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Fence / Retaining Wall Permit in Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Fences over 6 feet high and retaining walls over 4 feet in height require a building permit in Glenwood Springs; fences at or under 6 feet and retaining walls at or under 4 feet are generally exempt from the BUILDING permit requirement (subject to a separate, stricter ZONING height cap on fences: 4 feet in a front yard, 6 feet in a side/rear yard).

Verified 2026-07-06 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Building-code permit exemption: fences not over 6 feet high, and retaining walls not over 4 feet in height (measured from bottom of footing to top of wall), do not require a building permit — UNLESS the retaining wall supports a surcharge or impounds Class I, II, or IIIA liquids
  • Retaining walls over 4 feet in height must be engineered by a Colorado-licensed professional engineer or architect
  • ZONING code (separate from the building-code exemption) caps fence height at 4 feet in a required front yard setback and 6 feet in a required side or rear yard setback; fences must also conform to maximum height requirements within a sight distance triangle
  • A fence permit-exempt under the building code (≤6 ft) can still be zoning-noncompliant if placed in a front yard above 4 feet — check both rules

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Fence/Retaining Wall Permit Fee (per Table 1-A when a permit is required)
Checked Table 1-A (full ordinance text) and the Building Permits/Fence Requirements pages directly — this permit type is not broken out as its own line item the way demolition, re-roofing, or solar are; Show full citationChecked Table 1-A (full ordinance text) and the Building Permits/Fence Requirements pages directly — this permit type is not broken out as its own line item the way demolition, re-roofing, or solar are; genuinely unresolved, not assumed. Likely defaults to the standard valuation-based Building Permit Fee per the general schedule, but this is not explicitly stated for this scope.
Not published as a standalone flat fee on Table 1-A or the Building Permits page as of the last verification

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Fence / Retaining Wall Permit permit actually take in Glenwood Springs?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final Inspection

    Height, location relative to property line/setback/sight-distance triangle, and (for engineered walls) structural compliance verified

See the full Glenwood Springs inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Don't assume a fence under 6 feet is automatically fine — the separate zoning code caps front-yard fences at just 4 feet, stricter than the building-permit exemption threshold.
  • Retaining walls over 4 feet need a stamp from a Colorado-licensed engineer or architect — a lower height trigger than many Colorado jurisdictions use, so budget for engineering earlier than you might elsewhere.
  • Fees for this permit type are not clearly published — call the Building Department (970-384-6450) to confirm cost before applying, since it may default to the standard valuation-based schedule rather than a flat fee.

Frequently asked questions

Glenwood Springs requires a fence / retaining wall permit for: Building-code permit exemption: fences not over 6 feet high, and retaining walls not over 4 feet in height (measured from bottom of footing to top of wall), do not require a building permit — UNLESS the retaining wall supports a surcharge or impounds Class I, II, or IIIA liquids; Retaining walls over 4 feet in height must be engineered by a Colorado-licensed professional engineer or architect; ZONING code (separate from the building-code exemption) caps fence height at 4 feet in a required front yard setback and 6 feet in a required side or rear yard setback; fences must also conform to maximum height requirements within a sight distance triangle; A fence permit-exempt under the building code (≤6 ft) can still be zoning-noncompliant if placed in a front yard above 4 feet — check both rules. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Glenwood Springs Building Department (Community Development Department) at 970-384-6450 before starting work.

In Glenwood Springs, the published Fence/Retaining Wall Permit Fee (per Table 1-A when a permit is required) is: Not published as a standalone flat fee on Table 1-A or the Building Permits page as of the last verification. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Glenwood Springs does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Glenwood Springs Building Department (Community Development Department) at 970-384-6450 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Fence/Wall Permit Application (Tyler EnerGov Customer Self-Service Portal). Depending on your project, Glenwood Springs may also ask for: Structural Engineer Design. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Glenwood Springs requires 1 inspection(s) for a fence / retaining wall permit, in order: Final Inspection. Schedule each through City of Glenwood Springs Building Department (Community Development Department) (970-384-6450).

Apply through City of Glenwood Springs Building Department (Community Development Department) at 101 W. 8th Street, Second Floor, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601. Phone: 970-384-6450, email: Building@cogs.us. Office hours: Glenwood Springs City Hall Hours: 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Mondays-Thursdays (closed Fridays), per the City's Contact Us footer. Building Department direct line 970-384-6450; Fax 970-945-8582; Inspection Line (24-hour automated request system) 970-384-6432; Building Official Victor Meraz, 970-384-6410.. Official information: https://www.cogs.us/283/Building-Department.

Glenwood Springs, Colorado has adopted: 2021 International Building Code (IBC), with local amendments — adopted by Ordinance No. 06, Series of 2022 (effective 90 days after second publication, passed 03/03/2022), repealing and reenacting Title 060 of the Glenwood Springs Municipal Code in its entirety; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), with local amendments; 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC), with local amendments; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC), with local amendments; 2021 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC); 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); 2021 International Fire Code (IFC), with Appendices D (Fire Apparatus Access Roads), H (Hazardous Materials Management Plan/Inventory Statement), and J (Building Information Sign) adopted; 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC); 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) and 2020 National Electrical Safety Code — administered exclusively by the State of Colorado, not the City (see localAmendments); Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (CWRC, based on the 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code) — state-mandated statewide program (C.R.S., administered by the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control); the City's own Building Department page states enforcement in Glenwood Springs 'Starts Wednesday, July 1st, 2026,' consistent with the statewide April 1, 2026 local-adoption deadline and July 1, 2026 full-compliance deadline for jurisdictions with mapped Wildland-Urban Interface area; IBC Appendices adopted: Appendix C (Group U-Agricultural Buildings), Appendix E (Supplementary Accessibility Requirements), Appendix G (Flood-Resistant Construction), Appendix I (Patio Covers), Appendix J (Grading); IRC Appendices adopted: Appendix AE (Manufactured Housing Used As Dwellings), Appendix AF (Radon Control Methods), Appendix AG (Piping Standards for Various Applications), Appendix AH (Patio Covers), Appendix AJ (Existing Building and Structures), Appendix AM (Home Day Care), Appendix AQ (Tiny Houses), Appendix AT (Solar-Ready Provisions); Full Title 060 (Construction Building Codes and Regulations) text available via library.municode.com/co/glenwood_springs; Ordinance 2022-06 PDF hosted directly by the City. Local amendments apply — see the Glenwood Springs overview page for the full list.

The building code exempts fences up to 6 feet from needing a permit, but the separate zoning code caps fence height at 4 feet in a required front yard setback (6 feet in side/rear yards) — check both rules, since a fence can be permit-exempt under the building code yet still violate the zoning height limit in a front yard.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-06.

Checklists & handouts

Codes & ordinances

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Glenwood Springs building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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Fence / Retaining Wall Permit in other cities

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