Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Town of Larkspur, Colorado

At a glance

Building permit

Required inside town limits, with common IRC exemptions; handled by the Town Building Department and SAFEbuilt⁴¹

Building code

2018 International Residential Code, with town amendments⁵

Zoning

Town of Larkspur zoning (Chapter 16 of the municipal code)²

Septic

Permit from the Town and from the Douglas County Health Department³

Town septic fee

$100.00⁶

Penalty for starting without a permit

Fee equal to 100% of the original building fee, on top of permit fees⁴

Subdivision

Regulated; minor subdivision $350.00, major subdivision $500.00⁷

Building inspections

Required; the Town adds an insulation inspection⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in the Town of Larkspur, Colorado?

Yes. Inside Larkspur town limits, building permits are required for all new construction and most building projects, inside and outside the building¹. The town applies the 2018 International Residential Code with its own amendments⁵. The usual IRC exemptions apply, and the Town added one for roof repair or replacement of no more than one square (100 square feet) per building⁴.

Starting work before the permit is issued costs an extra fee equal to 100% of the original building fee, on top of the permit fees⁴. The town also adds an insulation inspection to the usual IRC list⁸.

Who issues building permits in Larkspur, and how do you reach them?

The Larkspur Building Department processes building permits and land use applications for addresses inside town limits only¹. The Town's building permits and inspections are provided by SAFEbuilt, and inspections are scheduled with SAFEbuilt at 720-641-1956¹. Town Hall is at 8720 Spruce Mountain Road, Larkspur, CO 80118, phone (303) 681-2324¹.

The Town's fee schedule lists a $30.00 administrative fee for building permits, plus fees set in its agreement with SAFEbuilt; an excavation or grading permit is $250.00, or $500 if done after the fact⁹. Property outside town limits falls under Douglas County instead; see the Douglas County page for unincorporated land.

Does Larkspur have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

Yes. The Town of Larkspur has a zoning chapter (Chapter 16 of its municipal code), with fees for rezoning and use by special review². A land use application is required for annexations, subdivisions, rezoning, site plans, variances and plot plans¹. Subdivisions are regulated, with fees of $350.00 for a minor and $500.00 for a major subdivision⁷.

We could not confirm Larkspur's district rules, so we cannot say whether an RV, tiny home, accessory dwelling, or manufactured home is allowed on a given lot, or what the setbacks, lot sizes and height limits are. Ask the Town of Larkspur Building Department, which takes land use applications, and check the parcel's zoning before you buy¹.

How do septic permits work inside the Town of Larkspur?

Septic permits inside Larkspur come from two offices. The municipal code requires a permit from the Town and another from the Douglas County Health Department before any septic system is built within town limits³. The Town application goes to the Town Clerk and is approved by the Town Engineer, and the Town septic permit fee is $100.00⁶. The code also bars a septic system within 100 feet of a potable water line or a utility easement that could carry one³.

The Douglas County Health Department permits the installation, repair and use of septic systems in all areas of the county¹⁰. We could not confirm whether a lot inside the town must connect to sewer, so ask the Town before planning a septic system. Soils matter too: only about 8.6% of Douglas County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system¹¹.

Building a home in Larkspur: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the address is inside town limits using the street list the Town publishes, since the Building Department covers town limits only¹.
2. Ask the Town about zoning for the parcel and file a land use application if the project needs one, such as a rezoning, site plan or variance¹.
3. If the lot is not on sewer, get septic permits from both the Town and the Douglas County Health Department³.
4. Apply for the building permit through the Town Building Department; plans are reviewed under the 2018 IRC with town amendments⁵.
5. Schedule inspections with SAFEbuilt, including the town's added insulation inspection⁸.

We could not confirm the Town's rules on certificates of occupancy, owner-builders, driveways or private wells; ask the Building Department.

What stays with Douglas County, and what to check before you buy in Larkspur

Septic permits are shared with the Douglas County Health Department³. Douglas County's own building, zoning and driveway rules apply to unincorporated land only, not inside Larkspur; see the Douglas County page for land outside town limits¹².

For private wells, Douglas County directs applicants for unincorporated land to the Colorado Division of Water Resources¹³; we could not confirm how that works inside Larkspur. Douglas County's effective property tax rate is 0.6%¹⁴. Before buying, confirm the parcel's zoning, sewer or septic path, and floodplain status with the Town, since we could not confirm the town's floodplain ordinance.

Watch-outs

• Douglas County's building permit rules apply to unincorporated land only; inside Larkspur town limits the Town Building Department and SAFEbuilt handle building permits¹.
• Septic needs two permits inside town limits, one from the Town and one from the Douglas County Health Department³.
• Starting work without a building permit adds a fee equal to 100% of the original building fee⁴.
• We could not confirm Larkspur's zoning district rules for RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, lot size or setbacks; ask the Town Building Department before you buy¹.

Sources

1. Town of Larkspur Building Department (townoflarkspur.org)
2. Larkspur Municipal Code, Appendix A - Fee Schedule (Town of Larkspur), quoted and re-checked
3. Larkspur Municipal Code Sec. 13-2-120 Septic systems (Town of Larkspur), quoted and re-checked
4. Larkspur Municipal Code Sec. 18-6-40 IRC Amendments (Town of Larkspur), quoted and re-checked
5. Larkspur Municipal Code Sec. 18-6-10 Adoption (IRC) (Town of Larkspur), quoted and re-checked
6. Larkspur Municipal Code Sec. 13-2-120 Septic systems (Town of Larkspur), quoted and re-checked
7. Larkspur Municipal Code, Appendix A - Fee Schedule (Town of Larkspur), quoted and re-checked
8. Larkspur Municipal Code Sec. 18-6-40 IRC Amendments (Town of Larkspur), quoted and re-checked
9. Larkspur Municipal Code, Appendix A - Fee Schedule (Town of Larkspur), quoted and re-checked
10. Douglas County Health Department (douglasco.gov)
11. 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
12. Zoning Resolution, quoted and re-checked
13. Residential – New Home Construction, quoted and re-checked
14. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 16, 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.