Planning a fence in Briargate, Flying Horse, Stetson Hills or another big neighborhood? Good news: a fence is one of the best upgrades you can make. The catch is that two sets of rules apply before anyone digs a hole. The City of Colorado Springs has its rules, and your HOA likely has stricter ones. The HOA side is where people get tripped up, because it changes from one neighborhood to the next, and sometimes from one village to the next inside the same neighborhood.
So we read the published documents for several of the biggest Colorado Springs associations and pulled out what they actually say. When a community keeps its rules behind a resident login, we tell you that instead of guessing. This is general information, not legal advice, and your own recorded covenants and current design guidelines always beat a blog post.
Start with the City of Colorado Springs
HOA approval and city rules are two separate hurdles, and clearing one doesn't clear the other. Here's what the City's fence page says:
Most private property can have a fence without a permit, as long as the city's standards are met.
A fence over 7 feet tall counts as an accessory structure and needs a building permit through the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD).
In a front yard (in front of the home's front facade), a fence can't be taller than 4 feet. In side and rear yards it can sit anywhere in the required setback.
Height is measured to the very top, posts and finials included, down to finished grade on both sides. If the two sides differ, the taller one counts.
Fences can't block electric or gas meters, fire hydrants, or fire department connections.
Near a driveway, anything over 3 feet tall (solid fences and big shrubs included) shouldn't sit within 5 feet of the driveway edge, so drivers can see.
Chain link without slats, electric shock fencing, barbed wire, razor wire and temporary fencing are restricted materials.
One wrinkle worth knowing about: PPRBD's homeowner permit page lists fences under 7 feet as not needing a permit, but adds that 6 feet or more in Colorado Springs requires zoning approval. The two pages don't read exactly alike, so call City zoning at 719-385-5982 or PPRBD at 719-327-2880 with your address before you order materials.
And call 811 for a free utility locate before any digging. If you're not sure where your property line is, check your plat or a survey.
What Colorado law says about HOAs and fences
Most HOAs in Colorado fall under the Colorado Common Interest Ownership Act. One section, C.R.S. 38-33.3-106.5, lists things an association can't prohibit no matter what its covenants say, like displaying a flag, political yard signs and certain renewable energy devices. Ordinary fences aren't on that list, so in general a Colorado HOA can set its own fence height, style, material and color rules and can require approval first.
There are two fence-related exceptions in that section:
Child care homes. An association has to make reasonable accommodation for fencing requirements that apply to licensed family child care homes.
Fire-hardened materials. An HOA can't prohibit fire-hardened building materials, and it can't write a rule that does. It can still set reasonable standards for the design, dimensions, placement or appearance of fire-hardened fencing, as long as those standards don't add more than 10 percent to the cost compared to other fire-hardened fencing materials or require more than 60 days of review. If the HOA hasn't denied the application or sent it back for changes within 60 days of filing, it's deemed approved, and any denial has to be in writing with reasons and can't be arbitrary or capricious. The law defines "fire-hardened" by reference to wildland-urban interface code, NFPA wildfire standards, or the IBHS wildfire-prepared-home requirements, so whether a particular fence qualifies is something to confirm with the product maker or an attorney.
That 60-day clock applies to fire-hardened fencing only. Other fences follow whatever review period your own documents set. If something in your covenants seems off, that's a question for an attorney, not a fence blog.
How HOA fence review works
The details vary, but a few patterns show up in the communities we read:
Approval comes first. Pine Creek, Banning Lewis Ranch and Lorson Ranch each say plans must be approved before the work starts. Flying Horse's HOA FAQ says the same about exterior improvements, and so does Cordera's.
You send a package. Expect a form plus plans or a site plan showing where the fence goes, and the height, material and color. Pine Creek also wants photos before and after the work, and Banning Lewis Ranch asks for plans drawn to scale.
Review takes time, and silence doesn't always mean yes. Pine Creek's committee has 30 days to respond. Banning Lewis Ranch has up to 60 days, and if it hasn't denied the request in writing by then, it's deemed approved. Lorson Ranch has 45 days, can extend by up to 30 more, and if it sends nothing in writing, the request is deemed disapproved. Ridgeview at Stetson Hills says its committee has up to 30 days. Apply early.
Following the guidelines isn't a guarantee. Pine Creek's guidelines say submitting a request doesn't guarantee approval.
HOA approval doesn't replace the city. Pine Creek's guidelines tell owners to get any required government approval before they submit.
What the big communities actually publish
Everything below comes from each community's own published documents. Rules get amended, so ask your management company for the current version.
Pine Creek
Pine Creek Village (part of Briargate) publishes its Community Guidelines (December 2023), and its Modifications Committee has to approve exterior changes before installation. The fence section says:
Homeowners can use three types of fence: standard wood picket, metal view, and electronic (invisible). Mixing materials isn't allowed, like a wooden gate on a metal view fence.
Wood fences use 4 or 5 inch cedar pickets set vertically with no gaps, pickets facing out and framing on the inside of the yard. Where the fence faces a street or common area, pickets always face out.
The maximum fence height is 5 feet.
Wood fence color must be Lowe's "Pine Creek Picket" Valspar solid stain, Home Depot's "Pine Creek Brown Fence" Behr solid wood stain, or a computer-matched color.
Lot fencing sits at least 15 feet back from the back of curb or 4 feet back from the back of sidewalk, whichever is greater.
Wing fencing sits at least 5 feet back from the front corner of the house, or 2 feet when it's working around a window well.
Lots next to the golf course or common areas use a metal view fence in a specified dark green, up to 5 feet tall. Gates from private lots onto the golf course or common areas aren't permitted except those on the developer's plan.
Neighborhood addenda change the rules. Several allow only a rear-yard "private outdoor living area" fence with committee approval: metal view fencing, 4 feet maximum, in the rear yard and not along property lines, not extending past the widest part of the home. Check your neighborhood's addendum.
On process, the guidelines ask for requests at least 30 days before the project starts, no construction before the approval letter, and photos of the finished work within 30 days of completion. The all-volunteer committee typically meets twice a month in warmer months and monthly in colder ones.
Banning Lewis Ranch
Banning Lewis Ranch's Homeowner Design Guidelines (amended 2020) come from the Design Review Committee under the Banning Lewis Ranch Metropolitan District. They say:
Approval comes before any exterior change.
Chain link, poultry wire, lattice, aluminum, sheet metal, plastic, fiberglass, reeds, straw, bamboo, rope and similar temporary or commercial materials are not permitted.
Solid wood fencing that discolors may be required to be stained the natural wood color. Colored or tinted stain isn't allowed.
No double fences along the same property line.
Fencing can't exceed 4 feet, except for homes in the Carriage or Bungalow Collection.
Perimeter fencing along metro district property can't be replaced with a different type than the builder or district installed.
Front yard picket fencing is allowed with approval, up to 4 feet, no closer than 18 inches to the back of the sidewalk, and none in the tree lawn.
Plans should be drawn to scale, show lot lines and existing fences, and describe materials, length and height.
The committee has up to 60 calendar days to review a complete submittal. If it hasn't denied the request in writing by then, it's deemed approved.
Some Banning Lewis Ranch neighborhoods have their own supplemental declarations, so check yours.
Lorson Ranch
Lorson Ranch describes itself as being in southeast Colorado Springs, east of Marksheffel Road and Fontaine Boulevard. It's run a little differently: its single-family homes don't have an HOA. The Lorson Ranch Metropolitan District enforces the covenants, and a district Design Review Committee reviews plans. The guidelines cite El Paso County rules, so confirm with the district whether City or County rules apply to your address. The Design Guidelines (updated June 2020) say:
All fencing on a lot has to be approved by the Committee.
Privacy fences can run along side and rear lot lines, except where a lot abuts common or creek areas, where an open style fence is required.
The maximum height for a privacy fence is 6 feet, and transitions from a high fence to a low one should be gradual.
Fence materials are limited to wood (cedar or like), iron, or masonry.
The district posts a chart of nine approved stain colors, and a color outside that list has to be submitted to the committee.
Front yard fencing like split-rail or picket is allowed with approval.
Walk-through gates up to 42 inches wide are allowed along roads with direct access to sidewalks or open space. Drive-through gates won't be approved.
The committee decides within 45 days of receiving all materials and can extend by up to 30 days. No written response in that time means the application is deemed disapproved.
Flying Horse
Flying Horse is a big community with several villages, and the paperwork differs by village. The HOA's FAQ says no improvement goes in unless the plans have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Architectural Committee, unless the Design Guidelines or the village's design guidelines say otherwise. Requests go through the homeowner portal. The actual design guidelines are behind that login, so we can't tell you the height, style or color rules. If you live in Flying Horse or are buying there, ask the management company for the current guidelines and your village's addendum before you plan anything.
Stetson Hills
The Ridgeview at Stetson Hills Master HOA (more than 3,200 homes including its sub-associations) keeps its architectural standards on the owners' portal, so we can't quote a height or color. What it does publish:
Its improvement request form says the committee has up to 30 days to review and aims for 7 to 10 days on complete requests. Requests need a scaled drawing or plot plan and material details, and work doesn't start before written approval.
A newsletter article on fences says re-staining with clear stain or a previously approved wood-colored stain doesn't need a request, but removing or replacing a fence, or changing its height, location or gates, does.
If a fence is shared, talk to the neighbors first. If you can't prove it sits entirely inside one owner's property, it's most likely shared.
Adding pickets of the same height to the bare rail side of a shared fence is permitted. Two separate parallel fences on the same line are not.
Cordera
Cordera's FAQ says exterior improvements need review and approval from its Modifications Committee under the Cordera Home Improvement Guidelines, and we couldn't find a public copy of those guidelines, so we can't quote its fence rules. Ask the management company for the current guidelines and the application form. The same goes for any Colorado Springs community we didn't list. Your closing documents or management company should have the recorded covenants and current design guidelines.
What gets pushed back most often
Across the published rules, these are the usual sticking points:
Chain link and other materials. The City restricts chain link without slats. Banning Lewis Ranch lists chain link, aluminum, sheet metal, plastic and fiberglass as not permitted. Lorson Ranch limits fences to wood, iron or masonry. Pine Creek allows three types: wood picket, metal view and electronic.
Mixing materials. Pine Creek doesn't allow it. A wooden gate on a metal view fence is the example in its guidelines.
Height. The published numbers we found run from 4 feet (Banning Lewis Ranch, and many Pine Creek rear-yard view fences) to 5 feet (Pine Creek) to 6 feet (Lorson Ranch privacy fences), and city rules cap the front yard at 4 feet.
Color and stain. Pine Creek names its stain products, Banning Lewis Ranch wants natural wood color with no tint, and Lorson Ranch posts nine approved colors. A "close enough" color is a common reason for a redo.
Placement. Setbacks from the curb or sidewalk, wing fence distance from the front corner, front-yard picket limits and open-style requirements next to common areas all come up.
Double fences and shared fences. Banning Lewis Ranch and Ridgeview at Stetson Hills both rule out parallel double fences, and Ridgeview asks you to talk to neighbors before changing a shared fence.
How to put together a submission that sails through
Nobody can promise an approval, since each committee decides for itself. But the documents above point to a pretty clear checklist:
Get the right documents. The recorded covenants, the current design guidelines, and any village or neighborhood addendum for your lot.
Find the fence section and read it twice. Height, material, color or stain, setbacks, gates, and which side faces out.
Check the city side too. Front yard height, sight lines near the driveway, meters and hydrants, and the 7 foot permit line.
Draw it. A survey or plot plan with the fence line, distances from the house and property lines, and gate locations. Mark the existing fence if there is one.
Be specific about the product. Height, picket size, rail style, finish and color name, with a photo or spec sheet if you can.
Talk to the neighbors on shared lines. Some associations expect it.
Send it early and complete. Incomplete packets slow things down, and review windows in the documents we read run from 30 to 75 days. Know what silence means in your community before you count on it.
Wait for the written approval, then build. Keep a copy.
For a bit of background on why post depth matters here, see how deep fence posts should go in Colorado Springs.
FAQ
Do I need HOA approval for a fence in Colorado Springs? In the communities we read (Pine Creek, Banning Lewis Ranch, Lorson Ranch, Flying Horse, Cordera and Ridgeview at Stetson Hills), yes, approval comes before the work. Check your own covenants for your lot.
Does a city permit replace HOA approval? No, and it works the other way too. The City says fences up to 7 feet generally don't need a building permit, but your HOA can still say no. Pine Creek's guidelines tell owners to get any required government approval before they submit.
How tall can my fence be? It depends on where you live. The published rules we found list 4 feet at Banning Lewis Ranch, 5 feet for Pine Creek (and 4 feet for many rear-yard view fences there), and 6 feet for Lorson Ranch privacy fences. The City caps front-yard fences at 4 feet.
Can an HOA ban chain link? Some do. Banning Lewis Ranch lists it as not permitted, Lorson Ranch limits fences to wood, iron or masonry, and Pine Creek allows only three fence types.
What if my HOA doesn't post its rules online? Ask your management company for the covenants, design guidelines and application form. Flying Horse and Ridgeview at Stetson Hills, for example, keep their standards in resident portals.
Is there a deadline for the HOA to answer? It depends on your documents. For fire-hardened fencing, state law says 60 days, and no answer means approved. For other fences, it's whatever your community's rules set, and that can mean silence equals approval or denial.
Is this legal advice? No. It’s a summary of published documents, and rules change, so confirm with your association.
Ready for a fence you'll love for years? Give us a call at (719) 330-7146 or ask for a free estimate, and we'll talk through your yard. You can also email manloa@paragonfenceco.com. We serve Colorado Springs, including Broadmoor and Old Colorado City, plus Fountain, Security-Widefield, Monument, Peyton, Falcon, Black Forest, Woodland Park, Manitou Springs, Green Mountain Falls and Cripple Creek. Browse the gallery, see our services, check the FAQ, or read more about us.
