Bolthole Index

Jefferson County, Colorado

Building permits, zoning and septic in the Town of Morrison, Colorado

The Town of Morrison, Colorado has a town building-permit application and contracts with Charles Abbott Associates for residential and commercial code enforcement; ask the Building Department which approvals your project needs.1 Morrison administers its own zoning, while Jefferson County Public Health regulates septic systems in Jefferson County.23 Begin a town development proposal with the required Planning & Development Inquiry Form.4

At a glance

Building permits
Town application available; confirm project requirements with Morrison Building Department1
Zoning
Town Land Use Code and Official Zoning Map apply inside town limits2
Septic
Jefferson County Public Health regulates septic; new systems and covered changes may need a septic permit35
Minimum lot size
RR: 5 acres; R1: 7,500 square feet, for residential development67
Tiny homes
Colorado-regulated residential tiny homes need state plan approval and must satisfy local zoning8
Floodplain development
Town floodplain-development permit required for covered work in special flood hazard areas9

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Morrison Building Department

Town building-permit applications, code enforcement and inspection scheduling through Charles Abbott Associates

[email protected]

4704 Harlan St, Suite 684 Lakeside , CO 80212

Online permits →

Planning & zoning

Town of Morrison Planning & Zoning

Town zoning and planning/development inquiries; ask town staff to route floodplain-development questions

303-697-8749

321 Colorado Highway 8 Morrison , CO 80465

Online permits →

Septic permits

Jefferson County Public Health

County septic-system regulation and questions about septic permits

303-232-6301

100 Jefferson County Parkway, Suite 4500, Golden, CO 80419.

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in the Town of Morrison, CO?

Morrison publishes a town building-permit application, and Morrison contracts with Charles Abbott Associates for code enforcement and occupancy approval on residential and commercial properties.1 We could not confirm the complete town building-permit requirement, adopted code editions or owner-builder exception; ask Morrison Building Department to identify the requirements for your proposed work.1

Development-application fees are due at submittal, vary by application type and follow a fee schedule established by the Board of Trustees; necessary consultant review can add actual review costs.10 Ask for the current building-permit fee schedule separately from development-review fees.110

Who handles building inspections and development applications in the Town of Morrison?

For Morrison building-permit applications and code-enforcement questions, contact the town Building Department at [email protected].1 Morrison requires inspection requests by 4:00 PM on the business day before the requested inspection date.1

For Morrison planning and development proposals, contact Planning & Zoning at 303-697-8749 and complete the Planning & Development Inquiry Form before meeting with staff or submitting an application.4 The information in that form determines the next steps, application type and material needed for a complete application.4

Does the Town of Morrison have zoning, lot-size and setback rules?

Morrison administers a Land Use Code and Official Zoning Map inside town limits; the ordinance controls if the ordinance and map conflict.2 Morrison publishes districts including RR, RE, R1, R2, HD, MX-N and LI, so identify the parcel’s district before comparing residential lot requirements.11

For residential development in Morrison’s RR district, the minimum lot area is 5 acres and minimum lot width is 150 feet.6 For residential development in Morrison’s R1 district, the minimum lot area is 7,500 square feet and minimum width is 50 feet.7 Ask Morrison Planning & Zoning for the parcel’s applicable setbacks, lot coverage and minimum dwelling size before choosing a house footprint; we could not confirm those dimensions.4

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Morrison?

Jefferson County Public Health regulates septic systems in Jefferson County, including the septic questions that remain separate from Morrison’s town zoning process.3 A new septic system, repair, replacement or a change affecting an existing system may need a county septic permit; ask Public Health which approval applies to the proposed work.512

For a Colorado structure without sewage-treatment-works service, the local public health agency must issue the required onsite-wastewater permit before building construction or remodeling approval, and approve the completed installation after final inspection before occupancy approval.13 Determine the wastewater route early, rather than waiting until the home is ready for occupancy.13

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Town of Morrison?

We could not confirm a complete Morrison rule allowing RV occupancy, temporary camping or a tiny home as a residence; ask Morrison Planning & Zoning about the proposed use on the specific parcel.4 Morrison’s zoning districts and map are the starting point for that discussion.2

For Colorado Division of Housing-regulated tiny homes intended for residential occupancy, plans need state approval before construction, the unit must satisfy applicable codes and local zoning, and certification is specific to the installation site.8 State certification therefore does not settle whether the proposed Morrison parcel allows the use; request the town’s zoning answer before ordering a unit.84

What steps should you take before building a home in the Town of Morrison?

  1. Submit Morrison’s Planning & Development Inquiry Form before a staff meeting or development application, and use the town’s response to identify the application and required material.4
  2. Confirm the Morrison zoning district and applicable residential lot dimensions with Planning & Zoning.267
  3. Resolve wastewater approval with Jefferson County Public Health if the structure will use an onsite system.133
  4. Ask town staff about floodplain review: covered new development and substantial improvements in Morrison special flood hazard areas need a floodplain-development permit before work.9
  5. Confirm the building-permit application and inspection sequence with Morrison Building Department.1

For land outside town limits, consult the Jefferson County guide: Jefferson County zoning applies to unincorporated land, while municipal zoning is administered by the municipality.14

Watch-outs

  • Morrison floodplain rules cover structures partly within the special flood hazard area, and floodway encroachment requires hydrologic and hydraulic analyses by a licensed Colorado professional engineer.9
  • We could not confirm Morrison’s RV occupancy or temporary-camping allowance; ask town Planning & Zoning before relying on an RV while building.4
  • Colorado Division of Water Resources administers permits for new groundwater-diverting wells, subject to statutory exemptions and basin-specific rules; a proposed well needs its own review.15

Sources

  1. Town of Morrison Building Department (morrisonco.us)
  2. 10-A-6: Official Zoning Map (Town of Morrison), quoted and re-checked
  3. Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
  4. Town of Morrison Planning & Zoning (morrisonco.us)
  5. Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
  6. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Town of Morrison), quoted and re-checked
  7. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Town of Morrison), quoted and re-checked
  8. Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Town of Morrison), quoted and re-checked
  10. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Town of Morrison), quoted and re-checked
  11. 10-A-6: Official Zoning Map (Town of Morrison), quoted and re-checked
  12. Jefferson County Public Health (jeffco.us)
  13. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. What is My Zoning? What Can I Do on My Property?, quoted and re-checked
  15. Water Administration (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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 Morrison

Town of Morrison’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Morrison town limits; Morrison administers a Land Use Code with zoning districts and an Official Zoning Map.

    • The code states that the ordinance controls if it conflicts with the Official Zoning Map.
    “The location and boundaries of the zoning districts are hereby established on a map entitled "Official Zoning Map," as it may be amended from time to time, which accompanies and is hereby incorporated in and made a part of this Land Use Code.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Morrison town limits.

    • The Official Zoning Map is available on the Town website.
    • The source identifies districts RR, RE, R1, R2, HD, MX-N, and LI.
    “Zoning Districts | RR | RE | R1 | R2 | HD | MX-N | LI | Use-Specific Standards”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    All new development and substantial improvements inside FEMA special flood hazard areas within Morrison town limits, including structures partly within the floodplain.

    • A floodplain-development permit is required before covered development.
    • Floodway encroachment requires hydrologic and hydraulic analyses by a licensed Colorado professional engineer.
    • Structures and service facilities must meet the stated elevation and flood-resistance requirements.
    • FEMA standards also apply.

    lowest-floor elevation above base flood elevation: >= 1 foot (or at least two feet above the FIRM depth number for shallow flooding)

    “A floodplain development permit issued pursuant to subsection 10-E-4F shall be required prior to any new development or substantial improvement that is subject to this section.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Town development applications inside Morrison town limits.

    • Application fees are paid at submittal according to the type of application.
    • The fee schedule is established by Board of Trustees resolution.
    • Applicants may also pay actual consultant-review costs when a consultant is necessary.
    “Application fees shall be paid at the time of submittal according to the type of application on the development review fee schedule. The fee schedule shall be established by resolution of the Board of Trustees.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Morrison

Town of Morrison does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Residential development in Morrison's R1 district.

    • Table D-1 also specifies a 50-foot minimum lot width.

    minimum lot area: 7500 square feet · minimum lot width: 50 feet

    “Lot Width | 150 feet | 100 feet | 50 feet | 50 feet | 25 feet | 25 feet | 75 feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Residential development in Morrison's RR district.
      “Lot Area | 5 acres | 20,000 sq. ft. | 7,500 sq. ft. | 7,500 sq. ft. | 2,500 sq. ft. | 2,500 sq. ft. | 10,000 sq. ft.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building construction inside Morrison town limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing inside Morrison town limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption applicable inside Morrison town limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Morrison town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Morrison town limits.
11 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Lot coverage
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Morrison publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Jefferson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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