New Fence Installation in Commerce City, CO

New fence installation in Commerce City is governed by a specific height-and-setback table rather than a single citywide number. The right fence height, setback, and style depend on where the run sits on the lot: front yard, side or rear yard, or a yard that backs onto a public right-of-way, open space, or park. Our crew lays out every proposed run against that table before ordering material.

Most Residential Fences Skip the Permit, With Two Exceptions

The city’s general permit list exempts residential fences 72 inches and under from a permit, with one carve-out: fences surrounding a swimming pool need a permit regardless of height. Fences over 6 feet fall under the city’s Residential Accessory Structure permit type, the same category used for sheds, gazebos, hot tubs, and pools. A retaining wall follows its own threshold: under 4 feet does not need a permit, but it still has to meet the same height and setback table as a fence, while a retaining wall over 4 feet does need a permit.

We confirm which side of those lines a project falls on before staking the layout, because a pool enclosure or a wall over 4 feet changes both the paperwork and the structural planning involved.

Height and Setback Follow Where the Fence Sits on the Lot

For a typical residential lot, the city’s published standards set a front-yard fence at a maximum of 42 inches with a 30-inch setback and an open style. Side and rear yards allow up to 6 feet with no setback, in either open or screen style. Where a side or rear yard runs along a public right-of-way, the limit drops to 5 feet with a 5-foot setback in open style. A yard bordering public or private open space or a park is capped at 48 inches, open style, with no setback.

Height is measured from the top of the fence to the highest finished grade directly beneath it, which matters on a sloped lot where one end of a run sits higher than the other. We check grade along the full length of a proposed fence line rather than assuming a single spot represents the whole run.

Style, Materials, and Gates Have Their Own Rules

The city recognizes two basic styles: open, which allows visibility into the yard through options like open rail, split rail, separated pickets with a 2-inch minimum gap, shadowbox pickets, chain link, or wrought iron; and screen, which is opaque, including privacy pickets and masonry walls. A combination fence with a masonry base up to 2 feet topped by decorative metal can count as open style.

Approved materials include wood, brick, stone, masonry, stucco over concrete, vinyl, wrought iron, aluminum, fiberglass, composite, and chain link, with decorative tile or glass block allowed as accents. Sheet plastic, sheet metal, plywood, chain-link inserts or slats, fabric screens on chain link, and razor wire are all prohibited. Gates must be hinged to swing into the property, and a gate across a driveway needs a 20-foot setback from the public right-of-way with a matching minimum driveway length to the gate.

Two Flexibility Paths and One Gap in the Published Rules

The city’s Minor Modification process allows limited deviations without a full variance: up to one additional foot of fence height, up to a 50 percent reduction in the minimum setback, or substituting a screen fence where an open style would otherwise be required. We use that process when a site condition, such as a grade change or a neighbor’s existing fence line, makes the strict table impractical.

One figure we could not verify on an official city page is a specific sight-triangle or visibility-triangle dimension at street corners and driveways. The city’s published fence handout ties standards to yard location and adjacent land use but does not state a numeric sight-triangle figure, so we confirm corner-lot layouts directly with the Planner of the Day rather than assuming a number from another jurisdiction.

How We Sequence a Commerce City Fence

We start by identifying every proposed run’s yard classification: front, side, rear, right-of-way-adjacent, or open-space-adjacent, and check the corresponding height and setback against the property’s actual grade. Before any digging, we contact Colorado 811 for a utility locate and identify any private lines the locate ticket does not cover.

Posts, rails, and gates go in to the selected material’s requirements once the layout and any required permit are confirmed. Because fence standards in Commerce City reference a 2009 code base that predates the city’s 2025 Land Development Code update, we check current standards with the Planning Division before finalizing height, setback, or style on any project, rather than relying on an older handout alone.

Common Questions

Do I need a permit for a new fence in Commerce City?
Most residential fences 72 inches and under do not need a permit. Fences surrounding a pool always need a permit regardless of height, and fences over 6 feet fall under the city’s Residential Accessory Structure permit type.

How tall can my front-yard fence be?
The city’s published standard for a residential front yard is a 42-inch maximum height with a 30-inch setback, in an open style that allows visibility into the yard.

What fence materials are not allowed?
Sheet plastic, sheet metal, plywood, inserts or slats in chain link, fabric screens on chain link, and razor wire are all prohibited. Approved materials include wood, brick, stone, masonry, vinyl, wrought iron, aluminum, fiberglass, composite, and chain link.

Can I get an exception if my lot doesn’t fit the standard table?
The city’s Minor Modification process allows limited deviations, including up to one additional foot of height, up to a 50 percent setback reduction, or a screen fence instead of an open style. We use that process when the site genuinely needs it.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Tell us the purpose of the fence, the approximate runs and gate locations, whether the lot backs onto a right-of-way or open space, and any known HOA rules. We will lay the design out against the city’s height and setback table and confirm current standards with the Planning Division before construction begins.