Fences & Sight Distance Triangle

Overview

The City of Wheat Ridge has adopted regulations pertaining to fences, walls, hedges, and similar divisional structures installed on private property.

A sight distance triangle is the area at the intersection of two streets, a driveway and a street, or an alley and a street. In this area, a clear line of sight should be maintained, which may affect the height and location of fences or landscaping.

Fences

In almost all cases, fences and walls are limited to a maximum of six (6) feet tall in side and rear yards in all zone districts (including residential, commercial, mixed-use, and industrial). Front fences are generally limited to four (4) feet tall. Within a sight distance triangle, fences are limited to 3 to 3.5 feet tall. Contact the Community Development Department to ensure your proposed fence conforms to the code. Variances to fence height (i.e to request a taller fence) are discouraged as it is challenging for these types of variance applications to meet the variance criteria. For this reason, fence variances are very rarely supportable. 

Building permits are not generally required for fences up to 6 feet tall, but fences must still meet all zoning code requirements for placement, height, and design. Even if a building permit is not required for a fence or wall, it is the property owner's responsibility to install improvements in accordance with City Code. 

Permits are required for the following types of fences:

• Enclosing swimming pools or new pool + fence
• Screening trash storage areas (zoning permit only)
• Attached to commercial buildings (i.e. an extension of a building wall/façade to provide additional screening, or tied into a building)
• Retaining walls 4 feet or taller (reviewed by the Building and Engineering Divisions as part of a building permit application)
• In a floodplain (also requires floodplain permit)

Resources

Planner of the Day

Fence & Sight Triangle Requirements

Roadway Classification Map