Building permits, RV rules and septic in the Town of Orchard City, Colorado

At a glance

Building permits

Issued by the Town of Orchard City Building Department¹²

Building code

2018 International Residential Code, with local amendments²

Septic

Delta County Environmental Health issues septic permits countywide³

RV living

Up to 90 days in a twelve-month period off approved sites; RV parks prohibited⁴⁵

Water tap

No tap for parcels under 1 acre unless in an approved subdivision with smaller lots⁶

Driveway permit

Access permit from the Town Clerk⁷

Wells

State Division of Water Resources permit for any new well⁸

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 Orchard City, Colorado?

Yes, building inside the Town of Orchard City goes through the town's own Building Department, which reviews plans, issues building permits and inspects work¹. The town adopted the 2018 International Residential Code for detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, with local amendments in Sec. 18-2.2-20².

The town code exempts agricultural buildings as defined in IRC Section 202 and described in Appendix C⁹. Fee amounts sit in a schedule kept with the Town Clerk, so call before you budget; a permit fee may be refunded at 85% if the project has not started and no inspections have happened¹⁰.

Delta County's rule that generally no building permit is needed applies only to unincorporated Delta County, not to land inside the town¹¹.

Who is the Orchard City building department, and how do you reach them?

The Town of Orchard City Building Department provides building inspections, code enforcement and subdivision administration for the town¹. Call 970-835-3337 or visit 9661 2100 Road, Austin, CO 81410¹.

The Planning Commission meets on the 4th Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall¹. Driveway and road access permits are a separate stop: the Orchard City Town Clerk issues the access construction permit before any access to a town road is built⁷.

Does Orchard City have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

We could not confirm the town's zoning districts, setbacks, minimum dwelling size or rules for accessory dwellings and tiny homes. Ask the Orchard City Building Department, which administers subdivisions and works with the Planning Commission, before you commit to a lot¹.

Two town rules do apply. Recreational vehicle parks and resorts are prohibited within town limits⁵. The town also will not issue a water tap to a parcel under 1 acre unless it sits in an existing, approved subdivision with smaller lots⁶.

Delta County's Land Use Code governs unincorporated land only¹². Its lot sizes and setbacks do not apply inside Orchard City.

How do septic permits work inside Orchard City?

Septic permits in Delta County are processed through Delta County Environmental Health, and the county's septic rules apply countywide³¹³. A structure with a restroom or sewer drain needs a septic permit, and an address must be assigned before you apply¹⁴.

The county requires a site inspection and a final inspection, with approval before occupancy¹⁵. We could not confirm whether a particular lot inside town is served by a town sewer or needs its own septic system, so ask the Building Department and Environmental Health before you buy.

Wells are permitted by the state: every new well that diverts groundwater needs a permit from the Division of Water Resources⁸. We could not confirm a separate town rule for wells.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Orchard City?

An RV may be used for living, sleeping or housekeeping for up to 90 days in any twelve-month period when it is parked somewhere not specifically approved for that use⁴. RVs may not be parked on a public street or parking lot for more than 72 consecutive hours, and longer use needs an application approved by the Town Administrator⁴. A limited exception covers a temporary dwelling on the same parcel while the primary residence is being built⁴.

RV parks and resorts are prohibited in town⁵.

We could not confirm a town rule on tiny homes. Colorado's Division of Housing approves tiny homes for long-term living when they meet state codes and local zoning, so the zoning answer comes from the town¹⁶.

Building a home in Orchard City: the steps, in order

1. Call the Orchard City Building Department at 970-835-3337 to confirm zoning, setbacks and the permit process for your lot¹.
2. Confirm the water tap: parcels under 1 acre need to be in an approved subdivision with smaller lots⁶.
3. Ask Delta County Environmental Health about septic and apply for the septic permit, which is issued before construction starts¹⁷.
4. Apply for the building permit under the town's 2018 IRC².
5. Get an access construction permit from the Town Clerk before building a driveway onto a town road⁷. A driveway onto a state highway needs a state access permit instead¹⁸.
6. Schedule inspections with the Building Department¹.

What stays with Delta County, and what to check before you buy in Orchard City

Septic permits come from Delta County Environmental Health, and well permits from the state³⁸. For land outside town limits, use the Delta County page, where the county's own rules apply to unincorporated land.

In a floodplain, the town requires a floodplain development permit and an elevated lowest floor for residential construction¹⁹. Driveways are limited to a 20-foot width and must sit at least 100 feet from an intersection⁷.

County-level figures: Delta County's effective property tax rate is 0.3%²⁰, and only about 4% of its soils are rated not limited for a conventional septic drain field, so expect a site evaluation or an engineered system²¹.

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm Orchard City's zoning districts, setbacks or minimum dwelling size; ask the Town Building Department at 970-835-3337 before you buy¹.
• Delta County's no-building-permit rule applies to unincorporated land, not inside Orchard City, which has its own Building Department¹¹¹.
• Building permit fee amounts are kept on file with the Town Clerk, so request the current schedule before you budget¹⁰.
• The town allows RV living for 90 days in a twelve-month period off approved sites, with no RV parks; longer stays need Town Administrator approval⁴⁵.

Sources

1. Town of Orchard City Building Department (orchardcityco.org)
2. Orchard City Municipal Code Sec. 18-2.4-10 Adoption (2018 IRC) (Town of Orchard City), quoted and re-checked
3. Water/Wastewater, quoted and re-checked
4. Orchard City Municipal Code Sec. 18-8-30 Storage of recreational vehicles (Town of Orchard City), quoted and re-checked
5. Orchard City Municipal Code Sec. 18-8-20 RV parks and resorts prohibited (Town of Orchard City), quoted and re-checked
6. Orchard City Municipal Code Sec. 13-1-20 Water system general regulations (Town of Orchard City), quoted and re-checked
7. Orchard City Municipal Code Sec. 11-3-100 Access to public roads (Town of Orchard City), quoted and re-checked
8. Water Administration (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Orchard City Municipal Code Sec. 18-2.2-20 Amendments (Town of Orchard City), quoted and re-checked
10. Orchard City Municipal Code Sec. 18-2.2-20 Amendments (Town of Orchard City), quoted and re-checked
11. Building/Land Use/Subdivision, quoted and re-checked
12. Land Use Regulations, quoted and re-checked
13. Delta County Environmental Health Services (deltacountyco.gov)
14. Water/Wastewater, quoted and re-checked
15. Water/Wastewater, quoted and re-checked
16. Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Water/Wastewater, quoted and re-checked
18. Access Permits | Frequently Asked Questions (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Orchard City Municipal Code Sec. 18-6-110 Floodplain definitions (Town of Orchard City), quoted and re-checked
20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
21. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: 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.