Outside the City of Alamosa and the Town of Hooper, building, re-roofing, demolition and septic (OWTS) permits come from the Alamosa County Land Use & Building Department, and all of them are filed in the County’s Cloudpermit portal. Fees follow the 2018 IRC Appendix L table on the ICC square-foot valuation, with a $150 minimum, and house plans need at least 7 business days of review. Electrical and plumbing permits are issued by the State of Colorado, not the County.
What needs a permit in Alamosa County?
The Building Department’s own answer is short: every occupied structure and every structure over 200 square feet needs a permit. So do the smaller jobs in the first list below. The department issues four permit types: building, re-roofing, demolition and OWTS (septic).
Permit needed
- Any structure with human occupancy
- Any structure over 200 sq ft
- Residential additions of any kind
- Decks and patios
- Re-roofing, stucco and re-siding
- Fences over 6 feet
- Solar panels, roof or ground mounted
- Demolition
- Onsite wastewater treatment systems
Also regulated
- Manufactured, modular and other factory-built homes
- Storage and shipping container placement
- Agricultural-exempt buildings ($100 permit)
- Signs ($100 permit)
- Work in a mapped floodplain (Floodplain Development Permit)
- A new driveway onto a county road
- A new address for vacant land being improved
A dwelling must have a footprint of at least 500 square feet if it is site built and 600 square feet if it is factory built, which is why the County says it does not currently allow tiny homes. A tiny home on a trailer is treated as a recreational vehicle and limited to temporary or seasonal use under a Land Use permit.
Who issues permits in Alamosa County?
Land Use & Building combines the County’s planning and building offices for unincorporated Alamosa County. The Building Department administers the codes adopted by the Board of County Commissioners for all structures and septic systems there. Richard Hubler is the Land Use & Building Director.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Alamosa County Land Use & Building Department |
| Address | 8999 Independence Way, Suite 100, Alamosa, CO 81101 |
| Phone | 719-589-3812 |
| landuse@alamosacounty.org | |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Apply | Cloudpermit (us.cloudpermit.com/alamosacounty) |
The county has two incorporated municipalities, and each runs its own permits:
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →- City of Alamosa: the City’s Building Department reviews plans, issues permits and inspects inside city limits. Permit applications go through the City’s own online portal, and inspections are scheduled by calling the office at 719-589-6631 at least one day ahead. The City has adopted the 2018 IBC, IRC, IMC, IECC, IFC, IPMC and IEBC.
- Town of Hooper: under the Hooper Municipal Code, work cannot start until the Town Clerk has issued a building permit. The Town adopted the 2018 IBC, IRC, IECC and IMC by Ordinance 1-2023 and charges its own valuation-based fees (2024 Schedule A; a roofing permit is $62.50). Town Hall is at 8660 Main Street, open Tuesdays from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. or by appointment, phone 719-378-2204.
In all three jurisdictions, electrical and plumbing permits and inspections belong to the State of Colorado.
Permit types and online filing
The County states that Cloudpermit is its online portal for all building permits, and most land use applications can be started in the same portal. You can also apply in person at the Independence Way office. A public Cloudpermit map shows current building permits.
- Building permit: new homes, additions, remodels, accessory buildings, decks, fences over 6 feet and commercial work. Remodels and manufactured homes are priced on 50% of the square-foot construction valuation.
- Re-roofing permit: a flat fee for each building.
- Demolition permit: no County fee, but you must provide the State (CDPHE) demolition permit documentation.
- OWTS permit: new or repaired septic systems. The County issues this permit only to a County-licensed installer, not to the homeowner.
- Solar: residential and commercial photovoltaic systems need a County solar permit and a State electrical permit. The County takes part in SolarAPP+, including its storage permits.
- New address: in Cloudpermit, choose Building Permit and then New Address. Addresses are issued for vacant land only when you plan to improve it.
The County does not license general contractors. Only septic installers and cleaners (a County licence) and manufactured-home installers (a State licence) need one.
Alamosa County permit fees
The Land Use & Building fee schedule sets building permit fees in two steps. First the County values the work from its square footage, using the Building Valuation Data the ICC published in February of the prior calendar year. Then it reads the fee from the 2018 IRC Appendix L table, as adopted. The schedule lists no separate plan review fee.
| Total valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $24 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $24 for the first $500, plus $3 for each additional $100 or fraction |
| $2,001 to $40,000 | $69 for the first $2,000, plus $11 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $40,001 to $100,000 | $487 for the first $40,000, plus $9 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $1,027 for the first $100,000, plus $7 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,827 for the first $500,000, plus $5 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $1,000,001 to $5,000,000 | $6,327 for the first $1,000,000, plus $3 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Over $5,000,000 | $18,327 for the first $5,000,000, plus $1 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →For example, a house the County values at $200,000 pays $1,027 plus 100 × $7, which is $1,727. Residential, commercial and accessory-structure permits (barns, garages, shops, sheds) each have a $150 minimum.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Roofing permit | $150 per building ($300 for a house and a detached garage) |
| Solar photovoltaic, roof or ground mount | $100 |
| Agricultural-exempt building | $100 |
| Storage container | $50 |
| Demolition permit | $0, with State permit documentation |
| OWTS permit, new or repair | $500 |
| Sign permit | $100 |
| New address, including one sign | $50 |
| Floodplain Development Permit | $300 |
| Extra plan review, unlisted inspections and re-inspections | $75 per hour, 1 hour minimum |
| Permit renewal (not roofing or demolition) | 50% of the original permit fee |
| Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, 90 days | $200, with an 80% refund if finalized before it expires |
| Building or roofing without a permit | 200% of the original permit fee |
A permit can be renewed for one more year only; after that it must be re-issued at full cost with a new plan review under the codes then in force. Refunds are 80% of the fee, only if no inspection has taken place and no later than 90 days after payment. If the County sends plans to an outside consultant, it bills the actual cost plus 10%.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and septic permits
Electrical and plumbing: Alamosa County does not permit or inspect this work. Any project with electrical or plumbing components needs permits from the State of Colorado, applied for online through the Department of Regulatory Agencies, and State inspectors carry out the inspections. Give the County the State permit number or your subcontractor’s details once you have them.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Mechanical: the County has adopted the 2018 International Mechanical Code and reviews heating equipment with the building permit. Plans must show the heat source and the location and specification sheets of any fireplace or boiler, and the residential energy submittal asks for ACCA Manual J, S and D calculations.
Septic (OWTS): the Land Use & Building Department is also the septic permitting office. A new or repair permit costs $500, is valid for one year and includes one inspection during construction; extra inspections are charged. Systems must be designed and installed by an Alamosa County licensed contractor to State Regulation 43 as adopted by the County. OWTS plans need at least 72 hours of review, and the County may limit septic permitting in winter, since systems are generally built between April and November. Composting, incinerating and chemical toilets are not allowed.
Application documents and plan review
The County’s residential checklist (amended May 19, 2025) must be completed and submitted with the application.
Residential checklist
- Application form with contractor details and project description
- Proof of ownership (deed or notarized owner authorization) if you are not the owner of record
- One set of construction drawings, legible, to scale, 11 x 17 inches or larger
- Site plan with north arrow, roads, driveway, setbacks, existing structures, utilities, wells and septic
- Engineered truss layout and drawings
- Proof of water: a Division of Water Resources well permit or an East Alamosa Water and Sanitation District letter
- Proof of sewer: an existing or new OWTS permit, East Alamosa Water and Sanitation, or a Mosca wastewater account
- HOA approval letter where there is an active HOA
Drawing set
- Foundation plan with footing, wall and pier details and reinforcing
- Dimensioned floor plan for each floor
- Floor, wall and roof framing plans
- Elevations of each side showing final grade
- Footing and wall sections, anchor bolts, insulation R-values and thermal envelope
- Water-resistive, air and vapor barrier locations and window flashing details
- Window and door schedules with U-factors
- 2018 IECC compliance checklist, with REScheck where used
Plans stamped by a Colorado licensed design professional are required for timber frame, structural steel, alternative construction (earthships, straw bale, rammed earth, adobe, shipping containers) and story heights over 11 feet 7 inches. Manufactured homes need foundation drawings stamped by a Colorado licensed engineer.
Rather not deal with the Alamosa County building department?
Get a free quote →Applications are processed in the order received. Residential building plans need at least 7 business days of review and commercial plans at least 14 business days. Re-roof, window replacement and fencing permits may be issued the same day, though some take up to 24 hours.
How to apply: 7 steps for a new home in Alamosa County
Get a well permit from the Colorado Division of Water Resources office in Alamosa (719-589-6683) or a service letter from East Alamosa Water and Sanitation District.
The installer designs the septic system and takes out the $500 OWTS permit, unless the lot has district sewer.
Apply to the County Road and Bridge Department (719-589-6262) for access to a county road, or to CDOT for a state or federal highway.
Submit the address application with the $50 fee, proof of ownership and the driveway permit; the County verifies new addresses with E911 at the end of each month.
Upload the application, site plan, construction drawings, truss designs and energy checklist, then pay the fee when the office tells you the permit is ready.
Apply to the State yourself as a homeowner doing your own work, or have your registered electrical and plumbing contractors apply.
Request each County inspection by phone and book State electrical and plumbing inspections directly with the State inspectors.
Inspections and Certificate of Occupancy
Inspections are requested by phone at 719-589-3812, with at least 24 hours’ notice. The residential guide asks you to call by 3:00 p.m. the day before; the County tries to inspect on the next business day but says staffing and workload do not always allow it.
For a house, the County generally inspects in this order:
- Footings or monolithic forms, then stem-wall forms, before each concrete pour
- Piers or holes, where used
- Floor joists, before decking
- Preliminary framing, after the water-resistive barrier, window flashing and stairs and before windows go in
- Framing, only after the State inspectors have approved rough electrical and rough plumbing
- Mid-roof, once ice and water shield is on and roofing has started
- Insulation, then drywall
- Final roof and final inspection
Stamped truss plans must be on site at the framing inspection. At the final, the water, water heater and heat source have to be working. Before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued the office needs proof of a completed OWTS or sewer tap, the legal water source, and the State’s final plumbing and final electrical inspections.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →A permit becomes void if work does not start within 180 days, or if construction is suspended or abandoned for 365 days.
Local Alamosa County details that matter
Design criteria: ground snow load is 30 psf on the valley floor and 40 psf above 7,880 feet; wind speed is 115 mph; frost depth is 36 inches below final grade, with water lines at least 5 feet deep; the county is Climate Zone 6B and Seismic Design Category C. Ice barrier underlayment is required.
Insulation minimums: wood-frame walls R-20 cavity plus R-5 continuous, or R-13 plus R-10; ceilings R-49; floors R-30; slabs R-10 to 4 feet deep and R-5 under heated slabs.
Water and sewer: only properties in the City of Alamosa or East Alamosa have central water and sewer. Elsewhere a home needs a permitted well and an OWTS. Unit 3 of Deer Valley Meadows does not allow well permits.
Manufactured homes: single-wide homes may be no more than 15 years old at installation and are allowed in the RMH zone district, or in the Rural district if a Special Use Permit is granted; multi-section homes may not be older than 1976. All factory-built structures must sit on an engineered permanent foundation.
RV use during construction: with an installed OWTS, a well and a valid building permit, a $125 temporary use permit allows RV occupancy for as long as the building permit runs.
Utility-scale solar: photovoltaic and battery-storage projects of 2 megawatts or more are reviewed by the same office under the County’s 1041 regulations.
Colorado building code
Colorado has no statewide building code for private buildings: each city and county decides whether a code applies and which edition, while the state sets electrical and plumbing rules, a minimum energy code on any update, and a wildfire code for the mapped wildland-urban interface. Building codes in Colorado
Official Alamosa County resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →- Official Cloudpermit application portal
- County Building Department, code and filing rules
- County Land Use & Building Department
- Alamosa County Land Use & Building fee schedule (PDF)
- Alamosa County Residential Development Guide (PDF)
- Residential building application packet and checklist (PDF)
- Alamosa County design criteria (PDF)
- State of Colorado electrical and plumbing permits
- City of Alamosa Building Department
- Town of Hooper
Alamosa County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Alamosa County?
The Alamosa County Land Use & Building Department for unincorporated land, the City of Alamosa Building Department inside the city, and the Town Clerk in Hooper.
How much is a building permit in Alamosa County?
The fee comes from the 2018 IRC Appendix L table, applied to the County’s square-foot valuation of the work, with a $150 minimum. A $200,000 valuation works out to $1,727.
Do I need a permit for a shed, fence or deck?
A shed needs a permit once it is over 200 square feet or is occupied. Fences need one when they are over 6 feet. Decks and patios need a permit.
How much is a re-roofing permit?
$150 for each building, so a house and a detached garage together cost $300.
How long does plan review take?
At least 7 business days for residential plans and at least 14 business days for commercial plans. Septic plans need at least 72 hours.
Does Alamosa County issue electrical and plumbing permits?
No. The State of Colorado issues and inspects both, and the County will not carry out the framing inspection until the State has approved the rough electrical and rough plumbing.
Can a homeowner take out the septic permit?
No. The County issues OWTS permits only to an Alamosa County licensed installer.
Do contractors need a County licence?
Not for general construction. Septic installers and cleaners need a County licence, and manufactured-home installers are licensed by the State.
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More Colorado permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Alamosa County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.