The Archuleta County Building Department issues building permits for all unincorporated land and every subdivision outside the Town of Pagosa Springs, which runs its own Building Division. You email PDF plans to the department, bring the supporting documents to 1122 Highway 84 and pay when the submittal is accepted. A house is valued at $97.94 per square foot, so a 1,500 sq ft home pays a $1,432 permit fee, and the County asks for at least 15 business days to issue. Electrical and plumbing permits come from the State.
What needs a building permit in Archuleta County?
The County’s residential packet (dated September 30, 2026) applies the amended 2015 International Residential Code to building, altering, moving, enlarging, repairing and demolishing houses, townhouses and their accessory structures. Adding on to any existing building needs a permit. The packet then lists the work that does not.
Permit needed
- New homes of 400 sq ft or more, additions and structural remodels
- Detached garages and outbuildings (a separate permit from the house)
- Decks that are covered, attached, over 120 sq ft or more than 30 inches above grade
- Fences above 7 feet (engineering is required above 8 feet)
- Retaining walls over 4 feet, or any wall supporting a surcharge
- Replacing 25% or more of a roof or of the siding
- Moving or resizing walls and windows
- Mechanical work, demolition and signs
No building permit
- One-story detached tool or storage sheds and playhouses up to 120 sq ft
- Fences not above 7 feet (above 6 feet they must still meet setbacks)
- Retaining walls up to 4 feet with no surcharge
- Uncovered, unattached decks up to 120 sq ft and no more than 30 inches above grade
- Water tanks on grade up to 5,000 gallons
- Sidewalks and driveways no more than 30 inches above grade
- Painting, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops and similar finish work
- Prefabricated pools less than 24 inches deep and playground equipment
Interior remodeling without structural changes is also permit-free, but the County counts adding or removing walls and changing window sizes as structural. Demolition permits are handled case by case by the office, and the County tells applicants to check the State’s demolition requirements first.
Starting or finishing work without a required permit brings a fine equal to 100% of the permit fee under the packet, and the July 2026 fee schedule adds a $100-a-day citation and a corrective permit at 200% of the original fee.
Who issues permits in Archuleta County?
The Building Department’s jurisdiction is all unincorporated Archuleta County, including every subdivision outside town limits. Randy Betts is the Building Official. Planning and Water Quality (septic) are separate departments at the same address, and both can hold up a building permit.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | 1122 Highway 84 (P.O. Box 1507), Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 |
| Phone and inspection requests | 970-264-1390 |
| Building Official | Randy Betts, 970-264-8384 |
| Plans by email | buildingplans@archuletacounty.gov |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Planning Department | 970-264-8341 (addressing: 970-264-1386) |
| Water Quality Department (septic) | 970-264-8343 |
Town of Pagosa Springs: the only incorporated municipality in the county has its own Building Division, which reviews plans, issues permits and inspects inside town limits. The division is at Town Hall, 551 Hot Springs Boulevard (970-264-4151; inspection hotline ext. 234), and from November 2, 2026 Town Hall is open Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and closed on Fridays. Its building permit application is online, and 970-585-8466 is the number the Town gives for a printed copy. The Town adopted the 2024 International Codes by Ordinance 1034 on June 29, 2026, so its code editions differ from the County’s. Electrical and plumbing work in town is also permitted through the State.
Permit types, packets and how filing works
Archuleta County has no online permit portal. The application form and information packets sit on the department’s Information Packets & Permit Applications page, plans are emailed as PDFs to buildingplans@archuletacounty.gov, and a copy of every supporting document is brought to the office.
- Residential Building Packet: houses, additions, remodels, decks, garages and outbuildings.
- Commercial Building Packet: every commercial project, new or remodel, needs a Planning Department approval letter before the building application is accepted, and all drawings must come from a Colorado licensed architect or engineer.
- Plan Requirement Packet: the County’s checklist for plans that are not drawn by a licensed professional.
- Modular and mobile home packets: a modular home permit costs 50% of the residential permit fee; a manufactured home permit is $250 for a single-wide and $350 for a double-wide.
- Agricultural building permit: $125 including the final inspection.
- Land Use Permit: needed for development other than single-family and manufactured homes and qualified agricultural and accessory structures. Planning issues it.
- Floodplain Development Permit: needed for any development on a parcel in the regulatory floodplain, houses and outbuildings included, after a pre-application conference.
Archuleta County building permit fees
The County’s July 2026 fee schedule points to the permit packets for building permit fees. The September 30, 2026 residential packet sets the valuation: total square footage (attached garage and covered decks included) times the rate for the use, rounded up to the next $1,000. Uncovered decks are not charged on a new home.
| Work | Valuation or flat fee |
|---|---|
| Residential (R) | $97.94 per sq ft valuation |
| Covered deck or detached outbuilding | $39.33 per sq ft valuation |
| Uncovered deck | $19.67 per sq ft valuation |
| Remodel | Estimated cost of the work |
| Demolition | $75 flat fee |
| Fence over 7 feet | $75 flat fee |
| Mechanical | $75 flat fee |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Total valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $2,000 | $75 |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $80 for the first $2,000, plus $16 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $450 for the first $25,000, plus $12 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $750 for the first $50,000, plus $8 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $1,150 for the first $100,000, plus $6 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,750 for the first $500,000, plus $5 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Over $1,000,000 | $6,500 for the first $1,000,000, plus $4 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
The County’s own example: a 1,500 sq ft house is valued at 1,500 × $97.94 = $146,910, rounded up to $147,000. The fee is $1,150 plus 47 × $6, which is $1,432. Staff check the figures before accepting the application, and the fee is paid at that point.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Commercial building plan review | $250 |
| Additional plan review for changes, additions or revisions | $50 |
| Commercial occupancy permit (change of use or occupancy) | $150 |
| Sign permit | $75 |
| Permit reinstatement | $200 |
| First inspection extension | $200 |
| Re-inspection, third or later visit for the same inspection | $50 per trip |
| Not ready for a requested inspection | $50 first offense, $100 second, $200 third, per contractor per calendar year |
| Outside consultant for plan review or inspections | Actual cost |
The schedule also lists discounts on the building permit fee: 100% for 501(c)(3) organizations and deed-restricted affordable workforce housing, 50% for deed-restricted employer-provided workforce housing and 25% for a graywater system.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and septic permits
Electrical and plumbing: both permits are required and both come from the State of Colorado, online through the Department of Regulatory Agencies. State inspectors cover the county for electrical work and for plumbing and gas. The County will not carry out its framing inspection until it has the State’s rough electrical and rough plumbing inspection reports, and it wants the State finals before its own final.
Mechanical: the County enforces the 2015 International Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, charges a $75 mechanical fee and inspects mechanical work together with rough framing.
Septic (OWTS): the Archuleta County Water Quality Department issues onsite wastewater permits under County regulations that took effect July 30, 2026. Where a system is needed, the approved OWTS permit has to be in hand when you apply for the building permit. On the July 2026 fee schedule a site and soil (pre-construction) review is $265, a new construction permit is $810 including a $23 surcharge, and a repair permit is $375. Lots served by Pagosa Area Water and Sanitation District deal with the district instead (970-731-2691).
Fire: a receipt from the Pagosa Fire Protection District (165 N. Pagosa Blvd., 970-731-4191) is part of the residential submittal. Commercial projects need a copy of the fire district’s permit and its impact fee receipt.
Application documents and plan review
If the plans lack any of the information the packet asks for, plan review stops and the owner or agent is told what is missing. A site plan that misses a required item is rejected before the application is accepted.
Residential submittal
- Signed and dated building permit application
- 11 x 17 inch site plan prepared, sealed and signed by a Colorado licensed surveyor
- PDF construction plans at a minimum scale of 1/4 inch to 1 foot
- PDF engineered truss shop drawings
- Access approval and right-of-way permits (Road and Bridge, 970-264-8403)
- Pagosa Fire Protection District receipt
- Approved Water Quality septic permit, or proof of public sewer
- Proof of ownership: recorded warranty deed or a current tax receipt
- Approval letter from the architectural control committee, HOA or POA
- Wetland permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, if the survey shows wetlands
Site plan must show
- Owner name, address and legal description
- Easements, setbacks and distances to property lines
- Existing structures and the proposed construction
- Driveways with grades, parking and curb cuts
- Defensible space under the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code
- Septic, well and power line locations
- Wetlands, ditches and canals, or a surveyor’s note that there are none
- Slopes of 15% or more, or a note that there are none
- Flood zone information, or a note that there is no floodplain
Rather not deal with the Archuleta County building department?
Get a free quote →Metal buildings, post-and-beam and other alternative construction must be designed and stamped by a licensed professional and need an engineered foundation. For an unplatted parcel under 35 acres, the County also requires a chain of title back to 1972 showing when the parcel was divided.
The County asks applicants to allow at least 15 business days, under normal circumstances, between submitting the application and receiving the permit. That applies to residential and commercial applications alike.
How to apply: 6 steps for an Archuleta County permit
Make sure the parcel is outside the Town of Pagosa Springs, ask Planning about zoning, and request an address (970-264-1386) if the lot has none.
Have a Colorado licensed surveyor prepare the 11 x 17 inch site plan with slopes, wetlands, flood zone and defensible space shown or noted.
Get the Water Quality septic permit or sewer proof, the Road and Bridge access permit, the Pagosa Fire Protection District receipt and your HOA or POA letter.
Send PDF plans and truss drawings to buildingplans@archuletacounty.gov and take the signed application and supporting documents to 1122 Highway 84.
Staff verify the square footage, valuation and fee, and review takes at least 15 business days.
The County emails the stamped plans; print them, keep them on site in a waterproof container and post the weather-resistant permit card and the address sign.
Inspections, occupancy and permit expiry
Request inspections at 970-264-1390 and allow two business days for the inspector to get there. Concrete work should be at least 90% complete before its inspection, and no phase may go ahead until the previous inspection has passed.
- Footing: forms and tied reinforcing steel in place, before the pour.
- Stem wall: forms and steel in place, before the pour.
- Rough framing and mechanical: only after the State’s rough electrical and rough plumbing reports have been sent to the department.
- Insulation: before drywall and before the energy stickers come off the windows.
- Final: structure, exterior finishes and grading complete, wildfire code requirements met, State electrical and plumbing finals provided, septic signed off by Water Quality and the access accepted by Road and Bridge.
The signed insulation certificate must be posted in the mechanical room before the final. The permit card lists any further inspections for the job. The packet warns that an inspection booked before the work is ready can be charged at $50 per hour, paid before rescheduling.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →A Certificate of Occupancy and a wildfire structure-hardening certificate are issued for houses after the final inspection and site clean-up; garages, storage buildings and fences do not receive one. Using a building before the certificate is issued carries a fine of $100 per day.
A permit lapses if no County inspection of record takes place within 180 days of issue, and dirt work does not count. After that first inspection the permit runs for one year from the issue date and can be extended for one more year for $200.
Local Archuleta County details that matter
Code change on January 1, 2027: the County has adopted the 2024 International Residential Code, effective January 1, 2027. The amended 2015 IRC is enforced through December 31, 2026, so the filing date decides which edition a house is reviewed under.
Wildfire code: the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code has applied since July 1, 2026. It is the reason a re-roof or re-siding of 25% or more of the surface needs a permit and why the site plan must show defensible space.
Snow and frost: the packet gives a roof design snow load of 65 psf and a ground snow load of 93 psf, with a frost depth of 42 inches. In the southwest corner of the county the figures are 45 psf, 64 psf and 32 inches. Design wind speed is 115 mph, exposure C.
Small dwellings: a residence must be at least 400 sq ft, not counting covered porches, patios or decks. Tiny houses of 400 sq ft or less fall under Appendix Q of the 2018 IRC.
Floodplain: the County’s floodplain rules cover the San Juan, Piedra, Navajo and Rio Blanco rivers and Mill, McCabe and Stollsteimer creeks, among others. Land along the San Juan River and McCabe Creek inside town limits follows the Town’s regulations instead.
Covenants: some subdivisions have restrictive covenants that require architectural control committee approval of the plans (the packet names the PLPOA and others), and the County wants that letter with the application.
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 Archuleta County permitting 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 →- Archuleta County Building Department
- Information Packets & Permit Applications
- Residential Building Packet (September 30, 2026)
- Commercial Building Packet
- Archuleta County Fee Schedule (July 2026)
- Archuleta County Water Quality Department (septic)
- Archuleta County Floodplain Permit
- Town of Pagosa Springs Building Division
- Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations
Archuleta County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Archuleta County?
The Archuleta County Building Department for all unincorporated land and subdivisions, and the Town of Pagosa Springs Building Division inside town limits.
How much is a building permit for a house in Archuleta County?
The house is valued at $97.94 per square foot and the fee is read from the County’s table. A 1,500 sq ft home is valued at $147,000 and pays $1,432.
Do I need a permit for a shed in Archuleta County?
Not for a one-story detached storage shed of up to 120 sq ft. Anything larger, and any addition to an existing building, needs a permit.
Do I need a permit to re-roof or re-side?
Yes, when the replacement covers 25% or more of the roof or siding surface. The County asks owners to call 970-264-1390 before starting repairs.
How long does it take to get a permit?
The County asks for at least 15 business days from a complete submittal, under normal circumstances.
Does Archuleta County issue electrical and plumbing permits?
No. Both are State of Colorado permits, and the County needs the State inspection reports before its framing and final inspections.
Who issues septic permits?
The Archuleta County Water Quality Department. A new construction OWTS permit is $810 on the July 2026 fee schedule.
How long is a permit valid?
It expires if there is no County inspection within 180 days. Once an inspection is on record it is good for one year from the issue date, with one $200 extension available.
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More Colorado permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Archuleta County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.