Guide · Rules and HOAs · 01 of 04
Artificial turf rules in Northern Colorado: backyards are mostly settled, front yards go town by town
What Colorado law and each Northern Colorado town code say about artificial turf on homes, HOA common areas and new development, with sources and dates.
Updated
Not legal advice
Not legal advice: this page summarizes public statutes and town codes as they read on September 25, 2026.
What does Colorado law say about artificial turf?
An HOA may set design rules but may not prohibit artificial turf in the backyard of a detached single-family home, and a covenant or special-district rule that bans backyard turf is unenforceable (C.R.S. 38-33.3-106.5 and 37-60-126(11)(a.5), from SB23-178). Since January 1, 2026, cities, towns, counties and special districts may not install or allow nonfunctional artificial turf in new development or redevelopment on commercial, institutional and industrial property, HOA common property and street rights-of-way (SB24-005 as narrowed by HB25-1113); functional turf, such as playgrounds, sports fields, picnic grounds, parts of parks and golf putting and chipping greens, is still allowed under state law, though a town may be stricter, and single-family lots are outside that ban. Also since January 1, 2026, no one may install artificial turf containing intentionally added PFAS anywhere in Colorado (SB24-081).
Our guide to HOA approval for artificial turf covers the HOA side in detail.
What does that mean for my kind of property?
| Property | Backyard | Front yard | New development or redevelopment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached single-family home in an HOA | The HOA may set design rules but may not prohibit artificial turf | Not protected. The HOA must preapprove at least 3 water-wise garden designs for front yards | The state ban does not reach single-family lots; the town codes below may |
| Attached home that shares a wall, such as a townhome | The HOA may limit artificial turf to rear yards only | The HOA may keep it out | The state ban does not reach private lots |
| Condominium | Not covered by the detached-home protection in 38-33.3-106.5(1)(i.5). The separate covenant rule in 37-60-126(11)(a.5) does not list condominiums among its exceptions, but how it applies to a condo’s yard is untested: ask an attorney | Same | — |
| HOA common areas, and commercial, institutional and industrial property, and street rights-of-way | — | — | No nonfunctional artificial turf since January 1, 2026. State law still allows functional turf, but a town may be stricter (Fort Collins, Timnath, Windsor and Evans are), and a town may let turf installed before 2026 be maintained |
| Multifamily property with more than 12 units | — | — | The state law names January 1, 2028 for common areas such as entryways and parks, though its amended definitions arguably reach them already, and Eaton and Longmont apply the ban now. Ask the town |
Under the state law, redevelopment means a project that needs a building or landscaping permit, plan check or design review and disturbs more than 50% of the landscape area.
What does each Northern Colorado town’s code say?
We read each town’s published code on September 24 and 25, 2026. “No provision found” means we searched that code and found nothing about artificial turf, not that anything goes: HOA covenants and state law still apply.
| Town | What the town code says about artificial turf | On an existing single-family lot |
|---|---|---|
| Windsor | Landscape plans for new development and major redevelopment may not include artificial turf; the Director may allow functional turf when alternatives aren’t reasonable (Sec. 15-3-20). | Detached houses and duplexes are exempt from the landscape article, except the tree-lawn rule and at least 25% of each front yard landscaped (Sec. 15-3-10). Windsor Planning decides whether turf counts toward that 25%, so ask before you design. |
| Fort Collins | Development landscape plans may not include artificial turf (Land Use Code 5.10.1, Ord. 008, 2025). The city’s xeriscape definition excludes artificial turf (Sec. 12-120), so state law, not city code, is what protects a backyard. | Development on existing lots for single- and two-unit homes is exempt from 5.10.1. |
| Loveland | Since March 17, 2026, the development code applies the state nonfunctional-turf law (Ordinance 6819). | The city says that law does not apply to single-family residential lots or to private lots in duplex, condo and townhome developments. |
| Greeley | In new development, artificial turf is acceptable as ground cover only where it is not visible from public rights-of-way and streets (Sec. 24-802). City staff put the current rule plainly: artificial turf is prohibited in front yards of houses. | Front yard: not allowed today. Out of view from the street: allowed. A draft change would allow front-yard turf with a permit, trees and live plantings, and an installer who is licensed or certified; as of September 24, 2026 no ordinance had been adopted. |
| Platteville | Artificial turf not installed professionally to the manufacturer’s specifications, such as loose seams, unfastened edges, no aggregate base or waves, is a public nuisance (Sec. 7-1-30(s)). | Applies to every property. |
| Timnath | Since Ordinance No. 28, Series 2025, adopted December 9, 2025, no artificial turf may be included in any landscape plan or installed; the Community Development Director may allow it only on an athletic field of play (Land Use Code 5.7.7.1, Ord. 28). | A building permit for a detached single-family lot needs no landscape plan, and landscaping there is only encouraged to follow the section. Whether the turf line reaches a backyard is the Town’s call, so ask Timnath Planning. |
| Johnstown | Since January 1, 2026, nonfunctional artificial turf is barred in new development and redevelopment on rights-of-way, commercial, institutional and industrial property and common interest community property, with multifamily property named for January 1, 2028 (Sec. 17-8-2(E), Ord. 2025-279). Newly planted grass may be watered only under a town permit, a rule about live lawns (Sec. 13-151(c)(6)). | In single-family rear yards on lots platted on or after January 1, 2024, turf and spray-irrigated areas are capped at 50% of the yard, up to 2,000 square feet; the code doesn’t say whether artificial turf counts (Sec. 17-8-4). Ask Johnstown Planning. |
| Berthoud | No artificial-turf provision found (code codified through Ord. 1367, Nov. 10, 2025). | No town rule found. |
| Firestone | A town permit comes first, with no fee for single-family homes. Turf is limited to 75% of the rear or side yard, with at least 25% of the yard left as permeable living or organic landscape; 75% of the front yard and 50% of the combined side and rear yards must be live plants, which turf can’t count toward. Products need a 1.75 to 3 inch pile, at least 70 ounces of face weight, a compacted porous aggregate base at least 3 inches deep, and no crumb rubber (Development Code 16.6.4). | Applies to existing lots too. In practice the live-plant rule may hold turf to about half of the side and rear yards. |
| Mead | No artificial-turf provision found, but the online code runs only through April 14, 2025, so a newer ordinance would not show (Mead code). | No town rule found; ask the Town of Mead about anything adopted since. |
| Frederick | Since June 1, 2026, the Land Use Code permits functional artificial turf only in areas that fit its definition, such as a playground, a sports field or a putting green, and says water conservation does not include nonfunctional artificial turf except in residential development of 12 units or fewer. Every distinct landscaped area needs at least 50% living plant coverage (Sec. 16-4-80). | A single-family building permit needs no landscape plan, but single-family landscaping must meet the section’s applicable requirements, and renovated landscaping that needs irrigation must comply. How the functional-turf line reaches an existing backyard isn’t spelled out; ask Frederick Planning. |
| Longmont | Since January 1, 2026, nonfunctional artificial turf is prohibited in new development and redevelopment on multifamily, commercial, industrial, institutional and common-interest property and in rights-of-way, medians and transportation corridors (Sec. 15.05.040). | No rule found for single-family lots. |
| Wellington | Nonfunctional artificial turf is not permitted in new development and redevelopment; turf installed before January 1, 2026 may be maintained (Sec. 15-5-40). | New single-family subdivision lots need at least 75% live materials between the front of the house and the curb. A building permit for one home does not need a landscape plan. |
| Severance | No provision regulating artificial turf on private lots found; the tree standards’ definition of landscape excludes it (Sec. 7-5-10). | No town rule found. |
| Evans | Artificial turf is not acceptable for public or common areas (Sec. 18.08.020). | No single-family rule found. |
| Eaton | Since January 1, 2026, nonfunctional artificial turf is barred in new development and redevelopment on rights-of-way, commercial, institutional and industrial property, HOA common property and multifamily properties with more than 12 units (Sec. 7-13-2). | Nothing in that section applies to single-family homes. |
| Milliken | Nonfunctional artificial turf is barred in new development and redevelopment on commercial, institutional, industrial, HOA common and right-of-way property (Sec. 16-3-303). | Existing detached homes and duplexes are exempt from the town’s landscape standards (Sec. 16-3-305(c)). |
| Dacono | Since Ordinance 1016, adopted May 11, 2026, turf and artificial turf may go only in functional recreational use areas such as playgrounds, sports fields and picnic areas, and elsewhere are barred on multifamily properties of 12 or more units and on commercial, institutional, industrial and common interest community property (Ord. 1016). Artificial plants and synthetic turf can’t be used to meet the code’s landscaping requirements (Sec. 16-657(g)). | The landscape article exempts single-family detached homes (Sec. 16-651), so it sets no rule for a house lot. |
| Unincorporated Weld County | No artificial-turf provision found in the county code (codified through June 8, 2026). | Applies only outside town limits. |
| Unincorporated Larimer County, including Laporte | Not checked yet. | Ask Larimer County. |
Which rules are still changing?
- Greeley is drafting a front-yard permit path for artificial turf on houses. The September 22, 2026 council status report still lists it as a draft ordinance to come back to Council.
- Timnath, Frederick and Johnstown publish their codes on sites that block automated reading, so we read the adopted text instead: Timnath’s and Johnstown’s December 2025 ordinances and Frederick’s 2026 code as a Town PDF. Timnath’s and Frederick’s new rules don’t say plainly how they treat an existing backyard: ask the town for the rule at your address.
- Mead, Berthoud and Severance have online codes that lag behind adopted ordinances; Mead’s runs only through April 14, 2025.
- Statewide, by January 1, 2028: the state law names that date for extending the nonfunctional-turf ban to the common areas of multifamily properties with more than 12 units, though its amended definitions arguably reach them already, and Eaton and Longmont apply it now. By the same date, every local government with land-use and zoning power, counties included, must regulate live turf grass in new residential development and redevelopment. That second rule is about live grass, not artificial turf (HB25-1113).
Check before you plan
It depends on the address and the date. A rule can change between our check and your project, and many yards also sit under an HOA or a special district with rules of their own. Check the current rule for your address with the town and your HOA before you design.
Is this legal advice?
No. This page summarizes public statutes and town codes as of the checked date. For a dispute with an HOA or a town, talk to a Colorado attorney.
Questions
Questions about the rules.
Can I put artificial turf in my front yard in Greeley?
Not today. City staff describe the current rule plainly: artificial turf is prohibited in front yards of houses. A draft change would allow it with a permit, trees and live plantings, but as of September 24, 2026 no ordinance had been adopted.
Does SB24-005 ban artificial turf at my house?
No. Since January 1, 2026 it bars nonfunctional artificial turf in new development and redevelopment on commercial, institutional and industrial property, HOA common property and street rights-of-way. Single-family lots are outside it, though a town’s own code can still set rules.
Do I need a permit to install artificial turf?
In Firestone, yes: a town permit comes first, with no fee for single-family homes. None of the other town codes we could read sets a turf permit for an existing home, and Greeley’s draft change would add one for front yards. Your HOA’s approval is a separate step.
Is a putting green allowed in an HOA common area or at a business?
State law allows it: putting and chipping greens are functional artificial turf, which the state’s ban does not reach. But state law lets a town be stricter, and some are: Fort Collins bars artificial turf from development landscape plans, with a Director exception only for an athletic field of play, and so does Timnath; Windsor allows functional turf only by the Director’s exception; and Evans says artificial turf is not acceptable for public or common areas. Check the town code and the HOA’s rules first.
Does artificial turf have to be PFAS-free in Colorado?
It can’t contain intentionally added PFAS. Since January 1, 2026, Colorado law bars anyone from installing artificial turf that contains intentionally added PFAS chemicals; the law is about PFAS added on purpose, not every trace. Ask for the product’s PFAS documentation before you sign.
Can an HOA keep turf it installed on common areas before 2026?
State law lets a local government allow turf installed before January 1, 2026 to be maintained. Whether a full replacement counts as maintenance is untested, so ask your town before you plan one.
Sources
Where this comes from.
Not legal advice. This page reflects its sources as they read on September 25, 2026. Rules, rates and programs change; each link goes to the public source it came from.
Show every source31
- SB23-178 signed act: C.R.S. 38-33.3-106.5(1)(i) and (i.5), and 37-60-126(11)(a.5) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- SB24-005 signed act: C.R.S. 37-99-102 and 37-99-103 · checked Sep 24, 2026
- HB25-1113 signed act: C.R.S. 37-99-102(6.5), 37-99-103(1) and (5), 37-99-104 · checked Sep 24, 2026
- SB24-081 bill summary (as enacted), Colorado General Assembly · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Windsor Municipal Code Sec. 15-3-20(b)(2) (codified through Ord. No. 2026-1749, July 13, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Windsor Municipal Code Sec. 15-3-10(b)(1) (codified through Ord. No. 2026-1749, July 13, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Fort Collins Land Use Code 5.10.1(A) and (D)(2)(d), Ordinance No. 008, 2025 · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Fort Collins City Code Sec. 12-120 (codified through Ord. No. 078, 2026, July 21, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- City of Loveland, Landscape Changes project page (Ordinance 6819) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Greeley Municipal Code Sec. 24-802 (Ord. No. 36, 2021; codified through Ord. No. 16, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Greeley Planning Commission agenda packet, July 14, 2026: Artificial Turf (Council Initiative) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Greeley City Council work session packet, Sept. 22, 2026: Status Report of Council Initiatives · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Platteville Code of Ordinances Sec. 7-1-30(s) (codified through Ord. No. 2025-851, Dec. 16, 2025) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Town of Johnstown, New Lawn Permit (quoting Municipal Code Sec. 13-151(c)(6)) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Berthoud Code of Ordinances on Municode (codified through Ord. No. 1367, Nov. 10, 2025) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Firestone Development Code 16.6.4 (codified through Ord. No. 1072, Dec. 10, 2025) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Mead Municipal Code on Municode (codified through Ord. No. 1075, April 14, 2025) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Frederick Land Use Code (2026, effective June 1, 2026), Secs. 16-1-100 and 16-4-80, Town PDF · checked Sep 25, 2026
- Town of Timnath Ordinance No. 28, Series 2025 (adopted Dec. 9, 2025), Exhibit A: Land Use Code Sec. 5.7.7.1 · checked Sep 25, 2026
- Johnstown Land Use and Development Code Sec. 17-8-2(E), added by Ordinance No. 2025-279 (Town Council packet, Dec. 1, 2025) · checked Sep 25, 2026
- Johnstown Land Use and Development Code Sec. 17-8-4(E)(2), Town PDF (effective Dec. 5, 2023) · checked Sep 25, 2026
- Longmont Land Development Code Sec. 15.05.040.C.4.a.i (codified through Ord. No. O-2026-39, June 23, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Wellington Municipal Code Sec. 15-5-40 (codified through Ord. No. 07-2026, July 14, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Severance Municipal Code Sec. 7-5-10 (codified through Ord. No. 2025-27, Dec. 9, 2025) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Evans Municipal Code Sec. 18.08.020 (codified through Ord. No. 855-26, Jan. 6, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Eaton Municipal Code Sec. 7-13-2 (Ord. 668, 2025; codified through Nov. 20, 2025) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Milliken Municipal Code Secs. 16-3-303 and 16-3-305(c) (codified through Ord. No. 838, March 25, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Dacono Municipal Code Sec. 16-657(g) (codified through Ord. No. 1011, March 9, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026
- Dacono Municipal Code Sec. 16-651, Application (codified through Ord. No. 1011, March 9, 2026) · checked Sep 25, 2026
- Dacono Ordinance No. 1016, amending Municipal Code Sec. 16-656(d) (adopted May 11, 2026; City Council packet, item GB-D) · checked Sep 25, 2026
- Weld County Charter and County Code on Municode (codified through June 8, 2026) · checked Sep 24, 2026
Next step
Ready to plan your yard? Let’s walk it together.
Tell us about your yard and how to reach you, and we’ll set up a time to come out.
Book a yard walk
Five quick questions. Then we’ll reach out to set a time.
- 1Your project
- 2Your town
- 3Size
- 4HOA and timing
- 5Contact