Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Elbert County, Colorado

At a glance

Building permit

Required for most new construction, remodels and repairs in unincorporated Elbert County¹

Building code

The county enforces the 2018 International Building Code and other 2018 International Codes⁶

Zoning

County zoning regulations and an official zoning map apply to all unincorporated land; Elizabeth and Kiowa zone their own limits²⁷³⁴

Septic permits

Required for new systems, expansions, additions and repairs, and an inspection is required before a sale or title transfer⁸⁹

Short-term rental

Rentals of 1 to 29 days are permitted in Agricultural and Residential zone districts in unincorporated Elbert County¹⁰

Owner-builder

Homeowners may act as their own contractor on a dwelling or accessory structure by signing a homeowner agreement; permits are still required¹¹¹²

RV living

Not year-round; recreational use is generally limited to 30 days per calendar year, then the RV must be stored¹³¹⁴

Foundation tiny home

Must meet the International Residential Code and local zoning requirements¹⁵¹⁶

Water well permit

Required from the Colorado Division of Water Resources for a new groundwater well¹⁷

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 Elbert County, Colorado?

Yes. Most new construction, remodels and repairs in unincorporated Elbert County require a building permit¹⁸. Elbert County applies the adopted 2018 International Codes and county amendments in its unincorporated area¹⁹. Permit fees are assessed during review, and the project may carry plan-review, permit, inspection, use-tax, impact, school-district or fire-district charges depending on the work²⁰. A homeowner may act as their own contractor on a single-family home or accessory structure without a contractor license or insurance by signing the county's homeowner agreement form¹¹. A new home built that way on the owner's property is limited to once in any 24-month period¹². The exception covers contractor licensing only; the building permit is still required¹².

These rules apply to unincorporated Elbert County. Inside the Town of Elizabeth and the Town of Kiowa, the town sets zoning³⁴; call the town hall before assuming the county Building Department covers a lot inside town limits.

Who is the Elbert County building department, and how do you reach it?

The Elbert County Building Department is the permit and inspection contact for construction in unincorporated Elbert County¹⁸²¹. The office is at 215 Comanche Street in Kiowa; call 720-595-3619 or email buildingdepartment@elbertcounty-co.gov²¹. The county provides project checklists, design criteria, online submission and permit lookup²². Applications go through CommunityConnect, after which the Building Department conducts its initial review and sends a complete application to Community & Development Services for site-plan and use review²³. Required inspections and documents are project-specific, so follow the inspection card and request inspections through CommunityConnect²⁴. Zoning questions go to Community & Development Services at the same street address, by phone at 303-621-3136 or by email at cds@elbertcounty-co.gov²⁵.

Does Elbert County have zoning, and what does it allow?

Yes. The Elbert County Zoning Regulations apply to all properties in the unincorporated area of the county, and the county publishes its zone districts and an official zoning map²⁷. A property must be zoned appropriately or be in an approved subdivision before a building permit can be issued, so check zoning before the permit²⁶. The Towns of Elizabeth and Kiowa have zoning of their own inside their limits³⁴. Agricultural and residential minimum lot areas vary sharply by district, from 35 acres in A to 12,000 square feet in R-2²⁷. Primary structures in the listed agricultural, residential and manufactured-home districts generally have a 35-foot maximum height, while setbacks are district-specific²⁸²⁹. Most zoning districts allow one single-family dwelling per parcel; an accessory dwelling requires prior Community & Development Services approval and must meet specific conditions³⁰. Short-term rentals of 1 to 29 days are permitted in Agricultural and Residential Zone Districts, so a vacation rental on rural acreage is generally allowed without a zoning change¹⁰. Ask Community & Development Services to match the parcel and proposal to the exact district standards²⁵.

How do septic permits work in Elbert County?

Elbert County Public Health and Environment permits onsite wastewater treatment systems with flows of 2,000 gallons per day or less; larger systems are permitted by the state⁵. The county's septic regulation applies in unincorporated areas and inside the county's towns alike⁵. Elbert County requires a septic permit for a new installation, expansion, addition or repair, and the permit must be in hand before installing or repairing the system⁸³¹. The application requires a soils report, a design when needed and the septic application⁸.

Selling or buying changes the picture: the owner of a property served by a septic system must have the system inspected to show it works according to design before the sale or transfer of title⁹. A use permit for a title transfer, bedroom addition or home remodel requires a report from a licensed septic inspector and a septic application³². On a resale, ask the seller for that inspection early. Countywide soil data rates 49.9% of Elbert County soils as free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make feasibility part of due diligence³³. Contact Elbert County Public Health at 720-595-3620 or visit 75 Ute Avenue in Kiowa³⁴.

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

A tiny house on wheels in unincorporated Elbert County is an RV under the Land Use Code and cannot be occupied year-round³⁵. Elbert County generally allows a property owner to use an RV recreationally for 30 days in a calendar year; afterward, the RV must be closed up and stored³⁶. An RV may serve as temporary quarters for recreation, camping, travel or seasonal use, while a temporary dwelling during construction requires a permit³⁷. A small house on a foundation must meet the International Residential Code³⁵. Colorado-regulated tiny homes intended for long-term living require Division of Housing plan approval before construction and must also satisfy local zoning¹⁶. Ask Community & Development Services about the parcel and temporary-dwelling permit before buying an RV or ordering a tiny home²⁵.

How do you build a home in Elbert County?

1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district, setbacks and proposed use with Community & Development Services²⁹²⁵.

1. If the home will use a well, apply to the Colorado Division of Water Resources; a new groundwater-diverting well requires a state permit, subject to statutory and basin-specific rules¹⁷.

1. Obtain the OWTS permit from Elbert County Public Health before installation and supply the required soils report, design when needed and application³¹⁸.

1. Submit the building application through CommunityConnect; the Building Department performs initial review before complete materials move to site-plan and use review²³.

1. Pay the assessed project fees and follow the inspection card when scheduling inspections through CommunityConnect²⁰²⁴.

1. Pass every required inspection; when a certificate of occupancy applies, the county issues it within 2 business days after the project passes³⁸. A new septic system also needs Public Health approval before the Building Department can release the certificate³⁹. For an accessory dwelling, arrange valid district service or well and septic permits specific to both dwellings, and use the primary home's driveway⁴⁰⁴¹.

What should you check before buying land in Elbert County?

Start with zoning and access: confirm the zone, minimum lot area and setbacks with Community & Development Services, and ask the relevant road authority what driveway approval applies²⁷²⁹²⁵. If the deal depends on dividing the tract, ask the county about subdivision review before closing; Elbert County regulates subdivision applications and plats⁴². Direct access from a house to a Colorado state highway requires a Colorado Department of Transportation access permit⁴³. Water deserves early attention because Elbert County averages 17.3 inches of precipitation a year and has experienced severe drought in 19.3% of years⁴⁴⁴⁵. A new groundwater well requires a state permit, with additional basin rules potentially affecting conditions¹⁷. Check septic feasibility before choosing a homesite because only 49.9% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field³³. County land-use fees vary by application and acreage; published examples include temporary-use and floodplain-development fees⁴⁶.

Watch-outs

• Minimum lot area, setbacks and height limits depend on the parcel's zoning district; ask Community & Development Services to confirm the applicable dimensional standards^27292825.
• A septic inspection is required before a sale or transfer of title, so a purchase of a home with a septic system can stall on the seller's inspection report⁹.
• The owner-builder exception concerns contractor licensing rather than building permits and limits a new home on the owner's property to once in a 24-month period¹².
• A tiny house on wheels cannot be used as a year-round home, and recreational RV use is generally limited to 30 days per calendar year before storage³⁵¹³.
• A driveway connecting directly to a state highway needs a separate Colorado Department of Transportation access permit⁴³.
• Short-term rental permission in zoning does not settle licensing: Colorado lets boards of county commissioners license and regulate short-term rentals, so ask Community & Development Services whether a license applies before you book guests⁴⁷.

Sources

1. Permits, quoted and re-checked
2. Regulations | Elbert County, CO, quoted and re-checked
3. Town of Elizabeth: Elizabeth Municipal Code Sec. 16-1-50 Single-Family Residence (R-1) District (Elbert County), quoted and re-checked
4. Town of Kiowa: Kiowa Municipal Code Sec. 16-21 Establishment of Zoning Districts (Elbert County), quoted and re-checked
5. OWTS Regulations | Elbert County, CO, quoted and re-checked
6. Recorded Ordinances & Resolutions, quoted and re-checked
7. Regulations | Elbert County, CO, quoted and re-checked
8. OWTS Permitting, quoted and re-checked
9. Elbert County Department of Public Health and Environment On-site Wastewater Treatment System Regulations 2026, quoted and re-checked
10. elbertcounty-co.gov, quoted and re-checked
11. Contractor's Corner | Elbert County, CO, quoted and re-checked
12. Ordinance 23-01 Contractor Licensing, quoted and re-checked
13. elbertcounty-co.gov, quoted and re-checked
14. elbertcounty-co.gov, quoted and re-checked
15. elbertcounty-co.gov, quoted and re-checked
16. Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Water Administration (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Permits | Elbert County, CO, quoted and re-checked
19. Ordinance 22-01 Adoption of Codes, quoted and re-checked
20. Residential Addition Checklist, quoted and re-checked
21. Elbert County Building Department (elbertcounty-co.gov)
22. Permits | Elbert County, CO, quoted and re-checked
23. elbertcounty-co.gov, quoted and re-checked
24. elbertcounty-co.gov, quoted and re-checked
25. Elbert County Community & Development Services (elbertcounty-co.gov)
26. Community & Development Services - Planning, quoted and re-checked
27. Elbert County Zoning Regulations, Amendment 5 — Article VI Dimensional Standards, quoted and re-checked
28. Elbert County Zoning Regulations, Amendment 5 — Article VI Dimensional Standards, quoted and re-checked
29. Elbert County Zoning Regulations, Amendment 5 — Article VI Dimensional Standards, quoted and re-checked
30. elbertcounty-co.gov, quoted and re-checked
31. OWTS Regulations | Elbert County, CO, quoted and re-checked
32. OWTS Permitting, quoted and re-checked
33. 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
34. Elbert County Public Health, Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS) (elbertcounty-co.gov)
35. elbertcounty-co.gov, quoted and re-checked
36. elbertcounty-co.gov, quoted and re-checked
37. elbertcounty-co.gov, quoted and re-checked
38. elbertcounty-co.gov, quoted and re-checked
39. General OWTS FAQs | Elbert County, CO, quoted and re-checked
40. Elbert County Zoning Regulations, Amendment 5.1 — Article V Uses and Supplemental Standards, quoted and re-checked
41. Elbert County Zoning Regulations, Amendment 5.1 — Article V Uses and Supplemental Standards, quoted and re-checked
42. Regulations | Elbert County, CO, quoted and re-checked
43. Access Permits | Frequently Asked Questions (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
44. Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
45. Share of years in severe drought: Bolthole Index county data
46. Fees, quoted and re-checked
47. Short-term Rental Regulation (Colorado statewide rule), 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.