New Fence Installation in Erie, CO

New fence installation in Erie is a permitted project, and the Town has written specific numbers into its code for height, materials, and sight lines rather than leaving them to judgment. Our crew lays out an Erie fence against those figures before a single post hole is marked, because a fence built to a neighbor’s line or an old assumption can end up taller, closer to a corner, or built from the wrong material than the Town’s rules allow.

Erie Requires a Permit for a New Fence

The Town’s permit-requirement page lists fences under work that requires a permit, with a single stated exception for minor fence repair of three sections or less. A new fence installation is not that exception, so we plan every new-fence project in Erie as a permitted scope from the first site visit.

Front Yard Height Is Capped Lower Than the Rest of the Lot

Erie’s fencing code treats the front yard differently from the rest of the property. A solid-material fence, hedge, or wall in a front yard area is capped at 3 feet. The Town allows a taller option there too: a “limited solid” fence within the front yard setback area can reach up to 4 feet. Those two figures mean the fence style, not just its location, decides how tall a front-yard section can go, and we confirm which category a proposed design falls into before finalizing the layout.

Homeowners who want more privacy at the front of the lot than 3 or 4 feet allows usually need to shift that portion of the design behind the front setback line, where the taller side-and-rear standard applies instead.

Side and Rear Yards: 6 Feet, With Named Exceptions

Outside the front yard, Erie’s code states that no fence in any district shall exceed six feet in height. The code carries two named exceptions to that cap: fences can reach 8 feet along state highways, and 8 feet is also allowed in the Town’s LI, AGH, and AP zoning districts. For an ordinary residential side or rear yard fence, 6 feet is the number to design to unless the property sits in one of those specific conditions.

Where a fence borders Town open space, a park, or a trail, Erie caps a solid fence or wall at 4 feet, which is lower than the standard 6-foot side-and-rear allowance. We check the property against those adjacencies before quoting a height, since a rear line that looks like an ordinary yard boundary can actually be a trail or open-space edge.

Sight-Distance Triangle Near Corners and Driveways

Erie’s fencing section requires compliance with the Town’s sight-distance-triangle standards, and it specifically calls out that where a rear property line sits next to a driveway, alley, or street, the sight-triangle requirement applies there too — not only at street corners. The fencing section itself does not spell out the triangle’s exact leg lengths; those live in the Town’s separate engineering and design standards. We confirm the applicable dimension with the Planning Division before finalizing a layout near any corner, driveway, or alley intersection, rather than estimating it from a neighboring fence.

Approved Materials, and What Erie Prohibits

Erie’s code lists acceptable fence materials as treated or naturally decay-resistant wood of at least construction grade 2, stone or simulated stone, non-chain-link metal, brick, and vinyl. Chain link and wire mesh are prohibited on perimeter fencing along highways, arterials, and collector streets. The code also prohibits fences built primarily from chicken wire, wafer board, particleboard, or plywood where they sit along a property line or setback that is visible from a public street.

We select material against both the homeowner’s preference and that list, since a fence facing a collector road or a visible property line has fewer allowed options than one tucked entirely inside a private backyard.

Pools, Easements, and What’s Underground

Erie’s fencing code does not state a specific pool-barrier height or gate-latch requirement; that detail runs through the Town’s adopted residential building code, and we confirm the current pool-barrier specification with the Building Division for any fence meant to enclose a pool or spa rather than assuming a general fence height satisfies it. Utility and drainage easements also remain access corridors even where they sit inside a fenced yard, so gates or removable panels may be needed to keep them serviceable.

Before any post hole is dug, we request a utility locate through Colorado 811, the state’s one-call notification center. Member utilities typically mark registered underground lines within 48 hours of the ticket, though private lines such as irrigation, low-voltage lighting, and owner-installed utilities are not covered by that locate and need to be identified separately.

How We Sequence an Erie Fence Installation

We start by confirming the property line, zoning district, and any open-space, trail, or highway adjacency, then lay out height by section against Erie’s front-yard and side/rear standards. The design is checked against the sight-distance-triangle rule near any corner, driveway, or alley, and material is selected from the Town’s approved list for any run visible from a public street. After the permit is issued and the Colorado 811 locate is returned, posts are set to the confirmed layout, and the job closes with gate adjustment, a walk of the finished line, and a record of any easement or drainage condition the fence has to keep clear.

Common Questions

Do I need a permit for a new fence in Erie?
Yes. Erie’s permit-requirement page lists fences as work that needs a permit, with the only exemption being minor repair of three sections or less.

How tall can my fence be in Erie?
A solid front-yard fence is capped at 3 feet, or up to 4 feet for a “limited solid” fence in the front setback area. Side and rear yards are capped at 6 feet, except 8 feet along state highways and in the LI, AGH, and AP zoning districts; fences along open space, parks, or trails are capped at 4 feet.

What fence materials does Erie allow?
Treated or decay-resistant wood, stone or simulated stone, non-chain-link metal, brick, and vinyl. Chain link and wire mesh are prohibited along highways, arterials, and collectors, and chicken wire, wafer board, particleboard, or plywood are prohibited on street-visible property lines.

What has to happen before the posts go in?
Confirm the property line and applicable setback and sight-triangle rules, request a Colorado 811 utility locate, and identify any private lines or easements the fence needs to respect.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Tell us the address, the runs and gates you have in mind, the fence’s purpose, and whether the yard borders a corner, trail, open space, or highway. We will confirm the applicable height and material rules, check the sight-triangle and easement conditions, and lay out a buildable, permit-ready design.