Bolthole Index

Chaffee County, Colorado

Zoning, building permits and RV rules in the Town of Buena Vista, Colorado

The Town of Buena Vista, Colorado adopts its own zoning, and its planning department approves new construction inside town limits1. The town has no building department of its own; Chaffee County reviews building permits under a contract2. RV stays on a private lot are capped by a town permit3. Septic permits fall under state rules, and we could not confirm which office issues them inside town, so ask Chaffee County4.

At a glance

Zoning
Town of Buena Vista sets its own zoning districts56
Building permit
Town planning approval plus a Chaffee County building permit72
Septic
State permit required for septic; issuing office inside town not confirmed4
RV living
Limited: town permit, 21 user days per quarter3
Manufactured homes
Allowed anywhere in town, subject to the municipal code8
Floodplain
Floodplain development permit required in flood hazard areas9
Wells
State well permit required for new wells10

Who to call

Planning & zoning

Town of Buena Vista Planning Department

Zoning questions, town approval of new construction, fences, sheds and accessory structures, subdivision and annexation inside town limits

719-581-1166

[email protected]

713 East Main Street Buena Vista, CO 81211

Building permits

Town of Buena Vista building permits

Town permit authorization, submitted to the planning department; building review is contracted to Chaffee County

Building permits

Chaffee County Building Safety Department

County building permit review for projects inside Buena Vista; also the county's contact for septic (OWTS) questions

719-539-2124

104 Crestone Avenue

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

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Buena Vista means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Buena Vista, Colorado have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The Town of Buena Vista adopts its own zoning through its Unified Development Code, separate from Chaffee County's rules for unincorporated land5. Residential districts include R-1 and R-1.5, and the code also lists R-2, R-3, MU-1, MU-2, MU-MS, HC, I-1, OSR, AP and an Old Town Overlay6. The town's online zoning map lets you search an address to find its district1.

In the R-1 single-family district, the minimum lot area is 6,500 sq ft, or 13,000 sq ft for a two-family dwelling11. R-1 setbacks are 25 ft front, 5 ft side and 15 ft rear, and the Old Town Overlay relaxes them12. Building height is capped at 30 ft for the main building and 25 ft for accessory buildings13. Building coverage is limited to 40% on lots under half an acre and 20% on larger lots14. Other districts have different numbers, so check the parcel's district first.

Do you need a building permit in Buena Vista, and who issues it?

Yes, inside Buena Vista town limits you need two approvals. New construction, additions, accessory structures and structural or plumbing changes need approval through the town planning department1. Buena Vista has no building department of its own and contracts building review out to Chaffee County, so a project needs both a town building permit authorization and a county building permit2.

Submit the town authorization and the county application to the town planning office; the county building permit fee is paid directly to the county7. The county's Building Safety Department answers questions about the county permit7. Applications run through the town's online permitting portal, and the town fee schedule governs town fees. Septic and floodplain approvals are separate, covered below.

How do septic permits work inside Buena Vista?

Colorado law requires a permit to construct, alter or install an onsite wastewater treatment system on a building that is not served by a sewage treatment works4. The state also requires a final inspection by the local public health agency before the system is used15. A lot connected to town sewer does not need its own septic system.

We could not confirm which office issues septic permits for parcels inside Buena Vista, or whether every lot in town has sewer access. Outside town, Chaffee County administers onsite wastewater systems under its own regulations and requires an approved OWTS permit before a building permit16. Call the Chaffee County Building Safety Department before you buy a lot to confirm whether sewer is available and, if not, who permits a septic system7.

Can you live in an RV in Buena Vista?

Only briefly. Inside Buena Vista, a recreational vehicle may be occupied on a private parcel in residential and mixed-use districts for no more than 21 user days in any calendar quarter, and the stay needs a town permit3. Living in an RV for dwelling use beyond that is limited to approved recreational vehicle parks, and occupying an RV on public property or right-of-way is prohibited3.

Camping on private property in town is separate: residents and their invitees may camp no more than two nights in any calendar month without a special use permit, and the Town Administrator can permit up to 21 days per calendar quarter17. Manufactured homes, by contrast, may be placed anywhere in town if they meet the municipal code, including flood elevation rules8. We could not confirm a town rule for tiny homes; ask the planning department1.

Building a home in Buena Vista: the steps, in order

  1. Find the parcel's zoning district on the town's zoning map and check lot size, setbacks and height for that district1.
  2. Ask Chaffee County whether the lot has town sewer, and if not, how an onsite wastewater system is permitted7.
  3. If the lot lies in a flood hazard area, plan for a floodplain development permit from the town's Floodplain Administrator9.
  4. If you need a new well, Colorado requires a well permit for every new groundwater-diverting well10.
  5. Submit the town building permit authorization and the county building permit application together to the town planning office2.
  6. Pay the county building permit fee directly to the county7.

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

Land outside town limits falls under Chaffee County's own rules, not the town's; see the Chaffee County guide for unincorporated land. The county also reviews building permits for projects inside the town2.

Before you buy inside Buena Vista, confirm the zoning district, sewer or septic arrangements, and whether the parcel is in a flood hazard area, where a floodplain development permit is required before construction9. Property tax runs at a county-level effective rate of 0.3%18. Direct driveway access to a state highway needs a state access permit19.

Watch-outs

  • Buena Vista requires both a town building permit authorization and a Chaffee County building permit, so a project can stall if only one is filed2.
  • We could not confirm which office issues septic permits inside Buena Vista, the building code the county applies there, permit fees or whether accessory dwellings are allowed; call the Town Planning Department or the Chaffee County Building Safety Department1.
  • An RV can be occupied on a private parcel for 21 user days per calendar quarter only with a town permit, and the permit is revocable3.

Sources

  1. Town of Buena Vista Planning Department (buenavistaco.gov)
  2. Town of Buena Vista building permits (buenavistaco.gov)
  3. Buena Vista Municipal Code Sec. 8-44 Storage of recreational/camping vehicles (Town of Buena Vista), quoted and re-checked
  4. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. Buena Vista Municipal Code, UDC Sec. 2.3 Residential districts (Town of Buena Vista), quoted and re-checked
  6. Buena Vista Municipal Code, UDC Sec. 2.3 Residential districts (Town of Buena Vista), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chaffee County Building Safety Department (buenavistaco.gov)
  8. Buena Vista Municipal Code, UDC Sec. 3.2 Use-specific standards (Town of Buena Vista), quoted and re-checked
  9. Buena Vista Municipal Code Sec. 18-163 Flood regulations definitions (Town of Buena Vista), quoted and re-checked
  10. Water Administration (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Buena Vista Municipal Code, UDC Sec. 2.3 Residential districts (Town of Buena Vista), quoted and re-checked
  12. Buena Vista Municipal Code, UDC Sec. 2.3 Residential districts (Town of Buena Vista), quoted and re-checked
  13. Buena Vista Municipal Code, UDC Sec. 2.3 Residential districts (Town of Buena Vista), quoted and re-checked
  14. Buena Vista Municipal Code, UDC Sec. 2.3 Residential districts (Town of Buena Vista), quoted and re-checked
  15. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Building Permit Application Guide, quoted and re-checked
  17. Buena Vista Municipal Code Sec. 7-201 Camping on private property (Town of Buena Vista), quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Access Permits | Frequently Asked Questions (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Buena Vista

Town of Buena Vista’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Buena Vista town limits

    “the r-1 district is intended primarily for low-density single-family detached dwellings.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Residential zoning districts R-1, R-1.5 and others in Buena Vista town

    • Other districts include R-2, R-3, MU-1, MU-2, MU-MS, HC, I-1, OSR, AP and an Old Town Overlay.
    “the r-1.5 district is intended primarily for small lots with single-family detached dwellings”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 low-density single-family district inside Buena Vista town

    • Two-family dwelling on a single lot: 13,000 sq ft.
    • Old Town Overlay: no minimum lot area for single-family dwellings; 2,500 sq ft for two-family.
    • R-1.5 district (parcels of 5+ acres) has a 5,500 sq ft minimum, reducible to 3,500 sq ft if conditions are met.

    minimum lot area R-1 single-family: >= 6500 sq ft (none in Old Town Overlay)

    “lot area, min. (square feet) 6,500, 13,000 [4] 0, 2,500 [6]”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1 low-density single-family district inside Buena Vista town

    • Old Town Overlay: front 15 ft (18 ft for garages not abutting an alley), side 3 ft, rear 5 ft (zero if alley present).
    • Accessory structures: rear 0 ft with alley, 5 ft without alley.

    front setback min: >= 25 ft · side setback min: >= 5 ft · rear setback min: >= 15 ft

    “front setback, min. (feet) 25 15; 18 feet for garages on lots not abutting an alley front setback, max. (feet) none 25 side setback, min. (feet) 5 3”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-1 low-density single-family district inside Buena Vista town

    • 20% for lots one-half acre or larger; 40% for lots under one-half acre.
    • Old Town Overlay: 60%.

    max building coverage, lots under 0.5 acre: <= 40 percent (20% for lots of 0.5 acre or more)

    “building coverage, max. 20%, 40% [3] 60% required landscaping, min. [7] 25% 25%”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 low-density single-family district inside Buena Vista town (same in Old Town Overlay)

    primary building height max: <= 30 ft · accessory building height max: <= 25 ft

    “primary building height, max. (feet) 30 30 accessory building height, max. (feet) 25 25”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    RV occupancy on private parcels in residential and mixed-use districts inside Buena Vista town

    • Town permit required via application to Town Clerk; revocable by Town Administrator.
    • Maximum 21 user days per calendar quarter; each occupied RV counted separately.
    • Dwelling use otherwise only in an approved recreational vehicle park.
    • Occupying RVs on public property or right-of-way is prohibited.

    max RV occupancy: <= 21 user days per quarter

    “a recreational/camping vehicle may be occupied in residential and mixed-use zoning districts on a private parcel for no more than twenty-one (21) user days in any quarter of a calendar year”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping on private property inside Buena Vista town

    • Allowed by approved special use permit.
    • Residents and invitees: no more than two nights in any calendar month.
    • Town Administrator permit: up to 21 days per calendar quarter, revocable.

    permitted camping: <= 21 days per quarter (2 nights per month without permit)

    “by residents of the subject property and their invitees no more than two (2) nights in any calendar month;”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    Manufactured homes anywhere within Buena Vista town

    • Placement must comply with applicable provisions of the Municipal Code (e.g. flood elevation rules).
    “nothing in this udc shall be construed to prevent the placement of a manufactured home anywhere within the town; provided, however, that such placement shall be made in accordance with and subject to the applicable provisions of the municipal code.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in flood hazard areas inside Buena Vista town

    • Administered by the Floodplain Administrator (Director of Public Works).
    “floodplain development permit means a permit required before construction or development begins.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Buena Vista town
  • Owner-builder exemption — Buena Vista town
  • Building code adopted — Buena Vista town
  • Inspections — Buena Vista town
  • Certificate of occupancy — Buena Vista town
15 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Buena Vista publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Chaffee County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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