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Fence and Retaining Wall Permit in Grand Junction, Colorado

Fences and retaining walls in Grand Junction are regulated by height under Mesa County's building-permit exemption thresholds; taller fences and retaining walls require a Mesa County building permit, and City of Grand Junction zoning setbacks separately apply.

Verified 2026-07-03 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Fences under 7 feet tall from grade do NOT require a building permit (per Mesa County's 'No Permits Required' notice, 2018 code-cycle basis)
  • Fences 7 feet tall or taller DO require a Mesa County Building Department permit
  • Retaining walls under 4 feet tall do NOT require a building permit
  • Retaining walls 4 feet tall or taller DO require a Mesa County Building Department permit
  • City of Grand Junction zoning setbacks apply to fences and walls regardless of building-permit status — check the City's residential zoning district setback reference (bit.ly/GJResidentialSetbacks, as cited in the City's ADU Worksheets document) or contact City Community Development for the specific zoning district

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Fee schedule

Fence/Retaining Wall Permit Fee — valuation-basedMesa County Building Department Fee Schedule, Table 2; applies only to fences 7 ft+ tall or retaining walls 4 ft+ tall
$50.00 minimum (up to $1,200 valuation), scaling per Table 2 Permit Fee Schedule

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Fence and Retaining Wall Permit permit actually take in Grand Junction?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Footing

    Required for engineered retaining walls 4 ft+ before backfill; specific inspection-code detail for fences/walls was not separately published on Mesa County's Residential Inspection Request Guidelines and should be confirmed with the Building Department

  2. 2

    Final

    Completed fence/wall verified against approved plans

See the full Grand Junction inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • The 7-foot (fence) and 4-foot (retaining wall) thresholds come from Mesa County's building-permit-exemption notice, which is dated to the '2018 ICC code adoption' cycle — confirm current applicability with the Building Department if your project is borderline.
  • Because the City of Grand Junction retains zoning authority even though Mesa County issues the building permit, a fence or wall that doesn't need a building permit may still need to comply with City zoning setbacks — check the City's residential setback reference before installing.

Frequently asked questions

Fences under 7 feet tall from grade do not require a Mesa County building permit. Fences 7 feet or taller do require one. Regardless of the building-permit threshold, City of Grand Junction zoning setbacks still apply. Source: Mesa County 'Items that DO NOT REQUIRE a Building Permit' notice.

In Grand Junction, the published Fence/Retaining Wall Permit Fee — valuation-based is: $50.00 minimum (up to $1,200 valuation), scaling per Table 2 Permit Fee Schedule. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Grand Junction does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Mesa County Building Department (Community Development Department) at (970) 244-1631 for current turnaround.

Depending on your project, Grand Junction may also ask for: Application for Permit to Build. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Grand Junction requires 2 inspection(s) for a fence and retaining wall permit, in order: Footing, Final. Schedule each through Mesa County Building Department (Community Development Department) ((970) 244-1631).

Apply through Mesa County Building Department (Community Development Department) at 200 S. Spruce Street, Grand Junction, CO 81501 (mailing: PO Box 20,000-5005, Grand Junction, CO 81502-5001). Phone: (970) 244-1631, email: mccomdev@mesacounty.us. Office hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; permit issuance after 4:30 p.m. is on a limited basis and no multiple permits are issued after 4:30 p.m. (Source: Mesa County Building Department Fees page). Official information: https://www.mesacounty.us/departments-and-services/community-development/building.

Grand Junction, Colorado has adopted: AUTHORITY MODEL NOTE: Colorado has no statewide building code (home-rule state); each city or county adopts and amends its own. Colorado does set a statutory statewide energy-code floor via HB22-1362 (requiring jurisdictions that adopt a building code to also adopt the most current or immediately preceding edition of the IECC on a rolling basis) and separate ADU-related state statutes (e.g., HB24-1152, concerning local regulation of accessory dwelling units in certain jurisdictions). Applicants in any Colorado city should always confirm the specific edition and amendments in force locally — never assume a statewide default.; The City of Grand Junction does NOT run its own building-permit program. Per the City's own Engineering & Transportation Permits page: 'The Mesa County Building Department serves unincorporated Mesa County as well as the towns of Debeque, Collbran, Palisade, and the cities of Fruita and Grand Junction.' Building, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits within Grand Junction city limits are issued and inspected by the Mesa County Building Department, part of Mesa County's Community Development Department (Building - Planning - OWTS - Code Compliance). Contractor licensing for work within Grand Junction city limits is also administered by Mesa County on the City's behalf. Source: City of Grand Junction Engineering and Transportation Permits page (gjcity.org/355/Permits) and Mesa County Building Department 'Building Department' landing page (mesacounty.us building department, description: 'Our department performs inspections, supplies permits, and current codes for building projects in our County, the towns of De Beque, Collbran, Palisade, and the City of Grand Junction.'); Zoning, land-use planning, ADU incentive programs, and planning clearances remain a City of Grand Junction (Community Development / Planning Division) function even though building-code enforcement is county-run; a Planning Clearance from the City is a prerequisite for many Mesa County building permits on property within city limits (see ADU and solar permit types below).; Mesa County Building Department began enforcement of a new adopted-code cycle effective September 1, 2025 (per Mesa County Ordinance adopting and amending Building Codes, in compliance with HB21-1110). Source: Mesa County Adopted Codes and Regulations page.; 2024 International Building Code (IBC) — Mesa County adopted code, effective enforcement September 1, 2025; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — Mesa County adopted code, effective enforcement September 1, 2025; 2024 International Residential Code (IRC) — Mesa County adopted code, effective enforcement September 1, 2025; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — Mesa County adopted code, effective enforcement September 1, 2025; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — Mesa County adopted code; per the County's IECC Energy Code Requirements page, enforcement of the 2021 IECC began September 1, 2025 'in compliance with House Bill 22-1362' (Colorado's statewide energy-code floor statute); Colorado Model and Solar Ready Code — state-adopted, referenced on Mesa County's Adopted Codes page as a state-level code Mesa County enforces alongside its own IECC checklist (Colorado Model Electric and Solar Ready Code, CMESRC); Colorado Plumbing and Fuel Gas Code — state-adopted, referenced on Mesa County's Adopted Codes page; 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — state-adopted per Mesa County's Adopted Codes page; 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — state-adopted per Mesa County's Adopted Codes page; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — state-adopted per Mesa County's Adopted Codes page (no direct link published by the County as of this review; also cited as the applicable electrical code in Mesa County's Photovoltaic Guide alongside 2018 IBC/IRC/IEBC/IFC for that guide's own applicable-codes list, which had not yet been updated to reference 2024 editions as of the guide's July 2023 revision date); Note on internal inconsistency found during verification: Mesa County's standalone Photovoltaic Guide (rev. 7/20/2023) lists '2018 IBC, IRC, IEBC, IFC, and 2023 NEC' as its applicable codes, which predates the County's September 1, 2025 adoption of the 2024 IBC/IRC/IEBC cycle documented on the Adopted Codes and Regulations page. Applicants should confirm current code edition with the Building Department (970-244-1631) at time of solar application, since the PV guide has not been visibly reissued since the 2025 code-cycle update.; Mesa County Building Department Reroof Policy (revised 9/2025) requires reroofs to comply with Chapter 9 of the 2024 IRC or Chapter 15 of the 2024 IBC, confirming the 2024 cycle is the current enforced edition for those chapters as of this review.. Local amendments apply — see the Grand Junction overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-03.

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 Grand Junction building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.