Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Walden, Colorado

Town of Walden’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration and accessory structures inside Walden town limits, as summarized on the town building department page

  • Permits are required before work begins; the page states a double-fee penalty for work started without them.
  • Storage sheds: a permit is required for a moveable structure over 120 square feet.
  • Fences: a permit is required for any fence over 6 feet in height.
  • Dry wall repair and siding installation or repair over 100 square feet require a permit (per page).
  • Repair of roof areas under 100 square feet does not require a permit (page sentence follows the roof repair entry).
  • The page is the town building department's summary, not the full adopted building ordinance; completeness is not established.

  storage shed size requiring permit: > 120 square feet (moveable storage sheds) · fence height requiring permit: > 6 feet · penalty for work started before permit: 2 times normal permit fees (set by building official)

  “any person who commences any work on a building, structure, electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system before obtaining the necessary permits shall be subject to a fee established by the building official that is double the amount of the normal required permit fees”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted work inside Walden town limits that is subject to inspection

  • Schedule by phone at (970) 723-4344 at least 24 hours in advance of each inspection.
  • The page directs the applicant to the copy of the inspection record for the list of items inspected on the project.
  • The page does not state which permit categories are exempt from inspection.

  inspection scheduling notice: >= 24 hours

  “you will need to call and make an appointment at least 24 hours in advance to any inspection that will be done.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwelling lots inside Walden town limits. The page does not name the zoning district these areas apply to, so this is the town's general residential rule as stated, not a district-specific limit.

  • Usable-space basis: the page states the minimum in 'usable space'.
  • Two-family building site: a minimum of 9,375 sq ft of usable space is required (page text).
  • Each additional dwelling unit: 3,125 sq ft of usable space (page text).
  • The page does not state its adoption source or effective date.
  • No agricultural or rural-residential district minimum was identified on the page.

  minimum usable lot area, single-family dwelling: >= 6250 square feet of usable space (two-family site 9,375 sq ft; each additional dwelling unit 3,125 sq ft)

  “the minimum lot areas are as follows: six thousand two hundred fifty square feet of usable space for a single-family dwelling.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Residential lots inside Walden town limits (the district is not named on the page)

  • Front: 20 feet from the front property line; rear: 5 feet; side: 5 feet.
  • The page does not name the residential district these apply to, nor any accessory-structure exceptions.
  • Source is the town building department summary; adoption source is not stated.

  residential front setback: 20 feet · residential rear setback: 5 feet · residential side setback: 5 feet

  “the residential setbacks are 20 feet for the front property line, 5 feet from the back property line, and 5 feet from the side property line.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Business lots inside Walden town limits (the business district is not named on the page)

    “business setbacks are 8 feet from the front property line and 10 feet from the back property line.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Selected building permit fees inside Walden town limits (roof repair example); the full fee schedule was not located

  • Only a minimum roof-repair permit fee is stated; the page gives no full fee schedule.
  • The page does not state a fee-schedule effective date.
  • Modular and independent mobile homes use a preceding fee schedule based on installation valuation, plus accessory structures; mileage may be added at the rate allowed by law.
  • Work started without a permit is subject to double the normal permit fees.

  minimum roof repair permit fee: >= 33.08 USD (roof overlay or removal of layers, regardless of roofing material type)

  “roof repair: removal of layers/overlay, regardless of the type of roofing materials, requires a minimum permit of $33.08.”

• Permit processPartial

  Moving or setting up a mobile or modular home inside Walden town limits, and filling out the town building application

  • A moving permit must be purchased from the Jackson County Treasurer's office at the Jackson County courthouse before moving a mobile or modular home into town (the county, not the town, sells this permit).
  • A separate moving permit from the Town of Walden is also required.
  • Set-up requirements come from the Town of Walden building inspector at Walden Town Hall.
  • Building applications are on the town documents page as fillable forms.
  • Town Hall: 513 Harrison St., PO Box 489, Walden, CO 80480; phone (970) 723-4344.

  “mobile homes: a moving permit must be purchased at the jackson county treasurer’s office.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Whether an owner may build without a contractor license inside Walden town limits
• Building code adopted — Which building code edition Walden town has adopted
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Walden town limits
• Local zoning — Whether Walden town (Jackson County, CO) adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance for land inside town limits
• Zoning districts — Published zoning district map or list for Walden 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.