Building permits, zoning and land rules in the Town of Berthoud, Colorado

At a glance

Building permit

Required for new homes and covered residential construction inside town limits¹

Zoning

The Berthoud Development Code governs land use and development inside town limits²

Building code

Berthoud has adopted the 2024 IBC, IRC and IECC and the 2023 NEC⁵

Inspections

Required during construction or remodeling and performed for the Town by SAFEbuilt³

Septic

Weld County Environmental Health handles OWTS permitting for Weld County parcels⁴⁶

RV living

A town-specific private-property occupancy rule could not be confirmed; ask Berthoud Planning⁷

Tiny homes

State approval remains subject to Berthoud zoning and site requirements⁸

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 the Town of Berthoud, Colorado?

Yes. Inside Berthoud town limits, residential building permits cover a new home, remodel, deck, basement finish and major repair work such as roof replacement.¹ The Town has adopted the 2024 International Building Code, International Residential Code and International Energy Conservation Code, along with the 2023 National Electrical Code.⁵

The Town of Berthoud Building Department, not Weld County's unincorporated-area building office, is the correct counter for work inside town limits.⁹ Some projects require Planning Department review before the building permit, so resolve zoning and land-use questions before submitting construction plans.¹ We could not confirm a town owner-builder exemption; ask the Building Department whether the proposed work requires a licensed contractor and which trade rules apply.⁹

Who issues building permits in Berthoud, and how do you apply?

The Town of Berthoud Building Department handles residential, commercial and industrial building permits and inspections inside town limits.⁹ The office is at 807 Mountain Ave, Berthoud, CO 80513, and its main number is 970-532-2643, option 3.⁹ Building-permit applications go through the Town's CommunityCore permit portal.⁹

Berthoud publishes project-specific building fees, and the amount varies with the proposed work.¹⁰ The Town identifies a 2026 fee schedule effective January 1, 2026, plus a plan-review fee collection policy effective May 1, 2026.¹⁰ SAFEbuilt performs the Town's building inspections, and inspections are required throughout construction or remodeling.³ An inspection request must be made before 4 p.m. for completion the following business day.³

Does the Town of Berthoud have zoning?

Yes. The Berthoud Development Code governs the use and development of land inside town limits, and the Town publishes both the code and a zoning map through its Planning Department.²¹¹ The parcel's zoning district must be identified before assuming that a house type, accessory structure, setback or lot arrangement is allowed.²

A development proposal requires a pre-application meeting before a land-use approval application is submitted.¹² Contact the Town of Berthoud Planning Department at 970-532-2643, option 3, at 807 Mountain Ave for the parcel's district and the review path.⁷ We could not confirm a townwide minimum dwelling size or a single minimum lot size from the available material; ask Planning for the exact district standards rather than applying Weld County's unincorporated-area dimensions to a town parcel.⁷

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Berthoud?

For a Berthoud parcel in Weld County that cannot use public sewer, Weld County Environmental Health administers onsite wastewater systems and requires an application for a new system, repair, upgrade, reconnection or vault.⁴¹³ Weld County policy requires public sewer where feasible and limits onsite systems to places where public sewer is not feasible.¹⁴

Contact Weld County Environmental Health at (970) 400-6415 before designing the system or relying on an old permit record.¹⁵ A site inspection occurs before permit issuance for a covered new, repair, vault or existing-system application.¹⁶ Colorado also requires a final inspection after permitted onsite wastewater work is complete and before the system is used.¹⁷ Berthoud includes land in Larimer County as well, and this Weld County contact does not answer the permit path for a Larimer County parcel; verify the county before applying.

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

We could not confirm a Berthoud rule that generally allows RV occupancy on private land or permits living in an RV while a house is built. Ask the Town Planning Department for a written, parcel-specific answer covering the zoning district, duration, utility connections and whether the RV would be treated as camping or a dwelling.⁷ Weld County's temporary RV allowance for Agricultural land applies to unincorporated county property, not automatically to land inside Berthoud.¹⁸

Colorado can approve qualifying tiny homes for long-term living, but the plans require state approval before construction and the unit must still satisfy local zoning and applicable codes.⁸ That state approval does not establish that a tiny home is allowed on every Berthoud lot. Berthoud's zoning district and adopted building codes remain the starting point for a proposed tiny home.²⁵

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

1. Confirm that the parcel is inside Berthoud town limits and ask the Planning Department for its zoning district, allowed residential use and dimensional standards.²⁷

1. If the proposal needs land-use approval, complete the required pre-application meeting before submitting that application.¹²

1. Determine whether public sewer serves the parcel; for a Weld County parcel proposing an onsite system, begin with Weld County Environmental Health.¹⁴¹⁵

1. Submit the building-permit application and plans through the Town's online portal after completing any required Planning review.¹⁹

1. Complete the required inspections during construction; SAFEbuilt performs building inspections for Berthoud.³

1. Complete all required wastewater approvals before occupancy when the home is not served by a sewage treatment works.¹⁹

What should you check before buying land in the Town of Berthoud?

Start with the boundary and county: confirm that the parcel is inside Berthoud and determine whether it lies in Weld County or Larimer County before choosing a septic office. Ask Berthoud Planning for the zoning district, allowed dwelling type, setbacks, lot standards and any pre-application review.²¹²

Confirm water and sewer availability rather than assuming an off-grid system is allowed. For the Weld County portion, public sewer is required where feasible and an onsite wastewater system is limited to places where public sewer is not feasible.¹⁴ If a private well is proposed, Colorado requires a permit for a new groundwater-diverting well, subject to statutory and basin-specific conditions.²⁰ A driveway connecting directly to a Colorado state highway requires a state access permit.²¹ Finally, check mapped flood hazards because development in floodplain areas must satisfy local standards that meet or exceed federal minimum criteria.²²

Watch-outs

• The listed septic office serves the Weld County portion of Berthoud; confirm the parcel's county before using that contact.¹⁵
• Weld County's unincorporated-area zoning and temporary RV rules do not automatically apply inside Berthoud town limits.²¹⁸
• A Colorado-approved tiny home must still satisfy Berthoud zoning and site requirements.⁸
• Some Berthoud projects require Planning Department review before the Town can issue a building permit.¹

Sources

1. Building Department | Berthoud, CO (Town of Berthoud), quoted and re-checked
2. Planning Department | Berthoud, CO (Town of Berthoud), quoted and re-checked
3. Building Department — inspections and certificate requirements (Town of Berthoud), quoted and re-checked
4. Environmental Health Services, quoted and re-checked
5. Building Department — code adoption and permits (Town of Berthoud), quoted and re-checked
6. New System, Repair, Vault, and Statement of Existing, quoted and re-checked
7. Town of Berthoud Planning Department (berthoud.org)
8. Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Town of Berthoud Building Department (berthoud.org)
10. Building Department — fee information (Town of Berthoud), quoted and re-checked
11. Planning Department | Berthoud, CO (Town of Berthoud), quoted and re-checked
12. Planning Department — development review process (Town of Berthoud), quoted and re-checked
13. Septic Systems (On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems) – Weld County, quoted and re-checked
14. Septic Systems (On-site Wastewater Treatment Systems), quoted and re-checked
15. Weld County Environmental Health Services (weld.gov)
16. New System, Repair, Vault, and Statement of Existing, quoted and re-checked
17. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Current Planning – Weld County, quoted and re-checked
19. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. Water Administration (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Access Permits | Frequently Asked Questions (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. SB24-179 Floodplain Management Program (Colorado statewide rule), 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.