Bolthole Index

Sedgwick County, Colorado

Building permits, zoning and septic in the Town of Julesburg, Colorado

The Town of Julesburg, Colorado requires a building permit before alterations to any building or structure, regardless of size, cost or purpose.1 Julesburg sets its own zoning; residential dwelling and lot requirements vary by district.2 In Sedgwick County, including Julesburg, Northeast Colorado Health Department handles septic approval where an onsite system is eligible instead of public sewer service.3

At a glance

Building permit
Required before building or structure alterations; apply to the town building inspector1
Zoning
Town zoning districts control land use and dimensional requirements42
Minimum home size
A district: 850 square feet; A-1 district: 1,400 square feet, outside measurement56
Minimum residential lot
A district: 6,000 square feet for a one-family dwelling; B district: 4,500 square feet for a one-family residence78
Septic approval
Northeast Colorado Health Department; public sewer availability affects eligibility3
Tiny homes
State-approved units must also meet local zoning; town dwelling-size rules matter956

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Julesburg Town Clerk / Town Hall

Town Hall contact for reaching the town building inspector and asking about zoning, building applications and fees.

(970) 474-3344

[email protected]

100 West Second Street Julesburg, CO 80737

Septic permits

Northeast Colorado Health Department Environmental Health — Sedgwick County

Onsite wastewater permit applications and site evaluations for Sedgwick County, including eligible properties inside Julesburg.

(970) 522-3741 ext. 1262 or 1231

700 Columbine St. Sterling, CO 80751

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

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Julesburg means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

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

Julesburg requires a building permit before alterations to any kind of building or structure, regardless of size, cost or purpose; the application goes to the town building inspector.1 Ask the inspector to identify the application, plan requirements, building-permit fee and inspections for your particular project.10 For land outside town limits, use the Sedgwick County guide: the county requires a building permit for activities covered by its county jurisdiction.11

Who handles building applications and zoning questions in the Town of Julesburg?

Julesburg’s building inspector receives building-permit applications, and the town administers its own zoning districts.104 Use Town Hall’s published contact to ask for the building inspector and a parcel-specific zoning answer.12 Ask about the current application, fees and inspection sequence before committing to a construction schedule.10 Town building approval does not replace Northeast Colorado Health Department approval for an eligible septic system inside Julesburg.3

Does the Town of Julesburg have zoning, minimum lot sizes and setbacks?

Julesburg has its own zoning, with district-specific use, lot, dwelling-size and setback rules; confirm the parcel’s district before choosing a house plan.2 In Julesburg’s A district, a one-family dwelling needs a lot of at least 6,000 square feet and a dwelling area of at least 850 square feet, measured outside.75 In the B district, a one-family residence needs at least 4,500 square feet of lot area; a residence with a basement apartment for two families needs 6,000 square feet.8 Ask the town building inspector for the setbacks that apply to the actual district and proposed structure.2

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Julesburg?

Northeast Colorado Health Department’s onsite wastewater rules cover municipalities within Sedgwick County, including Julesburg.3 Where a municipality or special district provides public sewer service, a septic permit generally cannot be issued unless service is infeasible or the municipality or district authorizes it.3 Ask about sewer service before budgeting for a septic installation.3 For an eligible onsite system, NCHD requires a plot plan and a site evaluation to determine suitability and system size.13 Colorado law requires onsite wastewater approval before building or remodeling approval for a structure without sewage-treatment service, and final system inspection and approval before occupancy approval.14

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

We could not confirm a general rule allowing RV living or temporary camping on a private Julesburg lot; ask the town building inspector about the proposed use and district before buying an RV for housing.12 A Colorado Division of Housing-regulated tiny home intended for long-term living must satisfy state approval requirements and local zoning.9 Julesburg’s A district requires a one-family dwelling of at least 850 square feet, outside measurement.5 Julesburg’s A-1 district requires at least 1,400 square feet, outside measurement, a pitched roof of at least 4:12 and a garage or an equivalent approved by the building inspector.6 State tiny-home approval therefore does not by itself establish that a small unit fits either district’s dwelling requirements.956

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

  1. Ask the town building inspector to confirm the zoning district, permitted dwelling type, lot requirements and setbacks for the parcel.2
  2. Resolve wastewater service: if public sewer is unavailable and an onsite system is eligible, obtain NCHD’s septic approval before building approval.314
  3. Contact the town building inspector about the building application and obtain the required building permit before covered work begins.10
  4. Ask the town inspector which final inspections and occupancy documents your project requires; we could not confirm a general town certificate-of-occupancy requirement.12

For a proposed private groundwater well, Colorado’s Division of Water Resources administers well permits, with exemptions and basin-specific rules affecting the answer.15

Watch-outs

  • Julesburg’s district-specific dwelling requirements still apply to state-approved tiny homes.956
  • NCHD publishes revised onsite wastewater regulations effective 6/15/2026; ask NCHD which current requirements and fees apply before filing.16
  • We could not confirm a town owner-builder exemption; ask the Julesburg building inspector before treating owner-performed work as exempt from building approval.12

Sources

  1. Title 17, Chapter 17.56, Section 17.56.030 — Building inspector—Building permit (Town of Julesburg), quoted and re-checked
  2. Title 17, Chapter 17.12, Section 17.12.010 — Permitted uses (Town of Julesburg), quoted and re-checked
  3. Northeast Colorado Health Department On-Site Wastewater Treatment System Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  4. Title 17, Chapter 17.12, Section 17.12.010 — Permitted uses (Town of Julesburg), quoted and re-checked
  5. library.municode.com (Town of Julesburg), quoted and re-checked
  6. Title 17, Chapter 17.14, Section 17.14.020 — Permitted uses (Town of Julesburg), quoted and re-checked
  7. Title 17, Chapter 17.12, Section 17.12.040 — Lot regulations (Town of Julesburg), quoted and re-checked
  8. Title 17, Chapter 17.16, Section 17.16.040 — Lot regulations (Town of Julesburg), quoted and re-checked
  9. Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Title 17, Chapter 17.56, Section 17.56.030 — Building inspector—Building permit (Town of Julesburg), quoted and re-checked
  11. Planning & Zoning Department, quoted and re-checked
  12. Town of Julesburg Town Clerk / Town Hall (townofjulesburg.com)
  13. Northeast Colorado Health Department Environmental Health — Sedgwick County (nchd.org)
  14. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Water Administration (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Northeast Colorado Health Department Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Program (nchd.org)

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.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Julesburg

Town of Julesburg’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Alterations to any kind of building or structure inside Julesburg town limits.

    • Application must be made to the building inspector.
    • Permit must be obtained before work begins.
    • The quoted rule states it applies regardless of size, cost, or purpose.
    “Any application for a building permit shall be made to the building inspector and a building permit shall be obtained before work is begun for alterations on any kind of building or structure, regardless of size, cost or purpose.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Julesburg town limits; the town administers adopted Title 17 zoning districts including A, A-1, B, and D.

    “In the A district, no building or land shall be used and no building shall be hereafter erected, converted or structurally altered, unless otherwise provided in this chapter, except for one or more of the following uses:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Julesburg town limits, including A, A-1, B, and D districts.

    • District-specific use, lot, dwelling-size, and setback rules vary by district.
    “In the A district, no building or land shall be used and no building shall be hereafter erected, converted or structurally altered, unless otherwise provided in this chapter, except for one or more of the following uses:”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    One-family dwellings in the A residential district inside Julesburg town limits.

    • The measurement is outside measurement.

    minimum dwelling area: >= 850 square feet (outside measurement)

    “One-family dwelling: The total area of such dwelling shall not be less than eight hundred fifty square feet, outside measurement;”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — One-family dwellings in the A-1 residential district inside Julesburg town limits.
      “One-family Dwelling. The total area of such dwelling shall not be less than one thousand four hundred square feet, outside measurement with a pitched roof of no less than 4:12 and must include a garage or its equivalent if approved by the building inspector.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Lots for dwellings in the B residential district inside Julesburg town limits.

    • A residence with a basement apartment for two families requires at least 6,000 square feet.

    minimum lot area for one-family residence: >= 4500 square feet · minimum lot area for two-family residence with basement apartment: >= 6000 square feet

    “For every dwelling hereafter erected or structurally altered, there shall be a lot of not less than four thousand five hundred square feet for one-family residence or dwelling; a lot area of not less than six thousand square feet for a residence with basement apartment for two families.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Permit processPartial

    Building-permit applications for work inside Julesburg town limits.

    • Applications are made to the building inspector.
    • A permit must be obtained before work begins.
    • The rule expressly applies to alterations on any kind of building or structure, regardless of size, cost, or purpose.
    “Any application for a building permit shall be made to the building inspector and a building permit shall be obtained before work is begun for alterations on any kind of building or structure, regardless of size, cost or purpose.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Julesburg town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Julesburg town limits.
  • Lot coverage — Lot-coverage limits inside Julesburg town limits.
  • Building height — Building-height limits inside Julesburg town limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on land inside Julesburg town limits.
6 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Julesburg publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Sedgwick County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Sedgwick County: county rules, score and offices