under Subsection (c), an unpaid assessment becomes an automatic, perpetual lien on the property, ranking behind only general taxes and prior special assessments; if it stays unpaid 30 days after billing, the Financial Officer can certify it to the County Treasurer for collection alongside the owner's property taxes, plus a 10% penalty.
Violations & Fines
Failing to clear sidewalk snow and ice within the 24-hour window is a civil infraction under § 20-103, carrying the § 1-15 civil penalty of up to $2,650 in addition to the City's actual removal costs. Unpaid removal-cost assessments become a perpetual property lien and, after 30 days, can be certified to the Larimer County Treasurer and collected with the owner's property taxes plus a 10% penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to shovel my sidewalk in Fort Collins?
What happens if I don't clear my sidewalk in time?
Can I dispute a snow-removal bill from the City?
Does an unpaid snow-removal assessment attach to my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Collins
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Snow & Sidewalk Clearing in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Larimer County handle snow & sidewalk clearing.