Building permits, zoning and septic in Town of Ridgway, Colorado

At a glance

Building permits

Town Building Official reviews applications and conducts inspections¹

Zoning

Town zoning map and regulations; ask Town Planning about the parcel²

Water and sewer

Building approval depends on service availability, contracted extensions or authorized private sewer, plus payment of applicable tap fees⁴

Septic permits

Ouray County Land Use Department; public sewer availability limits approval³

Electrical and plumbing permits

Handled by the State of Colorado¹

Occupancy

Certificate of Occupancy required before a building is occupied¹

Who to call

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

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

Ridgway has a Town Building Official responsible for building permit review, inspections and code enforcement, and the Town asks applicants to confirm building permit requirements before starting work.¹ Ridgway has adopted the 2018 International Codes with local amendments.¹ For a home requiring plumbing, building approval depends on Town water and sewer being reasonably available, necessary extensions being contractually provided, or private sewer being authorized; applicable tap fees must also be paid.⁴ Resolve the service arrangement with the Town before committing to a building design.⁴

Who handles building permits and zoning in Town of Ridgway?

Contact the Ridgway Building Department for building permit review and inspection questions; use the Town’s Building Permit Application & Applicant Checklist to prepare the submission.¹ Ridgway will not review incomplete submissions until the necessary worksheet items are received.¹ Town Planning handles development review and land-use public hearings and publishes the zoning map, zoning regulations, development review guide and land-use application.² Colorado handles electrical and plumbing permits, while Ouray County Land Use handles septic permits where an OWTS is approvable.¹³

Does Town of Ridgway have zoning, and can you live in an RV or tiny home?

Ridgway publishes its own zoning map and zoning regulations through the Town Planning Department.² Ask Town Planning to identify the parcel’s district and explain the permitted use and development review for the proposed home.² We could not confirm a complete Ridgway rule for private-land RV living, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy or accessory dwelling units; ask Town Planning about the specific proposal before buying.² We also could not confirm district-specific minimum lot size, dwelling size, setbacks, lot coverage or height limits; request those standards for the parcel from Town Planning.²

How do septic permits work inside Town of Ridgway?

Ouray County Land Use requires an OWTS permit before installation, alteration, expansion or repair, and plans must be stamped by a Colorado-licensed professional engineer.³ A septic permit cannot be issued where feasible public sewer service is available unless the municipality or special district authorizes the system or determines service is infeasible.³ Ridgway’s own building rules also require an authorized private sewer arrangement when relying on that alternative to Town sewer.⁴ For an installed OWTS inside Ridgway, the County must inspect the system before backfilling or covering it.⁵ Establish sewer eligibility with the Town before commissioning septic plans.³⁴

What are the steps to building a home in Town of Ridgway?

1. Start with Town Planning: identify the parcel’s zoning and use the development review guide and land-use application for the proposal.²
2. Resolve Town water and sewer availability, any necessary contracted extensions or authorized private sewer, and applicable tap fees.⁴
3. Prepare the Town building application and checklist; incomplete submissions will delay review.¹
4. Arrange electrical and plumbing permits through Colorado and building inspections through the Town Building Department.¹ Ridgway appreciates at least 48 hours’ notice for planned inspections.¹
5. Obtain the Town Certificate of Occupancy before occupying the building.¹

What should you check before buying land in Town of Ridgway?

Ask Ridgway Town Planning to identify the zoning district and review the intended use before making the purchase dependent on a particular home, RV or accessory dwelling proposal.² Ask the Town Building Department which floodplain development, encroachment and water or sewer tap applications apply to the site; the Department publishes those forms.¹ We could not confirm the complete driveway-access or domestic-well rules inside town limits, so request the appropriate authority from the Town before relying on either.² For land outside Ridgway town limits, consult the Ouray County guide: county building permit and zoning rules apply to unincorporated land.⁶⁷

Watch-outs

• A septic design does not establish eligibility for septic in Ridgway: feasible public sewer service limits County OWTS approval.³
• Ridgway will not review an incomplete building application, and a Certificate of Occupancy is required before occupying a building.¹
• We could not confirm a general Ridgway owner-builder or agricultural building exemption; ask the Town Building Department about the proposed work.¹

Sources

1. Town of Ridgway Building Department (townofridgway.colorado.gov)
2. Town of Ridgway Planning Department (townofridgway.colorado.gov)
3. Ouray County On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
4. Ridgway Municipal Code, Chapter 6 Building Regulations (Town of Ridgway), quoted and re-checked
5. Septic System (OWTS) Permit Application (Town of Ridgway), quoted and re-checked
6. What Requires a Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
7. Section 3 – Zoning, quoted and re-checked

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.