Zoning

Community Development Offices - System Update on November 25 & 26, 2024

The Larimer County Community Development Department (Building, Planning, Code Compliance) will conduct a system update on November 25 & 26. This update also affects groups outside of Community Development, including the Weeds District and Engineering. The Online Customer Portal is part of this update and will not be available. No inspections or permitting will take place online. Inspections will be performed on Monday, November 25. Staff on call will be available, but we cannot initiate new permits, code cases or zoning files or look up information regarding existing permits, code cases or zoning files, etc. Thank you for your understanding and we apologize for any inconvenience.

Zoning Districts
Zoning Maps
Find Zoning by Parcel

Zoning is a method used by local governments to create zones or areas for different types of land uses to provide separation between uses that may be incompatible. An example of this is having different zoning districts or areas for residential uses and for industrial uses.

Larimer County uses zoning districts to manage land uses and development of parcels in the unincorporated area of the county (outside of city or town limits). The zoning regulations also specify minimum lot sizes, minimum setbacks and maximum building heights. Click on the buttons below for more detailed information about zoning in Larimer County.

Additional Resources & Information

  • County Assessor – For information about valuation and assessment of property and access to on-line property records and maps.
  • Cities and towns in Larimer County – For links to cities and towns in Larimer County, as well as state agencies and other resources.
  • Estes Valley Plan Area – Information and contacts for unincorporated properties in the Estes Valley Plan Area 

FAQs

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  1. What is my zoning?

    You can find the zoning for a specific property in the unincorporated area several ways:

    • Find by parcel number - If you have the Assessor's parcel ID number for the property, you can find zoning information by entering that parcel number (with no dashes or hyphens) in the query form (click the button below). Zoning information is only available for properties located in unincorporated Larimer County. If inquiry is for property inside city/town limits, the jurisdiction name and contact phone number will be displayed.
      • If you have an address but no parcel number, go to the Assessor Property Record Search screen to find the parcel ID number for that address.
      • You can find more details about Larimer County's zoning districts on the Zoning Districts page.
    • Find on the zoning map - If you know the general location of the property and can find it on a map, you can view the zoning map on the Zoning Maps page. Please note that this is not an interactive map. If using the map option, we recommend that you verify the zoning of a parcel by contacting the Planning Department at (970) 498-7679 or email us.
    • Contact the Planning Department - To verify the zoning district for a particular property, contact the Planning Department via email. Please be prepared to provide an address or parcel number to identify the property.
  2. What is the difference between zoning and how the Assessor classifies property?

    These are two different designations, but they are sometimes confused with each other. Each parcel of land in the unincorporated area of Larimer County is zoned. Parcels also have a property tax assessment classification assigned by the County Assessor to classify, assess and value property.

    • Zoning districts are adopted by the Board of County Commissioners. The zoning district determines the uses that are allowed on a property. Article 2.0 of the Larimer County Land Use Code contains the zoning regulations. For more information on zoning districts in unincorporated Larimer County, see the Zoning Districts page. Contact the Larimer County Planning Department at by email for assistance with your zoning questions.
    • Property tax assessment classifications are determined by the County Assessor's Office based on the actual use that is present on a property. That classification is shown in the Assessor's property records for each parcel. For more information about assessment and valuation of property, contact the County Assessor's Office at (970) 498-7050.

    The property tax assessment classification is not the same as the zoning district for your property. 

  3. What things does Larimer County regulate with the zoning district?

    The purpose of zoning districts is to implement the Larimer County Comprehensive Plan, promote compatible land use patterns and establish standards appropriate for each zoning district. Each zoning district spells out the uses allowed on properties within that district, the minimum lot sizes, the maximum density allowed if a property in that district is developed, the building setbacks required from property lines, heights for structures, and accessory uses allowed.

  4. What are the building setbacks for my zoning district?

    Each zoning district in the County lists setbacks from streets or roads, side, and rear property lines. Additional setback requirements are found in Article 2.0 of the Land Use Code. 

    Property owners and citizens are advised to contact the County Planning Department for setback information on specific properties due to the many factors and unique situations that affect setbacks. To confirm setbacks on your property, contact the On Call Planner via email.

  5. Are there setbacks from streams, creeks, and rivers? 

    Yes. The minimum required setback from any stream, creek, or river identified on a U.S.G.S quadrangle map is 100 feet from the centerline of the water course unless a greater setback is required by Article 4.4.2. Wetlands, Article 4.4.4. Wildlife, or Article 12.0, Floodplain, or unless evidence is provided documenting that the centerline has been relocated by a previously approved development, or where the centerline is a ditch managed by a ditch company. This setback is not applicable to irrigation laterals. 

    Contact the On Call Planner via email if have any questions or would like to begin the process for a variance or minor modification request. 

  6. What are the uses allowed in my zoning district? Where can I find the regulations for each zoning district?

    Article 2.0 of the Land Use Code provides more information about each specific zone district. 

    To find out which uses are permitted in your zone district, check out the table of allowed uses. The tables are organized by urban and rural zone districts, and the Estes Valley. 
    (Blank cells = prohibited use) 

    If you would like to begin a planning process for one of these uses, please reach out to the On Call Planner via email. 

  7. What are overlay zone districts?

    In addition to the zoning districts that exist for each property in unincorporated Larimer County, there are also overlay zone districts that apply in certain areas. These are described in Article 2.7 of the Land Use Code. Overlay zone districts have development standards and requirements that apply in addition to those of the underlying zone district.

    One of these overlay zone districts is for the official floodplains which designate areas of the County where flooding may occur. The requirements of the floodplain overlay zone districts are intended to reduce flood danger. Contact Larimer County Engineering staff at (970) 498-5700 for more details.

    Other important overlay zone districts designate Growth Management Areas (GMAs) in the areas around the cities of Fort Collins, Loveland, Timnath, Berthoud and Windsor. These overlay districts provide regulations to guide development near the participating communities and help to facilitate cooperative growth management in urbanizing areas of the county. 

     

Contact Planning Division

Larimer County Planning Division
200 W. Oak Street, Third Floor, Fort Collins, CO 80521

On-call Planner:
Email the on call planner - planning@larimer.org
OR
Leave us a detailed voicemail - (970) 498-7679

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