Bolthole Index

Washington County, Colorado

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Town of Akron, Colorado

Town of Akron, Colorado requires building permits for work governed by its adopted building code and administers its own zoning inside town limits.12 Town Hall is the starting point for building applications; plumbing and electrical permits are handled by the State of Colorado.3 Septic systems serving buildings off city sewer require Northeast Colorado Health Department approval, including inside Akron in Washington County.45

At a glance

Building permits
Required for work covered by Akron’s adopted code; start at Town Hall13
Zoning
Town zoning applies inside Akron limits; check the building zone map26
Septic permits
Northeast Colorado Health Department for buildings off city sewer45
Building inspections
Akron’s building inspector performs required inspections7
B residence setbacks
Front: at least 20 feet, subject to the predominant setback; sides: 5 feet; rear: 10 feet, with stated exceptions8
Occupancy
A certificate of occupancy is required before a building is occupied3

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Akron Town Hall / Building Inspector

Building applications and access to the building inspector; start here for town zoning questions.

970-345-2624

250 Main Avenue, Akron, CO 80720

Septic permits

Northeast Colorado Health Department OWTS Program

OWTS and septic permits for new systems and repairs in the district

(970) 867-4918 ext. 2262

700 Columbine Street Sterling, Colorado 80751

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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

Town of Akron requires building permits for work governed by its adopted code, and local amendments remove several standard building-permit exemptions.1 Akron has adopted the 2018 International Building Code with local revisions, so a permit exception from an unamended code is not enough to establish that your project is exempt.91 Ask Town Hall to confirm the requirement before starting work.3 Akron’s building inspector performs required building inspections; obtaining the building permit does not replace those inspections.7

Who handles building applications in Town of Akron?

Start an Akron building application at Town Hall, which connects applicants with the building inspector responsible for review and inspections.3 Call 970-345-2624 or visit 250 Main Avenue, Akron, CO 80720; the town accepts building applications in person, by email or by mail.3 Bring a plot plan, which Akron requires with every building permit.3 Ask Town Hall about zoning for the proposed use as well as the construction approval: Akron administers its own zoning, while plumbing and electrical permits go through the State of Colorado.23

Does Town of Akron have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

Town of Akron has zoning districts whose boundaries are shown on the building zone map; identify the parcel’s district before choosing a house footprint.26 In Akron’s B residence district, the front setback is at least 20 feet, with a predominant-block-setback rule that cannot require more than 40 feet.8 The B residence district requires at least 5 feet on each side and 10 feet at the rear, subject to the stated existing-structure exception.8 We could not confirm district-specific minimum lot area or dwelling size; ask Town Hall for the provisions applicable to your parcel.3

How do septic permits work inside Town of Akron?

For an Akron building that creates wastewater and is not connected to city sewer, Northeast Colorado Health Department requires an onsite wastewater treatment system, or septic, permit.4 The health district serves Washington County and evaluates septic sites before permitting and installation.5 New septic systems and repairs to existing systems require a health department permit.4 Contact the OWTS program at (970) 867-4918 ext. 2262 to confirm the current application and site-evaluation requirements.4 For a town water or sewer tap, Akron requires an application; establish the sewer connection option with Town Hall before planning a private system.3

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

We could not confirm permission for residential RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny homes or accessory dwellings inside Akron; ask Town Hall about the exact proposed use before buying land for it.3 Akron’s zoning districts and building code apply inside town limits, so a small footprint alone does not establish that a dwelling is allowed.21 Mobile-home placement or modification is allowed only in specific Akron locations, according to the town’s building office.3 For use of vacant land or a change in land use, Akron requires a certificate-of-occupancy application before occupation or use, and the use must conform to its zoning title.10

Building a home in Town of Akron: what are the steps?

Begin by asking Town Hall to identify the parcel’s zoning district and confirm the proposed use against Akron’s building zone map.63 Next, prepare the plot plan and submit the building application before construction; town building fees and use taxes are based on construction cost and due with the application.3 Resolve water and sewer tap applications with the town, or septic approval with Northeast Colorado Health Department for a building off city sewer.34 Arrange required building inspections with Akron’s building inspector.7 Obtain the certificate of occupancy before occupying the building.3

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

Check whether an Akron parcel lies in a special flood hazard area: structures, land alterations and land-use changes there must comply with the town’s floodplain regulations.11 Ask Town Hall which floodplain approvals your project needs, and request an answer on private wells, driveway access and owner-builder requirements, which we could not confirm for town parcels.3 Inside Akron, the town’s zoning and building code apply; outside town limits, Washington County’s guide covers the county building-permit and land-use rules for unincorporated land.291213 Northeast Colorado Health Department remains the septic authority for Washington County systems.5

Watch-outs

  • Do not use Washington County’s lack of a county building-code ordinance as an exemption inside Akron: the town has adopted its own building code.149
  • Akron’s B residence district setbacks are district-specific; confirm the parcel’s zoning on the town map before applying those dimensions.86
  • We could not confirm an Akron RV-living or tiny-home approval route; ask Town Hall before committing to either use.3

Sources

  1. 10-2-1: Code Adopted (Town of Akron), quoted and re-checked
  2. 11-5-1: Districts Established; Map; General Regulations (Town of Akron), quoted and re-checked
  3. Town of Akron Town Hall / Building Inspector (townofakron.com)
  4. Northeast Colorado Health Department OWTS Program (nchd.org)
  5. OWTS Permit Requirements, quoted and re-checked
  6. 11-5-1: Districts Established; Map; General Regulations (Town of Akron), quoted and re-checked
  7. 10-1-1: Building Inspector; Fees (Town of Akron), quoted and re-checked
  8. 11-5C-6: Setback (Town of Akron), quoted and re-checked
  9. 10-2-1: Code Adopted (Town of Akron), quoted and re-checked
  10. 11-2-5: Certificate Of Occupancy (Town of Akron), quoted and re-checked
  11. 12-1-8: Compliance Required (Town of Akron), quoted and re-checked
  12. Planning and Zoning | Washington County, quoted and re-checked
  13. Planning and Zoning | Washington County, quoted and re-checked
  14. Building Permit Application, quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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 Akron

Town of Akron’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction and other work governed by the adopted building code inside Akron town limits.

    • The adopted code contains permit provisions.
    • Section 105.2 is locally revised by deleting building-permit exemptions for Building items 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 12.
    “Section 105.2. Delete: Building: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, & 12”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Buildings and structures inside Akron town limits.

    • The adopted code is the 2018 International Building Code, chapters 1 through 35 and appendices C, E, G, H, I, and J.
    • Section 10-2-2 makes local revisions, including deletion of listed building-permit exemptions.

    building code edition: International Building Code 2018 (Chapters 1 through 35 and appendices C, E, G, H, I, and J)

    “The International Building Code, 2018 edition, including chapters 1 through 35, inclusive, and appendices C, E, G, H, I, and J”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Building-regulation work inside Akron town limits.

    • The building inspector is the chief enforcement officer for building regulations and must make the required inspections.
    • The fire prevention code is excluded from this specific assignment.
    “He shall make the required inspections, and he shall perform such other duties as the board may direct.”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Use of vacant land or a change in use of land inside Akron town limits.

    • Application is required before the land is occupied or used.
    • The use must conform to Title 11.
    • The certificate must state compliance with building and health laws and ordinances.
    • An original certificate applied for with a building-permit application has no fee; other certificates or copies cost $1.00 each.
    • An excavation permit for a building cannot issue before application for a certificate of occupancy.

    issuance period: 10 days (Provided the use conforms to Title 11) · fee: 0 USD (Original certificate applied for coincident with building permit) · fee: 1 USD (All other certificates or copies)

    “Certificate of occupancy for the use of vacant land or the change in the use of land as herein provided shall be applied for”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Akron town limits; Akron adopts and administers its own zoning regulations.

    • The code establishes multiple zoning districts and a building zone map.
    “the town is divided into major districts known as:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Akron town limits.

    • The code states that district boundaries are shown on the building zone map, which is incorporated into Title 11.
    • Any annexed area is automatically classified as AA residence district unless the annexation ordinance approves different zoning.
    “The town is divided into districts as shown upon the map attached to the ordinance codified in this section, being designated as the "building zone map"”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    B residence district inside Akron town limits.

    • Front setback is at least 20 feet.
    • Where at least 25% of block frontage has a predominant setback, new or structurally altered buildings may not project beyond that line.
    • The rule cannot require a setback greater than 40 feet.
    • Side yard is at least 5 feet on each side, subject to the stated existing-structure exception.
    • Rear yard is at least 10 feet.

    front setback: >= 20 feet (Predominant-setback rule; maximum required setback 40 feet) · side yard: >= 5 feet (Existing structure may be rebuilt, altered, or extended along the same line if no closer to adjoining property line and completed within two years) · rear yard: >= 10 feet

    “There shall be a setback of not less than twenty feet (20');”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Structures, land alteration, or land-use changes within a special flood hazard area inside Akron town limits.

    • Full compliance with Title 12 and other applicable regulations is required.
    • The rule applies specifically within the special flood hazard area.
    “No structure or land shall hereafter be located, altered, or have its use changed within the special flood hazard area without full compliance”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Akron town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential districts inside Akron town limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside Akron town limits.
  • Lot coverage — Residential districts inside Akron town limits.
  • Building height — Residential districts inside Akron town limits.
11 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • 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 Akron publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Washington County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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