Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado

At a glance

Building permit

Handled by the Village's Building Division, applied for online¹

Fire code permit

Required to construct, alter or change occupancy of a building³

Certificate of occupancy

Required for major additions and new single-family homes¹

Septic

Arapahoe County Public Health permits septic systems in the county²

Floodplain

New homes in flood hazard areas need the lowest floor one foot above base flood elevation⁴

Camping

Not allowed in city parks and trails without a City Manager permit⁵

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado?

Cherry Hills Village runs its own building permit process, and the Village Building Division now handles applying, paying, plan review results and inspection scheduling through one online portal¹. Inside the village, a fire code permit is also required for anyone who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building³. A copy of the approved fire district permit is needed before the Village issues a building permit¹. We could not confirm the Village's own general building permit rule beyond those pages, so ask the Building Division what your project needs.

Arapahoe County's building permit rules, by contrast, apply to unincorporated land only⁶; the county's own page says its services cover unincorporated parts of the county only.

Does Cherry Hills Village have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and tiny homes?

Arapahoe County's Land Development Code covers unincorporated areas only, so it does not govern lots inside village limits⁷. The Village's own site links a zoning map under its Community Development pages¹. We could not confirm district lot sizes, setbacks, tiny-home rules or minimum home size for the village. Ask the Village Center at the number below before you buy.

One rule we did confirm: camping, or placing a tent, trailer or structure, on City property such as parks and trails is unlawful without a permit from the City Manager⁵. That rule covers city property; we did not confirm the village's rules for living in an RV on private land.

How do septic permits work in Cherry Hills Village?

Colorado requires a permit from the local public health agency before anyone constructs, alters, installs or uses an on-site wastewater system⁸. In Arapahoe County that agency is Arapahoe County Public Health, which says a septic permit is required for new installations, expansions, repairs and use⁹. A use permit is also required when a property is sold or changes ownership⁹.

We could not confirm whether a particular Cherry Hills Village lot is on a septic system or a public sewer connection. Ask the seller, and call Arapahoe County Public Health¹⁰ to check records for the address.

Building a home in Cherry Hills Village: the steps, in order

1. Call the Village Building Division at the Village Center to confirm which permits your project needs¹.
2. Check whether the parcel sits in a Special Flood Hazard Area; new homes there need the lowest floor elevated one foot above base flood elevation⁴.
3. Get the fire district approval, which the Village requires before it issues a building permit¹.
4. Apply through the Village's online permit portal and upload your plans¹.
5. If the lot uses septic, get the Arapahoe County Public Health permit⁹.
6. Finish the final inspections; a certificate of occupancy is required for new single-family homes and major additions¹.

What stays with Arapahoe County, and what should you check before you buy?

Septic permits stay with Arapahoe County Public Health². For land outside village limits, the county's own building, zoning and floodplain rules apply to unincorporated Arapahoe County only⁶.

Before buying inside the village, check for flood hazard areas, because elevation certification by a Colorado registered professional engineer, architect or land surveyor is part of the floodplain standard⁴. Also confirm the lot's zoning district with the Village Center, since we could not confirm district-level rules.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm Cherry Hills Village's general building permit rule, fee schedule, owner-builder rules, well rules or septic arrangements; call the Village Center¹.
• Arapahoe County's building and zoning rules apply to unincorporated land, not to lots inside Cherry Hills Village⁶.
• Camping on Village parks and trails requires a City Manager permit⁵.

Sources

1. Cherry Hills Village Building Division (cherryhillsvillage.com)
2. Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
3. Sec. 18-10-20. Amendments (International Fire Code) (Cherry Hills Village), quoted and re-checked
4. Sec. 16-5-220. Specific standards for flood hazard reduction (Cherry Hills Village), quoted and re-checked
5. Sec. 11-3-90. Parking or camping (Cherry Hills Village), quoted and re-checked
6. Building, quoted and re-checked
7. Codes, Criteria And Ordinances, quoted and re-checked
8. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
10. Arapahoe County Public Health – Environmental Health (arapahoeco.gov)

Written October 16, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.