Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Brush, Colorado

At a glance

Building permit

Issued by the City of Brush Community Development Department inside city limits; structural work needs a permit¹

Zoning

City land use districts under Chapter 16 of the Brush municipal code²

Main residential lot

R-LD district: 7,500 sq. ft. minimum lot, 20/15/5 ft front/rear/side setbacks, 35 ft height⁵⁶⁷

Septic

Northeast Colorado Health Department permit if not on city sewer³

RV living

RV parks only, by special use permit in AG and C districts; 90-day continuous stay limit⁴

Accessory structures as homes

Not allowed as dwellings, except temporary workforce housing⁸

Manufactured homes

Must be HUD-approved and meet city building requirements⁹

Floodplain

Lowest floor 1 foot above base flood elevation for new homes in flood hazard areas¹⁰

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Brush, Colorado?

Inside Brush city limits, structural work needs a city building permit, while cosmetic changes such as painting and carpeting do not¹. The City of Brush Building Department has adopted the 2018 International Building Code, Residential Code, Mechanical Code, Energy Conservation Code and Existing Building Code¹. Electrical and plumbing permits and inspections are handled by the State of Colorado, not the city¹. Before a permit is issued, construction and site plans must be approved¹. Brush ranks new homes as "complex" projects, which the city says take 7-14 business days after the permit application is requested¹.

Outside city limits the rules change: Morgan County requires its own building permit for roofed structures of 120 square feet or more in unincorporated areas¹¹. We could not confirm whether Brush has an owner-builder exemption or an agricultural-building exemption, so ask the Community Development Department before you start.

Who issues building permits in Brush, and how do you reach them?

The City of Brush Community Development Department handles building plan review and inspections for commercial and residential projects inside Brush¹. Call 970.842.5001 or visit City Hall at 600 Edison St.¹. Contractors working inside city limits must go through the city's credentialing process, in place since 2025¹. The city also updated its building permit fee schedule in April 2026, so check the current fees before you budget¹. Energy code enforcement moves to the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code starting July 2026¹.

For land use applications such as rezoning, special use permits, variances, subdivision and site plans, the same department lists processes for the use and development of land throughout the city¹².

Does Brush have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Brush has its own zoning: the city administers land use districts under Chapter 16 of its municipal code². The districts are AG, EP, RE, R-LD, R-MD, R-MHD, R-MH, C, CC and I, with the use table in Article 6 and dimensions in Table 5-1¹³.

Minimum lot sizes depend on the district: AG needs 40 acres, EP 5 acres, RE 1 acre, and R-LD, the main single-family district, 7,500 sq. ft.⁵. In R-LD the setbacks are 20 ft front, 15 ft rear and 5 ft side⁶. Principal buildings in R-LD can be up to 35 ft tall and accessory buildings up to 15 ft⁷. Table 5-1 lists no minimum dwelling size, and we could not confirm any lot coverage cap, so ask Community Development⁵.

How do septic permits work in Brush?

Septic permits in Morgan County come from the Northeast Colorado Health Department, not from the city³. A permit is required for any new system or repair of an existing system serving a building that is not connected to city sewer³. Because the city, not the health department, handles building permits inside Brush, a lot on city sewer typically skips the septic step, but we could not confirm which Brush addresses are on city sewer, so ask the city before you assume it³. For an address that needs a system, contact the Northeast Colorado Health Department Morgan County office at (970) 867-4918¹⁴. Colorado requires a state permit for any new groundwater well, including residential wells¹⁵. We could not confirm how Brush treats private wells inside city limits.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Brush?

The Brush code sections we reviewed allow RV parks only by special use permit in the AG and C districts, with stays limited to 90 continuous days and 180 days per calendar year, and an annual operating permit⁴. Camping is limited to the city campground at 400 South Clayton Street or a permitted RV park, with a campground stay of 7 days in a 30-day period unless approved in advance¹⁶. We could not confirm any rule that lets you live in an RV on an ordinary residential lot, so ask Community Development first.

Accessory structures may not be used as dwellings, except temporary workforce housing⁸. Colorado allows Division of Housing-approved tiny homes for long-term living, but they must meet local zoning¹⁷. We found no tiny-home provision in Brush's code, so confirm placement with the city. Manufactured homes placed in Brush since 2008 must be HUD-approved and meet the city's building requirements⁹.

Building a home in Brush: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and its lot size, setbacks and height limits with Community Development¹³.
2. Check whether the lot is in a flood hazard area; new homes there must have the lowest floor 1 foot above base flood elevation¹⁰.
3. Confirm sewer: on city sewer, no septic permit is needed, otherwise apply to the Northeast Colorado Health Department³.
4. Hire a contractor who has completed the city's credentialing¹.
5. Submit construction and site plans for the building permit¹.
6. Get state electrical and plumbing permits, which the city does not issue¹.
7. Request inspections as work proceeds.

What stays with Morgan County, and what to check before you buy

Land outside Brush city limits falls under Morgan County rules, not the city's¹⁸. Septic permits and the health department stay with the Northeast Colorado Health Department wherever the property sits³. A driveway onto a state highway needs a state access permit¹⁹. Morgan County's effective property tax rate is 0.5% and its median property tax bill is $1,574 per year²⁰²¹. Typical home value in the county is about $334,000²².

Watch-outs

• Building permit fees were updated in April 2026, and energy code enforcement changes in July 2026, so check current requirements with the city¹.
• Electrical and plumbing permits and inspections are handled by the State of Colorado, not the City of Brush¹.
• We could not confirm Brush rules on owner-builders, certificates of occupancy, wells, tiny homes or living in an RV on a residential lot; call the Community Development Department at 970.842.5001¹.
• Brush's city rules do not apply to unincorporated Morgan County land; a parcel outside city limits answers to the county¹⁸.

Sources

1. City of Brush Community Development Department (building) (brushcolo.com)
2. Brush Municipal Code Sec. 16-5-20 Lots and yards (Brush), quoted and re-checked
3. Onsite Wastewater Treatment System, quoted and re-checked
4. Brush Municipal Code Sec. 16-7-60 Mobile homes, RV parks and campgrounds (Brush), quoted and re-checked
5. Brush Municipal Code Sec. 16-5-20 Lots and yards (Brush), quoted and re-checked
6. Brush Municipal Code Sec. 16-5-20 Lots and yards (Brush), quoted and re-checked
7. Brush Municipal Code Sec. 16-5-40 Height (Table 5-1) (Brush), quoted and re-checked
8. Brush Municipal Code Sec. 16-6-30 Accessory structures and uses (Brush), quoted and re-checked
9. Brush Municipal Code Sec. 16-7-60 Mobile homes, RV parks and campgrounds (Brush), quoted and re-checked
10. Brush Municipal Code Sec. 16-13-340 Flood damage prevention compliance (Brush), quoted and re-checked
11. Building Inspection Information and Permits, quoted and re-checked
12. City of Brush Community Development Department (land use and zoning) (brushcolo.com)
13. Brush Municipal Code Sec. 16-5-40 Height (Table 5-1) (Brush), quoted and re-checked
14. Northeast Colorado Health Department, Morgan County office (nchd.org)
15. Water Administration (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Brush Municipal Code Sec. 11-5-20 Campground rules (Brush), quoted and re-checked
17. Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Planning Services, quoted and re-checked
19. Access Permits | Frequently Asked Questions (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
21. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
22. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data

Written October 16, 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.