Bolthole Index

Mineral County, Colorado

Building permits, zoning and land rules in the City of Creede, Colorado

Inside the City of Creede in Mineral County, Colorado, a city building permit is required for work on any building or structure, and the city administers its own zoning.12 Creede Town Hall provides building permits, while Mineral County Land Use Office answers OWTS questions; confirm sewer availability and wastewater approval with both offices before designing a home.34

At a glance

Building permit
Required by the City of Creede for work on any building or structure1
Zoning
City zoning districts and the official zoning map apply inside town limits2
Building code
The city adopted the 2003 building and residential codes; the 2015 building code is available by voluntary owner request56
Septic
An OWTS permit is required where onsite wastewater is used; confirm city sewer availability and local administration before applying74
Minimum home size
850 sq ft in R-1 and 400 sq ft in R-289
Accessory dwelling
One ADU allowed with a principal residential use in R-1 or R-2, subject to city standards10
RV living
Long-term occupancy on a private lot not confirmed; ask Creede Town Hall before relying on it3

Who to call

Building permits

Creede Town Hall

City building-permit requests and first-contact questions about zoning and development inside Creede

719-658-2276

[email protected]

2223 North Main Street Creede, CO 81130

Septic permits

Mineral County Land Use Office

Mineral County OWTS permit questions, soil-based system design requirements and applications

719-658-2360

[email protected]

1201 N. Main Street PO Box 70 Creede, CO 81130

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 10, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of City of Creede 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 City of Creede, Colorado?

Yes. The City of Creede requires a building permit for the erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, removal, conversion, demolition or occupancy of any building or structure inside city limits.1 Creede Town Hall is the city counter where building permits are available.3

Creede adopted the 2003 International Building Code and International Residential Code for buildings and structures inside city limits.5 A property owner may voluntarily request and agree to use the 2015 International Building Code instead of the 2003 building code, subject to the city's amendments.6 We could not confirm the city's inspection sequence, certificate-of-occupancy process or building-permit fees, so ask Town Hall for the current application checklist and charges before work begins.

Who issues building permits in Creede, and how do you reach the office?

Creede Town Hall provides city building permits for property inside Creede.3 The office is at 2223 North Main Street Creede, CO 81130, the phone is 719-658-2276, and the general email is [email protected].3 The city says permit requests may be made by phone, email or in person.11

Start there with a parcel address, a description of the work and a site plan, then ask which land-use and building submissions apply. Creede's published material does not provide a complete application, plan-review, inspection, approval or fee sequence.11 Wastewater is a separate question: Mineral County Land Use Office answers OWTS questions, and Colorado law requires local approval when an onsite system will serve a building.47

Does Creede have zoning, and what are the residential lot rules?

Yes. Creede administers a Development Code with zoning districts and an official zoning map inside city limits.2 In R-1, the minimum lot area is 5,000 square feet and the minimum dwelling floor area is 850 square feet.128 In R-2, those minimums are 1,500 square feet and 400 square feet.139

R-1 principal buildings have a 15-foot front setback, 5-foot side setback and 20-foot rear setback.14 R-2 principal buildings have a 15-foot front setback, 8-foot side setback and 20-foot rear setback.15 Both districts cap building height at 35 feet.1617 These standards are district-specific, so confirm the parcel's zoning on the official map before laying out a building.

How do septic permits work inside Creede?

Colorado requires an OWTS permit before constructing, altering, installing, repairing or using an onsite wastewater system for a building not served by a sewage treatment works.7 A final inspection must occur after permitted work is completed and before the system is used.18 Mineral County Land Use Office is the verified local contact for OWTS questions and says Mineral County systems require design by a Colorado-licensed professional engineer based on the property's soil.4

We could not confirm from the available city material when a Creede parcel must connect to municipal sewer or whether a new OWTS will be accepted at a particular address. Ask Creede Town Hall about sewer availability first, then confirm the onsite-system path with Mineral County Land Use Office. Only 1.4% of Mineral County soils rate without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so a parcel-specific soil and engineering review matters.19

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or mobile home in Creede?

We could not confirm a Creede rule allowing long-term RV occupancy or temporary camping on a private lot. Ask Creede Town Hall for a written, parcel-specific answer before using an RV as housing. Recreational vehicles, travel trailers and other wheeled or transportable structures cannot serve as accessory dwelling units in the city's R-1 and R-2 districts.10

Colorado approves qualifying tiny homes for long-term living only when the units meet applicable state standards and local zoning requirements.20 Creede's own minimum dwelling size still depends on district: R-1 requires at least 850 square feet, while R-2 requires at least 400 square feet.89 Mobile homes are permitted in the MH district, which has its own lot, floor-area and setback standards.21

Building a home in Creede: what are the steps?

  1. Confirm that the parcel is inside Creede and ask Town Hall for its zoning district.23
  2. Check the district's use, minimum lot area, dwelling size, setbacks and height before completing a site plan.121416
  3. Ask Town Hall whether municipal sewer serves the address; if an OWTS is proposed, contact Mineral County Land Use Office about engineered design and the permit.47
  4. Request the city building permit by phone, email or in person and obtain the current submittal and fee instructions.11
  5. Ask Town Hall which building inspections and occupancy approval apply, because the available city material does not confirm that sequence.
  6. For a new groundwater well, obtain the required Colorado well permit, subject to statutory exceptions and water-right conditions.22

What should you check before buying land in Creede?

Confirm the city-limit status and zoning district first, because Creede's municipal standards apply inside town limits while Mineral County's unincorporated zoning rules govern elsewhere.223 For a Creede lot, verify the allowed use, lot area, dwelling size, setbacks and height with Town Hall before relying on a listing.3

Confirm municipal water and sewer availability, and do not assume a private well or OWTS will be approved. New groundwater-diverting wells require a Colorado permit, subject to statutory exemptions and water-right conditions.22 Mineral County soils seldom rate well for a conventional drain field, and only 20.5% of county land has a slope of 15% or less; both figures are county-level context, not a parcel determination.1924 Also ask Town Hall about floodplain review and legal driveway access, which we could not confirm for city parcels.

Watch-outs

  • Creede's 2015 International Building Code applies only when the property owner voluntarily requests and agrees to it; otherwise the city's adopted 2003 codes remain the stated baseline.56
  • An accessory dwelling unit in R-1 or R-2 may not be an RV, travel trailer or other wheeled or transportable structure.10
  • Do not buy an unsewered Creede lot on the assumption that a conventional septic field will work; confirm sewer status with Town Hall and the OWTS path with Mineral County Land Use Office.34

Sources

  1. Sec. 18-1-10. Establishment of building permit (Town of City of Creede), quoted and re-checked
  2. Creede, CO Code of Ordinances (Town of City of Creede), quoted and re-checked
  3. Creede Town Hall (cityofcreede.gov)
  4. Mineral County Land Use Office (mineralcountycolorado.com)
  5. Sec. 18-2-10. Adoption (Town of City of Creede), quoted and re-checked
  6. Sec. 18-2-15. Adoption (Town of City of Creede), quoted and re-checked
  7. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Sec. 9-4-60. Residential District, Single-Family (R-1) (Town of City of Creede), quoted and re-checked
  9. Sec. 9-4-70. Residential District, Two-Family and Multi-Family (R-2) (Town of City of Creede), quoted and re-checked
  10. Sec. 9-4-190. Accessory uses and structures (Town of City of Creede), quoted and re-checked
  11. Permits (Town of City of Creede), quoted and re-checked
  12. Sec. 9-4-60. Residential District, Single-Family (R-1) (Town of City of Creede), quoted and re-checked
  13. Sec. 9-4-70. Residential District, Two-Family and Multi-Family (R-2) (Town of City of Creede), quoted and re-checked
  14. Sec. 9-4-60. Residential District, Single-Family (R-1) (Town of City of Creede), quoted and re-checked
  15. Sec. 9-4-70. Residential District, Two-Family and Multi-Family (R-2) (Town of City of Creede), quoted and re-checked
  16. Sec. 9-4-60. Residential District, Single-Family (R-1) (Town of City of Creede), quoted and re-checked
  17. Sec. 9-4-70. Residential District, Two-Family and Multi-Family (R-2) (Town of City of Creede), quoted and re-checked
  18. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Sec. 9-4-100. Mobile Home Park District (MH) (Town of City of Creede), quoted and re-checked
  22. Well Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  23. Mineral County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  24. Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 10, 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 City of Creede

Town of City of Creede’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Any building or structure inside City of Creede town limits.

    • The requirement covers erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, removal, conversion, demolition, and occupancy.
    “A building permit shall be obtained for the erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, removal, conversion, demolition or occupancy of any building or structure in the City.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Buildings and structures inside City of Creede town limits under the City's adopted building and residential codes.

    • The 2003 International Building Code and International Residential Code were adopted by reference.
    • The code states the adopted subject matter regulates erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, conversion, demolition, occupancy, equipment, use, height, area, and maintenance.

    International Building Code edition: 2003 · International Residential Code edition: 2003

    “Pursuant to Parts 1 and 2 or Article 16 of Title 31, C.R.S., there is hereby adopted by reference the 2003 editions of the International Building Code and International Residential Code published by the International Code Council, 5203 Leesburg Pike, Suite 600, Falls Church, Virginia, 22041, to have the same force and effect as if set forth herein in every particular.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Partial — Property inside City of Creede town limits where the owner voluntarily requests the 2015 International Building Code.
      “There is hereby adopted the 2015 International Building Code published by the International Code Council, Inc., 4051 West Flossmoor Road, Country Club Hills, 60478-5795, to have the same force and effect as if set forth herein in full except as amended herein; provided that the 2015 International Building Code shall only apply if the property owner voluntary requests and agrees to the application of the 2015 International Building Code and shall then apply in lieu of the 2003 International Building Code.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside City of Creede town limits; the City administers a Development Code containing zone districts and an official zoning map.

    “ARTICLE 4 Zone Districts and Official Zoning Map”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Minimum floor area per dwelling unit in the MH district inside City of Creede town limits.

    • Applies to the Mobile Home Park District.

    minimum floor area per dwelling unit: >= 850 square feet

    “Minimum floor area per dwelling unit | 850 square feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Minimum lot area per dwelling in the MH district inside City of Creede town limits.

    • Applies to the Mobile Home Park District.

    minimum lot area per dwelling: >= 4000 square feet

    “Minimum lot area per dwelling | 4,000 square feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Setbacks in the MH district inside City of Creede town limits.

    • Applies to the Mobile Home Park District.

    front setback principal building: 15 feet · front setback front-loaded garage: 15 feet (Measured from the back of sidewalk) · front setback accessory building: 40 feet · side setback: 10 feet · rear setback principal building: 10 or 20 feet · rear setback garage facing alley: 5 feet · rear setback accessory buildings or structures: 5 feet

    “Minimum front yard setback Principal building Front-loaded garage (measured from the back of sidewalk) Accessory building | 15 feet 15 feet 40 feet Minimum side yard setback | 10 feet Minimum rear yard setback Principal building Garage with its entrance facing an alley Accessory buildings or structures | 10 or 20 feet 5 feet 5 feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — Setbacks in the R-1 district inside City of Creede town limits.
      “Minimum front yard setback Principal building Front-loaded garage (measured from the back of sidewalk) Accessory building | 15 feet 22 feet 55 feet Minimum side yard setback | 5 feet Minimum rear yard setback Principal building Garage with its entrance facing an alley Accessory buildings or structures | 20 feet 5 feet 5 feet”
    • Specified — Setbacks in the R-2 district inside City of Creede town limits.
      “Minimum front yard setback Principal building Front-loaded garage (measured from the back of sidewalk) Accessory building 15 feet 22 feet 45 feet Minimum side yard setback 8 feet Minimum rear yard setback Principal building Garage with its entrance facing an alley Accessory buildings or structures 20 feet 5 feet 5 feet”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Maximum building height in the MH district inside City of Creede town limits.

    • Applies to the Mobile Home Park District.

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet

    “Minimum floor area per dwelling unit | 850 square feet Maximum building height | 35 feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    Mobile-home occupancy in the Mobile Home Park District (MH) inside City of Creede town limits.

    • The use is limited to the MH zoning district.
    • The MH district is described as a parcel under single ownership or control on which two or more mobile homes are occupied as residences.
    • The district must contain at least one acre.
    • The district has dimensional standards including 4,000 square feet minimum lot area per dwelling and 850 square feet minimum floor area per dwelling unit.

    minimum MH district area: >= 1 acre · minimum lot area per dwelling: >= 4000 square feet · minimum floor area per dwelling unit: >= 850 square feet

    “The following uses shall be permitted in the MH District: (1) Accessory buildings and accessory uses; (2) Home occupations; (3) Mobile homes;”
  • Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

    Accessory dwelling units associated with principal residential uses in R-1 and R-2 districts inside City of Creede town limits.

    • One accessory dwelling unit maximum per lot in addition to the principal single-family dwelling.
    • Maximum floor area is 850 square feet.
    • Private sanitary facilities with hot and cold running water and cooking and food-storage facilities are required.
    • At least one off-street parking space is required per accessory dwelling unit.
    • Recreational vehicles, travel trailers, and other wheeled or transportable structures cannot be used as accessory dwelling units.

    maximum ADU floor area: <= 850 square feet · maximum ADUs per lot: 1 (In addition to the principal single-family dwelling) · minimum off-street parking: >= 1 space per accessory dwelling unit

    “Accessory dwelling units shall be allowed as accessory uses to principal residential uses in the following districts: R-1, R-2.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivisions and re-subdivisions inside City of Creede town limits.

    • The procedures apply to portioning, dividing, combining, or altering lots, parcels, or tracts, including condominiums, apartments, multiple dwelling units, and estates in airspace, except subdivisions specifically excluded by state law.
    • Major subdivisions create four or more parcels or require or propose public improvements.
    • Minor subdivisions create fewer than four parcels or meet other listed minor-subdivision criteria.
    • Administrative subdivisions include duplex divisions, survey-error corrections, certain condominium or timeshare subdivisions, and lot-line adjustments of two feet or less.
    • Major subdivisions require preliminary-plan and final-plat approval; minor subdivisions require final-plat review and approval; administrative subdivisions require final-plat review and approval.

    major subdivision parcel threshold: >= 4 parcels (Also includes subdivisions requiring or proposing public improvements) · administrative lot-line adjustment threshold: <= 2 feet (Must not change the number of lots)

    “The procedures of this Section shall apply to all subdivisions or re-subdivisions that result in the portioning, dividing, combining, or altering of any lot, parcel, or tract of land, including land used for condominiums, apartments, or any other multiple dwelling units or creation of an estate in airspace, except any subdivisions that are specifically excluded by state law.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Requests for City of Creede permits inside town limits.

    • The City states permits can be requested by phone, email, or in person.
    • The permit PDF does not provide a complete application, review, inspection, approval, or fee process.
    “City of Creede can provide these permits with a simple request via phone: (719)658-2276 x2, email: [email protected] or in person: 2223 N. Main Street.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions from building requirements inside City of Creede town limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside City of Creede town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside City of Creede town limits.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside City of Creede town limits.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term or residential RV occupancy on land inside City of Creede town limits.
13 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 City of Creede publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Mineral County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Mineral County: county rules, score and offices