Bolthole Index

Moffat County, Colorado

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Craig, Colorado

Building permits and zoning inside Craig, Colorado are both handled by the Craig/Moffat Regional Building Department at City Hall1. Craig has its own zoning code2. Buildings inside city limits must connect to city sewer3. Outside the city, Moffat County's rules apply instead4.

At a glance

Building permits
Issued by the Craig/Moffat Regional Building Department at City Hall1
Zoning
Craig has its own zoning code, run by the same department21
Septic / sewer
Buildings in city limits must connect to city sewer; a failed leach field must be replaced by a sewer connection35
Camping on your lot
Limited to 7 consecutive days and 14 days a year, at a residential dwelling with the owner's permission6
Owner-builder
Allowed for an owner-occupied single-family home if the owner buys all material and does all labor7
Minimum home size
560 sq ft per mobile home in the Residential Mobile Home district; other districts unconfirmed8
Tiny homes
State-approved tiny homes may be used for long-term living, subject to local zoning; Craig's own tiny-home rule is unconfirmed9

Who to call

Building permits

Craig/Moffat Regional Building Department

Building permits, plan review, inspections and planning and zoning for the City of Craig, and building permits for Moffat County

970.826.2013

300 W 4th Street, Craig, CO 81625

Zoning

Moffat County Planning & Zoning Department

Planning and zoning outside Craig city limits, in unincorporated Moffat County

(970)824-9148

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

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Do you need a building permit in Craig, Colorado?

Building permits inside Craig are issued by the Craig/Moffat Regional Building Department, which performs all permitting, plan review and inspections for the City of Craig1. Craig adopted building codes of its own10. Electrical permits and inspections are not handled by the city; Craig defers them to the State of Colorado1.

A homeowner who lives in a single-family house can pull the permits personally, as long as the owner buys all material and does all the labor7. A landlord cannot pull a permit for a new dwelling or added living space, and commercial work needs a licensed contractor7. If a project is unclear, the building official can be called to confirm whether a permit applies.

Who handles zoning in Craig, and what does it mean for lots, RVs and tiny homes?

Craig sets and enforces its own zoning for all land inside city limits2. The same Craig/Moffat Regional Building Department performs planning and zoning for the city1. Land annexed into Craig is zoned within 90 days, and unless it is zoned otherwise it is treated as Agricultural2.

The code names districts including Agricultural, Rural Residential, Residential Medium Density, Residential High Density, Mixed Use and Residential Mobile Home11. Dimensional rules we confirmed apply only to the Residential Mobile Home district: at least 560 sq ft of floor area per mobile home8, at least 3000 sq ft of lot per mobile home12, a 25 ft front setback (50 ft on a state or federal highway)13, and a height limit of 25 ft14. Lot sizes, setbacks and minimum home sizes for other Craig districts were not confirmed; ask the building department before buying.

For tiny homes, Colorado allows Division of Housing-approved units for long-term living, subject to local zoning9. Whether a given Craig district allows one was not confirmed.

How do septic and sewer work inside Craig?

Every building, dwelling, trailer home or mobile home inside Craig city limits must be connected to the city sanitary sewer system3. Where city sewer does not reach a property, the owner must extend the sewer main to the property line to city specifications3. If an existing septic leach field fails, the septic system must be eliminated and the property connected to city sewer5.

That makes a new septic system inside Craig an unlikely plan. Septic permits for every address in Colorado come from the local public health agency under local board-of-health rules15. Well permits inside the city were not confirmed. Ask the Craig/Moffat Regional Building Department before relying on a septic system or well within city limits1.

Can you camp or live in an RV on your lot in Craig?

Camping on private property in Craig is allowed only at the premises of a residential dwelling and only with the owner's permission, and it must not exceed 7 consecutive days or 14 days in a calendar year6. Living in an RV on a lot for longer than that is not something the confirmed rules allow.

An RV or travel trailer also cannot be used as a licensed short-term rental in Craig16. Anyone planning to live in an RV or tiny home while building should ask the building department about their specific district.

Building a home in Craig: the steps, in order

  1. Call the Craig/Moffat Regional Building Department to confirm the zone district, setbacks and lot rules for the parcel1.
  2. Confirm sewer access; if city sewer does not serve the lot, plan to extend the sewer main to the property line3.
  3. Apply for the building permit and schedule inspections through the same department1. An owner who occupies the home may pull the permit if the owner buys all material and does all labor7.
  4. Pull electrical permits through the State of Colorado, not the city1.
  5. If the site is in a flood-prone area, expect floodplain development permit requirements17.

What changes outside Craig city limits in Moffat County?

The city's rules stop at city limits. In unincorporated Moffat County, zoning follows the Moffat County Zoning Resolution4, and the Planning & Zoning Department handles it18. Moffat County requires building permits for structures larger than 200 square feet, fences higher than 6 feet and retaining walls greater than 4 feet19. Septic permits there are issued through the building department, cost $100 and require an engineered system20. In the county's Agricultural district, new lots must be at least 5 acres21. Moffat County's effective property tax rate is 0.4%22, and the nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 160 miles away23. The county's own page is at Moffat County.

Watch-outs

  • Craig's dimensional rules were only confirmed for the Residential Mobile Home district; ask the building department for lot size, setbacks and minimum home size in any other district13.
  • Septic permitting authority, septic inspections and well permits inside Craig city limits were not confirmed; call the Craig/Moffat Regional Building Department before assuming either is allowed5.
  • Camping on a Craig lot is capped at 7 consecutive days and 14 days a year, so a long RV stay needs a different arrangement6.
  • Do not apply county rules to a Craig address: Moffat County's zoning resolution applies only in unincorporated Moffat County, not inside Craig4.

Sources

  1. Craig/Moffat Regional Building Department (ci.craig.co.us)
  2. Craig Municipal Code 16.03.010 General provisions (Craig), quoted and re-checked
  3. Craig Municipal Code 13.08.010 Connection; required (Craig), quoted and re-checked
  4. Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  5. Craig Municipal Code 13.08.010 Connection; required (Craig), quoted and re-checked
  6. Craig Municipal Code 12.17.020 Camping restrictions (Craig), quoted and re-checked
  7. Craig Municipal Code 15.04.049 Additions; permit issuance (Craig), quoted and re-checked
  8. Craig Municipal Code 16.12.030 Density and dimensional standards (RMH district) (Craig), quoted and re-checked
  9. Consumers of Manufactured Homes and Tiny Homes - HUD (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Craig Municipal Code 15.22.050 Limitation (Craig), quoted and re-checked
  11. Craig Municipal Code 16.03.120 Accessory dwelling unit (ADU) (Craig), quoted and re-checked
  12. Craig Municipal Code 16.12.030 Density and dimensional standards (RMH district) (Craig), quoted and re-checked
  13. Craig Municipal Code 16.12.030 Density and dimensional standards (RMH district) (Craig), quoted and re-checked
  14. Craig Municipal Code 16.12.030 Density and dimensional standards (RMH district) (Craig), quoted and re-checked
  15. Title 25 - Public Health and Environment - Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 (Colorado statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Craig Municipal Code 16.03.155 Short-term rental standards (Craig), quoted and re-checked
  17. Craig Municipal Code 16.08.160 Standards for subdivision proposals (Craig), quoted and re-checked
  18. Moffat County Planning & Zoning Department (ci.craig.co.us)
  19. Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
  20. Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
  21. Moffat County Zoning Resolution, Section 400—District Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Straight-line distance from the county center to the nearest city of 100,000+ people: 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 Craig

Craig’s own rules

  • Owner-builder exemptionConditional

    Owner-occupied single-family dwellings inside Craig city

    • Owner must occupy or design the dwelling for own occupancy, and personally purchase all material and perform all labor.
    • Rental-property owners may not pull plumbing, mechanical or electrical permits, or permits for a new dwelling or added living space.
    • Commercial properties require a licensed contractor.
    “provided that the owner shall personally purchase all material and shall personally perform all labor in connection therewith.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Craig city

    • IBC Section 112 and IRC Section R112 are deleted and not adopted.
    • Edition years not captured.
    “Section 112 of the International Building Code and Section R112 of the International Residential Code are deleted and are not adopted as part of the code.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    All land inside Craig city limits

    • Annexed land is zoned within 90 days; unless otherwise zoned it is treated as A - Agricultural.
    “the provisions of these zoning regulations shall be held to be minimum requirements adopted for the promotion of the public health, safety, morals, convenience, comfort, prosperity and general welfare.”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Zone districts inside Craig city

    • Districts named in the code include A, RR, RLD, RMD, RHD, MU, CD and RMH; district table and map not opened.
    “Agricultural (A), Rural Residential (RR), Residential Medium Density (RMD), Residential High Density (RHD), and Mixed Use (MU)”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Residential Mobile Home (RMH) district inside Craig city

    • Main single-family district limit not retrieved.

    minimum floor area per mobile home: >= 560 sq ft

    “Minimum floor area shall be five hundred sixty (560) square feet per mobile home.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Residential Mobile Home (RMH) district inside Craig city

    • New freestanding RMH district must be at least 5 acres; min lot frontage 40 ft; max gross density 10 units per acre.
    • Main single-family and agricultural district lot sizes not retrieved.

    minimum lot area per mobile home: >= 3000 sq ft

    “Three thousand (3,000) square feet per mobile home.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Residential Mobile Home (RMH) district inside Craig city

    • Front setback is 50 ft on lots fronting a state or federal highway; side setback 50 ft where side abuts a highway.
    • Side: 10 ft between mobile homes or 5 ft from side lot line.
    • Other districts not retrieved.

    front setback: >= 25 ft (50 ft on state or federal highway) · rear setback: >= 10 ft · side setback: >= 5 ft

    “there shall be a front yard or setback of not less than twenty-five (25) feet for all principal structures.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Residential Mobile Home (RMH) district inside Craig city

    • Accessory buildings max 20 ft; ADUs max 25 ft or principal dwelling height.
    • Other districts not retrieved.

    maximum height: <= 25 ft (or 2.5 stories)

    “No structure shall exceed two and one-half (2½) stories or twenty-five (25) feet in height.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping on private property inside Craig city

    • Only on the premises of a residential dwelling with owner permission.
    • Camping on public property outside designated sites is unlawful.

    consecutive days: <= 7 days · total 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.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Septic systems inside Craig city

    • Structures must connect to city sewer; a failed leach field must be eliminated and the property connected to city sewer.
    “In the event an existing septic system leach field fails, the septic system must be eliminated, and the property must be connected to the city sewer system.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Buildings inside Craig city limits; sewer connection

    • If city sewer does not exist to serve the property, the owner must extend the sewer main to the property line per city specifications.
    • Water connection requirement not found.
    “Every building, dwelling, trailer home, mobile home or any other structure that exists within the city limits shall be connected to the sanitary sewer system of the city.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivisions inside Craig city (flood-safety standards)

    • Full subdivision regulations not retrieved.
    “All subdivision proposals including the placement of manufactured home parks and subdivisions shall be reasonably safe from flooding.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in flood-prone areas inside Craig city

    • Base Flood Elevation data required for proposals over 50 lots or 5 acres, whichever is less, if not otherwise provided.
    “shall meet floodplain development permit requirements of this chapter.”
  • Short-term rentalsLimited

    Short-term rentals inside Craig city

    • License required.
    • Occupancy max 2 people per legal bedroom plus 2.
    • Two hard-surface off-street parking spaces except CD district.
    • RV or travel trailer as short-term rental is prohibited.
    • Local responsible party and safety equipment required.

    occupancy: 2 per legal bedroom plus 2

    “Licensed short-term rentals are allowed in all zone districts within the city limits of Craig.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Inspections — Inspections inside Craig city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Craig city
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Craig city
  • Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Craig city
  • Who permits septic — Septic systems inside Craig city
7 more unanswered
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Craig publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Moffat County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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