Building permits, zoning and land rules in Fremont County, Colorado

Yes. A separate Fremont County building permit is required before each residential, commercial or industrial building or structure in unincorporated Fremont County is erected, constructed, altered, converted, enlarged or moved¹. Inside Florence, city building-permit requirements apply; a septic installation also requires a City Clerk permit and a statement from Fremont Sanitation District that a sewer connection is impracticable^3,5. Fremont County enforces the 2018 International Building, Residential and Energy Conservation Codes, as amended by Resolution No. 60 of 2020¹¹.

The Building Department assists with applications and the permit process; ask it for the complete sequence for a specific project¹³. The county publishes a valuation-based building-permit fee schedule; confirm the current amount with the Building Department before budgeting¹⁴. Every building permit application needs evidence of potable water, usually a public-water contract or bill, or records for an existing well⁹. A bulk-water cistern may be accepted in limited circumstances, but Fremont County does not promise that bulk water will remain an acceptable long-term supply⁹. State law excuses an owner from county contractor licensing for repair or maintenance on the owner's property, but it does not create a permit exemption for building a new home¹⁰.

The Building Department is at 615 Macon Ave., Room 212, in Cañon City; call 719-276-7460, weekdays 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m¹³.. The same office handles septic (OWTS) permits, so one call or visit can often cover both². Fremont County Building Inspectors conduct every inspection under a county building permit, and the permit and field set of plans must remain visible and accessible at the construction site¹⁵.

Planning and Zoning, for zoning verification, subdivision and rezoning questions, is in Room 210 in the same building, 719-276-7360, or email planning@fremontco.com¹⁶. Before relying on zoning information, file a property-specific zoning verification form; there is no charge, and older information should be re-verified because classifications and regulations can change¹⁷.

Yes. County zoning applies to unincorporated Fremont County, while Florence administers its own city zoning^4,6. Florence also requires a City Clerk septic permit; county OWTS applications go through the Fremont County Building Department^2,5. Fremont County zoning regulates the location, height, bulk and size of structures, lot coverage, lot size and open space by district¹². Every allowed or primary use requires zoning compliance, and some uses also require an application, review and permit¹. Setbacks, lot coverage and building height vary by zone district, so request a parcel-specific zoning verification from Planning and Zoning^6,17. Creating or reconfiguring lots can also trigger Fremont County's subdivision regulations¹⁸.

Lot size depends on the district and utilities. In the Low-Density Residential district, the minimum is 8,500 square feet with public water and sewer, 1 acre with public water and an OWTS, or 4.5 acres with a well and OWTS¹. In the High-Density Residential district, a single-family lot requires 8,500 square feet; a two-family lot requires that area plus 1,000 square feet for each additional unit¹. Fremont County sets separate dwelling-size rules: a single-family dwelling, efficiency unit or manufactured home has a 400-square-foot minimum; an ADU has a 250-square-foot minimum and a 1,250-square-foot maximum; and a park model spans 200 to 399 square feet unless it meets manufactured-home standards^1,12.

Fremont County's Public Health Agency and Board of Health regulate county OWTS, and a county permit is required before installing, altering or repairing a system⁷. The permit expires after one year if construction has not begun, and a noncompliant system needs a repair permit⁷. An application needs a county-licensed installer, evidence of water, payment of permit fees, use tax and the Colorado surcharge, plus a site and soil evaluation from a registered professional engineer or competent technician¹⁹.

The owner, agent or contractor must notify the county when the system is ready, and final inspection occurs before backfilling; engineer-designed systems carry added certification and inspection-document requirements⁷. A county OWTS permit generally will not be issued where public sewer is available; within a municipality or sanitation district, a sewer line within 400 feet bars the permit, while an applicant outside such a district must document a denied connection request and lack of service⁷. Off-grid sanitation still requires adequate sewage disposal through a permitted system, and new cesspools are prohibited^20,21. Only 9% of Fremont County soils rate free of severe conventional-drain-field limits, so investigate the site before assuming a standard system will work²². New wells require a Colorado Division of Water Resources permit⁸.

We could not confirm a Fremont County rule for living in an RV on private residential land; ask Planning and Zoning about the parcel's district and proposed duration before relying on an RV for housing¹⁷. Colorado's camping rules for land controlled by Colorado Parks and Wildlife do not answer the private-land question²³.

In unincorporated Fremont County, a tiny home proposed as an accessory dwelling unit has a conditional path to approval: it may be permitted only on a permanent foundation and must be built under IRC Appendix Q¹. An ADU requires approval and a permit before development or use and must follow county building, sanitation and zone-district requirements¹. An ADU must contain at least 250 square feet and no more than 1,250 square feet^1,12. A manufactured home in the High-Density Residential district must contain at least 400 square feet and remains subject to zoning compliance and permit requirements¹. Colorado approval for a regulated tiny home does not replace Fremont County zoning approval^1,24.

1. Submit a zoning verification form to Planning and Zoning to confirm the parcel's district, permitted use, lot-size standard, setbacks, lot coverage and height limits before design begins^1,6,17.
2. Line up proof of potable water through a public-water record or existing-well documentation; treat a bulk-water cistern as a limited fallback⁹.
3. If you need a new well, apply to the Colorado Division of Water Resources; review of a complete application can take up to 49 days⁸.
4. Determine whether public sewer is available; if not, obtain the required OWTS permit and site and soil evaluation before work^7,19.
5. Obtain a separate building permit for each building or structure and confirm the current fee with the Building Department^1,14.
6. Keep the building permit and plans accessible for building inspections, and leave the OWTS uncovered for its final inspection^7,15.
7. For ADU access near a CDOT-controlled state highway, obtain an approved access permit and meet CDOT requirements¹.

Confirm the parcel's zoning classification with Planning and Zoning because allowable uses, setbacks, lot coverage, height and minimum lot size depend on the district and, in the Low-Density Residential district, the water and wastewater setup^1,6,17. Ask whether public sewer lies within 400 feet before planning an OWTS, and investigate water through a public tap or permitted well before treating a cistern as a fallback^7,9. Because only 9% of Fremont County soils are free of severe septic limitations, obtain a site and soil evaluation before assuming a conventional drain field will work²².

Verify legal access and private boundaries where acreage borders public land because federal agencies own 47.9% of Fremont County²². ADU access near a CDOT-controlled state highway requires an approved access permit; ask Planning and Zoning about other driveway requirements^1,16. Fremont County averages 13.9 inches of precipitation a year and experiences severe drought in 21.9% of years, so confirm a dependable water source early²². Farmland averages $2,756 an acre, while the median property-tax bill is $1,081 a year at a 0.4% effective rate²².