Bolthole Index

Logan County, Colorado

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Sterling, Colorado

Sterling, Colorado, in Logan County, requires building permits to erect, enlarge, alter or repair a structure inside city limits, issued through the city's Public Works Department1. The city also has its own zoning ordinance with published districts2. Septic permits for buildings not on city sewer come from the Northeast Colorado Health Department, not the city3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required inside Sterling city limits; issued by city Public Works1
Zoning
City zoning ordinance with districts R-1, R-2, R-3, MH, MS, NB, CB, CBD, LI, HI and OS4
Building code
2018 International Residential Code, with amendments5
Septic
Northeast Colorado Health Department permit for buildings not on city sewer3
RV living
Camping on city park land is limited to designated areas; private-lot RV rules not confirmed6
Flood
Lowest floor must be 1 foot above base flood elevation in mapped flood areas7
County property tax
Logan County effective rate of 0.5%8

Who to call

Building permits

City of Sterling Public Works Department (building permits and inspections)

Building permits, mechanical and other construction permits, and building inspections inside Sterling city limits

(970) 522-9700

421 N 4th Street

Zoning

City of Sterling Public Works Department (planning and zoning)

Zoning questions, conditional uses, variances and subdivision applications inside Sterling city limits

(970) 522-9700

pubworks@sterlingcolo.com

Septic permits

Northeast Colorado Health Department (NCHD) - Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Program

Onsite wastewater treatment system (septic) permits and inspections for Logan County

(877) 795-0646

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

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Do you need a building permit in Sterling, Colorado?

Yes. Building permits are required in Sterling to erect, enlarge, alter or repair a structure inside city limits1. Permits are also needed for work such as siding, windows, reroofing, fences and demolitions1. Storage sheds are exempt unless they are larger than 120 sq. ft.1

The city has adopted the 2018 International Residential Code with amendments, and the amendments omit the automatic fire sprinkler requirement in IRC Section R3135. Plumbing and electrical permits are filed through the State of Colorado rather than the city1. On top of the permit fee, Sterling charges a 4% use tax on construction materials1. We could not confirm the city's fee schedule or owner-builder rules; ask Public Works.

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

The City of Sterling Public Works Department issues building permits and schedules inspections inside city limits. Call (970) 522-97001. Public Works works from City Hall at 421 N 4th Street1.

The city's rules apply only inside Sterling. Land outside city limits in Logan County is handled by the county; see the Logan County page for the county Planning, Zoning and Building Department.

Does Sterling have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size, setbacks and tiny homes?

Yes. Sterling has its own zoning ordinance covering all land inside the incorporated city2. The residential districts are R-1, R-2, R-3 and MH (manufactured housing)9.

In R-1, the minimum lot area per dwelling is 6,500 sq ft and the minimum floor area is 1,000 sq ft910. In R-2 and R-3 the minimum floor area is 800 sq ft, and in MH it is 650 sq ft10. Principal buildings need a 20-foot front setback, 5-foot sides and a 20-foot rear11. Those floor-area minimums mean a very small dwelling may not qualify; we could not confirm a tiny-home or accessory-dwelling rule, so ask Public Works before buying.

If a use is permitted by right, no approvals are needed beyond building permits; a conditional use needs Planning Commission approval12.

How do septic permits work in Sterling?

Most lots inside Sterling are served by city sewer, and the Northeast Colorado Health Department requires septic permits for buildings that make wastewater and are not connected to a city sewer system13. The health department's rules say a septic permit should not be issued inside a municipality that provides public sewer unless sewer service is not feasible or the municipality authorizes it14.

The practical read: confirm with the city whether a lot can connect to sewer, and call the Northeast Colorado Health Department at (877) 795-0646 if it cannot13. We could not confirm the city's sewer connection rules. Well permits come from the state, not the city: every new well that diverts groundwater needs a state permit15.

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

The city's camping rule found so far covers park land only: camping in city parks and recreation facilities is barred except in designated areas of Pioneer Park or as the director approves6. That rule does not answer whether an RV can be lived in on a private lot, and we could not confirm one; ask Public Works before relying on it.

Colorado's Division of Housing approves tiny homes for long-term living, but each unit must still satisfy local zoning requirements16. In Sterling that includes the district floor-area minimums above10.

Building a home in Sterling: the steps, in order

  1. Ask Public Works which zoning district the lot is in and whether the use is permitted or conditional12.
  2. Check lot size, setbacks and height against the district1117.
  3. Confirm whether the lot can connect to city sewer; if not, apply to the Northeast Colorado Health Department for a septic permit13.
  4. Check flood status; a Flood Plain Development Application exists for mapped flood areas1, and the lowest floor must be 1 foot above base flood elevation there7.
  5. Apply for a building permit from Public Works1.
  6. Book inspections through Public Works as work proceeds, and file plumbing and electrical permits with the state1.

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

Septic permits come from the Northeast Colorado Health Department, which serves Logan County3. A driveway onto a state highway needs a state access permit; Logan County falls under the Colorado Department of Transportation's Region 4 Access Management Unit18. We could not confirm the city's rules for driveways onto city streets.

Taxes are set at the county level: Logan County's effective property tax rate is 0.5%8, with a median bill of about $1,072 a year19.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Sterling's building permit fee schedule, owner-builder rules, accessory-dwelling rules or RV rules for private lots; Public Works at (970) 522-9700 can answer1.
  • The city's zoning, building code and permits stop at the city limits; Logan County's own rules apply outside them20.
  • A mapped flood area adds a floodplain development application and a raised lowest floor7.

Sources

  1. City of Sterling Public Works Department (building permits and inspections) (sterlingcolo.com)
  2. Sterling Code, Appendix A Zoning, Sec. 402 Schedule of permitted uses (Sterling), quoted and re-checked
  3. Onsite Wastewater Treatment System, quoted and re-checked
  4. Sterling Code, Appendix A Zoning, Sec. 402 Schedule of permitted uses (Sterling), quoted and re-checked
  5. Sterling Code, Sec. 5-56 International Residential Code adopted (Sterling), quoted and re-checked
  6. Sterling Code, Sec. 13-59 Camping (Sterling), quoted and re-checked
  7. Sterling Code, Sec. 8-72 Specific standards (flood) (Sterling), quoted and re-checked
  8. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  9. Sterling Code, Appendix A Zoning, Sec. 403 Dimensional requirements (Sterling), quoted and re-checked
  10. Sterling Code, Appendix A Zoning, Sec. 403 Dimensional requirements (Sterling), quoted and re-checked
  11. Sterling Code, Appendix A Zoning, Sec. 403 Dimensional requirements (Sterling), quoted and re-checked
  12. City of Sterling Public Works Department (planning and zoning) (sterlingcolo.com)
  13. Northeast Colorado Health Department (NCHD) - Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Program (nchd.org)
  14. Onsite Wastewater Treatment System, quoted and re-checked
  15. Water Administration (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Sterling Code, Appendix A Zoning, Sec. 403 Dimensional requirements (Sterling), quoted and re-checked
  18. Access Permits - Driveways & Curb Cuts, quoted and re-checked
  19. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Logan County Zoning Regulations, 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 Sterling

Sterling’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Residential construction inside Sterling city

    • Adopted with amendments; plumbing and electrical references (except required fixtures) are excepted from the IRC.
    • IRC Section R313 automatic fire sprinkler systems is omitted.
    • Appendices F and H adopted.

    edition: IRC 2018

    “(d) irc section r313, automatic fire sprinkler systems, is omitted in its entirety.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Sterling city limits

    • Zoning ordinance is Appendix A of the city code.
    “the following use regulations and review categories are intended to apply to all existing and future parcels of land within the incorporated area of sterling.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Sterling city zoning districts

    • Districts per the Sec. 402 chart: R-1, R-2, R-3, MH, MS, NB, CB, CBD, LI, HI, OS.
    “the following charts list the uses permitted in each zoning district.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential districts R-1, R-2, R-3 and MH inside Sterling city

    • Per dwelling unit minimum is 700 sq ft in R-2 and R-3; NA in R-1 and MH.

    R-1 min floor area per dwelling: >= 1000 sq ft · R-2 min floor area per dwelling: >= 800 sq ft · R-3 min floor area per dwelling: >= 800 sq ft · MH min floor area per dwelling: >= 650 sq ft

    “minimum floor area (in sq. ft.) per dwelling 1,000 800 800 650 per dwelling unit na 700 700 na”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential districts R-1, R-2, R-3 and MH inside Sterling city

    • MH figures apply to mobile homes on individual platted lots.
    • No agricultural district appears in the residential chart.

    R-1 min lot area per dwelling: >= 6500 sq ft · R-2 min lot area per dwelling: >= 6500 sq ft (3,250 sq ft per dwelling unit) · R-3 min lot area per dwelling: >= 6500 sq ft (1,000 sq ft per dwelling unit) · MH min lot area per dwelling: >= 6000 sq ft (1,000 sq ft per dwelling unit)

    “minimum lot area (in sq. ft.) per dwelling 6,500 6,500 6,500 6,000 per dwelling unit na 3,250 1,000 1,000”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential districts R-1, R-2, R-3 and MH inside Sterling city

    • Identical in all four districts for the principal building.
    • Accessory building: front 45 ft, side 3 ft, rear 3 ft.
    • Corner lots: 5 ft on sides adjacent to street other than front; line-of-sight triangle clearance of 40 ft applies.

    front, principal building: >= 20 ft · side, principal building: >= 5 ft · rear, principal building: >= 20 ft

    “2. side from principal building 5′ 5′ 5′ 5′ from detached accessory building 3′ 3′ 3′ 3′ 3. rear from principal building 20′ 20′ 20′ 20′ from accessory building 3′ 3′ 3′ 3′”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential districts R-1, R-2, R-3 and MH inside Sterling city

    • Accessory building maximum: 15 ft in R-1, R-2, MH; 20 ft in R-3.

    R-1 principal max height: <= 35 ft · R-2 principal max height: <= 35 ft · R-3 principal max height: <= 50 ft · MH principal max height: <= 25 ft

    “maximum building height principal building 35′ 35′ 50′ 25′ accessory building 15′ 15′ 20′ 15′”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    City-owned or leased parks and recreation facilities in Sterling city (not private land)

    • Camping allowed only in designated areas of Pioneer Park or as approved by the director.
    “It shall be unlawful to camp within any park or recreation facility owned by or leased to the city, except in designated areas of Pioneer Park or as approved by the director.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    New residential construction and substantial improvement in special flood hazard areas inside Sterling city

    • Applies where base flood elevation data has been provided.
    • Lowest floor elevation must be certified by a Colorado registered engineer, architect or land surveyor and submitted to the floodplain administrator.

    lowest floor above base flood elevation: >= 1 ft

    “new construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor (including basement), electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing, and air conditioning equipment and other service facilities (including ductwork), elevated to one (1) foot above the base flood elevation.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Sterling or Logan County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Sterling city
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Sterling city
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Sterling city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Sterling city
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Sterling city
15 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Sterling publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Logan County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Logan County: county rules, score and offices