Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of New Castle, Colorado

Town of New Castle’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  New Castle town: International Residential Code, 2021 Edition

  • Only the IRC chapter was reviewed; other adopted codes not verified

  IRC edition: 2021

  “At least one (1) copy of the International Residential Code, 2021 Edition, and the appendices thereto”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside New Castle town limits (Title 17 Zoning)

  “The following regulations shall apply in all districts to the storage and use of travel trailers”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  R-3 Residential District single-family, inside New Castle town

  • Multifamily 800 sq ft; two or more stories per unit add 450 sq ft

  minimum floor area single-family: >= 900 sq ft

  “minimum floor area shall be as follows: a. single-family: nine hundred (900) square feet; b. multifamily: eight hundred (800) square feet; c. multifamily with two or more stories per unit: add four hundred fifty (450) square feet per unit.”

  3 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 Residential District, inside New Castle town

    “minimum floor area shall be eight hundred (800) square feet per dwelling unit.”

  • Specified — R-2 Residential District, inside New Castle town

    “minimum floor area shall be nine hundred (900) square feet per unit.”

  • Specified — R-4 Residential District (large-lot/rural residential), inside New Castle town

    “minimum floor area shall be one thousand (1,000) square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Residential District, inside New Castle town

  • Duplex: 3,500 sq ft per unit

  minimum lot area single-family detached: >= 5000 sq ft

  “minimum lot area shall be as follows: a. single-family, detached: five thousand (5,000) square feet; b. two-family, duplex: three thousand five hundred (3,500) square feet per unit.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — R-2 Residential District, inside New Castle town

    “minimum lot area shall be as follows: a. single-family: seven thousand five hundred (7,500) square feet; b. multifamily: four thousand (4,000) square feet per unit.”

  • Specified — R-4 Residential District (large-lot/rural residential), inside New Castle town

    “minimum lot area shall be as follows: a. residential: one acre; b. residential with animals: two and one-half acres; c. nonresidential or commercial use: five acres.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Residential District, inside New Castle town

  • Rear yard 5 ft for a garage abutting a public alley of at least 15 ft
  • Between accessory structures 10 ft

  front yard: >= 8 ft · side yard: >= 8 ft · rear yard principal building: >= 10 ft

  “minimum yard setback shall be as follows: a. front yard: eight feet; b. rear yard: ten (10) feet for the principal building and five feet for a garage where the rear yard directly abuts a publicly dedicated and accessible alley of no less than fifteen (15) feet in width; c. side yard: eight feet; d. between structures (accessories): ten (10) feet.”

  3 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — R-2 Residential District, inside New Castle town

    “minimum yard setback shall be as follows: a. front yard: twenty (20) feet; b. rear yard: ten (10) feet; c. side yard: ten (10) feet; d. between structures (accessories): ten (10) feet.”

  • Specified — R-3 Residential District single-family, inside New Castle town

    “single- family multifamily a. front yard 20 feet 25 feet b. rear yard 10 feet 20 feet c. side yard 10 feet 20 feet”

  • Specified — R-4 Residential District (large-lot/rural residential), inside New Castle town

    “a. all structures and accessories: 1. front yard: fifty (50) feet, 2. rear yard: fifty (50) feet, 3. side yard: twenty-five (25) feet, 4. between buildings: twenty (20) feet;”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Living in travel trailers, campers or motorized dwellings inside New Castle town, all districts

  • Allowed only in an approved mobile home park or a campground providing adequate sanitary facilities
  • No business within such equipment unless the planner approves

  “shall not be used for living or housekeeping purposes except when located in an approved mobile home park or in a campground providing adequate sanitary facilities”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Camping inside New Castle town

  • Camping in parks and public places prohibited except in designated areas
  • Camping units limited to 30 days within a one-year period in a campground

  campground max stay: <= 30 days per year

  “No camping unit shall be allowed to occupy space within a campground for periods exceeding thirty (30) days within a one-year period.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  ADUs with a primary single-family dwelling inside New Castle town (conditional use in R-2 and R-4)

  • Not on lots smaller than 5,000 sq ft
  • One ADU per principal building; max two bedrooms with one off-street parking space per bedroom
  • Cannot be sold separately
  • Tap fee 0.5 EQR (one bedroom) or 0.8 EQR (two bedrooms)

  ADU size: 400-850 sq ft (not more than 47% of principal building)

  “adus shall contain not more than eight hundred fifty (850) square feet and not less than four hundred (400) square feet.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in New Castle town floodplain areas (Chapter 17.90)

  • Subdivision proposals including manufactured home parks must meet floodplain development permit requirements
  • Residential lowest floor elevated one foot above base flood elevation where BFE data exists (17.90.160)

  “new construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor, including basement, electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing, and air conditioning equipment and other service facilities (including ductwork), elevated to one foot above the base flood elevation.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits inside New Castle town
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside New Castle town
• Inspections — Building inspections inside New Castle town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside New Castle town
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside New Castle town

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.