In unincorporated Larimer County, no permit is needed to remove trees on your own private land. In Fort Collins, a free City Forester permit is required to remove any street or City tree, or a commercial tree 15 inches or more in diameter.
The Larimer County Land Use Code imposes no general permit for removing private-property trees, though wildfire defensible-space thinning is encouraged in the foothills and mountains. Tree-removal permitting is a city function. Under Fort Collins Municipal Code Chapter 27, anyone removing a tree in the public right-of-way, on City property, or a commercial-property tree fifteen inches or greater in diameter must obtain a free permit from the City Forester, who inspects the tree first. Ordinary private residential trees below those triggers may be removed without a city permit. Loveland maintains a comparable public-tree program.
Removing a protected Fort Collins public or qualifying commercial tree without the free permit is a code violation, exposing the responsible party to a fine and tree-value restitution.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Larimer County, CO
Larimer County addresses hoarding through its pet-quantity and care standards. Sec. 6-80 requires proper food, water, shelter, and veterinary care, and Sec. ...
Larimer County, CO
Feeding wild ducks and geese is prohibited in unincorporated Larimer County after a written warning. Feeding bears and other wildlife is discouraged, and the...
Larimer County, CO
Larimer County sets no ordinance banning backyard composting, and it is encouraged for waste reduction. It must not become a nuisance. Fort Collins allows ho...
Larimer County, CO
Larimer County sets no specific ban on artificial turf, and Colorado law now protects nonvegetative turf grass from HOA prohibition. Check your city's landsc...
Larimer County, CO
Larimer County does not require native plants, and Colorado law protects your right to xeriscape. Under C.R.S. § 38-33.3-106.5, HOAs cannot ban xeriscape, dr...
Larimer County, CO
Colorado law lets a single-family or small multi-family household collect rooftop rainwater in up to two rain barrels holding no more than 110 gallons combin...
See how Larimer County's tree removal permits rules stack up against other locations.
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