Fence questions (Aurora) (Denver: houses, neighborhood, school)

[Quietude]

So my back yard slopes away, leaving us with an expansive view of the neighborhood, and leaving them (and a passing street) with a lovely view of pretty much everything we do in the section up near the house. Common problem; half the houses I looked at had very exposed back yards. (One had a million-dollar mountain view, too, but I missed it.)

So I want to put up a short, freestanding privacy fence. I will probably use 8-foot vinyl panels that are solid for four feet and have a lattice top, to allow privacy without being too... too. Two sections aren't enough; three, or about a 25-foot run, is ideal and runs about halfway across the yard.

Question 1: Do I need a permit for this, since it's entirely within my yard, doesn't involve a pool, will actually be a bit less of an eyesore for the neighborhood (than the perfectly nice back side of my house, utility boxes and all), etc.?

Question 2: the last vinyl fence I put in (a huge one) was old-school, with sunk 4x4s for posts inside vinyl sheaths. The new, cheap, DIY approach seems to be 5x5 vinyl posts with routed holes for the panels, so it's a big Lego system. Has anyone put one of these in, in the Denver area? Any issues or thoughts about weather, wind, etc. without solid posts? There are no security or dog-safety issues, since it's not a containment fence; if a panel blows out, I assume I can flex it back in. But.

Thanks.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

The answer to Question One is to call your jurisdiction. Are you in the City of Aurora? Then call their zoning office first. Whether or not the fence is on your property line or in the middle of the yard doesn't affect the maximum height or the need for a permit. Actually, if you are in an HOA, you need to start with them before going to the City.

You need to include the lattice work when determining the height of your fence. So, a four foot solid panel plus one foot of lattice is actually a five foot high fence.

[Quietude]

Yes, of course I will check with the zoning office eventually (and before digging any holes)... but they're closed today and sometimes community knowledge exceeds official runaround.

No HOA, thank Ghu. Spawn of the devil except for people who can't live without everything around them being regulated.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Unfortunately, Quietude, the official knowledge supercedes any community stories. No matter what your neighbors (or posters on a forum) may tell you, the zoning law prevails. You may think the government is giving you the runaround, but if they come to check on you, telling them that your neighbors said it is okay really doesn't matter.

I guess if you don't want to wait two days for an answer, you could go to the City of Aurora website. Or better yet, try an on-line search. I just found the following by Googling "fence requirements Aurora Colorado":https://www.auroragov.org/business_s...fence_permits/

[Quietude]

It's just a "hey, guys, whaddya think?" post. I'm not trying to skip essential steps.

Checking (1) if there's any hot-button issues about fences here, and (2) if anyone has any practical DIY feedback. No need to take it quite so seriously.

ETA: According to your link - and thanks! - only fences over six feet need permits. I plan to top mine out at four or five feet, total. So, no huhu.

But I'd still like to know if sinking solid posts is a good idea...

[SkyDog77]

Typically only 6 foot fences are allowed by most cities unless there are other factors.