Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-07-01
1 of Colorado's 64 counties — 2% — require no residential building permit and have no county-wide zoning in their unincorporated areas. That is the 22nd-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Baca County (41/100). Every entry below cites the county’s own official source.
Rules change, and cities inside these counties set their own — treat this as a verified starting point, not legal advice. All 623 counties nationwide → Colorado: no building codes → Colorado: no zoning → Full Colorado profile →
1 of 64 Colorado counties · sorted by Index score
Baca County is one of the Colorado counties without a local building department; the state Division of Housing regulates only factory-built/manufactured structures, and the coun…
Colorado Division of Housing - Jurisdictions without Building Departments ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Colorado state page for all 64 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.
General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.
