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

Town of Empire’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Land inside Empire town limits: the town's adoption of uniform building codes through Ordinance 170 administration article

  • Only the section title is verified. The specific code editions are not verified; Ordinance 265 (adoption of 2015 International Code Series) was seen only in a search snippet and its PDF returned HTTP 403, so it is not cited.
  • Whether the town or Clear Creek County issues the building permits is not verified.

  “04. zoning & bldg admin. enforcementt; adoption of uniform codes o170.pdf 221.69 kb”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Empire town limits: the town's own Land Use & Zoning regulations (Ordinance 170)

  • Identified from the town's Ordinance 170 page; the individual PDF sections (including the zoning districts and standards article) could not be opened.
  • Empire's county identification (Clear Creek County) comes from a non-official Wikipedia lead and is not quoted from an official Empire page.

  “the land use & zoning regulations for the town of empire”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Empire town limits under Ordinance 170

  • Only the existence of the zoning districts article and zoning map is verified; the district names and limits were not opened.

  “07. zoning districts & standards o170.pdf 776.41 kb 07.5 empire zoning map.pdf 2.34 mb”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land inside Empire town limits, under the town's subdivision regulations (Ordinance 170 article 11)

  • Only the section title is verified; the article text, approval steps and standards were not opened.

  “11. subdivision of land in town o170.pdf 1016.44 kb”

• Permit feesPublished

  Town of Empire land-use and zoning permit fees under Ordinance 170

  • Only the existence of a fee schedule is verified; fee amounts were not opened.

  “00. fee schedule o170.pdf 67.41 kb 00. forms o170.pdf 571.23 kb”

• Permit processPublished

  Permits and approvals inside Empire town limits under Ordinance 170

  • Only the existence of the permit and approval article is verified; steps were not opened.

  “05. permits & approvals o170.pdf 1.48 mb”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Empire

Town of Empire 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

  On-site wastewater treatment systems (septic) on land inside Empire town limits, as regulated by Clear Creek County Environmental Health

  • The county page states the rules apply in incorporated areas; Empire's location in Clear Creek County is not stated on an official Empire page.
  • The regulations incorporate state Regulation 43; the county's rules must be at least as stringent.
  • Where a property can connect to public sewer, OWTS rules may not apply; not verified on an opened page.

  “these regulations are effective in all areas of clear creek county - including incorporated areas.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Constructing, altering, repairing or upgrading an OWTS on land inside Empire town limits (Clear Creek County Environmental Health permit)

  • Permit is issued by the local health department before the work begins.
  • Major construction permit is for 2 or more major components; minor construction permit for 1 major component.
  • Design must be stamped by a Colorado licensed professional engineer; a soils evaluation must be done first; a driveway permit must be on file before the OWTS permit issues; installer must be licensed by the county.
  • Fee amounts are as published on the county page and may change.

  major construction permit fee: 1023 USD (2 or more major components installed, replaced, repaired or upgraded) · minor construction permit fee: 600 USD (1 major component only)

  “major construction permit ($1,023): 2 or more major components of an owts are being installed replaced, repaired or upgraded.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Construction of an OWTS on land inside Empire town limits

  • Generally required inspections include an open hole inspection and a component inspection; the permit specifies which apply.
  • A copy of the sand gradation is required before the component inspection.

  “inspections are required to be conducted by the clear creek county environmental health department during the construction process.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new homes inside Empire town limits
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for Empire town building permits
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Empire town limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Empire town limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Empire town limits

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.