Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Town of Columbine Valley, Colorado

At a glance

Building permit

Required for any addition, alteration, repair or conversion; issued by the town²

Who issues building permits

Town of Columbine Valley building department, not Arapahoe County¹

Building code

2021 International codes with local amendments⁴

Flood zones

Lowest floor at least one foot above base flood elevation in mapped flood hazard areas⁵

Septic

Arapahoe County Public Health permits septic systems³

RV living

Campers and motorhomes may not park on private property beyond short stays⁶

Owner-builder

Homeowners may pull a permit on their own property; subcontractors must be town-licensed²

Residential impact fee

$12,700 per new dwelling unit, paid at permit issuance⁷

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 the Town of Columbine Valley, Colorado?

Yes. The Town of Columbine Valley requires a building permit "any time there is an addition, alteration, repair or conversion to the home"². That reaches well beyond new construction: the town's own examples include reroofing, water heater replacement, remodeling a kitchen, finishing a basement and building a deck².

The town applies the 2021 International codes, with local amendments in its code that set a 36-inch frost depth, a 30 psf snow load and a 110 mph nominal wind speed⁴. A structural designer or builder working in Columbine Valley needs those local numbers, not the generic model-code defaults.

A permit is also a fee event: Columbine Valley charges a residential impact fee of $12,700 per dwelling unit (police $400, public works $10,000, municipal $2,300), paid when the building permit is issued; additions and accessory buildings that create no new dwelling unit are exempt⁷. The separate building permit fee schedule is on the town's website; we did not confirm its amounts.

Who issues building permits in Columbine Valley, and how do you reach them?

The town issues them itself. Columbine Valley states that it "has its own building department" to which building permit and contractor license applications must go before construction or remodeling starts¹. The department reviews plans, issues building permits and manages inspections¹.

Arapahoe County's Building Division does not handle addresses inside town limits; its building permit services cover unincorporated Arapahoe County only⁸. If a search sent you to the county counter, call the town instead.

Contact the Town of Columbine Valley building department at 303-795-1434, 2 Middlefield Road, Columbine Valley, CO 80123¹. Inspections are requested by phone, and a certificate of occupancy follows the final inspection once the structure is complete⁹. A failed inspection may carry a $45 re-inspection fee⁹.

Does Columbine Valley have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and tiny homes?

We could not confirm the text of Columbine Valley's zoning rules, including lot sizes, setbacks, height limits, accessory dwellings and tiny homes. The town's code refers to its own land use regulations, so ask Town Hall at 303-795-1434 which district a specific lot falls in before you rely on any dimension¹.

RV living is the clearest answer we have. The town does not permit campers, motorhomes, trailers or boats to park on public right-of-way or private property except for a visit of 48 hours or less, or under a free town permit that cannot exceed seven days per calendar year⁶. Living in an RV on a lot inside Columbine Valley is therefore not something the town's parking rules support, and homeowner associations may add their own rules⁶.

For tiny homes, Colorado treats Division of Housing-approved tiny homes as approved for long-term living, but the unit must still satisfy local zoning requirements¹⁰. Whether Columbine Valley's zoning accepts one is unconfirmed.

How do septic permits work in Columbine Valley?

Septic is not a town permit. Colorado requires a permit from the local public health agency before anyone constructs, alters, installs or uses an onsite wastewater system¹¹, and Arapahoe County Public Health permits septic installation, repair and use in the county³.

A septic permit is required for new installations, expansions, repairs and use, and a use permit is required on a sale or change of ownership of a property¹². Counties require septic tanks to be inspected every four years¹³.

We could not confirm whether a given Columbine Valley address is on a septic system or on public sewer, so ask the town building department and Arapahoe County Public Health at 303-795-4584¹². Septic and well rules apply to the property even though the town issues its building permits¹⁴.

Can you build or renovate yourself in Columbine Valley?

Partly. Columbine Valley allows homeowners to obtain a building permit for work on their own property without holding a contractor license². The town warns that do-it-yourself projects often require a building permit, and that a permit will not be issued to a homeowner when the work is done by unlicensed contractors². Any subcontractor you hire for all or part of the job must be licensed by the town².

The town also asks for HOA approval on any project that alters the exterior of the property, including windows and roofs². We could not confirm town-specific owner-builder rules beyond these, so call Town Hall for anything larger than a remodel.

Building a home in Columbine Valley: the steps, in order

1. Ask Town Hall at 303-795-1434 which zoning district and land use regulations apply to the lot; we could not confirm them¹.
2. Get HOA approval for any exterior change, if the lot has an HOA².
3. Confirm sewer or septic. If the lot has a septic system, contact Arapahoe County Public Health for a septic permit or a use permit¹².
4. Hire contractors who hold a Columbine Valley contractor license¹.
5. Apply to the town for a building permit; a new home build goes through the plan review application².
6. Pay the residential impact fee when the permit is issued⁷.
7. If the lot is in a mapped flood hazard area, the lowest floor must sit at least one foot above base flood elevation⁵.
8. Call in inspections, then get the certificate of occupancy after the final inspection⁹.

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

Arapahoe County's building permit, zoning and driveway rules cover unincorporated land only, so they do not decide questions inside Columbine Valley; see the Arapahoe County page for land outside town limits⁸. Septic permits and the Arapahoe County Public Health office are what stay with the county³.

Check flood zones first. Columbine Valley requires new residential construction in special flood hazard areas to have its lowest floor at least one foot above base flood elevation, and an engineer, architect or surveyor certification goes to the Floodplain Administrator⁵.

For costs, Arapahoe County's effective property tax rate is 0.5%¹⁵, and its typical home value is about $516,000¹⁶. These are county-wide figures, not Columbine Valley figures.

Watch-outs

• Campers and motorhomes may park in Columbine Valley only for a visit of 48 hours or less or under a free town permit capped at seven days per calendar year, so living in an RV on a lot is not supported⁶.
• We could not confirm Columbine Valley's zoning, minimum lot size, setbacks or accessory dwelling rules; ask Town Hall at 303-795-1434 before making an offer¹.
• A new home carries a $12,700 residential impact fee on top of other permit fees⁷.
• Septic permits are issued by Arapahoe County Public Health, and a use permit is required when a property with a septic system is sold¹².
• HOA approval is required for any project that alters the exterior of the property, including windows and roofs².

Sources

1. Town of Columbine Valley Building Department (columbinevalley.org)
2. Town of Columbine Valley building permits (columbinevalley.org)
3. Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
4. Columbine Valley Code Sec. 15.08.010 - International codes adopted (Town of Columbine Valley), quoted and re-checked
5. Columbine Valley Code Sec. 15.36.180 - Specific standards (floodplain) (Town of Columbine Valley), quoted and re-checked
6. Town of Columbine Valley camper and RV parking rules (columbinevalley.org)
7. Columbine Valley Code Sec. 15.60.030 - Impact fee general regulatory requirements (Town of Columbine Valley), quoted and re-checked
8. Building, quoted and re-checked
9. Town of Columbine Valley inspections (columbinevalley.org)
10. Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Arapahoe County Public Health – Environmental Health (arapahoeco.gov)
13. Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
14. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
16. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data

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.