Fraser, CO Building Permits, Zoning & Septic Rules

The Town of Fraser, Colorado requires a building permit for building work inside town limits¹, and the town sets its own zoning². The Winter Park-Fraser combined building department issues the permits³. Septic and well rules inside Fraser are not confirmed; Colorado requires a permit for any septic system on a building not served by a sewage works⁴, so ask the town and Grand County before you buy.

At a glance

Building permit: Required for building work inside Fraser; issued by the Winter Park-Fraser building department¹³
Zoning: Town zoning with districts such as RD, LDSF and MDSF²⁵
Septic: Not confirmed inside town limits; state permit required for septic not served by a sewage works⁴
RV living: Limited to campgrounds and RV parks, stays under four weeks⁶
Accessory dwelling units: Allowed with limits on size, parking and lot type⁷
Minimum home size: 500 sq ft principal structure in RD, LDSF and MDSF⁸⁹¹⁰
Floodplain: Lowest floor 1 ft above base flood elevation in mapped flood hazard areas¹¹
Wells: State well permit required for every new well¹²

Who to call

Building permits

Winter Park-Fraser Building Division

Building permits, plan review and inspections for the Town of Fraser and the Town of Winter Park

970-726-8081

permits@wpgov.com

50 Vasquez Road, Winter Park, CO 80482

Codes & inspections

Town of Fraser building page

The Town of Fraser explains who issues building permits inside town limits, the adopted codes and the municipal use tax

Planning & zoning

Town of Fraser Planning & Zoning Department

Zoning administration, development review, subdivision review, variances and conditional uses inside Fraser (contact is the Town Planner)

970-505-0467

jseward@town.fraser.co.us

153 Fraser Avenue Fraser, CO 80442

Septic permits

Grand County Building & Sanitation Division

Onsite wastewater design review, permits and field inspections as the Grand County Sanitarian; confirm whether it covers addresses inside Fraser

970-725-3255

308 Byers Avenue, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80451

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

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Do you need a building permit in Fraser, CO?

Yes. Building work inside the Town of Fraser needs a building permit¹. The exemptions are narrow: one-story detached accessory structures up to 120 sq ft, fences up to 6 ft, at-grade walks and driveways, and agricultural buildings¹. Separate plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits are still required for exempted items unless they are otherwise exempt¹.

Fraser builds under the 2021 International Residential Code with local amendments¹³. The permit application must include documentation from the Water and Sanitation District of an approved water and sewer utility plan, which may mean paying tap fees¹⁴. New foundations need an Improvement Location Certificate and a Setback & Elevation Certificate before the rough framing inspection, and a permit expires 24 months after issue unless work starts within 180 days¹⁵. Fraser also charges a 4% municipal use tax on building materials bought without Fraser sales tax³.

We could not confirm whether Fraser offers an owner-builder exemption or what the permit fees are; ask the Winter Park-Fraser Building Division¹⁶.

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

The Town of Fraser and the Town of Winter Park operate a combined building department through an intergovernmental agreement³. Winter Park administers building permits, plan review and inspections on behalf of Fraser³. Fraser Town Hall does not run its own building department³.

Contact the Winter Park-Fraser Building Division at 970-726-8081 or permits@wpgov.com, and include the full address with the town and a short description of the work¹⁶. Zoning questions go to the Town of Fraser Planning & Zoning Department, which administers the Fraser Land Development Code¹⁷. Septic is a separate office, covered below.

These are Fraser rules. For land outside town limits, use the Grand County page, where the county runs its own building and zoning offices.

Does Fraser have zoning, and what are the lot sizes and setbacks?

Yes. Fraser administers its own zoning, with districts that include OS, RD, LDSF, LDMF, MDSF, MDMF, HDMF, B, RW and TI². Always find the district for the exact parcel first, because the numbers change by district.

In the Rural Density District (RD), the minimum lot area is 2 acres and the minimum lot width is 200 ft¹⁸, with setbacks of 30 ft front, 10 ft side and 20 ft rear¹⁹. In the Low Density Single-Family district (LDSF), the minimum lot is 6,000 sq ft and 50 ft wide²⁰, with setbacks of 20 ft front, 7 ft side and 10 ft rear²¹. In the Medium Density Single-Family district (MDSF), a detached house needs 5,000 sq ft²², with a 20 ft front setback and 10 ft rear setback²³.

A 30 ft stream setback applies in these districts, and review can require up to 150 ft¹⁹. Maximum height is 35 ft in RD, LDSF and MDSF²⁴. The principal structure must be at least 500 sq ft in each of those districts⁸.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Fraser?

RV living is limited in Fraser. RV occupancy inside the town is allowed only in permitted campgrounds and RV parks, which are conditional uses⁶. Stays may not exceed four weeks, and each space must be at least 500 sq ft and 20 ft wide with a central water supply and sewage disposal system⁶. We found no Fraser rule that lets you live in an RV on a residential lot, so ask the Planning & Zoning Department before parking one on land you own¹⁷.

We did not find a tiny-home provision in the Fraser code. A tiny home built as a dwelling still has to meet the 500 sq ft minimum floor area in RD, LDSF and MDSF⁸.

An accessory dwelling unit may be approved as listed on the Schedule of Uses⁷. It must be at least 200 sq ft and no larger than 50% of the principal dwelling or 1,200 sq ft, whichever is less, with a kitchen, bathroom and separate entry⁷. An ADU may be licensed as a short-term rental, but the ADU and the main house cannot both be licensed²⁵.

How do septic permits and wells work in Fraser?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Fraser town limits. Colorado requires a permit to build or alter an onsite wastewater system for any structure not served by a sewage treatment works⁴, and a Fraser building permit application must show an approved water and sewer plan from the Water and Sanitation District¹⁴. Ask the district whether your lot can connect to sewer before planning a septic system.

In unincorporated Grand County, the county Building & Sanitation Division acts as the Sanitarian, reviewing designs, issuing permits and conducting field inspections under the county onsite wastewater regulations²⁶. Call it at 970-725-3255 to confirm whether it handles any address in Fraser²⁶.

If you will use a septic system, note that only 3.4% of soils in Grand County rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system²⁷. Every new well in Colorado needs a state well permit, subject to exemptions¹².

How do you build a home in Fraser? The steps, in order

Confirm the zoning district and lot standards for the parcel with the Planning & Zoning Department¹⁷.
Get an approved water and sewer utility plan from the Water and Sanitation District, which may include tap fees¹⁴.
If the lot will not connect to sewer, ask the Grand County Building & Sanitation Division about a septic permit²⁶.
Apply to the Winter Park-Fraser Building Division for a building permit¹⁶.
Complete the Fraser use tax worksheet for building materials³.
Provide the Improvement Location Certificate and Setback & Elevation Certificate for the new foundation before the rough framing inspection¹⁵.
Schedule inspections and the final through the building division¹⁶.

What stays outside Fraser, and what should you check before you buy?

Fraser's rules apply only inside town limits. Land outside the town falls under Grand County, which has its own answers on the Grand County page.

Inside mapped flood hazard areas with base flood elevation data, new construction must have the lowest floor elevated 1 ft above base flood elevation¹¹. A driveway directly onto a Colorado state highway needs a state access permit²⁸.

Grand County's effective property tax rate is 0.3%²⁹, and the median property tax bill is $1,763 a year³⁰; those figures are county-wide, not specific to Fraser.

Watch-outs

Fraser fees, inspection details and any owner-builder exemption are unconfirmed; ask the Winter Park-Fraser Building Division before budgeting¹⁶.
Fraser Town Hall does not issue building permits; the Winter Park-Fraser Building Division does³.
Who issues septic permits inside Fraser is unconfirmed; ask both the town and the Grand County Building & Sanitation Division²⁶.
Fraser may add a 4% municipal use tax on building materials, generally due before final approval³.

Sources

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Fraser publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Grand County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Fraser, Colorado