Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Glendale, Colorado
Glendale is a city in Arapahoe County, Colorado. Glendale adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits Glendale’s rules apply, not the county’s. Septic permits inside Glendale come from Glendale. 5 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on October 22, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Arapahoe County page.
Answers from the rulebook for Glendale
Glendale’s own rules
Local zoningPresent (with conditions)
Land inside Glendale city limits (not the county's unincorporated area): the city zones property as Planned Unit Development District (PUDD) under its Title 17 zoning code.
Per the city's own zoning page, PUDD lets the Planning Commission review each site 'rather than by rigid land use standards', so use and dimensional approvals are site-by-site.
The zoning page refers to 'glendale's zoning code section 17' (eCode360 Title 17, §§ 17.04.010 – 17.60.030). The Title 17 body text was not reachable in this run.
“property in glendale is zoned as planned unit development district (pudd). this enables the planning commission to work on a site-by-site basis, rather than by rigid land use standards, to encourage the highest quality development.”
Zoning districtsPartial
Land inside Glendale city limits: the city designates land as PUDD; the official zoning map is not posted on the city page and must be requested.
The city page says a copy of the zoning map is available on request from the city clerk, so the district map is not confirmed as published online.
Only the PUDD designation is confirmed; individual sub-district or use-area definitions in Title 17 were not read.
“to request a copy of the zoning map, glendale land use master plan and/or glendale riverwalk master plan, please contact the city clerk.”
Who permits septicLocal
Wastewater disposal on land inside Glendale city limits: the city's own code prohibits septic tanks.
Title 13 chapter 13.08 lists 'septic tanks prohibited' (§ 13.08.020) and 'leaching fields prohibited' (§ 13.08.030) in its table of contents; body text of those sections was not read.
State law on new cesspools and on-site systems was seen only in a search snippet and was not opened, so it is not relied on here.
§ 13.08.030 leaching fields, § 13.08.040 untreated waste discharge to natural outlets and § 13.08.050 unauthorized privies are listed as prohibited in the Title 13 table of contents; body text not read.
“§ 13.08.030 leaching fields prohibited. § 13.08.040 discharge of untreated wastes into natural outlets prohibited. § 13.08.050 unauthorized privies prohibited.”
Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)
A new home inside Glendale city limits must connect to the public sewer system.
§ 13.08.060 'connection to public sewer system required' appears in the Title 13 table of contents; the availability/distance rule and any exceptions in its body were not read.
No water-connection requirement was verified; Title 13 chapter 13.01 is the water enterprise chapter but its connection rules were not read.
“§ 13.08.060 connection to public sewer system required.”
Still unanswered
We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Glendale or Arapahoe County directly.
Building permit — New construction inside Glendale city limits
Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Glendale city limits
Inspections — Inspections of construction inside Glendale city limits
Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificates for new homes inside Glendale city limits
Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the single-family residential and PUDD districts inside Glendale city limits
17 more unanswered
Minimum lot size
Setbacks
Lot coverage
Building height
Living in an RV
Camping on your land
Tiny homes
Manufactured homes
Accessory dwellings
Well permit
Agricultural exemption
Subdividing land
Driveway access
Building in a floodplain
Short-term rentals
Permit fees
Permit process
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 Glendale publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Arapahoe County’s page lists the county offices to call.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Glendale means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
