Building permits, zoning and land rules in Town of Silverton, Colorado

At a glance

Building permits

Town department issues building permits and conducts inspections¹

Zoning

Town zoning applies inside Silverton limits; development undergoes planning review²³

Septic

State law requires an OWTS permit where sewage-treatment service is absent; confirm town-parcel jurisdiction⁴

RV living

RV parks are special uses in the listed residential districts; private-lot occupancy is not confirmed⁵

ADU size

Minimum usable floor area is 300 square feet for an accessory dwelling unit⁶

Tiny-home parks

Minimum park lot area is 10,000 square feet; individual spaces need not meet that minimum⁷

Wells

Colorado Division of Water Resources administers new groundwater-well permits, subject to exemptions and basin rules⁸

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 Silverton, CO?

Silverton’s Building & Code Enforcement Department issues building permits and conducts inspections for construction and new businesses within the town and county.¹ Silverton specifically requires a building permit for accessory structures of 120 square feet or larger; that threshold concerns accessory structures, not the complete permit test for a new house or every alteration.⁹

The town department identifies adopted 2015 ICC/IBC/IRC codes and directs applicants to its iWorQ building-application portal.¹ Ask the town building office to identify the application, inspection sequence and occupancy approval for your proposed work.¹

Who handles building permits and zoning in Town of Silverton?

For Silverton building permits and construction inspections, contact the Town of Silverton Building & Code Enforcement Department using the contact listed below.¹ For Silverton land-use review, contact the town’s Community Development Department rather than starting at the county planning counter.³

Silverton development, remodeling and subdivision projects undergo town planning review and may need board or committee approval before a building permit is issued.³ Treat land-use approval and building-permit issuance as separate steps when discussing your project with the town offices.³ The building department’s service description covers construction inspections, while the county environmental-health page separately directs OWTS inspection inquiries to La Plata County Public Health.¹¹⁰

Does Town of Silverton have zoning, lot-size and ADU rules?

Silverton’s Land Use Code establishes zoning districts and a use table for land inside town limits.² Ask Community Development to identify the parcel’s district and applicable use before choosing a dwelling layout; town development projects undergo planning review.³

Silverton accessory dwelling units must provide at least 300 square feet of usable floor area, as defined by the adopted building codes; that ADU standard does not establish a minimum for every principal dwelling.⁶ Silverton cottage courts and manufactured or tiny-home parks require a minimum parcel or park lot area of 10,000 square feet, but individual spaces within a park need not meet that minimum.⁷ Cottage courts remain subject to the base zoning district’s other building and lot requirements, including setbacks.⁷

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Town of Silverton?

Silverton identifies RV parks as special uses in the listed residential districts; that park rule does not establish permission for long-term RV living on an ordinary private lot.⁵ Ask the town Community Development Department to review your intended occupancy and location before relying on an RV as housing during construction.³

Silverton’s manufactured or tiny-home park standards require water, sewer and electrical connections installed under applicable town standards and ordinances; the park standard does not establish a universal connection rule for every dwelling.¹¹ A Silverton ADU has its own minimum usable floor area, so identify whether the proposal is an ADU or a park use before applying the size rule.⁶¹¹ Camping and overnight parking are prohibited in the town parks covered by the park rule, which excludes Molas Lake Parks.¹²

How do septic permits and wells work inside Town of Silverton?

Colorado requires an on-site wastewater treatment system permit where a building is not serviced by sewage treatment works; the applicable local public health agency issues the permit under local health-board rules.⁴ San Juan County’s environmental-health page directs OWTS inspection inquiries to La Plata County Public Health, but we could not confirm the septic permitting agency specifically for land inside Silverton town limits; ask La Plata County Public Health and town Community Development to establish jurisdiction and sewer availability for your parcel.¹⁰³

Colorado requires adequate sanitary sewage disposal for occupied structures and prohibits new cesspools, so off-grid occupancy does not remove sanitation obligations.¹³ Colorado Division of Water Resources administers permits for new groundwater-diverting wells, subject to statutory exemptions and basin-specific rules; some wells also require an augmentation plan.⁸

What are the steps before building a home in Town of Silverton?

Start with Silverton’s Community Development Department: identify the zoning district, proposed use and needed planning approval before seeking a building permit.²³ Next, establish sewer service or the appropriate septic-permit route with the town and applicable local public health agency; a Colorado OWTS requires approval where sewage-treatment service is absent.³⁴ Then use the town Building & Code Enforcement Department’s application route and ask for the required construction inspections and occupancy documentation.¹

Silverton enforces the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code for new and applicable retrofit construction from July 2026, including building permits for new roofing, siding, windows and fencing; applicable requirements depend on location and historic-preservation classification.¹ For land outside town limits, consult the San Juan County guide for the county’s zoning and land-use answers.¹⁴

Watch-outs

• Silverton’s wildfire-code notice adds building-permit requirements for new roofing, siding, windows and fencing; discuss the proposed work with the town building office before ordering materials.¹
• An RV-park special-use rule is not confirmation that private-lot RV occupancy is allowed in Silverton; ask town Community Development about the intended use.⁵³
• We could not confirm a Silverton owner-builder exemption for new construction; ask the town building office rather than assuming owner-performed work waives building permits.¹

Sources

1. Town of Silverton Building & Code Enforcement Department (townofsilverton.colorado.gov)
2. Silverton Municipal Code § 15-3-40, Use table (Town of Silverton), quoted and re-checked
3. Town of Silverton Community Development Department (townofsilverton.colorado.gov)
4. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
5. Silverton Municipal Code § 15-3-40, Use table (Town of Silverton), quoted and re-checked
6. Silverton Municipal Code § 15-3-60, Accessory uses and structures (Town of Silverton), quoted and re-checked
7. Silverton Municipal Code § 15-3-50, Use-specific standards (Town of Silverton), quoted and re-checked
8. Water Administration (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Silverton Municipal Code § 15-3-60, Accessory uses and structures (Town of Silverton), quoted and re-checked
10. La Plata County Public Health (sanjuancounty.colorado.gov)
11. Silverton Municipal Code § 15-3-50, Use-specific standards (Town of Silverton), quoted and re-checked
12. Silverton Municipal Code § 11-4-30, Park hours; camping prohibited (Town of Silverton), quoted and re-checked
13. content.leg.colorado.gov (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Planning, 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.