Unincorporated Logan County, Colorado requires a building permit for a new home, issued by the county's Planning, Zoning and Building Department in Sterling, and a Certificate of Occupancy before anyone moves in123. County zoning applies outside city limits4. Structures of 120 square feet or smaller need no county building permit5. Septic permits come separately from the Northeast Colorado Health Department, city or not67.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Required; issued by the Logan County Planning, Zoning and Building Department12
- Zoning
- County zoning regulates unincorporated land by district89
- Septic permit
- Required; issued by the Northeast Colorado Health Department in Sterling107
- Floodplain permit
- Required for development in a mapped flood hazard area; issued by the county's Planning, Zoning and Building Department1112
- Driveway / road access
- County right-of-way driveway requests go through Planning and Zoning and cost $50; state-highway access applications go to CDOT or its local issuing authority1314
- Well permit
- Required statewide for any new well that diverts groundwater, through the Colorado Division of Water Resources15
- Tiny home
- State approval and local zoning compliance are required for long-term residential use16
- Owner-builder exemption
- State law exempts an owner from contractor licensing for repair or maintenance on the owner's own property, not generally for a new-home build17
Who to call
Building permits
Logan County Planning, Zoning and Building Department
Building permits and inspections, zoning administration, floodplain development permits, and right-of-way permits for driveway/road access onto county roads in unincorporated Logan County
315 Main Street, Suite 2, Sterling, CO 80751
Zoning
Logan County Planning, Zoning and Building Department (Zoning)
Zoning regulations, variance applications, zoning change applications, and zoning use permits for unincorporated Logan County
Floodplain permits
Logan County Planning, Zoning and Building Department (Floodplain)
Floodplain development permit applications for unincorporated Logan County
Roads & driveways
Logan County Planning, Zoning and Building Department (Right of Way Permits)
Right-of-way permit applications for work or access on county-maintained roads
Septic permits
Northeast Colorado Health Department (NCHD) - Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Program
Onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS/septic) permits, inspections, and real-estate transfer inspections for Logan County
700 Columbine Street, Sterling, Colorado 80751
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 Logan County means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
- Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
- Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
- Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
- Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.
These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.
Do you need a building permit in Logan County, Colorado?
Yes. Logan County requires a building permit for construction in unincorporated areas through the county's Planning, Zoning and Building Department in Sterling1. The only size exemption is for structures of 10 by 12 feet (120 square feet) or smaller, and agricultural storage buildings and animal barns on parcels of 35 acres or more may qualify for an Agriculture Permit in place of a building permit; electrical and plumbing permits come from the State of Colorado, not the county5. Logan County enforces the 2006 International Residential and Building Codes18. Work started without a permit can draw investigation fees of up to double the permit fee19. Site-built work receives footer, foundation, framing, drywall and final inspections20. County inspections are not required for agricultural buildings, oil and gas operations, and some utilities, though inspection is available on request; state inspectors handle electrical and plumbing work, and county inspection requests generally need at least 24 hours' notice21. A new building generally cannot be occupied until the county completes its final inspection and issues a Certificate of Occupancy; accessory structures are excepted22. Colorado's owner licensing exemption covers repair or maintenance on the owner's own property, not a general exemption from permits or contractor rules for constructing a new home17. Reach the department at 970-522-7879 or visit 315 Main Street, Suite 2, in Sterling2.
Who is the Logan County building department and how do you reach them?
The Logan County Planning, Zoning and Building Department is at 315 Main Street, Suite 2, in Sterling2. Office hours are 8 to 5 Monday through Friday except holidays2. Call 970-522-78792. The department publishes building, zoning, inspection, floodplain, subdivision and land-use forms, but we could not confirm the complete building-permit workflow from those materials23. The application needs one set of building plans and a scaled site map, plus a Rescheck energy compliance report for a house5. Building permits carry a $16.00 review fee and a 1% county use tax on materials other than plumbing and electrical; a permit is valid for one year, and an application becomes void if the fee goes unpaid for 180 days5. New construction in the 100-year flood plain also needs a floodplain development permit and an elevation certificate first5. Logan County publishes a current planning and zoning fee schedule, although the reviewed information does not provide its individual charges24. The county right-of-way application lists a $50 driveway-access fee and goes through Planning and Zoning to the Board of County Commissioners; starting before approval doubles the fee except in an approved emergency13. Some zoning-use applications require submission at least 20 days before the Board of Adjustment hearing, plus public, posted and nearby-owner notice, so ask the department which review path applies before setting a construction schedule25.
Does Logan County have zoning?
Yes. Logan County zoning applies outside incorporated cities and regulates unincorporated land by district; the county's rules stop at city limits426. Inside Sterling, the city sets its own zoning27; septic permits for Sterling addresses still come from the Northeast Colorado Health Department6. The published districts are EP, A, RE, RS, RM, CH, CC and I, and the use grid classifies uses as by right, conditional or subject to a special-use permit28. Minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage and height limits depend on the district and use29303132. The Atwood provisions, for example, require a 45-foot front setback for farm-related buildings and 20 feet for other permitted uses, measured from the edge of the public-road easement, and a 35-acre minimum lot in the Atwood Agricultural District3029. Pre-existing lots may be built on if they meet setbacks of 30 feet front, 20 feet back and 10 feet side, or the setbacks in the lot's recorded deed covenants33. A zoning permit is required before a utility is built, installed, hooked up or placed in service unless the Board of Adjustment has granted a variance34. Ask the Planning, Zoning and Building Department to identify the parcel's district and standards before fixing a site plan35.
How do septic permits work in Logan County?
Any Logan County building that creates wastewater flow and is not connected to city sewer needs an onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS), or septic, permit from the Northeast Colorado Health Department; installing, altering, expanding or repairing a system requires approval before work begins107. NCHD serves Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington and Yuma Counties, and the county page says revised OWTS regulations took effect in June 20263637. NCHD's office for this program is at 700 Columbine Street in Sterling, reachable at (877) 795-06467. NCHD generally cannot issue an OWTS permit where public sewer service from a municipality or special district is available and feasible10. About 43.9% of Logan County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, leaving more than half where a standard system may not work and a site evaluation matters38. Colorado requires a final inspection before an OWTS can be used39. An OWTS permit expires one year after issuance if construction has not started, and a change in plans voids it unless NCHD approves the change in writing6. A home not served by sewage treatment works cannot receive building approval until its OWTS permit is issued, and occupancy approval waits on the final septic inspection, so apply early40.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Logan County?
Colorado permits a Division of Housing-approved tiny home to be used as a long-term residence only after its plans receive state approval and the home complies with local zoning16. We could not confirm a Logan County rule that clearly resolves tiny-home or private-land RV occupancy, so ask the Planning, Zoning and Building Department about the parcel's district before placing either unit35. Logan County has district-specific manufactured-home rules41. In the Agricultural District, a manufactured home for an employee and family requires a farm of 40 acres or more with no space offered for rent42. A manufactured home used as temporary quarters while a permitted house is built must be removed within 30 days after the house receives its Certificate of Occupancy; its permit expires after 365 days but may be renewed in exceptional circumstances41. In mapped flood-hazard zones (A1-30, AH and AE), an RV must stay on the site fewer than 180 consecutive days, be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or meet the permit and elevation rules for manufactured homes; that rule does not set an RV standard outside those zones43. County rules limit a permitted camping area to travel trailers and campers of no more than 40 feet by 8 feet, for stays of 3 months, but that provision does not establish a general right to camp or live in an RV on any private parcel4445. Any utility hookup to a structure needs a zoning permit first46.
What are the steps to build a home in Logan County, Colorado?
- Confirm the parcel's zoning district, allowed residential use, minimum lot size, setbacks and lot-coverage limit with the Logan County Planning, Zoning and Building Department at 970-522-78792293031.
- Apply to the Northeast Colorado Health Department for an OWTS permit if the home will not connect to municipal sewer; building approval and occupancy depend on septic approval and final inspection1040.
- Apply to the Colorado Division of Water Resources if the project needs a new groundwater well15.
- Submit the county building-permit application and ask which review steps and published fees apply12324. Determine whether development in a flood-hazard area also needs county floodplain approval47.
What should you check before buying land in Logan County, Colorado?
Confirm the zoning district and allowed use before buying because Logan County applies district-specific use, setback, lot-coverage, height and minimum-lot-size standards929303132. A proposed land split may require county subdivision review, and the county publishes both subdivision and subdivision-exemption procedures48. One cited exemption route for an additional lot under 35 acres requires the remaining lot to exceed 35 acres and filing at least 60 days before the hearing49. Arrange a septic evaluation because only 43.9% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field38. Check the flood map because floodway development needs no-rise evidence or a Conditional Letter of Map Revision before a local permit can issue47. Confirm access because county-right-of-way driveways need county approval, while state-highway access is routed through CDOT Region 41314. Logan County receives about 16.2 inches of precipitation annually and experiences severe drought in about 19.3% of years, making water planning especially important5051.
Watch-outs
- Logan County has adopted zoning outside incorporated cities, so do not assume a rural parcel is unrestricted; confirm the district and its use, setback, lot-coverage and dimensional rules before planning a build8931.
- We could not confirm a general right to live in an RV on rural Logan County land; ask the Planning, Zoning and Building Department before relying on RV occupancy35.
- Only 43.9% of Logan County's soils are rated free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so budget for a site evaluation before assuming a standard system will work38.
Sources
- Logan County Planning, Zoning and Building Department (2026 county census)
- Logan County Planning, Zoning and Building Department (logancounty.colorado.gov)
- Logan County Inspection Requirements, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Building Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
- Onsite Wastewater Treatment System, quoted and re-checked
- Northeast Colorado Health Department (NCHD) - Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Program (nchd.org)
- Logan County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Onsite Wastewater Treatment System, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Planning, Zoning and Building Department (Floodplain) (logancounty.colorado.gov)
- SB24-179 Floodplain Management Program (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Right of Way Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
- Access Permits - Driveways & Curb Cuts, quoted and re-checked
- Water Administration (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Colorado Revised Statutes 2026, Title 30, § 30-11-125 (2026 county census)
- Logan County Building Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Building Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Inspection Requirements, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Inspection Requirements, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Resolution, quoted and re-checked
- Planning and Zoning Applications, quoted and re-checked
- Planning, Zoning & Building Department, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Use Permit Application Requirements, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Use Grid, quoted and re-checked
- Sterling: Sterling Code, Appendix A Zoning, Sec. 402 Schedule of permitted uses (Logan County), quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Use Grid, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Resolution, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Planning, Zoning and Building Department (Zoning) (logancounty.colorado.gov)
- Northeast Colorado Health Department On-site Wastewater Treatment System Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Onsite Wastewater Treatment System, quoted and re-checked
- 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
- Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Resolution, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- logancountyco.gov, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Zoning Resolution, quoted and re-checked
- Logan County Flood Plain Development Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
- Planning and Zoning Applications, quoted and re-checked
- Subdivision Exemption Application Requirements, quoted and re-checked
- Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
- Share of years in severe drought: 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.