Building permits, zoning and land rules in Park County, Colorado

Yes. Unincorporated Park County requires a building permit to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, remove, convert or demolish a building or structure². The county has adopted the 2018 International Residential and Building Codes, among others, and the Building Department handles permits and inspections everywhere except the towns of Fairplay and Alma^1,3. Detached one-story storage sheds up to 200 square feet, fences up to 6 feet and non-structural retaining walls up to 4 feet need no building permit, but they must still meet Park County land use regulations⁹. At least 50% of the permit fee is due when plans are submitted, and starting construction before the permit issues brings a double fee². A development permit is valid for 1 year from issuance and may be voided if work lapses or inspections are skipped². Owner-builders are allowed, but the dwelling cannot be offered for sale until its Certificate of Occupancy issues, and an owner-builder may build only one dwelling every four years¹.

The Park County Building Department issues building permits and performs building inspections outside Fairplay and Alma³. The office is at 856 Castello Ave, P.O. Box 517, Fairplay, CO 80440, phone 719-836-4255³. Owners and contractors submit applications and request inspections through CloudPermit, and incomplete applications are rejected³. Inspections must be scheduled no later than 5:00 p.m. the day before, and final inspection happens only after the state has approved electrical and plumbing¹³. Planning and Zoning handles land-use questions at 856 Castello Ave, P.O Box 1598, Fairplay, CO 80440, 719-836-4292¹⁴. Environmental Health handles septic work and works with landowners on driveway permits from 856 Castello Ave, P.O. Box 216, Fairplay, CO 80440, 719-836-4267^2,7. The county Building Department does not cover parcels inside Fairplay or Alma, so those parcels need the applicable town office³. We could not confirm who issues building permits or septic approvals inside either town, so ask the town and Environmental Health before you buy there.

Yes. The unincorporated areas of Park County are divided into zone districts, each with its own use and development standards^2,8. Inside Fairplay and Alma, the towns administer their own zoning rather than the county^4,5. The county rules below apply to unincorporated land. Park County states no minimum square-footage requirement for a residence, but residential building height is generally capped at 35 feet^10,12. In the Residential Zone District, principal and accessory structures have setbacks of 50 feet from watercourses, wetlands and state or federal highway rights-of-way; 30 feet from other road rights-of-way and side lot lines; and 20 feet from rear lot lines¹⁰. New residential lots have a slope-based minimum area: 5 acres when at least half the lot has a slope of 20% or less, 6 acres when more than half is at a 20% to 30% slope, and 8 acres when more than half exceeds a 30% slope¹⁰. Ask Planning and Zoning to identify the parcel's mapped district and applicable schedule before designing the site^8,14.

Park County Environmental Health administers onsite wastewater treatment system permits and inspections, and the county code addendum places the regulations under Development Services^6,9. Septic permits for unincorporated land stay with the county. For a building with plumbing that lacks sewer service, obtain the septic permit before applying for the building permit⁶. Final inspection is required before backfilling, and occupancy approval for a building without sewer service waits for the local agency's final OWTS inspection and approval¹⁵. Only 4.9% of Park County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make the site evaluation an early feasibility step and expect that many parcels may need a more involved design¹⁶. Off-grid does not mean sanitation-free: buildings used for sleeping must have sanitation facilities and running water, and a composting or incinerating toilet may handle toilet waste only when an OWTS treats the remaining wastewater¹. Where a municipality or special district provides public sewer, an OWTS permit is generally unavailable unless sewer connection is not feasible¹.

On a vacant MR, R, R-20, R-35 or Mining M parcel without a permitted dwelling, an owner may camp for up to 14 cumulative days per calendar year without a permit; a permit can allow up to 30 consecutive days, subject to wastewater, setback, access and other conditions¹⁰. Park County campgrounds and RV parks cannot allow full-time or permanent residential occupation of a campsite, camper, trailer or RV, apart from one caretaker or operator dwelling¹⁰. Those rules do not establish permanent RV residence on every private parcel, so ask Planning and Zoning before treating an RV as a home^10,14. A tiny home intended for long-term living needs Colorado Division of Housing plan approval before construction, compliance with state standards and local zoning, and site-specific certification¹¹. Park County has no minimum residential square footage, but that does not waive zoning, building permits or septic review^1,6,12. An ADU is permitted on a lot of at least 2 acres; on a smaller lot, Park County treats the unit as a guest house¹⁰.

1. Ask Planning and Zoning to confirm the parcel's mapped district, allowed residential use, setbacks, minimum lot standard and any separate land-use approval^8,10,14.

1. Confirm legal access and the driveway location; Park County requires a driveway permit before construction, and Environmental Health works with landowners to obtain it; direct access to a state highway also requires a Colorado Department of Transportation access permit^2,6,17.

1. If the property needs a well, obtain the Colorado Division of Water Resources permit before drilling⁶.

1. For a home with plumbing and no sewer service, obtain the Park County septic permit before applying for the building permit^6,7.

1. Submit complete building plans and the application through CloudPermit, and pay at least half the building-permit fee at plan submittal^2,3.

1. Wait for permit issuance before starting, because beginning early doubles the fee, then request inspections through CloudPermit as construction advances^2,3.

1. Schedule staged building inspections, then close out the septic and driveway permits and get state electrical and plumbing approval so final inspection can happen^2,13.

1. Do not move in until the Certificate of Occupancy issues; occupying a structure first is a code violation, and a home without sewer service also needs the final septic inspection before backfilling^2,15.

Start with jurisdiction and zoning: verify whether the parcel is outside Fairplay or Alma, then have Planning and Zoning confirm its mapped district, allowed use, setbacks and slope-based lot standard^3,8,10. Treat septic feasibility as a purchase contingency because only 4.9% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field¹⁶. Check slope and clearing costs too: 33.3% of Park County land is at a slope of 15% or less, while 45.4% is wooded¹⁶. Confirm legal access and whether the approach meets a county road, private road or state highway^6,17. A new groundwater well needs a state permit, so resolve water availability and permit conditions before assuming a well is viable⁶. Ask Planning and Zoning which flood review applies because the county's full floodplain-development rule could not be confirmed^6,14. If rental income matters, all Park County short-term rentals require a license and an online application with supporting property, septic, occupancy, parking, trash and snow-removal materials¹⁸. A parcel of 35 acres or larger can be created without county subdivision approval, but it remains subject to county zoning, setback, height, road and building-permit rules¹⁹.