Bolthole Index

Mesa County, Colorado

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

The Town of Palisade, in Mesa County, Colorado, runs its own planning clearances and Land Development Code through its Community Development office1, and it has adopted the 2024 International Residential Code for houses and townhouses2. Septic permits for any address in Mesa County come from the county's Septic (OWTS) Department3. We could not confirm who issues the building permit inside town limits, so ask the town first.

At a glance

Zoning
Town of Palisade Land Development Code; planning clearance applications go to Community Development1
Residential code
2024 International Residential Code, with town amendments and the Tiny Houses appendix2
Building permit
Not confirmed for in-town lots; ask Town Hall1
Septic
Mesa County Septic (OWTS) Department3
RV living
Limited: a visiting RV on a residential lot, owner's permission, 7 days at a time and 14 days a year4
Minimum home size
800 sq ft of heated living area5
Manufactured homes
Allowed outside parks if they meet foundation, roof and siding standards6

Who to call

Zoning

Town of Palisade Community Development

Planning clearance applications, including new residential builds, accessory structures, subdivisions and hearings, inside the Town of Palisade

970-464-5602

planning@townofpalisade.org

175 East 3rd Street

Septic permits

Mesa County Community Development - Septic Systems (OWTS)

Septic (OWTS) permits and clearances for Mesa County parcels not served by sewer

970-255-7169

mccomdev@mesacounty.us

200 South Spruce Street, Grand Junction, CO 81501

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

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Does Palisade, Colorado have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and tiny homes?

Yes. The Town of Palisade administers its own planning clearances, and its application list covers rezoning, conditional use permits, variances and Land Development Code amendments1. Rules differ by district, so look up your lot's district before you buy.

On RVs: an RV or trailer may be occupied inside a manufactured home park, RV park or campground, or on the premises of a residential dwelling with the owner's permission for no more than 7 consecutive days or 14 days in a calendar year4. Palisade does not allow living in an RV on a bare lot while you build4. Camping on public property is unlawful, and a violation can bring a fine up to $300 or up to 90 days7.

On tiny homes: Palisade has adopted the International Residential Code appendix for tiny houses2, but we could not confirm which districts allow one, so ask Community Development. Colorado approves Division of Housing tiny homes for long-term living where local zoning allows8.

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

We could not confirm the building permit requirement or which office issues building permits inside Palisade town limits. What the town does state is that it has adopted the 2024 International Residential Code, with town amendments, for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses up to three stories2. Its planning clearance list includes a new residential build category for single-family detached homes, manufactured homes, townhouses, duplexes and additions1.

Call Town Hall at 970-464-56021 before you buy to ask who issues building permits and inspections for your address. Mesa County's Building Division issues building permits for unincorporated Mesa County only9, so do not assume the county counter is the right one for an in-town lot.

What size and type of home can you build in Palisade?

Single-family detached, two-family, alley-loaded, zero-lot-line and manufactured dwellings in Palisade need at least 800 square feet of enclosed and heated living area per unit5. Manufactured homes outside parks must carry a HUD-code label, sit on a permanent perimeter foundation with wheels, axles and tongue removed, and have a 4:12 roof pitch with a Class C shingle and a 1 ft overhang6.

In the CB nonresidential district, lots need at least 8,000 square feet and 60 feet of width, and buildings top out at 45 feet with 75% maximum impervious surface101112. We have not confirmed residential lot sizes or setbacks, so ask Community Development for your district.

How do septic permits work inside Palisade?

Colorado requires an on-site wastewater system permit for a building not served by a sewage treatment works, and the permit is issued by the local public health agency13. In Mesa County that is the county's Septic (OWTS) Department, which issues all OWTS and septic permits3. Its regulations bar an OWTS permit in a special service district where public sewer is available, unless sewer is not feasible14.

We could not confirm whether your in-town lot connects to town sewer or needs a septic system. Ask Town Hall about sewer service first1; if you do need a septic system, a Colorado-licensed engineer must design and stamp it, and the permit expires after 1 year unless an inspection has passed14. Soils matter too: only 5.7% of Mesa County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation or an engineered system15.

Building a home in Palisade: the steps, in order

  1. Call Palisade Community Development at 970-464-5602 and confirm your lot's zoning district and which office issues building permits1.
  2. Ask Town Hall whether the lot has town sewer. If not, apply to the Mesa County Septic (OWTS) Department3.
  3. Submit the town's new residential build planning clearance application1.
  4. Build to the town's adopted 2024 International Residential Code2.
  5. If the property touches a state highway, a driveway needs a state access permit; a single-family Level 1 permit costs $5016.
  6. Wells need a state permit from the Division of Water Resources17.

What stays with Mesa County, and what to check before you buy in Palisade?

The county's building, planning and zoning rules apply to unincorporated land, not to lots inside Palisade18. For land outside town limits, use the Mesa County page. Septic permits are county-wide3.

Before you buy, ask about sewer service, floodplain status and short-term rental rules. Colorado leaves short-term rental rules to local governments19, and the town lists short-term vacation rentals as a public hearing item1. Mesa County's effective property tax rate is 0.4%20.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm who issues building permits, inspections or certificates of occupancy inside Palisade; call Town Hall at 970-464-5602 before you commit1.
  • Palisade's RV rule allows a visiting RV only briefly, 7 days at a time and 14 days a year, so living in one during construction is not permitted4.
  • Septic permits come from Mesa County even for lots inside Palisade3, but sewer availability can block an OWTS permit14.

Sources

  1. Town of Palisade Community Development (palisade.colorado.gov)
  2. Palisade Municipal Code Sec. 18-25 International Residential Code adopted (Town of Palisade), quoted and re-checked
  3. About the Septic (OWTS) Department, quoted and re-checked
  4. Palisade Municipal Code Sec. 10-88 Camping on public and private property restricted (Town of Palisade), quoted and re-checked
  5. Palisade Land Development Code Section 7.01 Residential Use Standards (Town of Palisade), quoted and re-checked
  6. Palisade Land Development Code Section 7.01 Residential Use Standards (Town of Palisade), quoted and re-checked
  7. Palisade Municipal Code Sec. 10-88 Camping on public and private property restricted (Town of Palisade), quoted and re-checked
  8. Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Permit Requirements for Building Department, quoted and re-checked
  10. Palisade Land Development Code Section 5.04 Nonresidential Districts (Town of Palisade), quoted and re-checked
  11. Palisade Land Development Code Section 5.04 Nonresidential Districts (Town of Palisade), quoted and re-checked
  12. Palisade Land Development Code Section 5.04 Nonresidential Districts (Town of Palisade), quoted and re-checked
  13. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Mesa County On-Site Wastewater Treatment System Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  15. 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
  16. Access Permits | Frequently Asked Questions (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Water Administration (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Mesa County Building Department Fee Schedule, quoted and re-checked
  19. Short-term Rental Regulation (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Palisade

Town of Palisade’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    One- and two-family dwellings and townhouses up to three stories inside Palisade town

    • Town amendments apply
    • Appendix chapters adopted: BB Tiny Houses, BF, BO, CB, CC; no other IRC appendices adopted
    • Other codes (building, electrical, etc.) not reviewed

    IRC edition: 2024

    “the following chapters of the appendix of the international residential code, 2024 edition, are adopted: (1) appendix bb, tiny houses. (2) appendix bf, patio covers. (3) appendix bo, existing buildings and structures.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family detached, two-family, alley-loaded, zero-lot-line and manufactured dwellings inside Palisade town (use standard, not tied to a named district in the section)

    • Enclosed and heated living area per dwelling unit

    minimum heated living area: >= 800 sq ft

    “Have a minimum of eight hundred (800) square feet of enclosed and heated living area per dwelling unit.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Nonresidential districts CB and LI inside Palisade town (residential and agricultural districts not reviewed)

    • HR district varies by use: 20,000 sq ft nonresidential, 2,000 townhouse, 11,000 multi-family
    • TC and CP have no minimum

    CB minimum lot area: >= 8000 sq ft · CB minimum lot width: >= 60 ft

    “Lot area (minimum square feet) 8,000 Lot width (minimum feet) 60”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    CB district inside Palisade town (maximum impervious surface; residential districts not reviewed)

    • LI also 75%; HR 75-80% by use

    CB maximum impervious surface: <= 75 percent

    “Height (maximum feet) 45 Impervious surface (maximum) 75%”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    CB district inside Palisade town (residential districts not reviewed)

    • LI 45 ft; TC and CP 50 ft; HR 50 ft nonresidential, 25 ft townhouse/multi-family

    CB maximum height: <= 45 ft

    “Height (maximum feet) 45 Impervious surface (maximum) 75%”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Occupying an RV or trailer on private property inside Palisade town

    • Allowed in a manufactured home park, RV park or campground where vehicle spaces are provided and no other regulation is violated
    • Or on the premises of a residential dwelling with owner permission, max 7 consecutive days or 14 days per calendar year
    • Renting space for RVs for profit is unlawful outside a licensed, zoned park or campground

    max consecutive days: <= 7 days · max days per calendar year: <= 14 days

    “Such vehicle or trailer is located on the premises of a residential dwelling and the occupancy thereof is with the permission of the property owner not to exceed seven (7) consecutive days or a total of fourteen (14) days in a calendar year.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping on private property inside Palisade town

    • Only on the premises of a residential dwelling with owner permission
    • Camping on public property is unlawful
    • Violation is a municipal offense, fine up to $300 or up to 90 days

    max consecutive days: <= 7 days · max days per calendar year: <= 14 days

    “Any such camping must be temporary in nature, and must not exceed a period of seven (7) consecutive days or a total of fourteen (14) days in a calendar year.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured homes outside manufactured home parks inside Palisade town

    • HUD-code label required
    • Wheels, axles, tongue removed
    • Permanent perimeter foundation
    • Roof pitch 4:12 with Class C shingle and 1 ft overhang
    • Siding of wood, brick, block or stone look
    • Minimum 800 sq ft

    minimum living area: >= 800 sq ft

    “Manufactured homes located outside of manufactured home parks shall meet the following standards:”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Palisade town
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Palisade town
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Palisade town
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Palisade town
  • Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside Palisade town
14 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • 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 Palisade publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Mesa County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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