New Fence Installation in Federal Heights, CO

New fence installation in Federal Heights starts with a rule that has no size exception: every fence needs a permit. The city publishes an illustrated structural standard for wood and metal-post fences that sets post spacing, pier size, and picket thickness, so a Federal Heights fence plan has to match that diagram before it matches a client’s preferred look.

Every Fence Needs a Permit

Federal Heights lists “All Fences” under the Outside column of projects that require a building permit, with no minimum height or length exemption published. The only fence item under the city’s not-required list is “Minor Fence Picket Repair” — swapping a board or two on an existing fence, not a new installation. We file the permit for a new fence regardless of how short or how long the run is.

Six Feet Is the Citywide Maximum Height

The city’s official Wood Fence Design Standards handout states plainly: “The maximum height of any fence in Federal Heights is six feet.” That figure is published as a single citywide maximum in the structural handout; the document does not separately publish a lower front-yard height or a specific sight-triangle exception for corner lots, and we did not find a published Federal Heights sight-triangle rule on an official page. We confirm any corner-lot or front-yard height reduction with the Building Department at the permit stage rather than assuming a six-foot fence is allowed everywhere on every lot.

Materials and Grade

The city’s fence standard limits materials to treated wood, wood of natural resistance to decay, hot-dip galvanized steel, or plastic materials, with plastic fencing required to meet the manufacturer’s standards and the city’s building code. All wood used in fence construction must be rated Construction Grade 2 or better. Any masonry or concrete fence is reviewed separately by the city against the building code rather than the wood/metal-post diagram.

Post Spacing and Pier Depth Are Specified by Post Type

Fences five feet tall or taller must use posts spaced a maximum of 8 feet on center, built from one of three approved post types: a 4×4 wood post, a 4×6 wood post, or a 1-7/8 inch diameter steel pipe post with a 0.120-inch wall thickness. Each post type carries its own minimum concrete pier size: a steel post needs an 8-inch-wide pier at 2 feet deep; a 4×4 wood post needs a 10-inch-wide pier at 2 feet deep; a 4×6 wood post needs a 12-inch-wide pier at 2 feet deep.

We match the post type and pier size to the fence design before digging, since a taller privacy fence and a shorter picket fence can call for different post sizing under the same city standard. The city’s own diagram notes that all fence-material measurements are nominal, following generally accepted industry standards, so a “4×4” post and a “1 inch” picket are read the way a lumberyard would read them rather than as an exact milled dimension.

Rail and Picket Rules for Privacy Fences

A wooden stockade-style fence, or any fence five feet or taller that is visually nontransparent, needs a minimum of three horizontal 2×4 rails. Vertical boards or pickets must be at least 1 inch thick, spaced so that a 4-inch-diameter sphere cannot pass through the gap — a standard child-safety spacing rule built directly into the fence structure.

Pools and Utility Locates

Pools, hot tubs, and spas are named separately on the city’s permit list, and the general Federal Heights code research confirms the city has adopted the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, amended. A specific published Federal Heights pool-barrier fence height was not found on an official city page, so barrier design for a pool enclosure is confirmed against the adopted code with the Building Department for the specific pool rather than assumed from a general fence height.

Before any post holes are dug, we request a utility locate through Colorado 811, which state law requires at least three business days before excavation. That locate covers public utility lines; private lines such as irrigation or low-voltage lighting still need to be identified separately on site.

How We Sequence a Federal Heights Fence Project

We start by confirming the layout against the property line and any corner-lot condition, filing the permit, and requesting the Colorado 811 locate. Post type, spacing, and pier depth are selected to match the planned height under the city’s structural standard, with masonry or concrete sections flagged for separate city review.

Digging and post-setting follow the confirmed locate and layout, with pier sizes matched to post type at every location. Rails, pickets, and gates are installed to the picket-spacing and rail-count rules for the fence height selected, and the completed fence is left ready for the city’s permit inspection before final walkthrough.

Common Questions

Does a new fence in Federal Heights always need a permit?
Yes. “All Fences” is listed under the city’s required-permit projects, with only minor picket repair on an existing fence listed as not requiring one.

What is the maximum fence height allowed?
The city’s Wood Fence Design Standards handout states the maximum height of any fence in Federal Heights is six feet. A separate front-yard or corner-lot sight-triangle limit was not found on an official page, so we confirm placement-specific limits with the Building Department.

What materials are allowed?
Treated wood, wood naturally resistant to decay, hot-dip galvanized steel, or plastic materials meeting manufacturer and building-code standards. Wood must be rated Construction Grade 2 or better, and masonry or concrete fences get separate city review.

What post spacing does the city require?
Fences five feet tall or taller need posts spaced a maximum of 8 feet on center, using a 4×4 wood post, 4×6 wood post, or a specified steel pipe post, each with its own minimum concrete pier width and a 2-foot minimum pier depth.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Tell us the fence purpose, approximate height and length, and current material if you’re replacing an existing fence. We’ll confirm the permit, request the Colorado 811 locate, and match posts and piers to the city’s structural standard before digging starts.