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Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit in Cortez, Colorado

Governed by Cortez's own Land Use Code, which (per the City's own, dated June 2022 ADU information notice) restricts ADUs to the R1 and RE zoning districts by Conditional Use Permit only, with owner-occupancy and parking requirements. Cortez does not appear to be a 'Subject Jurisdiction' under Colorado's 2024 ADU legislation (HB24-1152), which would otherwise have required an administrative (non-hearing) approval process without owner-occupancy or parking conditions by June 30, 2025 — but this file could not confirm the City has formally reaffirmed its ADU ordinance post-HB24-1152, so treat the underlying zoning rule as the best-available but not freshly-reconfirmed figure.

Verified 2026-07-06 · Source

When you need this permit

  • ADUs allowed ONLY in the R1 and RE zoning districts, per the City's ADU Information notice
  • Permitted ONLY by Conditional Use Permit (a public-hearing process), not administratively
  • Lot must be 20% larger than the zoning district's required minimum lot size
  • ADU cannot increase existing living space by more than 20%
  • Property owner must live in the single-family home on the lot
  • 2 additional off-street parking spaces must be provided for the ADU
  • Colorado HB24-1152 (effective for 'Subject Jurisdictions' as of June 30, 2025) would otherwise require an administrative approval process without owner-occupancy or parking conditions, but Cortez (population ~8,700, no Metropolitan Planning Organization covering Montezuma County) does not appear to meet the statute's population+MPO 'Subject Jurisdiction' test — this is an inference from the statutory test, not a City confirmation, so verify current ADU zoning status directly with Planning & Building before relying on it

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Conditional Use PermitCity of Cortez 2026 Fee Schedule, Planning and Building section; if applying concurrently with a site plan review, the full site-plan-review fee applies plus half the conditional-use-permit fee
$500.00
Building Permit Fee (same valuation-based schedule as new construction)
$75.00 minimum, scaling per the January 2026 Fee Schedule valuation tiers

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit permit actually take in Cortez?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Foundation (if new construction)

    Before concrete pour, per 32-inch minimum frost depth

  2. 2

    Rough Framing / Rough Plumbing / Rough Mechanical

    Trade rough-ins before concealment; electrical rough-in inspected separately by the State of Colorado (DORA)

  3. 3

    Final Inspection

    All City-permitted work complete per approved plans and Conditional Use Permit conditions

See the full Cortez inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Cortez's ADU rules are notably more restrictive than many Front Range cities: a Conditional Use Permit (public hearing) is required rather than an administrative/staff-level approval, and both owner-occupancy and 2-space parking conditions apply.
  • The City's own ADU information page is a 2022 archived notice — confirm directly with Planning & Building whether the ordinance has been updated since, especially given statewide ADU legislation activity in 2024-2025.
  • Do not assume Colorado's HB24-1152 administrative-approval mandate applies to Cortez without confirming MPO/population status directly — this file's assessment that Cortez likely falls outside the statute's scope is an inference, not a confirmed City statement.

Frequently asked questions

Cortez requires an accessory dwelling unit (adu) permit for: ADUs allowed ONLY in the R1 and RE zoning districts, per the City's ADU Information notice; Permitted ONLY by Conditional Use Permit (a public-hearing process), not administratively; Lot must be 20% larger than the zoning district's required minimum lot size; ADU cannot increase existing living space by more than 20%; Property owner must live in the single-family home on the lot; 2 additional off-street parking spaces must be provided for the ADU; Colorado HB24-1152 (effective for 'Subject Jurisdictions' as of June 30, 2025) would otherwise require an administrative approval process without owner-occupancy or parking conditions, but Cortez (population ~8,700, no Metropolitan Planning Organization covering Montezuma County) does not appear to meet the statute's population+MPO 'Subject Jurisdiction' test — this is an inference from the statutory test, not a City confirmation, so verify current ADU zoning status directly with Planning & Building before relying on it. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Cortez Community & Economic Development Department, Division of Planning & Building at 970-565-3402 before starting work.

In Cortez, the published Conditional Use Permit is: $500.00. Additional published fees: Building Permit Fee (same valuation-based schedule as new construction) — $75.00 minimum, scaling per the January 2026 Fee Schedule valuation tiers. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Cortez does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Cortez Community & Economic Development Department, Division of Planning & Building at 970-565-3402 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Conditional Use Permit Application; City of Cortez Building Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Cortez requires 3 inspection(s) for an accessory dwelling unit (adu) permit, in order: Foundation (if new construction), Rough Framing / Rough Plumbing / Rough Mechanical, Final Inspection. Schedule each through City of Cortez Community & Economic Development Department, Division of Planning & Building (970-565-3402).

Apply through City of Cortez Community & Economic Development Department, Division of Planning & Building at 123 Roger Smith Avenue, Cortez, CO 81321. Phone: 970-565-3402, email: clindquist@cortezco.gov. Office hours: Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Friday 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Permit Tech/Deputy City Clerk (Cheryl Lindquist): 970-564-4016. Fire Inspector/Building Inspector (Sean Canada): 970-564-4009. 24-hour inspection scheduling line: 970-564-4071 (checked daily at 8:00 a.m.; inspections performed 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, excluding holidays). Fax: 970-565-8172.. Official information: https://www.cortezco.gov/186/Building-Permits-Applications.

Cortez, Colorado has adopted: 2015 International Building Code (IBC) — City of Cortez Adopted Codes page; 2015 International Residential Code (IRC), EXCEPT Section R313 (Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems), which was not adopted — City of Cortez Adopted Codes page; 2009 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2009 International Plumbing Code (IPC); 2009 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2009 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — cited as '2009 International Energy Efficiency Code' on the Adopted Codes page; the City's separate Building Codes & Design Standards page states the 2009 IECC is in effect; 2015 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC); 2009 International Fire Code (IFC); 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) — per City of Cortez Building Codes & Design Standards page; NOTE — electrical permits themselves are NOT issued by the City (see localAmendments); this is the code edition the state electrical inspection references for Cortez; ANSI A117.1-2003 Edition, Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities; NFPA 211-2000 Edition, Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances; Colorado Manufactured Housing Installations, State Resolution #37; Local Ordinance #851, Series 1997 — Construction Standards for Straw Bale Homes; Full text of IBC/IRC/IFC/IPC/IPMC local amendments is hosted as separate ordinance-amendment documents linked from the City's Building Codes & Design Standards page (https://www.cortezco.gov/184/Building-Codes-and-Design-Standards). Local amendments apply — see the Cortez overview page for the full list.

As of this review, no — the City's own ADU information (last updated 2022) states ADUs in Cortez require a Conditional Use Permit, a public-hearing process, in the R1 and RE zoning districts only. Whether this has been updated in response to Colorado's 2024 ADU legislation (HB24-1152) was not confirmed directly with the City; verify current status before relying on it.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-06.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Cortez building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit in other cities

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