Bolthole Index

Yuma County, Colorado

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Wray, Colorado

Wray, Colorado requires city building permits for permit-regulated construction, with approval by the Building Inspector/City Manager before work begins.1 Wray has its own residential zoning districts; Yuma County’s unincorporated land rules apply outside city limits.23 Septic permits for Wray buildings creating wastewater without a city sewer connection come from Northeast Colorado Health Department.4

At a glance

Building permit
City approval required for permit-regulated work before construction starts.1
Zoning
City residential districts include R-A and R-B.2
Septic
NCHD septic permit required for buildings creating wastewater without city sewer.4
Minimum home size
R-A one-family dwellings: 600 square feet.5
Minimum lot size
R-A and R-B one-family dwellings: 4,500 square feet.67
Tiny homes
State-regulated units must meet local zoning; state approval alone does not establish a Wray site’s eligibility.8
Private wells
Colorado DWR handles new groundwater well permits, subject to exemptions and basin rules.9

Who to call

Building permits

City of Wray Building Inspector/City Manager

City building applications and approval; questions about city zoning and project requirements

970-332-4431

245 W 4TH ST – PO BOX 35

Online permits →

Septic permits

Northeast Colorado Health Department OWTS Program

OWTS septic permits, applications and inspections in Yuma County

(970) 867-4918 ext. 2262

[email protected]

Online permits →

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 Wray means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Wray, CO?

Wray requires a city building permit for permit-regulated construction, and the permit is not valid until the Building Inspector/City Manager approves and signs it.1 Wray adopted the 2018 International Building Code, Residential Code and related mechanical, fire, fuel gas and energy codes with local amendments.10

Wray’s residential-code amendment exempts one-story detached accessory structures not exceeding 120 square feet from the building-permit requirement.1 Treat that as a specific building-permit exemption: ask the city about zoning placement before choosing a shed location.2 City building-permit fees follow a schedule adopted by city council resolution; ask the city for the current project fee.11

Who issues Wray building permits, and what goes in the application?

The City of Wray’s Building Inspector/City Manager approves building applications; reach the city at 970-332-4431 using its Building/Activity Permit application.12 Wray’s application requires a plat or map showing proposed construction, the square footage of new additions, legal property lines and proximity to those lines.12 Incomplete applications are returned to the applicant.12

Prepare the site drawing before submitting the application, and wait for the signed city approval before starting work.12 The city application says the approved permit lasts no more than one year from approval.12 We could not confirm Wray’s inspection schedule or certificate-of-occupancy requirements; ask the Building Inspector/City Manager to identify those milestones for your project.

Does Wray have zoning, minimum lot sizes and setbacks?

Wray has residential zoning districts with different dimensional standards, so identify the parcel’s district before sizing a home.2 In Wray’s R-A district, a one-family dwelling needs a minimum lot area of 4,500 square feet and minimum floor area of 600 square feet.65 R-A two-family dwellings need 5,500 square feet of lot area.6

Wray’s R-B district also requires 4,500 square feet of lot area for a one-family dwelling and 5,500 for a two-family dwelling.7 The R-B minimum floor area of 400 square feet applies to living units in two-family, multifamily, condominium or townhouse dwellings, not an established minimum for a detached one-family home.13 Principal-building front yards are 25 feet in R-A and 20 feet in R-B.1415 Ask the city to apply the full yard rules to your drawing, especially for a corner lot: R-A treats every street-adjacent side as frontage.14

How do septic permits work inside Wray?

Northeast Colorado Health Department issues septic permits for Wray buildings creating wastewater that are not connected to city sewer; a new system or repair of an existing system requires a health-department permit.416 NCHD inspects systems for compliance with its Board of Health regulations.16 Wray building approval therefore does not replace the separate septic approval for a property without city sewer.14

Contact the NCHD OWTS Program at (970) 867-4918 ext. 2262 or [email protected] for the application and requirements.16 Countywide, only 24.1% of Yuma County soils are rated not limited for a conventional septic drain field; that calls for a parcel-specific site evaluation, not a conclusion that septic is impossible.17

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on land in Wray?

We could not confirm a complete Wray rule allowing residential RV occupancy or temporary camping on private land; ask the city about the proposed parcel and duration before buying an RV as interim housing. We also could not confirm a Wray-specific tiny-home occupancy or accessory-dwelling rule.

Colorado Division of Housing-regulated tiny homes can be approved for long-term living, but must meet applicable codes and local zoning, with plans approved before construction and certification for the installation site.8 A state-approved tiny home still needs a Wray zoning fit: R-A one-family dwellings have a 600-square-foot minimum floor area.85 Do not use R-B’s 400-square-foot standard as permission for a detached tiny house; that standard covers specified attached or multi-unit dwelling categories.13

Building a home in Wray: what should you check, in order?

  • Identify the Wray zoning district and compare the home and site drawing with the district’s lot-area and yard requirements.2671415
  • Establish wastewater service: a building creating wastewater without city sewer needs an NCHD septic permit.4
  • Submit the Wray building application with the required site drawing and wait for signed approval before work begins.12
  • Check flood exposure before finalizing elevation: new residential construction and substantial improvements in Wray special flood hazard areas must elevate the lowest floor, including the basement, to or above base flood elevation.18

For a private well, Colorado DWR administers new groundwater well permits, with statutory exemptions and basin-specific rules affecting eligibility and conditions.9 Direct residential access to a state highway requires a state access permit.19 If the parcel is outside Wray city limits, use the Yuma County guide for the county’s unincorporated land-use requirements.3

Watch-outs

  • Wray’s R-A minimum floor area is 600 square feet for a one-family dwelling; state tiny-home approval does not waive local zoning.58
  • We could not confirm residential RV occupancy, private-property camping or a city owner-builder exemption; ask Wray’s Building Inspector/City Manager before relying on any of those options.12
  • Wray flood-hazard standards apply to new construction and substantial improvements in special flood hazard areas.18

Sources

  1. Building/Activity Permit (Wray), quoted and re-checked
  2. Wray Code, R-A permitted uses (Wray), quoted and re-checked
  3. Yuma County Land Use Code, quoted and re-checked
  4. Onsite Wastewater Treatment System – Northeast Colorado Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  5. Wray Code, R-A floor area (Wray), quoted and re-checked
  6. Wray Code, R-A lot area (Wray), quoted and re-checked
  7. Wray Code, R-B lot area (Wray), quoted and re-checked
  8. Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Water Administration (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Ordinance No. 646 (Wray), quoted and re-checked
  11. cityofwray.org (Wray), quoted and re-checked
  12. City of Wray Building Inspector/City Manager (cityofwray.org)
  13. Wray Code, R-B floor area (Wray), quoted and re-checked
  14. Wray Code, R-A front yard (Wray), quoted and re-checked
  15. Wray Code, R-B front yard (Wray), quoted and re-checked
  16. Northeast Colorado Health Department OWTS Program (nchd.org)
  17. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  18. Wray Code, flood hazard standards (Wray), quoted and re-checked
  19. Access Permits | Frequently Asked Questions (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.

Answers from the rulebook for Wray

Wray’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction and other permit-regulated work inside Wray city limits.

    • One-story detached accessory structures not exceeding 120 square feet are exempt under the city's residential-code amendment.
    • The permit is not valid until approved and signed by the Building Inspector/City Manager.
    • The city building code provides for issuance of permits and collection of fees.

    accessory-structure exemption threshold: <= 120 square feet (one-story detached accessory structures)

    “I hereby acknowledge that this information is complete and accurate; that the work will be in conformance with the ordinances and codes of the City of Wray; that I understand this is not a valid permit until approved, and no work will commence until approved and signed by the Building Inspector/City Manager.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Building construction inside Wray city limits.

    • Ordinance No. 646 was adopted June 13, 2023.
    • The adopted package includes the 2018 International Building Code, Residential Code, Mechanical Code, Fire Code, Fuel Gas Code, and Energy Conservation Code, with listed amendments and appendix statuses.

    code edition: 2018 International Building Code and related 2018 ICC codes

    “Pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes 31-16-201, et. seq., as amended, there is hereby adopted as the Building Code of the City of Wray, including Appendix's list on the Appendix Adoption Table, published by the International Code Conference, to have the same force and effect as if set forth herein in every particular.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Wray city limits, including R-A and R-B residential districts.

    “The following uses are permitted in the R-A district:”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Living units in two-family, multifamily, condominium, or townhouse dwellings in Wray's R-B residential district.

    • The supplied R-B section does not state a one-family dwelling minimum; it states 400 square feet for the listed living-unit categories.

    minimum floor area: 400 square feet (living unit in a two-family dwelling, multifamily dwelling, condominium, or townhouse)

    “Four hundred square feet for every living unit in a two-family dwelling unit family dwelling, multifamily dwelling, condominium or townhouse.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — One-family dwellings in Wray's R-A residential district.
      “Six hundred square feet for every one-family dwelling;”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-B residential district inside Wray city limits.

    • R-B also specifies different area rules for multifamily dwellings, condominiums, and townhouses.

    minimum lot area: 4500 square feet (one-family dwelling) · minimum lot area: 5500 square feet (two-family dwelling) · minimum lot area: 6000 square feet (multifamily dwelling of three or more family units) · minimum lot area: per 2000 square feet (family dwelling in multifamily dwelling, or per condominium/townhouse unit)

    “The minimum area of lots in the R-B district is: A. Per one-family dwelling, four thousand five hundred square feet; B. Per two-family dwelling, five thousand five hundred square feet; C. Multi-family dwelling (dwelling of three-family units or more), six thousand square feet, or two thousand square feet per family dwelling; D. Condominiums and townhouses shall provide a minimum of two thousand square feet per unit.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — R-A residential district inside Wray city limits.
      “Minimum lot area in the R-A district is: A. Per one-family dwelling, four thousand five hundred square feet; B. Per two-family dwelling, five thousand five hundred square feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Principal buildings in Wray's R-B residential district.

    • For multiple-family dwellings, condominiums, and townhouses sharing common walls, yard requirements apply to the overall structural complex.
    • The R-B side-yard text also states a ten-foot minimum between multifamily, condominium, and townhouse overall structural complexes.

    front yard: 20 feet (principal buildings) · side yard: 5 feet (front 75 feet of lot) · side yard: 1 feet (balance of lot) · distance between structural complexes: 10 feet (multifamily, condominium, and townhouse complexes)

    “The minimum side yard for principal buildings in the R-B district is five feet from the lot line for the front seventy-five feet of any lot, and one foot from lot line on any side for the balance of the lot. The distance between multifamily, condominium and townhouse overall structural complex must a minimum often feet from the nearest structural complex.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Principal buildings in Wray's R-A residential district.
      “Minimum front yard in the R-A district is twenty-five feet from lot line for principal buildings.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    New construction and substantial improvement in Wray areas of special flood hazard.

    • Residential lowest floors, including basements, must be elevated to or above base flood elevation where applicable.
    • Nonresidential structures may use elevation or specified floodproofing alternatives.
    • Manufactured homes have additional anchoring and elevation requirements.
    “New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to or above the base flood elevation.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    City building permits inside Wray city limits.

    • Fees are set by a fee schedule adopted from time to time by city council resolution.
    • The opened sources did not provide the current fee amounts.
    “On buildings, structures, gas, mechanical systems or alterations requiring a permit, a fee for each permit shall be paid, as required, in accordance with a fee schedule adopted from time to time by the city council by resolution.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Wray or Yuma County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions inside Wray city limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Wray city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Wray city limits.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Wray city limits.
  • Building height — Building height inside Wray city limits.
8 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • 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 Wray publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Yuma County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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