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Building Permit (New Construction, Addition, Remodel, Accessory Structures) in Unincorporated Washington County, Colorado

Washington County's general Building Permit Application covers new construction, additions, and remodels for residences (including manufactured homes checked as a class of work on this same form) plus accessory structures — out buildings (barns, shops, machine sheds), grain bins, garages, room additions, and decks with attached roofs or screened porches. Reviewed and approved by the County Commissioner Chairman via the Land Use Office. Review focuses on zoning and placement compliance (legal description, road access, construction materials, foundation type, size, sewer/water source) rather than a technical model-code plan review — see the FAQ below for a note on the County's separate, not-online-published Zoning Resolution.

Verified 2026-07-06 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Completed Building Permit Application (Rev. 06-14) — legal description by section/township/range, road/highway access, class of work (new building, addition, remodel, manufactured home), construction materials and building type, whether set on permanent foundation/basement, intended use, size of house/building, size of acreage/lots
  • If the parcel is less than 35 acres, a Subdivision Exemption may be required
  • Sewer facility and water source (including well number if applicable) must be disclosed
  • Well and septic permits (via the Northeast Colorado Health Department) may be required before final approval
  • Total declared value of the building, used by County staff to calculate the permit fee at approval
  • Property owner and Commissioner Chairman signatures

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit FeeThe application form leaves a blank 'Permit Fees:' line following the declared 'Total Value of Building,' completed by County staff/the Commissioner Chairman at approval. No separate fee-schedule document exists on the County's website. Confirm the current fee directly with the Land Use Office, (970) 345-2701 ext. 234.
Not published as a fixed valuation table

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Building Permit (New Construction, Addition, Remodel, Accessory Structures) permit actually take in Unincorporated Washington County?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Commissioner Chairman Review & Approval

    The Building Permit Application is signed by the property owner and approved (or not) by the County Commissioner Chairman; the form does not describe a separate multi-stage plan-review or field-inspection sequence for general/site-built construction beyond this approval step.

Tips

  • No model building code (IBC/IRC) turns up in the County's permit forms or Ordinances page for general construction — expect a zoning/placement compliance check by the Land Use Office and Commissioner Chairman, not a technical code-based plan review. The County does have a separate Zoning Resolution not published online, so confirm with the Land Use Office if your project needs code-specific answers.
  • If your parcel is under 35 acres, budget time for a Subdivision Exemption application, which routes through the Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners before a building permit can be finalized.
  • The permit fee is calculated from your declared 'Total Value of Building' — there is no published rate table, so contact the Land Use Office ahead of time for a fee estimate.
  • Well and septic clearance is a separate process through the Northeast Colorado Health Department, not the County — start that application in parallel, not after, applying for your building permit.

Frequently asked questions

Unincorporated Washington County requires a building permit (new construction, addition, remodel, accessory structures) for: Completed Building Permit Application (Rev. 06-14) — legal description by section/township/range, road/highway access, class of work (new building, addition, remodel, manufactured home), construction materials and building type, whether set on permanent foundation/basement, intended use, size of house/building, size of acreage/lots; If the parcel is less than 35 acres, a Subdivision Exemption may be required; Sewer facility and water source (including well number if applicable) must be disclosed; Well and septic permits (via the Northeast Colorado Health Department) may be required before final approval; Total declared value of the building, used by County staff to calculate the permit fee at approval; Property owner and Commissioner Chairman signatures. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Washington County Land Use Office (Planning & Zoning Department) at (970) 345-2701 ext. 234 (fax (970) 514-7710, per the department's live webpage — resolved as current: a 2020 Wayback capture of the same page shows fax 345-2702 with then-Zoning-Official Denise Chavez named, while the live page today shows no named official ('temporary') and the new fax, indicating the webpage was updated since 2020 and the number changed; the Building Permit Application form (Rev. 06-14, unrevised since 2014) still carries the older 345-2702 and is treated as stale on this one field) before starting work.

Not a fixed amount — the County calculates the fee from your declared Total Value of Building at approval, with no published rate table. Contact the Land Use Office, (970) 345-2701 ext. 234, for a current estimate.

Unincorporated Washington County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Washington County Land Use Office (Planning & Zoning Department) at (970) 345-2701 ext. 234 (fax (970) 514-7710, per the department's live webpage — resolved as current: a 2020 Wayback capture of the same page shows fax 345-2702 with then-Zoning-Official Denise Chavez named, while the live page today shows no named official ('temporary') and the new fax, indicating the webpage was updated since 2020 and the number changed; the Building Permit Application form (Rev. 06-14, unrevised since 2014) still carries the older 345-2702 and is treated as stale on this one field) for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Washington County requires 1 inspection(s) for a building permit (new construction, addition, remodel, accessory structures), in order: Commissioner Chairman Review & Approval. Schedule each through Washington County Land Use Office (Planning & Zoning Department) ((970) 345-2701 ext. 234 (fax (970) 514-7710, per the department's live webpage — resolved as current: a 2020 Wayback capture of the same page shows fax 345-2702 with then-Zoning-Official Denise Chavez named, while the live page today shows no named official ('temporary') and the new fax, indicating the webpage was updated since 2020 and the number changed; the Building Permit Application form (Rev. 06-14, unrevised since 2014) still carries the older 345-2702 and is treated as stale on this one field)).

Apply through Washington County Land Use Office (Planning & Zoning Department) at Washington County Courthouse, 150 Ash Avenue, 2nd Floor, Akron, CO 80720. Phone: (970) 345-2701 ext. 234 (fax (970) 514-7710, per the department's live webpage — resolved as current: a 2020 Wayback capture of the same page shows fax 345-2702 with then-Zoning-Official Denise Chavez named, while the live page today shows no named official ('temporary') and the new fax, indicating the webpage was updated since 2020 and the number changed; the Building Permit Application form (Rev. 06-14, unrevised since 2014) still carries the older 345-2702 and is treated as stale on this one field), email: planning@co.washington.co.us (per the Foundation Permit and Mobile/Manufactured Home Permit forms; also matches the address shown for then-Zoning-Official Denise Chavez on a 2020 Wayback capture of the department's own webpage — the current live webpage's visible text does not repeat an email address, but nothing found contradicts this one, so it is carried forward as still-current pending direct confirmation). Office hours: Not published as specific hours for this department; the County's website states only that proposed regulations are available for inspection 'during normal business hours' at 150 Ash Avenue. The Planning Commission's regular meeting is the third Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the old courtroom at the Courthouse (date subject to change).. Official information: https://washingtoncounty.colorado.gov/departments/administration/planning-and-zoning.

No model building code (IBC/IRC/NEC) appears on the County's permit forms or its online Ordinances page — general construction review looks like zoning and placement compliance rather than a technical code-based plan review. The County does maintain a separate Zoning Resolution that isn't published online, so it's worth confirming directly with the Land Use Office whether any building-code standard applies to your specific project. Manufactured-home installation is a separate case: it follows Colorado Division of Housing state standards, not a county code. For project-specific questions, call the Land Use Office at (970) 345-2701 ext. 234.

Yes. The Washington County Land Use Office (part of the Planning & Zoning Department) administers building permits for buildings and structures, and land-use changes, throughout the unincorporated portion of the county — confirmed directly on the department's current webpage and application forms.

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 Unincorporated Washington County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

Other permits in Unincorporated Washington County

Mobile or Manufactured Home Permit (with Foundation Permit if applicable)Small Solar Energy Conversion System (SECS) Permit — Rooftop/Accessory SolarElectric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station / EVSE Permit

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