Bolthole Index

El Paso County, Colorado

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

The Town of Monument, Colorado adopts its own zoning code with named districts such as Large Lot Residential1, and its Planning Department handles building permits alongside the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department2. Living in a parked RV on a residential lot is prohibited inside town limits3. Septic permits come from El Paso County Public Health4.

At a glance

Zoning
Town of Monument zoning code, with its own districts and schedule of uses51
Building permit
Town Planning Department, with Pikes Peak Regional Building Department review on some projects2
Septic
El Paso County Public Health (OWTS permits, submitted by a licensed installer)46
Living in an RV
Prohibited on residential lots in town3
Minimum lot, Large Lot Residential
2.5 acres, reducible to 0.5 acre with common open space7
Minimum lot, SFD-1
9,000 square feet8
Wells
State well permit for every new groundwater well9

Who to call

Planning & zoning

Town of Monument Planning Department

Town building permits, sign, fence, tree removal and temporary use permits, and land development applications inside Monument

719-481-2954

645 Beacon Lite Road, Monument, CO 80132

Building permits

Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD)

Regional building code plan review, permits and inspections for projects that need PPRBD review, including homeowner permits

719-327-2880

2880 International Circle, Colorado Springs, CO 80910

Online permits →

Septic permits

El Paso County Public Health - Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS) Program

Septic (OWTS) permitting, plan review and inspection in El Paso County

(719) 578-3199

1675 W. Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO 80907

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

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Does Monument, Colorado have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and lot size?

Yes. The Town of Monument zones land inside its limits through its own Land Development Code5. The town publishes districts including Large Lot Residential (LLR), SFD-1, SFD-2, RA, MHP and several commercial and industrial districts, with a schedule of uses that says what each allows1.

Lot size depends on the district. In Large Lot Residential, the minimum lot is 2.5 acres, or 0.5 acre if the remaining area is shifted into common open space7. In SFD-1 the minimum is 9,000 square feet8, and in SFD-2 it is 6,500 square feet10.

Setbacks also vary. In Large Lot Residential the front yard is 50 feet11, while in SFD-1 it is 25 feet12. Principal buildings top out at 35 feet in Large Lot Residential13 and 30 feet in SFD-114.

In Monument, no parked recreational vehicle may be used for living or housekeeping purposes3.

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

Inside Monument, the town's Planning Department handles building permits, together with the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, and the town has adopted the Pikes Peak Regional Building Code2. Some projects also need a separate PPRBD submittal2. PPRBD names Monument among the jurisdictions it serves15.

Contractors working in Monument need a town business license before a permit application can be submitted. The town's permits page lists building permits for new builds and alterations alongside fence, sign, tree removal and temporary use permits2.

We could not confirm the exact split between the town counter and PPRBD for a new house, or the town's inspection and certificate of occupancy steps. Call the Town of Monument Planning Department before you apply.

Can an owner build their own home in Monument?

PPRBD's homeowner permit allows an owner to pull a permit only for work on a primary residence the owner owns and lives in; work on a rental property or a home the owner does not live in does not qualify15. We could not confirm whether the town applies any additional owner-builder rule inside Monument, so confirm with the town Planning Department.

How do septic permits work inside Monument?

Colorado requires a permit from the local public health agency before an on-site wastewater system is built or altered16. In El Paso County, El Paso County Public Health regulates on-site wastewater systems4, and permit applications must be submitted by a licensed installer6.

We could not confirm whether every Monument address is served by municipal sewer or how the town handles connection requirements. A lot on town sewer may not need a septic system at all, so ask the Town of Monument and El Paso County Public Health before you buy.

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

Not in an RV. Monument's code says no parked recreational vehicle may be used for living or housekeeping purposes3. RVs parked on public streets or private roadways are limited to 24 hours in any zone3. Camping in town parks, streets or public parking lots is unlawful, with limited exceptions17.

We could not confirm a Monument rule for tiny homes. Colorado allows Division of Housing tiny homes for long-term living where local zoning and codes are met18, so ask the Planning Department which districts, if any, would accept one.

Building a home in Monument: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district and its lot size, setbacks and height with the town Planning Department1.
  2. Get a town business license for any contractor, then apply for the building permit through the town Planning Department2.
  3. Ask whether the project also needs a PPRBD submittal2.
  4. If the lot is not on sewer, apply for a septic permit through a licensed installer to El Paso County Public Health6.
  5. Drill no well without a state well permit9.
  6. Check floodplain status with the PPRBD floodplain office before you design19.

What stays with El Paso County, and what to check before you buy

Septic permits and state well permits do not move to the town49. Everything above about unincorporated land differs from the town's rules; for land outside town limits, see the El Paso County page.

Before you buy, check floodplain status, because floodplain work in the Pikes Peak region needs review by the PPRBD floodplain office19. Property taxes are county-level: El Paso County's effective rate is 0.4%20.

Watch-outs

  • County rules for unincorporated El Paso County, including its RV-during-construction permit, do not apply inside Monument town limits21.
  • We could not confirm the town's certificate of occupancy, utility connection or tiny home rules; ask the Town of Monument Planning Department2.
  • Monument's code limits RVs on public streets and private roadways to 24 hours3.

Sources

  1. Monument Code 18.03.210 Large Lot Residential (LLR) zone district (Town of Monument), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Monument Planning Department (townofmonument.org)
  3. Monument Code 18.05.220 Truck and recreational vehicle parking (Town of Monument), quoted and re-checked
  4. Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  5. Monument Code 18.03.210 Large Lot Residential (LLR) zone district (Town of Monument), quoted and re-checked
  6. Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  7. Monument Code 18.03.210 Large Lot Residential (LLR) zone district (Town of Monument), quoted and re-checked
  8. Monument Code 18.03.215 SFD-1 zone district (Town of Monument), quoted and re-checked
  9. Water Administration (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Monument Code 18.03.220 SFD-2 zone district (Town of Monument), quoted and re-checked
  11. Monument Code 18.03.210 Large Lot Residential (LLR) zone district (Town of Monument), quoted and re-checked
  12. Monument Code 18.03.215 SFD-1 zone district (Town of Monument), quoted and re-checked
  13. Monument Code 18.03.210 Large Lot Residential (LLR) zone district (Town of Monument), quoted and re-checked
  14. Monument Code 18.03.215 SFD-1 zone district (Town of Monument), quoted and re-checked
  15. Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD) (pprbd.org)
  16. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Monument Code 8.36.020 Unlawful camping (Town of Monument), quoted and re-checked
  18. Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Homeowner Permits, quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. El Paso County Land Development Code, Chapter 5, quoted and re-checked

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 Monument

Town of Monument’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Monument town limits

    • Zoning is in Title 18 Land Development Code, Chapter 18.03 Zoning
    “The purpose of the Large Lot Residential zone district is to provide a very low-density residential environment of a rural estate character.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Monument town zoning districts: LLR, SFD-1, SFD-2, RA, MHP, DB, CC, BC, LI, P, plus Regency Park overlay districts

    • Schedule of uses is in 18.03.380
    “Land uses are permitted as shown in the Schedule of Uses in Section 18.03.380”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Large Lot Residential (LLR) district inside Monument town

    • Lot size may be reduced to one-half acre by shifting remaining area into common open space
    • Minimum lot width 100 ft

    minimum lot area: >= 2.5 acres (reducible to 0.5 acre with common open space)

    “minimum lot area two and one-half acres. lot size may be reduced to one-half acre by shifting the remaining required minimum lot area into common open space. minimum lot width one hundred (100) feet.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — Single-Family Detached Low Density (SFD-1) district inside Monument town
      “minimum lot area nine thousand (9,000) square feet. minimum lot width sixty-five (65) feet.”
    • Specified — Single-Family Detached Medium Density (SFD-2) district inside Monument town
      “minimum lot area six thousand five hundred (6,500) square feet. minimum lot width fifty (50) feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Large Lot Residential (LLR) district inside Monument town

    • Side yard abutting a street: 25 ft
    • Accessory structure side and rear: 10 ft

    front yard: >= 50 ft · side yard, principal: >= 20 ft · rear yard, principal: >= 20 ft

    “minimum front yard fifty (50) feet. minimum side yard principal buildings: twenty (20) feet. accessory structure: ten (10) feet. all buildings where side yard abuts street: twenty-five (25) feet. minimum rear yard principal building: twenty (20) feet. accessory structure: ten (10) feet.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — Single-Family Detached Low Density (SFD-1) district inside Monument town
      “minimum front yard twenty-five (25) feet. minimum side yard principal buildings: seven and one-half feet. accessory structure in rear one-third of lot: three and one-half feet. accessory structure not in rear one-third of lot: five feet. all buildings abutting a street: twenty-five (25) feet.”
    • Specified — Single-Family Detached Medium Density (SFD-2) district inside Monument town
      “minimum front yard twenty-five (25) feet. minimum side yard principal buildings: five feet. accessory structure in rear one-third of lot: three and one-half feet. accessory structure not in rear one-third of lot: five feet. all buildings abutting a street: twenty-five (25) feet.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Single-Family Detached Medium Density (SFD-2) district inside Monument town

    • Accessory apartment up to 28 ft

    principal building max height: <= 30 ft · accessory structure max height: <= 20 ft (accessory apartment 28 ft)

    “maximum height principal buildings: thirty (30) feet. accessory structure, except apartments: twenty (20) feet. accessory apartment: twenty-eight (28) feet.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Living in a parked recreational vehicle on a residential lot inside Monument town

    • RV parking on residential lots allowed only on hard surface, on or beside driveway, not closer than 18 inches to sidewalk/right-of-way, secured and in safe working condition
    • RVs on public rights-of-way or private roadway limited to 24 hours in any zone
    • RV parks are a conditional use in one district per the use schedule

    max RV parking on public ROW: <= 24 hours

    “No parked recreational vehicle may be used for the conduct of business or for living or housekeeping purposes.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping on public property inside Monument town (private-land camping not addressed in the sections read)

    • Exception for camping as permitted under 8.36.060
    • RVs parked on public property exempt if not parked in same spot more than three consecutive days (8.36.050)
    “it shall be unlawful for any person to camp in any park, street, or publicly owned parking lot or publicly owned area, improved or unimproved”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Monument town
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder rules inside Monument town
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Monument town
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Monument town
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Monument town
15 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Tiny 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 Monument publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. El Paso County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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