Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Jamestown, Colorado

Town of Jamestown’s own rules

• Building code adoptedPartial

  Building construction inside Jamestown town limits

  • Evidence is the ordinance title on the town index only; the ordinance text was not opened, so the adopted code editions and any Boulder County code references are unverified.
  • Boulder County states it does not have building code jurisdiction over towns in Boulder County, so the town is the rule-maker for building codes inside its limits.

  “2026 ord 7-01 building standards to conform with international and county building standards and codes”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units on lots inside Jamestown town limits, under 2014 Ord 3

  • Owner occupancy required: the owner must occupy either the principal unit or the ADU as a permanent residence, and cannot receive rent for the owner-occupied unit.
  • ADUs may not be added to apartment houses or lots containing multiple dwelling units.
  • The number of ADUs on a property is limited to one.
  • ADU size is at most 50% of the single-family dwelling square footage (excluding garage or storage shed), with minimum 300 square feet and maximum 1200 square feet.
  • The town index lists later ADU ordinances (2020 Ord 04 01 and 2024 Ord 7-2) that were not opened and may change these terms.
  • The 2014 ordinance recites that 1984 Ord 2 restricts construction within the municipal water service area to single-family residences.

  maximum ADU size: <= 1200 square feet · minimum ADU size: >= 300 square feet · ADUs per property: <= 1 units

  “the number of adus on a property shall be limited to one.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New homes inside Jamestown town limits on property within the town water service area (water only)

  • Water service applies within the water service area, which the ordinance defines as within 1000 feet of an existing main.
  • Tap permits are issued only for properties adjacent to an existing main unless the town agrees to an extension under section 9.
  • This is 2014 Ord 17; the index also lists a 2015 Ord 01 waterworks ordinance that was not opened and may supersede these terms.
  • No sewer connection rule was found; see the sewer claim.

  water service area distance from existing main: <= 1000 feet (tap permits issued only at properties adjacent to an existing main unless the town agrees to an extension)

  “the water service area of the town shall be that area within 1000 feet of any existing water main. however, water tap permits shall be issued for use only at properties adjacent to an existing water main unless arrangements are made to extend the existing water main in accordance with section 9 of this ordinance.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Water tap connection fee for new water service inside Jamestown town limits (water tap permit)

  • Fee is a minimum amount and is set by resolution, so the current amount must be checked against the town's annual fee resolution.
  • Applies to connections up to 3/4 inch from main to curb; larger connections are under a different section.
  • This is 2014 Ord 17; the 2015 Ord 01 waterworks ordinance and its rate schedule were not opened.

  water tap connection fee (minimum): >= 16000 USD (connections up to 3/4 inch from main to curb; fee set by resolution)

  “(a) new water service: connections of any size up to ¾ inch, from main to curb shall be a minimum of $16,000, which fee shall be set by resolution.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Jamestown

Town of Jamestown does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) on land inside Jamestown town limits, administered by Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) under the Boulder County board of health

  • Applies only if Jamestown town does not maintain its own public health agency; the town's status was not verified.
  • Regulations cover OWTS with design capacity of 2,000 gallons per day or less.
  • Section 2.5 of the regulations (heading shown on the page) prohibits OWTS where public sewer service is available and feasible; the operative text of section 2.5 was not read, and whether Jamestown has public sewer was not verified.
  • Evidence is the 2024 PDF; a 2026 revision was proposed on the county site and was not reviewed.

  design capacity threshold: <= 2000 gallons per day

  “the jurisdiction of boulder county public health (“bcph”) extends over all unincorporated areas and over all municipal corporations within the territorial limits of boulder county, colorado, but not over the territory of any municipal corporation that maintains its own public health agency.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Onsite wastewater systems in the 100-year floodplain inside Jamestown town limits (septic only; general town floodplain development not verified)

  • Applies to OWTS only. The county text points to the municipality's own floodplain regulations.
  • The town index lists 2012 Ord 08 floodplain management and 2024 Ord 09-03 floodplain management amendments, which were not opened.

  “new or repair/replacement of an owts located in a 100-year floodplain within the territorial limits of a municipality that is subject to these regulations must meet the requirements of the local municipal floodplain regulations for that jurisdiction.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Jamestown or Boulder County directly.

• Building permit — New construction inside Jamestown town limits
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Jamestown town limits
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Jamestown town limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Jamestown town limits
• Local zoning — Land inside Jamestown town limits (Jamestown, CO, Boulder County; P.O. Box 298, Jamestown, CO 80455)

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.