Boulder enforces a year-round outdoor watering schedule limiting lawn irrigation to assigned days based on address, with daytime watering bans during hot hours and tighter Stage 1 or 2 drought restrictions activated by reservoir levels.
Boulder Water Utility enforces watering rules under BRC Title 11. Standard schedule allows outdoor irrigation only on assigned days based on street address (odd/even or zone-based), and prohibits watering between 10 AM and 6 PM May through September to reduce evaporation losses. Drought-stage triggers — based on Boulder Reservoir, Barker Reservoir, and snowpack levels — activate tighter Stage 1 (further day reductions), Stage 2 (turf watering bans), and Stage 3 (essential use only) restrictions. Drip irrigation, hand-watering trees, and new-sod establishment receive limited exemptions with a permit. Customers can request schedule variances for landscape installation.
Violations begin with warnings, escalate to written notices, then fines starting around $100 for repeat offenses; severe drought-stage violations carry higher penalties under city water utility enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Boulder, CO
Boulder imposes no general restriction on year-round lawn ornaments, statuary, or religious displays on private residential property. The Sign Code in BRC 9-...
Boulder, CO
Boulder has no ordinance specifically regulating residential inflatable holiday displays. Size, motor noise, and lighting hours are not capped by the city fo...
Boulder, CO
Boulder explicitly carves out holiday and seasonal displays from its Outdoor Lighting Ordinance. BRC 9-9-16 (Light Output) restricts lamps and bulbs visible ...
Boulder, CO
An outdoor kitchen in Boulder typically requires a building permit when it exceeds 200 sq ft, includes a roof or pergola, or is attached to the house. Gas li...
Boulder, CO
Boulder has no smoker-specific ordinance; offset, pellet, kamado, and wood-fired smokers fall under the general IFC 308 framework adopted in BRC 10-8-2 plus ...
Boulder, CO
Boulder adopts the International Fire Code under Boulder Revised Code Title 10 Chapter 8 (Fire Code). IFC Section 308.1.4 prohibits charcoal burners, gas gri...
See how Boulder's lawn watering restrictions rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.