Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Building Permit in Poncha Springs, Colorado

Poncha Springs requires an accessory dwelling unit (adu) building permit for: ADU permitted only in zone districts where it is a listed permitted use per Table 12/12a of the Poncha Springs Land Use Code; No more than one ADU per primary residence; an ADU may not be accessory to another ADU; ADU must contain between 350 and 800 square feet of habitable area, excluding parking (Section 5.7.2.1); ADU must be DETACHED from the primary residence (an ADU above a garage/storage building qualifies as detached; any interior connection disqualifies it); Rear setback minimum 5 feet from rear lot line/alley/lane easement; ADU must have a separately accessible exterior entrance, separately accessible utilities (no additional tap fee unless service-line upsizing is required), a kitchen (oven, 2-burner stove, sink, 6-cu-ft-minimum refrigerator with freezer), and a bathroom (sink, toilet, shower); One dedicated, non-tandem on-site parking space required for the ADU; Finished floor height must be entirely above natural finished grade on all sides; Roof design must prevent snow/ice shedding onto the ADU entrance; ADU leases restricted to a minimum 30-day term; ADU construction must independently meet IBC requirements 'administered by the Chaffee County Building Department' per the Town's own Land Use Code Section 6.13.5.9; Submit the Town's Land Use Application (for the ADU zoning review, flat $200 fee) plus the standard Town Building Permit Coversheet and Chaffee County Residential Building Application for the construction itself. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Two-agency split: Town of Poncha Springs (Town Zoning Criteria review, Town Building Permit Coversheet, Town Building/Utility fees, and 2% Building Construction Materials Use Tax, first step) + Chaffee County Building Safety Department (I-Code plan review, permit issuance, fees, and inspections, second step) at Town of Poncha Springs: 719-539-6882 (after-hours/on-call: 719-207-2293; fax 719-539-6898). Chaffee County Building Safety Department: 719-539-2124 (Option 1 for inspections, Option 2 for applications/fees); fax 719-530-9208 before starting work.

In Poncha Springs, the published Town of Poncha Springs ADU Land Use Application Fee is: $200.00 flat. Additional published fees: Town of Poncha Springs Building Construction Materials Use Tax — 2% of the amount allocated for materials (50% of Total Valuation); Chaffee County Building Permit Fee — Total Valuation x 0.007, plus 10% Plan Review Fee; $110 minimum. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Poncha Springs does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Two-agency split: Town of Poncha Springs (Town Zoning Criteria review, Town Building Permit Coversheet, Town Building/Utility fees, and 2% Building Construction Materials Use Tax, first step) + Chaffee County Building Safety Department (I-Code plan review, permit issuance, fees, and inspections, second step) at Town of Poncha Springs: 719-539-6882 (after-hours/on-call: 719-207-2293; fax 719-539-6898). Chaffee County Building Safety Department: 719-539-2124 (Option 1 for inspections, Option 2 for applications/fees); fax 719-530-9208 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Town of Poncha Springs Land Use Application (ADU); Town of Poncha Springs Building Permit Coversheet; Chaffee County Residential Building Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Poncha Springs requires 2 inspection(s) for an accessory dwelling unit (adu) building permit, in order: Foundation / Framing, Final Inspection (County) + Town Staff Pre-CO Site Review. Schedule each through Two-agency split: Town of Poncha Springs (Town Zoning Criteria review, Town Building Permit Coversheet, Town Building/Utility fees, and 2% Building Construction Materials Use Tax, first step) + Chaffee County Building Safety Department (I-Code plan review, permit issuance, fees, and inspections, second step) (Town of Poncha Springs: 719-539-6882 (after-hours/on-call: 719-207-2293; fax 719-539-6898). Chaffee County Building Safety Department: 719-539-2124 (Option 1 for inspections, Option 2 for applications/fees); fax 719-530-9208).

Apply through Two-agency split: Town of Poncha Springs (Town Zoning Criteria review, Town Building Permit Coversheet, Town Building/Utility fees, and 2% Building Construction Materials Use Tax, first step) + Chaffee County Building Safety Department (I-Code plan review, permit issuance, fees, and inspections, second step) at Town of Poncha Springs Town Hall: 333 Burnett Avenue, PO Box 190, Poncha Springs, CO 81242. Chaffee County Building Safety Department: 104 Crestone Ave., Room 125 (2nd Floor), Salida, CO 81201 (mailing: P.O. Box 699, Salida, CO 81201). Phone: Town of Poncha Springs: 719-539-6882 (after-hours/on-call: 719-207-2293; fax 719-539-6898). Chaffee County Building Safety Department: 719-539-2124 (Option 1 for inspections, Option 2 for applications/fees); fax 719-530-9208, email: Town of Poncha Springs: mail@ponchasprings.us. Chaffee County Building Safety Department: bdepartment@chaffeecounty.org (electronic plan submittals: eplans@chaffeecounty.org). Office hours: Town of Poncha Springs Town Hall: Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Fridays 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., closed weekends and major holidays, per the Town's own site footer. Chaffee County Building Safety Department: operates on a 4-day work week (Monday-Thursday), inspections performed Monday-Thursday excluding federal holidays; inspection requests must arrive by 4:00 p.m. the business day before the desired inspection date.. Official information: https://www.ponchasprings.us/planning-zoning and https://www.chaffeecounty.org/departments/building_department/index.php.

Poncha Springs, Colorado has adopted: 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — enforced county-wide by the Chaffee County Building Safety Department per the County's own Adopted Codes & Design Criteria page; the Town of Poncha Springs' own Land Use Code (Section 6.13.5.9) explicitly confirms IBC compliance is 'administered by the Chaffee County Building Department' for construction within Town limits; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC); 2021 International Fire Code (IFC); 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC); 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); 2023 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70 / NEC) — per Chaffee County Building Safety Department's Adopted Codes & Design Criteria page, the agency that actually issues and enforces electrical permits county-wide including Poncha Springs; 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities — Chaffee County Adopted Codes & Design Criteria page; Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (effective July 1, 2026) — Chaffee County Adopted Codes & Design Criteria page, BOCC Ordinance 2026-02 with local amendments; Colorado Model Electric Ready & Solar Ready Code — Chaffee County Adopted Codes & Design Criteria page; Town of Poncha Springs Land Use Code (adopted December 9, 2013, amended on an ongoing basis, most recently by Ordinance No. 2025-04) — governs zoning districts, setbacks, dimensional standards, ADU eligibility/design standards (Section 6.13), home occupations (Section 6.12), lighting standards (Section 5.15), and site work required before Certificate of Occupancy; reviewed by Town Staff (John Armstrong, Town Planner, per the Town's own Building Permit Coversheet) as the mandatory first step before the County's building-permit review begins; Town of Poncha Springs Ordinance #2008-11 (Building Construction Materials Use Tax) and CRS 29-2-105 — imposes a 2% Town use tax on building materials for any building-permit project, collected as part of the Town's own permit intake process, verified verbatim on the Town's own Exemption Certificate / Use Tax acknowledgment form. Local amendments apply — see the Poncha Springs overview page for the full list.