Civil Engineering in Fort Collins, Colorado.
We work with developers, architects, and landowners on civil engineering for Fort Collins land development, from CSU-anchored multifamily and student housing to North College Avenue URA, Midtown / MAX BRT TOD, craft-brewing / light industrial, and edge growth toward Timnath and Windsor.
Licensed Professional Engineer in Colorado. The engineer designing your Fort Collins project is the same engineer answering your call.
(612) 567-2154 →How stormwater is regulated in Fort Collins.
Fort Collins is outside MHFD and runs its own stormwater program with basin master plans and city-specific IDF curves. Generic Front Range drainage methods don't apply.
Fort Collins Utilities administers its own Stormwater Criteria Manual with basin master plans (Poudre, Spring Creek, Old Town, Foothills, Canal Importation) and city-specific IDF curves often higher than NOAA Atlas 14.
Outside city limits in unincorporated Larimer County, the county's own Stormwater Design Standards apply. GMA-edge parcels frequently sit at the boundary.
State construction stormwater permit. SWPPP and inspection cadence are standard scope on any one-acre-plus disturbance.
Who reviews a Fort Collins project.
A typical Fort Collins land development project moves through city, county, state, and federal review. We coordinate the full stack.
Site plan, engineering, traffic, utilities, and Land Use Code review. PFA for fire access and water supply.
GMA-edge and unincorporated parcels under county jurisdiction. County stormwater standards and county-road access.
Access and frontage permits on I-25, US-287 (College Avenue), Hwy 14, and other state routes.
CDPS-COR400 permit, plus Section 404 review for Cache la Poudre and Spring Creek WOTUS impacts.
Access roadway, hydrant spacing, and water supply review on every development.
What's different about engineering in Fort Collins.
A few things shape how a project actually moves in Fort Collins. We design with these baked in from day one.
- •City-specific stormwater methods, not MHFD. Fort Collins uses its own IDF curves and basin-master-plan-controlled release rates. Drainage reports must match the city's framework.
- •Triple Bottom Line review lens. Economic, environmental, and social factors weigh into city decisions. Sustainability scope often appears in the civil package.
- •Cache la Poudre floodplain and corridor. Riverfront and adjacent sites pull in floodplain modeling, corridor design, and potentially city-designated higher-than-FEMA standards.
- •MAX BRT TOD overlay. Along the Midtown / College Avenue corridor. Station-area design, density bonuses, and structured parking integration.
- •Growth Management Area (GMA) boundary. Joint city / Larimer County framework that gates annexation and service. Edge-of-GMA projects need both agencies in the loop.
What we work on in Fort Collins.
Dense site coverage, structured parking, city stormwater compliance, and TOD overlay along the MAX BRT corridor.
Site reuse, urban renewal financing, and city stormwater retrofit in the North College basin.
Process water, large-site stormwater, truck circulation, and Larimer County / city coordination along Mulberry / Lemay corridors.
GMA-edge platting, Larimer County coordination, basin-master-plan stormwater, and CDOT access on I-25 frontage parcels.
Common questions about civil engineering in Fort Collins.
Why don't MHFD criteria apply in Fort Collins?
Fort Collins is outside the Mile High Flood District service area and operates its own Stormwater Criteria Manual under Fort Collins Utilities. The city uses its own basin master plans (Poudre, Spring Creek, Old Town, Foothills, Canal Importation, and others), city-specific Rainfall Intensity-Duration-Frequency curves, and 100-year basin-master-plan-controlled release rates. Drainage reports cannot default to MHFD methods.
What is the Triple Bottom Line review?
Fort Collins applies a Triple Bottom Line review lens (economic, environmental, social) across development decisions. It can influence which review tracks a project moves through, sustainability requirements, and how staff evaluate proposed designs. We address sustainability and resilience scope early on city-assisted or large projects.
How does the Cache la Poudre floodplain affect site design?
Cache la Poudre River floodplain and Poudre River corridor overlays apply to riverfront and adjacent sites. Some basin master plans set city-designated higher standards than FEMA baseline. Floodplain modeling and corridor design are routine on river-adjacent projects.
Do you work on MAX BRT corridor TOD projects?
Yes. The Transit-Oriented Development Overlay along the MAX BRT corridor (Midtown / College Avenue) governs station-area design. Form-based standards, density expectations, and pedestrian connectivity shape site coverage and stormwater layout.
Do you coordinate CDOT Region 4 permits for Fort Collins projects?
Yes. Fort Collins sits in CDOT Region 4. Access and frontage permits are commonly required on I-25, US-287 (College Avenue), Hwy 14, and SH 287. We prepare and submit CDOT applications as part of the civil package.
Working on a Fort Collins project?
Tell us about the site. You'll get a same-business-day response from Paul, with a real read on the civil scope, basin master plan implications, and likely permitting timeline.