Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Crestone, Colorado

Town of Crestone’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New buildings and accessory dwelling units inside Crestone town limits

  • Town clerk or designee approves a complete application, unless review by the planning commission is required.
  • State and/or county plumbing and electrical inspections are also required and copies must go to town hall.
  • ADU building permit required under Ordinance 2018-001 section V-16(b).

  “the property owner will apply for a building permit and include all necessary attachments and fees”

• Building code adoptedNot adopted

  Construction inside Crestone town limits

  • The town's building permit checklist states it has no building code; state plumbing and electrical rules apply through state and/or county inspections.

  “all construction must be hooked up to the town’s water and sewer services, or a septic system, if applicable. the town does not have a building code”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Crestone town limits

  • Two town inspections: first verifies footprint and setbacks after staking; second verifies size and location after exterior is sealed.
  • Interior need not be finished for the second sign-off.

  “after receiving the building permit, the property owner must stake out the building footprint and call town hall at (719) 256-4313 to schedule the first inspection.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Crestone town limits

  • Town zoning is Ordinance 2006-013 as amended by 2009-009, 2012-001, 2012-006 and 2018-001; the 2006-013 text itself was not opened and no current consolidated zoning chapter was retrieved.

  “ordinance 2006-013 created new zoning regulations for the town of crestone; and whereas”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts of Crestone town

  • District names from the septic form: Rural Residential (RR), Low Density Residential (RL), Medium Density (RM), High Density (RH), Mobile Home (MH); a commercial district is referenced in the 2016 ordinance.
  • Official zoning map and district descriptions not reached.

  “adus shall only be allowed in rr, rl, rm, rh, and mh districts.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Accessory dwelling units only, inside Crestone town limits

  • Ordinance text says 240 'feet'; likely square feet, confirm with the town.

  ADU minimum floor area: >= 240 feet (as written in the ordinance; likely square feet)

  “minimum square footage floor area of the adu shall be 240 feet.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units on a buildable residential parcel in the town's residentially zoned districts

  • Not more than one ADU per buildable parcel.
  • ADU must be on a permanent foundation and meet primary-dwelling setbacks.
  • ADU building permit required before construction.
  • Lot coverage counts the ADU and all other buildings.
  • Attached ADUs need a separate entrance; detached ADUs allowed.
  • If the primary dwelling uses a private well, the ADU must be attached and have documented state Division of Water Resources approval.
  • Parking: no on-street parking for the ADU.
  • Ordinance text is internally inconsistent on the ADU minimum size (240 'feet').

  ADUs per buildable parcel: <= 1 unit · ADU maximum total living area: <= 600 square feet (or 80% of the principal dwelling's living area, whichever is less) · ADU maximum bedrooms: <= 2 bedrooms

  “density: not more than one (1) adu may be located on the same buildable parcel as the primary dwelling unit”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  On-site septic systems for land inside Crestone town limits: the town issues the septic permit and Saguache County land use provides the inspection report

  • The town requires an approved inspection report from Saguache County land use with the septic application.

  “approved inspection report from saguache county land use”

• Septic permitRequired

  New septic systems inside Crestone town limits

  • Site plan showing tank and leach field, plus payment, must accompany the application.
  • Septic design plans are sent to town hall per the building permit checklist.

  “the undersigned hereby applies for a septic permit within the town of crestone and submits the attached plans and specifications.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New construction inside Crestone town limits

  • Construction must hook up to town water and sewer services, or to a septic system, if applicable.
  • Sewer is limited to the town sewer service area under Ordinance 2002-002 as amended; the service-area boundary was not verified.
  • Sewer service is operated under an intergovernmental agreement with the Baca Grande Water and Sanitation District.

  “all construction must be hooked up to the town’s water and sewer services, or a septic system, if applicable.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Septic permit fee only, inside Crestone town limits

  • Fee is stated on the septic form as $200 under a 2012 resolution; a later consolidated fee schedule may replace it and was not verified.
  • General building permit fees not found in opened sources.

  septic permit fee: 200 USD (per Resolution 005-2012 as stated on the form; may be outdated)

  “payment of $200.00 (per res. # 005-2012). please make out checks to”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit process inside Crestone town limits

  • Application, clerk approval, posting, staking, two inspections and sign-off are described on the town checklist.
  • Planning commission review may apply in some cases.

  “the town clerk or designee will approve the building permit, if complete, unless there are extenuating circumstances or details that require review by the planning commission”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Crestone town limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy approval for new construction inside Crestone town limits
• Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Crestone town limits, by district
• Building height — Building height for residential structures inside Crestone town limits
• Camping on your land — Tent or temporary camping on private land inside Crestone town limits

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.