Bolthole Index

Conejos County, Colorado

Building permits, zoning and sewer rules in Town of La Jara, Colorado

The Town of La Jara, Colorado has adopted building codes, but we could not confirm the general residential building-permit requirement; ask Town Hall before starting work.1 La Jara has its own zoning ordinance.2 Inside town limits, inhabited buildings must connect to town sewer, and septic tanks are prohibited.34

At a glance

Building permits
Residential requirement unconfirmed; ask Town Hall. Building codes adopted.1
Zoning
Town zoning ordinance applies inside La Jara.2
Septic tanks
Prohibited inside town limits.4
Sewer connection
Required for inhabited buildings; owner maintains the line to the town main.3
Tiny homes
Residential code adoption includes Appendix Q; occupancy permission remains unconfirmed.1
Wells
New groundwater-diverting wells require a state well permit, subject to exemptions.5

Who to call

Building permits

Town of La Jara Town Hall

Starting contact for questions about town building codes, zoning and sewer connections; ask for the responsible official.

719.274.5363

221 Broadway, La Jara, CO 81140

Well permits

Colorado Division of Water Resources

State well-permit applications and existing well-permit records.

(303) 866-3581

1313 Sherman Street, Suite 821

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Town of La Jara, CO?

La Jara has adopted the 2018 International Building Code and International Residential Code, including Appendices L and Q, along with mechanical, energy, existing-building and property-maintenance codes.1 We could not confirm the general residential building-permit requirement, required inspections or certificate-of-occupancy procedure inside La Jara; ask Town Hall for the application, current fees and inspection schedule before commissioning plans.6 An adopted building code is a reason to resolve those questions before construction, rather than treating the missing permit answer as permission to build.1

Who handles building-code and zoning questions in Town of La Jara?

Start with La Jara Town Hall at 221 Broadway, La Jara, CO 81140, or call 719.274.5363 and ask for the official responsible for your building and zoning questions.6 Bring the parcel address, proposed use and a sketch of the intended work, and request the town-specific building-permit requirements. La Jara has its own adopted building codes and zoning ordinance, so a county answer about unincorporated land does not establish the requirements inside town limits.12 For land outside La Jara, use the Conejos County guide for the county construction-permit answer.7

Does Town of La Jara have zoning, and can you live in an RV or tiny home?

La Jara has a zoning ordinance, and maintaining property or structures in violation of the town zoning ordinance or building code is unlawful.2 We could not confirm La Jara’s rules for long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy, accessory dwellings, minimum lot size or setbacks; ask Town Hall to identify the parcel’s district and supply the applicable use and dimensional rules.6 La Jara’s adoption of the residential code includes Appendix Q, but that adoption alone does not establish that a tiny home is allowed on a particular lot.1 Colorado allows installation of HUD-code homes only where local zoning allows them, with state installation requirements also applying.8

How do septic and sewer rules work inside Town of La Jara?

La Jara prohibits septic tanks, cesspools, open privies and water closets on property inside incorporated town limits.4 Every owner of an inhabited building, or a building regularly used or intended for human inhabitants, must connect the building to town sewer.3 The owner is responsible for installation, repair and maintenance of the sewer line from the building to the town main connection.3 A county septic-permit assumption therefore does not provide a sanitation path for a La Jara home; plan around the town sewer requirement and ask Town Hall about the proposed connection.436 The reviewed sewer provision does not establish a general mandatory town-water connection rule.3

What are the steps before building a home in Town of La Jara?

  1. Ask Town Hall to confirm the parcel is inside town limits and provide its zoning district, allowed residential uses and dimensional requirements; La Jara regulates property through its zoning ordinance.26
  2. Request the building-permit application, plan requirements, fees, inspections and occupancy procedure for the proposed work before construction; La Jara has adopted building codes.16
  3. Resolve the town sewer connection and owner-side line responsibilities before designing an independent sanitation system, because La Jara requires sewer connections and prohibits septic tanks.34
  4. If proposing a groundwater-diverting well, consult the Colorado Division of Water Resources about the required well permit and any applicable exemptions or augmentation conditions.5

What should you check before buying land in Town of La Jara?

Ask Town Hall for written answers about the intended dwelling, any RV stay during construction, sewer connection arrangements and the parcel’s zoning restrictions before committing to a building plan.6 La Jara’s sewer requirement makes sanitation a purchase question: an inhabited building must connect to town sewer, and a septic tank is prohibited inside town limits.34 For a property with an existing well, review the state well-permit file for allowable uses and available construction records rather than assuming the well serves every proposed use.9 New groundwater-diverting wells require state permitting, with statutory exemptions and augmentation conditions potentially affecting the proposal.5

Watch-outs

  • La Jara’s adoption of residential-code Appendix Q does not by itself confirm permission to occupy a tiny home on a particular parcel.1
  • We could not confirm La Jara’s residential building-permit, owner-builder exemption or RV-occupancy rules; ask Town Hall before buying for those uses.6
  • Inside La Jara, a proposed home must account for town sewer connection rather than a septic tank.34

Sources

  1. La Jara Municipal Code § 150.01 Codes Adopted (Town of La Jara), quoted and re-checked
  2. La Jara Municipal Code § 91.02 Declared Nuisances (Town of La Jara), quoted and re-checked
  3. La Jara Municipal Code § 51.050 Connection with System; Required Within the Exterior Boundaries of the Town (Town of La Jara), quoted and re-checked
  4. La Jara Municipal Code § 51.051 Privies and Water Closets Prohibited (Town of La Jara), quoted and re-checked
  5. Colorado Division of Water Resources: Water Administration (Town of La Jara), quoted and re-checked
  6. Town of La Jara Town Hall (townoflajara.colorado.gov)
  7. Land Use Step by Step Building/Construction Process (2026 county census)
  8. Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Colorado Division of Water Resources (dwr.colorado.gov)

Written October 12, 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 La Jara

Town of La Jara’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Building work inside La Jara town limits subject to the Town's adopted codes.

    • The adoption includes the 2018 International Building Code, International Residential Code including Appendices L and Q, International Mechanical Code, International Energy Conservation Code, International Existing Building Code, and International Property Maintenance Code.
    • Ordinance 2023-1 was passed May 11, 2023.

    International Building Code edition: 2018 · International Residential Code edition: 2018 (Includes Appendices L and Q)

    “The Town of La Jara adopts by reference the following codes: (A) International Building Code, 2018 Edition, as published by the International Code Council, 500 New Jersey Avenue, NW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20001.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Property inside La Jara town limits.

    • The cited ordinance makes maintenance of property or structures contrary to the Town Zoning Ordinance unlawful.
    “It is unlawful and constitutes a public nuisance for any person to maintain any property, building or any other structure in the Town in a condition which is in violation of the building code or the Zoning Ordinance of the Town.”
  • Septic permitLimited

    New septic tanks, cesspools, privies, and water closets inside La Jara town limits.

    • The Town code directly prohibits the listed facilities rather than setting out a Town septic-permit path.
    “Open privies, water closets, cesspools or septic tanks shall not be allowed on any property situated within the incorporated limits of the town.”
  • Off-grid sanitationProhibited

    Open privies, water closets, cesspools, and septic tanks inside La Jara incorporated limits.

    • The code's specific prohibition does not address every conceivable sanitation technology.
    “Open privies, water closets, cesspools or septic tanks shall not be allowed on any property situated within the incorporated limits of the town.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Inhabited buildings, or buildings regularly used or to be used by human inhabitants, inside La Jara's incorporated limits.

    • The owner is responsible for installation, repair, and maintenance from the building or structure to the Town main connection.
    • A new or repaired owner-side sewer line must be SDR 35 grade pipe or better and bedded on at least 12 inches of specified washed gravel.
    • The cited section does not establish a general mandatory Town-water connection rule.

    sewer-line bedding depth: >= 12 inches (Three-quarter-inch washed gravel or washed pea gravel)

    “Every owner of any inhabited buildings or buildings regularly used or to be used by human inhabitants situated within the incorporated limits of the town shall have such building or buildings connected to the town’s sewer system.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of La Jara

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

  • Well permitRequired

    Every new groundwater-diverting well in Colorado, including inside La Jara town limits.

    • The state source limits the statement to a new well that diverts groundwater.
    • Statutory exemptions and augmentation-plan conditions may affect particular wells.
    “Every new well in the state that diverts groundwater must have a well permit.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Residential building construction inside La Jara town limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside La Jara town limits.
  • Inspections — Residential building construction inside La Jara town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — New residential construction inside La Jara town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential zoning districts inside La Jara town limits.
15 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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 La Jara publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Conejos County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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