Home Improvement Contractors Near You in Johnstown
Johnstown Exterior Remodeling on Both Sides of the County Line
Johnstown sits in two counties, with most of the town in Weld and the rest in Larimer. The Census Bureau counted 9,887 residents in 2010 and estimated 22,433 by July 2025, more than double. The Town's comprehensive plan notes that, as of 2019, nearly three-quarters of homes here were built in 2000 or later.
So a lot of Johnstown projects involve newer homes: first fences, first decks, and windows or doors that are starting to show their age. Many newer neighborhoods have common areas owned by metropolitan districts, and some of the more traditional ones have HOAs, so it's worth checking yours before you plan exterior changes. The original town has deeper roots. The Great Western Sugar Factory went up here in 1925, and the Town's plan describes a historic downtown and traditional neighborhoods. An older home near downtown is a different project than a five-year-old house on the edge of town. Country Construction LLC has been doing exterior work across Northern Colorado since 2007, and we're glad to take on either one. Here's what Johnstown homeowners should know before a project starts.
Who Issues Your Johnstown Permit
Permits inside town limits go through the Town of Johnstown, which contracts with SafeBuilt for plan review and inspections. If your address says Johnstown but you're outside town limits, your county handles permits instead. In Larimer County, that's the county building division, which covers the unincorporated areas.
Here's how the common exterior projects break down:
- Window and door replacement needs a permit, even for like-for-like units, with a turnaround of 7 to 14 business days.
- Adding or replacing a deck needs a permit, with caisson and footing, rough framing and final inspections.
- Residential fencing is on the Town's "permit not required" list.
- Re-siding needs a permit once the job tops 100 square feet, per the Town's permit list.
- Retaining walls more than 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, need a permit. That matters if a fence or deck sits on a terraced yard.
- Storm windows don't need a permit.
Johnstown adopted the 2024 International Residential Code on January 1, 2026. Before you sketch a deck, check your plat: the Town says side and rear setbacks and easements are typically 5 feet minimum.
Johnstown Fence Height and Placement
No permit doesn't mean no rules. On a home's front yard, a solid fence can be up to 3 feet tall, or up to 4 feet if it's at least 50 percent open. Side and rear fences can reach 6 feet behind the front building line. The fence has to sit on your own property. Along a shared lot line, it either goes on the line with the finished side facing out or sits at least 3 feet back. Any retaining wall or berm it's built on counts toward its height, and no fence can block the drainage flow planned for the subdivision. The code lists wood, vinyl, decorative iron and masonry among the approved materials. Before posts go in, request a utility locate through Colorado 811 at least three days ahead.
Some neighborhoods add their own specs on top of the Town code. Thompson River Ranch's planned unit development standards, for example, call for solid privacy fences between adjacent lots in its carriage-home clusters. Check your plat and HOA or metro district rules before you settle on vinyl privacy fencing or another style.
Hail, Soil and Floodplains
Johnstown gets real hail, and siding and windows take the hit. Preliminary storm reports compiled by the Storm Prediction Center include 1.75-inch hail in Johnstown in May 2024 and a 2-inch report two miles northeast of town in June 2025.
The ground is the other challenge. The Colorado Geological Survey calls expansive soil Colorado's most significant geologic hazard, and says these swelling clays underlie many populated areas of the state. For deck footings and fence posts, depth and drainage matter, and a deck stairs repair that ignores heaving posts won't last.
Water is the third. The Big Thompson and Little Thompson river corridors flooded severely in 2013, and new FEMA floodplain maps took effect in 2021. If your parcel touches the FEMA 100-year floodplain, the Town requires a floodplain development permit with the building permit, even when the deck itself stays out of the floodplain.
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Why Johnstown Homeowners Choose Country Construction
Since 2007, we've provided quality craftsmanship to residents and property managers across Northern Colorado. We're a licensed and insured company, we're LEED- and EPA-certified, and we remain compliant with all building codes and practices. Owner James Westers has been recognized as a Gold Star Installer for Lowe's of Fort Collins. We cover windows, doors, siding, fencing, decking and exterior trim, so one call covers a project that touches more than one part of the house.
Customer Testimonials
Eleanor Shelton
James and his crew were very professional and built a beautiful deck and pergola for us. They arrived on time and were friendly throughout the two week process. They never cut corners and did everything exactly the way it should be done. We would highly recommend this company.
Gene Dinkey
I had Country Construction replace several doors in my home. James was great to work with, timely and communicative. The work was completed in less than a day and we are very pleased with the results.
Justin Ernst
James did an awesome job at replacing my front door that has a commercial steel frame. I’ve used him several times as well at replacing and retro fitting windows around our older home
Nancy Campbell
Prompt, courteous, communicative, available, expertise and knowledge with our window installation. Will call James again with various home projects!
Get a Free Quote in Johnstown
From siding maintenance after a hail season to a backyard fence on a new lot, we're ready to look at your Johnstown project. Get your free quote and tell us what you have in mind.
Feel free to reach out to us for more information or to schedule a consultation!
Nearby Areas We Serve
We also build and repair decks, fences, windows, doors and siding in Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, Laporte and Timnath. See every town we cover on our Northern Colorado service areas page.