By Prerna Kapoor, CLHMS | REAL Brokerage | November 11, 2026
This Highlands Ranch winter home maintenance checklist comes down to four rule books: Highlands Ranch Water for your pipes and sprinklers, Douglas County for your sidewalk, the HRCA for lights and trash cans, and the basic systems advice from ENERGY STAR and the fire administration. Miss the sidewalk rule and the county can clear the snow and send you the bill. Miss the sprinkler drain and a cold snap can crack a valve.
Every year around now I get the same set of questions from Highlands Ranch homeowners, so I pulled the actual published rules. If you want the town picture first, start with my Living in Highlands Ranch guide. And if winter has you wondering what your home is worth before spring, a quick home value check takes a couple of minutes.
Water First: Sprinklers, Pipes and Winter Watering
Highlands Ranch Water is the public name of the Centennial Water and Sanitation District, and its conservation page says irrigation systems should be shut off for the year in the second week of October. If you have not drained yours yet, do it now. The district’s freezing pipes page gives four steps: turn off the water to the sprinkler system inside the home, open the test cocks at the vacuum breaker and set the ball valves to 45 degrees, open the valve box drain (or run the clock manually), and open the drain nipple downstairs.
The same page covers the rest of the house. Shut off and drain outdoor faucets before a freeze. The usual trouble spots are unheated crawl spaces, pipes along exterior walls and the plumbing under kitchen sinks. If water at a fixture is sputtering, or the water is under 35 degrees, treat it as a warning sign. Thaw with a hair dryer or a portable heater, not a flame. My spring irrigation checklist covers the startup side in April.
One more thing. The district’s drought resource center showed Stage 1 restrictions in early November: two watering days a week, no irrigation between 10 am and 6 pm. In winter, residential customers get an extra 1,000 gallons per billing period for supplemental outdoor watering, meant for a hose or hose-end sprinkler about once every two weeks in dry spells when it is above 40 degrees and there is no snow cover. Do not turn the irrigation system back on to do it.
The 24-Hour Sidewalk Rule
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Highlands Ranch is unincorporated Douglas County, and the county’s snow removal brochure says owners must clear the sidewalks around their property within 24 hours after the snow stops. Snow cannot be pushed into the street. The brochure describes a written notice that gives 24 hours, after which the county may clear the snow and bill the owner, including by lien. A violation is a Class 2 petty offense with a fine of up to $50, and the window can be extended after an extreme snowfall.
That brochure was last modified in 2022, so check the county’s current page before you quote the $50 figure to anyone. The county, not the HRCA, plows the roads in Highlands Ranch. For plow order and how nearby suburbs handle sidewalks, see my south Denver snow removal guide.
HRCA Rules for Holiday Lights and Trash Cans
The HRCA’s Residential Improvement Guidelines (updated June 2025) say temporary holiday lighting and decorations do not need committee approval. Lighting is permitted from October 1 through January 31 and has to be off each night by 11 pm. Strobe, flash and pulse sequences are out. Gutter clips and hooks need to come down within 30 days after the holiday, weather permitting.
Trash containers may not go to the street before 7 pm the evening before pickup, and they need to be back out of street view, behind a wing fence or in the garage, the same day. Lids stay tightly closed. Your sub-association may add its own winter rules, so read yours too. If you are sorting out which fees and rules sit on which layer, my post on the three fee layers in Highlands Ranch is the place to start, and the trash service guide covers hauling.
Furnace, Vents, CO Alarms and Ice Dams
ENERGY STAR says to check your furnace filter every month in heavy-use months and change it at least every three months. The fire administration’s carbon monoxide guidance says to keep dryer, furnace, stove and fireplace vents clear of snow and debris, and to put CO alarms outside each sleeping area and on every level. Worth knowing: the state law, C.R.S. 38-45-102, applies when a home is sold or transferred and asks for an operating alarm within 15 feet of the entrance to each sleeping room, which is narrower than the every-level advice. For equipment rules, see my furnace law post.
For ice dams, the University of Minnesota Extension (not Colorado-specific) says the main cause is warm, moist house air leaking into the attic, and the fix is to air-seal the ceiling first, then add insulation. ENERGY STAR agrees that air sealing comes before attic insulation. Roof work in winter is dangerous, so hire a professional.
Quick answers
When should sprinklers be shut off in Highlands Ranch? Highlands Ranch Water says the second week of October.
How long do I have to shovel the sidewalk? Douglas County’s brochure says 24 hours after the snow stops, for unincorporated Highlands Ranch.
How long can holiday lights stay up? The HRCA guidelines allow lighting from October 1 to January 31, off by 11 pm each night.
If you are thinking about selling this winter or next spring, I am always happy to talk it through. No pressure either way. Sources: Highlands Ranch Water; Douglas County; HRCA Residential Improvement Guidelines; ENERGY STAR; USFA; University of Minnesota Extension; C.R.S. 38-45-102.
Prerna Kapoor | REALTOR® | Luxury Home Specialist
REAL Brokerage | 720-949-5450 | info@prernakapoor.com
CLHMS • RENE • PSA • ABR | International Sterling Society Award Winner
Prerna specializes in residential real estate across Parker, Aurora, Lone Tree, Castle Pines,
Highlands Ranch, Cherry Creek, Greenwood Village, and Centennial. She speaks English, Japanese,
and Hindi.
