Fence Companies & Deck Builders in Colorado

How to choose a fence and deck company in Colorado

Fences and decks in Colorado are governed city by city, so the first question for any project is where the property sits. This directory covers 45 cities and 20 smaller towns, and each company's card shows the work its own website or Maps listing describes: wood, vinyl, chain link and ornamental metal fences, gates, fence repair, deck building, composite decks, deck repair and pergolas. Where a website does not say, the card reads "not enough info".

Check the height rules first

Denver allows fences up to 4 feet in front of the house and 6 feet behind it, and any fence over 4 feet needs a zoning permit. In a Denver historic district, on a landmark or along a designated parkway, every fence needs a permit. Colorado Springs also caps front-yard fences at 4 feet, and needs a building permit through the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department only above 7 feet. Fort Collins needs no building permit up to 6 feet; above that, it asks for a structural engineer's letter on wind resistance. Aurora needs no fence permit at all, but holds fences to its design and setback standards. Anywhere else, call the city or county building department before you sign.

Decks usually need a permit

Denver asks for a zoning permit once an uncovered deck is 12 inches off the ground and a building permit at 30 inches. The Pikes Peak region and Fort Collins exempt only small detached decks: 200 square feet or less, no more than 30 inches above grade, and not serving the required exit door. In those two places a deck attached to the house always needs a permit. Ask every builder who pulls it and who calls in the inspections.

Call 811 before the first post hole

Colorado law requires contacting Colorado 811 at least three business days before you dig, whatever the project's size. The locate is free. It marks public gas, electric, water, sewer and internet lines with paint or flags, but not privately owned lines, and digging within 18 inches of a mark should be done by hand.

Rural land and wildfire country

Colorado is a fence-out state: a landowner who wants livestock off the land has to fence it out. The state's "lawful fence" is a well-built three-strand barbed wire fence with posts about 20 feet apart. In forested areas, the Colorado State Forest Service advises replacing combustible fencing or gates at least within 5 feet of the home, screening the space under decks with 1/8-inch metal mesh, and keeping needles and firewood off the deck.

Questions for the first call

• Do you build fences, decks or both, and which materials do you install?
• Who pulls the permit, and who requests the 811 locate?
• How tall can my fence be here, and where does my property line sit?
• What does your warranty cover, and for how long?
• Can I see recent work like mine?

Ratings and review counts on every card are Google's, shown as they are. Companies whose own site or Maps listing confirms fence or deck work are shown first on each city page.