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

Most new construction or alteration of a building or structure in unincorporated Garfield County requires a building permit¹. Listed exemptions include recreational cabins, certain small detached structures, fences not over 7 feet and retaining walls not over 4 feet¹. An exempt recreational cabin cannot exceed 1,200 square feet, is limited to personal, noncommercial occupancy for 6 months per calendar year and must be the only dwelling on its legally created lot; septic and electrical permits still apply¹. Garfield County’s agricultural building-permit exemption covers structures designed and constructed solely to house farm implements, hay, grain, poultry, livestock or other horticultural products; public use, workplaces for processing, treating or packaging agricultural products, and indoor riding arenas with an occupancy load of 10 or more do not qualify¹. Garfield County adopted the 2015 IRC, IBC and IFC and uses the 2018 IECC; local fire-district amendments may also apply¹. Garfield County building-permit fees depend on total valuation and occupancy type; the county’s worksheet uses different square-foot factors for living space, garages, decks and crawl spaces¹.

The Garfield County Building Division handles building permits and inspections in unincorporated Garfield County; call (970) 945-8212 or visit 108 8th Street, Suite 401, Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81601¹¹. Inside Glenwood Springs, the city handles building permits; onsite wastewater permits remain with Garfield County Public Health^3,12. Start with the county Planning Division when an unincorporated proposal depends on a zone district, overlay or PUD, then submit the building application with two sets of construction documents and any associated zoning approvals^2,12. County-permitted projects require applicable inspections and a final inspection for a certificate of occupancy, and Garfield County does not issue temporary certificates of occupancy^1,13. Colorado exempts an owner’s repair or maintenance work from a county contractor-license requirement where such a licensing program exists; that does not establish an exemption for building a new residence¹⁰. Ask the Building Division what an owner may perform or permit directly in Garfield County¹¹.

Garfield County zoning applies throughout unincorporated Garfield County². Glenwood Springs and Rifle administer their own zoning; Garfield County Public Health retains septic jurisdiction except where a municipality has its own public health agency^4,5,6. County maps identify floodplain, airport and drinking-water overlays, and PUD or PD properties may have specialized rules^2,14. Minimum lot area and maximum coverage vary by district². An accessory building’s rear setback may be reduced to 7.5 feet, or 10 feet abutting an alley, only when Clear Vision Area standards are met; these are accessory-building reductions, not general house setbacks¹⁵. An accessory dwelling unit cannot exceed 1,200 square feet and must meet applicable approval requirements¹². Short-term rentals are allowed by right in standard county districts, but a PUD must specifically allow the use¹⁶.

Garfield County Public Health's Environmental Health Division administers onsite wastewater systems and can be reached at 970-625-5200 or at 2014 Blake Avenue in Glenwood Springs⁶. A new installation, repair or alteration requires an application, site and soil evaluation, system design and site plan⁶. Listed fees are $600 for a new installation or major repair, $200 for a minor repair or alteration, and $75 for a vault-and-haul system⁶. An onsite-wastewater permit generally cannot be issued where a municipality or special district provides public sewer unless connection is infeasible or otherwise authorized². Repair and alteration permits require a full-system inspection, and the designer and Public Health must be contacted at least 48 hours before final inspection and backfill¹⁷. Only about 3.5% of Garfield County soils lack severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so settle septic feasibility before fixing the house layout¹⁸.

Garfield County's building official may allow the approved owner-builder to occupy a mobile home, camper or recreational vehicle temporarily at the construction site while a permanent home is being built under a current permit⁸. Water supply and sanitation must be approved, and the temporary occupancy ends at final inspection or when the building permit becomes invalid⁸. A general rule for long-term RV living outside that construction allowance could not be confirmed; ask the Planning Division before depending on an RV as a residence¹⁹. Unincorporated Garfield County has no general minimum size for ordinary single-family dwellings, but homes must meet building code and any PUD or private development restrictions; tiny homes on wheels are restricted to RV parks⁹. Required mitigation units have a separate minimum of 500 finished square feet, excluding garages, carports and unfinished basements²⁰. The county's verified manufactured-home occupancy rule covers permanent homes in the Residential-Manufactured Home Park district but does not settle placement in every other district².

1. Ask the Planning Division to identify the parcel's zone district, overlays, minimum lot area, lot coverage and any PUD controls before commissioning plans^2,14,19.

1. Confirm legal access: each lot in a county land division generally needs at least 25 linear feet of road frontage, although certain minor subdivisions and exemptions may use an access easement; direct access to a state highway needs a state driveway permit^2,21. County residential parking-access driveways must be 10 feet wide for one-way access or 20 feet for two-way access, with Clear Vision Area standards; ask Planning how those standards apply to the proposed access^15,19.

1. Determine whether public sewer connection applies; otherwise arrange the site and soil evaluation, design and site plan required with the septic permit application^2,6.

1. Apply to the Colorado Division of Water Resources for a well permit before drilling a new groundwater well; Garfield County does not issue well permits²².

1. Submit the building-permit documents and applicable zoning approvals, then complete required building and septic inspections before occupancy^1,12,13.

Confirm the zone district, overlays, lot-area requirement and lot-coverage limit because those controls are parcel-specific in unincorporated Garfield County². Test septic feasibility early because only about 3.5% of county soils lack severe limitations for a conventional drain field¹⁸. Terrain can narrow the usable building envelope: about 26.5% of Garfield County land has a slope of 15% or less¹⁸. Garfield County does not review or approve division of a tract of at least 35 acres when every resulting parcel remains at least 35 acres; other divisions remain subject to county subdivision rules¹. The subdivision exemption does not settle buildability: lots must still meet applicable zoning and code provisions¹⁵. Federal land covers about 62.6% of the county, so verify recorded access instead of assuming an apparent road across public land serves the parcel¹⁸. Before drilling, obtain the state well permit and ask whether basin rules or an augmentation plan affect the parcel²².