Bolthole Index

Elbert County, Colorado

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Town of Simla, Colorado

The Town of Simla, Colorado requires a building permit for any building or structure over 150 square feet inside town limits, and the town building official issues it12. Simla has its own zoning, found in Title 7 of the town code3. Septic permits for every address in Elbert County, town or not, come from Elbert County Public Health4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required inside Simla for structures over 150 sq ft; issued by the town12
Building code
2006 International Building Code and International Residential Code5
Zoning
Town zoning under Title 7, Chapter 3 of the town code3
Minimum lot (single-family)
At least 25 ft wide and 140 ft deep6
Contractor license to pull a permit
Not required by the town7
Septic permit
Required; issued by Elbert County Public Health, including inside Simla48

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Simla Building Department

Building permits, plan review and inspections inside Simla town limits; land use applications

719-541-2468

323 Pueblo Ave, Simla, CO 80835

Septic permits

Elbert County Public Health, Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS)

Septic (OWTS) permits and inspections for Elbert County, including addresses inside Simla

720-595-3620

75 Ute Avenue, Kiowa, CO 80117

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Simla, Colorado?

Yes, for most construction. Inside the Town of Simla, every building or structure other than those of 150 square feet or less must have a building permit, and the fee is paid before construction starts1. Buildings or structures of 150 square feet or less, and pre-engineered temporary metal one-stall carports, do not need a building permit but must still meet setback rules2.

Simla enforces the 2006 International Building Code and 2006 International Residential Code5. The town does not require contractor licensing or registration to pull a permit9. Electrical inspections are not done by the town; they are scheduled with the State of Colorado10.

Who issues building permits in Simla, and how do you reach them?

The Town of Simla Building Department issues building permits and does the inspections for addresses inside town limits9. Call 719-541-24689. Completed applications and supporting documents can be dropped off at Town Hall, 323 Pueblo Ave, Simla, CO 80835, Monday through Friday7.

The building official reviews the application and then tells the owner the permit cost; payment is by cash, check or credit card7. The permit card must be posted in a window visible from the street7. Land outside town limits needs a different office: the town says addresses outside its limits get permits through Elbert or El Paso County1. See the Elbert County page for the rules on unincorporated land.

Does Simla have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size?

Yes. The Town of Simla adopts its own zoning in Title 7, Chapter 3 of the town code, covering the zoning commission, board of adjustment, minimum lot area, setbacks, building height, use restrictions and variances3.

Under the residential classification the town code sets, a single-family lot must be at least 25 feet wide and at least 140 feet deep, measured boundary line to boundary line6. A two-family or multi-family lot, not counting mobile homes, must be at least 100 feet wide and 140 feet deep11.

We could not confirm Simla's setbacks, building height limits, or its rules on RVs, tiny homes, manufactured homes and accessory dwellings. Ask the Town of Simla Building Department at 719-541-2468 before you buy or plan around any of them9.

How do septic permits work inside Simla?

Elbert County Public Health, not the town, handles septic permits. The county's onsite wastewater regulation applies to unincorporated Elbert County and to all municipal corporations inside the county, which includes Simla4. The county requires a permit before installing, altering, expanding or repairing a septic system8.

County septic applications need a soils report, a system design where needed, and the septic application12. A use permit with an inspection report from a licensed inspector is required when a property changes title, bedrooms are added, or the home is remodeled13.

We could not confirm whether a new home inside Simla must instead connect to town water and sewer. Ask the Town of Simla at 719-541-2468 before you plan a septic system on a town lot9. Septic questions go to Elbert County Public Health at 720-595-362014.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Simla?

We could not confirm this. The town code has a chapter on RV parks and a section on use restrictions, and the town's building page lists an RV park ordinance, but we have not verified what they allow for living in an RV or tiny home on a private lot3. Ask the Town of Simla Building Department at 719-541-2468 before you move an RV or tiny home onto a lot inside town limits9. The county's RV and tiny-home rules apply to unincorporated land, not to Simla; see the Elbert County page.

Building a home in Simla: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the address is inside Simla town limits; the town issues building permits only for those addresses1.
  2. Ask the town about zoning, setbacks and lot size for your lot; the minimum single-family lot is 25 feet wide and 140 feet deep6.
  3. Contact Elbert County Public Health about the septic permit, or confirm town sewer, before you design the house8.
  4. Drop off the building permit application at Town Hall and wait for the building official to quote the permit cost7.
  5. Pay the fee and post the permit card where it can be seen from the street7.
  6. Call for each inspection one day ahead, before 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; each phase must be approved before the next begins10.
  7. Schedule electrical inspections with the State of Colorado10.

What stays with Elbert County, and what to check before you buy in Simla

Septic permits and inspections stay with Elbert County Public Health for every address in the county, town or not4. Colorado also requires a permit for every new groundwater-diverting well, including residential wells, so ask the state about water if the lot has no town service15. Development in a floodplain is regulated under Colorado floodplain-management requirements16; we could not confirm Simla's own flood rules, so ask the town.

Land outside town limits follows Elbert County's rules instead. The county requires building permits for most new construction in unincorporated Elbert County17; see the Elbert County page. Elbert County's typical home value is about $685,53218.

Watch-outs

  • The town's building page says it is on the 2006 International Building Code, so plan against that edition; ask the building official which edition governs your permit5.
  • A 150-square-foot structure needs no building permit but must still meet setbacks, and we could not confirm what the setbacks are2.
  • Town fees depend on project valuation and are set by the building official after review; ask for the cost before you commit7.
  • Septic, well, utility connection, RV, tiny home and accessory dwelling rules inside Simla were not confirmed; call the Town of Simla at 719-541-24689.

Sources

  1. Town Code of Simla, Colorado, Title 7 Building and Zoning, Chapter 1 Building Regulations (American Legal Publishing) (Town of Simla), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town Code of Simla, Colorado, Title 7 Building and Zoning, Chapter 1 Building Regulations (American Legal Publishing) (Town of Simla), quoted and re-checked
  3. Town Code of Simla, Colorado, Title 7 Chapter 3 Zoning Regulations, Section 7-3-3 (American Legal Publishing) (Town of Simla), quoted and re-checked
  4. OWTS Regulations | Elbert County, CO, quoted and re-checked
  5. Town Code of Simla, Colorado, Title 7 Building and Zoning, Chapter 1 Building Regulations (American Legal Publishing) (Town of Simla), quoted and re-checked
  6. Town Code of Simla, Colorado, Title 7 Chapter 3 Zoning Regulations, Section 7-3-3 (American Legal Publishing) (Town of Simla), quoted and re-checked
  7. Town of Simla, Colorado - Building and Land Use (Town of Simla), quoted and re-checked
  8. OWTS Regulations | Elbert County, CO, quoted and re-checked
  9. Town of Simla Building Department (townofsimla.com)
  10. Town of Simla, Colorado - Building and Land Use (Town of Simla), quoted and re-checked
  11. Town Code of Simla, Colorado, Title 7 Chapter 3 Zoning Regulations, Section 7-3-3 (American Legal Publishing) (Town of Simla), quoted and re-checked
  12. OWTS Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  13. OWTS Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  14. Elbert County Public Health, Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS) (elbertcounty-co.gov)
  15. Water Administration (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. SB24-179 Floodplain Management Program (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Permits, quoted and re-checked
  18. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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 Simla

Town of Simla’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Buildings and structures inside Simla town limits other than the 150 sq ft and carport exemption

    • Permit must be issued and fee paid prior to construction.
    • Structures of 150 square feet or less and pre-engineered temporary metal one-stall car ports do not need a building permit but must comply with setback regulations.
    • Town issues building permits only for addresses inside municipal limits; outside addresses go through Elbert or El Paso County (townofsimla.com).
    “all other buildings or structures must be issued a permit and pay the necessary fee prior to construction.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    All buildings and structures inside Simla town limits

    • Adopts the 2006 edition of the International Building Code and the 2006 edition of the International Residential Code with appendices, by reference.
    • Three copies of the IBC and IRC are kept in the office of the town clerk.
    • Town building page states the town is on the 2006 version of the international building code.

    adopted model codes: 2006 International Building Code and 2006 International Residential Code, with appendices

    “is adopted by reference as the building codes for the town of simla.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction inside Simla town limits, conducted by the town building official

    • Owner or contractor must call for inspections one day in advance, before 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 719-541-2468.
    • Each inspection phase must be approved before the next phase begins; approval is marked on the permit card.
    • Permit card and approved site plans must be kept at the site.
    • Electrical inspections are not performed by the town; they are scheduled with the State of Colorado.
    “conducting inspections at various stages of construction to ensure compliance with approved plans and codes.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Simla town limits

    • Town zoning regulations are Title 7, Chapter 3, Section 7-3-3, adopted by ordinance (ord. 171 and later amendments).
    • Covers zoning commission, board of adjustment, minimum lot area, setbacks, building height, use restrictions, variances and amendments.
    • Only sections 7-3-3-2 and 7-3-3-3 were read.
    “the minimum lot size per single family dwelling unit, shall not be less than twenty five feet (25') in width from boundary line to boundary line”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwelling lot in Simla town, the residential classification of Section 7-3-3-3(a)(1); the section does not name a zoning district

    • Width and depth are measured boundary line to boundary line.
    • Section 7-3-3-3(a)(1) amended by ord. 309 (dated 1-9-2018 in the code history).
    • Agricultural (A) district lot standards were not located in the text read.
    • Not checked against the official printed code.

    minimum lot width: >= 25 feet (boundary line to boundary line) · minimum lot depth: >= 140 feet (boundary line to boundary line)

    “the minimum lot size per single family dwelling unit, shall not be less than twenty five feet (25') in width from boundary line to boundary line, nor less than one hundred forty feet (140') in depth, from boundary line to boundary line.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Building permit fees for work inside Simla town limits, by total valuation

    • Fee is set by the town building official after review; payment by cash, check or credit card (townofsimla.com).
    • Fees for valuations above $2,000 use a per-$1,000 increment; the full table is in Section 7-1-3.
    • Other fees (set-up, other inspections, consultant inspection and plan review, penalties) are in Sections 7-1-4 to 7-1-9, not retrieved.

    building permit fee, total valuation $1.00 to $500.00: 25 USD (tiers above $500 use per-increment charges; see Section 7-1-3 table) · building permit fee, total valuation $2,001.00 to $25,000.00: 75 USD (plus $18.48 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof)

    “the following fees shall be charged for building permits.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building permit application process for work inside Simla town limits

    • Application and supporting documents are dropped off in person at Town Hall.
    • Building official reviews the application, then notifies the owner of the permit cost.
    • Permit card must be posted in a window visible from the street.
    • The town does not require contractor licensing or registration to pull a permit (townofsimla.com).
    • Full process, plan requirements and land-use application steps were not retrieved.
    “complete building permit applications and supporting documents can be dropped off at town hall, 323 pueblo ave, simla, co 80835, monday - friday, 8 am - 4:30 pm.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit for an owner-occupied home inside Simla town limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Simla town limits
  • Zoning districts — Zoning district map and district list for Simla town
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Simla town limits
  • Setbacks — Setbacks for residential lots inside Simla town limits
18 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • 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 Simla publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Elbert County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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