Bolthole Index

Eagle County, Colorado

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

The Town of Avon, Colorado sets its own zoning in Title 7 of its Development Code1, and the town's Building Division reviews permit applications and inspects construction inside town limits2. Septic permits are a separate authority: Eagle County Environmental Health permits septic systems countywide3, though we could not confirm how that applies to addresses inside Avon. Land outside town limits follows Eagle County's rules instead.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, the town zones its own land (Title 7 Development Code)1
Building permits
Issued by the town's Building Division, not Eagle County2
Septic permits
Eagle County Environmental Health permits septic systems countywide; ask about addresses inside Avon3
Accessory dwelling units
Special Review Use; up to 600 sq ft or 33% of the main home, whichever is less4
RV or tent stays on private land
No more than 2 nights in a month, even with owner consent5
Smallest RL lot (single-family detached)
5,445 sq ft6
Maximum height (RL and RD)
35 ft78
Wells
Every new well needs a state well permit9

Who to call

Building permits

Town of Avon Community Development Department, Building Division

Building, plumbing and mechanical code enforcement, permit applications, plan checks and inspections inside the Town of Avon; the department also takes land use applications

(970) 748-4030

100 Mikaela Way, P.O. Box 975, Avon, CO 81620

Septic permits

Eagle County Environmental Health

OWTS (septic) permits, on-site wastewater inspections and OWTS contractor licensing for Eagle County

970-328-8755

environment@eaglecounty.us

551 Broadway, Eagle, CO 81631

Also useful

Eagle County Environmental Health: OWTS (septic) rules page

The county's septic permit requirements, engineer design rule and installer licensing

environment@eaglecounty.us

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

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Avon, Colorado have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The Town of Avon, in Eagle County, adopts its own zoning in Title 7 of the Avon Development Code, so the county's zoning for unincorporated land does not govern a lot inside town limits1. The residential districts are RD, RL, RM and RH10.

Dimensions depend on the district. In RL, a detached single-family lot needs at least 5,445 square feet, with setbacks of at least 25 feet in front, 7.5 feet at the side and 10 feet at the rear611. Lots in RL with more than 2,500 square feet of natural slope over 30% must be at least 1 acre6. RL allows up to 50% lot coverage and a 35-foot building height127.

In RD, the duplex district, the minimum lot is 11,616 square feet, or 5,808 square feet per unit13, with the same 25-foot front, 7.5-foot side and 10-foot rear setbacks14. RD also allows 50% lot coverage and 35 feet of height158.

Do you need a building permit in Avon, and who issues it?

The Town of Avon issues its own building permits through the Building Division of its Community Development Department; Eagle County's Building Division inspects only unincorporated areas16. The town's Building Division enforces the building, plumbing and mechanical codes, reviews permit applications and plan checks, and inspects construction projects2.

We could not confirm which projects are exempt from a permit inside Avon, so assume a new house, addition or major alteration needs one and ask the Building Division before you start. Building permit fees are set at the discretion of the building official2. Contractors working in town must be licensed with the Town of Avon2.

Colorado has no uniform statewide permit for ordinary private homes; building rules are set by local governments17.

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or accessory dwelling in Avon?

Avon limits camping on private property: even with the owner's consent, camping, including living in a vehicle or tent, is unlawful for longer than 2 nights within a month5. Living in an RV on a lot while you build is therefore not an option in town as far as we can tell from the town code.

Accessory dwelling units are allowed only as a Special Review Use in the RL, RD and RM districts, limited to one per lot and to 600 square feet or 33% of the principal unit's habitable area, whichever is less, with one off-street parking space4. An RV or other wheeled structure cannot serve as an ADU4.

We could not confirm Avon's rules for tiny homes or manufactured homes. Colorado allows Division of Housing-approved tiny homes only where local zoning permits them18, so ask Community Development before buying a unit.

How do septic permits work in Avon?

We could not confirm who permits septic systems for addresses inside Avon, or whether a given lot is connected to central sewer. Colorado law requires a permit from the local public health agency before an on-site wastewater treatment system is built, altered or used19. In Eagle County, Eagle County Environmental Health issues those permits320.

Where a septic system is allowed, the county says it must be designed by a Colorado Registered Professional Engineer and installed by an OWTS installer licensed in Eagle County21. Soils are a factor: USDA rates only about 4% of Eagle County soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and often an engineered system22.

Call Eagle County Environmental Health to ask whether septic rules apply to your Avon address.

Building a home in Avon: the steps, in order

  1. Ask the Community Development Department to confirm the parcel's zoning district and what it allows102.
  2. Check sewer service and, if the lot has none, apply to Eagle County Environmental Health for an OWTS permit before building approval2320.
  3. If you want a well, apply for a state well permit9.
  4. If the lot touches a state highway, a state access permit is required for direct access24.
  5. Hire a contractor licensed with the Town of Avon, or ask the Building Division how owner-builders are handled, since we could not confirm that rule2.
  6. Apply for the building permit with the Building Division and schedule inspections2.

What stays with Eagle County, and what to check before you buy in Avon

Eagle County's building, zoning and inspection rules cover unincorporated land only2516. For a parcel outside town limits, use the Eagle County page and the county's offices instead of Avon's.

Before buying, confirm the parcel is actually inside town limits, the zoning district and whether steep slopes trigger the 1-acre minimum in RL6. Eagle County's typical home value is about $1,316,03026, and its median property tax bill is about $3,339 a year27; both are county figures, not Avon-only.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm which projects need a building permit inside Avon, the owner-builder rules, certificate of occupancy requirements or permit fee amounts; call the Town of Avon Building Division at (970) 748-40302.
  • Eagle County's septic permit rule is countywide3, but we could not confirm how it applies inside Avon; ask Eagle County Environmental Health20.
  • Avon limits camping on private property to 2 nights in a month, so an RV is not a place to live while you build5.
  • Eagle County's OWTS Adequacy Review permit requirements, including transfer-of-title septic inspections, take effect January 1, 202721.

Sources

  1. Avon Code 7.20.060 Residential districts purpose statements (Town of Avon), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Avon Community Development Department, Building Division (avon.org)
  3. Water & Waste Water, quoted and re-checked
  4. Avon Code 7.24.070 Accessory uses and structures (Town of Avon), quoted and re-checked
  5. Avon Code 9.20.070 Camping on private property (Town of Avon), quoted and re-checked
  6. Avon Code 7.20.060 Residential districts purpose statements (Town of Avon), quoted and re-checked
  7. Avon Code 7.20.060 Residential districts purpose statements (Town of Avon), quoted and re-checked
  8. Avon Code 7.20.060 Residential districts purpose statements (Town of Avon), quoted and re-checked
  9. Water Administration (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Avon Code 7.20.060 Residential districts purpose statements (Town of Avon), quoted and re-checked
  11. Avon Code 7.20.060 Residential districts purpose statements (Town of Avon), quoted and re-checked
  12. Avon Code 7.20.060 Residential districts purpose statements (Town of Avon), quoted and re-checked
  13. Avon Code 7.20.060 Residential districts purpose statements (Town of Avon), quoted and re-checked
  14. Avon Code 7.20.060 Residential districts purpose statements (Town of Avon), quoted and re-checked
  15. Avon Code 7.20.060 Residential districts purpose statements (Town of Avon), quoted and re-checked
  16. Online or Paper Applications, Checklists, & Documents, quoted and re-checked
  17. Land Use Planning and Regulation in Colorado (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Eagle County Environmental Health (eaglecounty.us)
  21. Eagle County Environmental Health: OWTS (septic) rules page (eaglecounty.us)
  22. 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
  23. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. Access Permits | Frequently Asked Questions (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. Online or Paper Applications, Checklists, & Documents, quoted and re-checked
  26. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  27. Median property tax bill: 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Avon

Town of Avon’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Avon town limits

    • Zoning is in Title 7 Development Code with residential districts RD, RL, RM, RH.
    “The RD district is established to accommodate single-family and duplex residential development either as single neighborhoods of similar units or in a development with a mix of unit types.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Residential zone districts inside Avon town

    • Residential districts RD, RL, RM, RH (RH-C retired); nonresidential districts also exist in Table 7.24-1.
    “The RL district is a mixed dwelling district intended to provide sites for single-family, two-family and multi-family dwellings”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    RD (Residential Duplex) district inside Avon town

    • 5,808 sq ft per unit

    min lot size RD: >= 11616 sq ft

    “7.5 11,616 sq. ft. (5,808 per unit) 40 50 25 25 7.5 10 35 2”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    RL single-family detached inside Avon town

    • Accessory buildings to rear of principal structure: not closer than 5 ft to a property line, 10 ft from an alley

    front setback: >= 25 ft · side setback: >= 7.5 ft · rear setback: >= 10 ft

    “sf detached 7.5 5,445 sq. ft. 40 50 25 25 7.5 10 35 1”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    RD district inside Avon town

    • Min landscape area 25%

    max lot coverage: <= 50 percent

    “7.5 11,616 sq. ft. (5,808 per unit) 40 50 25 25 7.5 10 35 2”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    RL single-family detached inside Avon town

    • Accessory buildings may not exceed height of principal structure

    max building height: <= 35 ft

    “sf detached 7.5 5,445 sq. ft. 40 50 25 25 7.5 10 35 1”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping on private property inside Avon town

    • Requires owner consent
    • Max two nights within one month even with consent
    • Camp includes dwelling in a vehicle or tent

    maximum nights: <= 2 nights per month

    “even with the consent of the property owner or authorized agent, it shall be unlawful for any person to camp upon private property for a period of longer than two (2) nights within a one (1) month period.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory dwelling units inside Avon town in RL, RD and RM districts

    • Special Review Use required
    • Max 33% of principal unit habitable floor area or 600 sq ft, whichever is less
    • One ADU per lot
    • One off-street parking space
    • RVs and wheeled structures may not be used as ADUs

    maximum ADU size: <= 600 sq ft (or 33% of principal habitable area if less)

    “An accessory dwelling unit shall be permitted as a special review use (SRU) subject to the following standards:”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Avon town
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Avon town
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Avon town
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Avon town
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Avon town
15 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • 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 Town of Avon publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Eagle County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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