Building permits for unincorporated Otero County come from the County’s Building Department at 411 N. 10th Street in Rocky Ford. You fill in the Building Permit Worksheet, then call 719-383-3134 for an appointment with the County Building Inspector, whose worksheet also covers jobs in Cheraw, Swink, Rocky Ford, Manzanola and Fowler. Electrical and plumbing permits are issued by the State, and inspections need 3 business days of notice.
What requires a permit in Otero County?
The County’s Land Use Code defines a building permit as the permit issued before a building or structure is erected, constructed, altered, moved or relocated. The Building Permit Worksheet shows the range of work the Building Inspector handles.
Type of work
- New construction
- Additions
- Replacement and repair
- Alterations and conversions
- Moving a building
- Setting a manufactured home
Type of building
- Single-family dwellings
- Private garages and private storage buildings
- Other private structures
- Commercial structures
- Industrial structures
Roofing has its own application, and the County says on that form that electrical, plumbing, heating, gas, signs, moving and demolition each need a separate permit. A new use of land, or a use that changes the character of a property, also needs a Land Use Change Permit under the Land Use Code unless the code exempts it.
Who issues building permits in Otero County?
The Land Use Code gives the job to the Otero County Building Official, who administers the County building code, issues building permits and carries out the inspections. On the ground that is the County’s Building & Septic Inspector, based with Public Works and the Land Use office in the Rocky Ford annex.
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Get a free quote →| Place | Who issues building permits | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated county | Otero County Building Department | 411 N. 10th Street, Rocky Ford; 719-383-3134 |
| Cheraw, Swink and Manzanola | The County Building Inspector. The County’s permit worksheet lists each of these towns as a job location | Otero County Building Department, 719-383-3134. Town offices: Cheraw, 210 Railroad Avenue, 719-853-6013; Swink, 301 Columbia Avenue, 719-384-7155; Manzanola, 301 N. Park Avenue, 719-462-5544 |
| Fowler | Two forms apply. The Town publishes its own Building Permit application with a Zoning Code Certificate of Compliance signed by the Town Clerk, and the County’s worksheet lists Fowler as a job location for the County Building Inspector | Fowler Town Hall, 114 E. Cranston Avenue, 719-263-4461; County: 719-383-3134 |
| Rocky Ford | The County Building Inspector, on the same worksheet. The City’s website points residents to the Otero County Building Department, and zoning sits with the City’s Public Works Director | County: 719-383-3134. City Hall: 203 S. Main Street, 719-254-7414 |
| La Junta | The City’s Engineering Department, which includes the City Building Official and enforces the 2018 International Building and Residential Codes | La Junta Municipal Building, 601 Colorado; 719-384-5991 |
In Fowler, the Town collects its estimated sales tax on materials before it releases the permit and refunds tax shown by receipts to have been paid elsewhere. La Junta is not on the County’s worksheet. Its Engineering Department publishes its own building, roofing, solar, sign and right-of-way applications and plan checklists, and is open Monday to Thursday from 7:30 am to 5 pm and Friday until 11:30 am.
County applications and how they are filed
Otero County has no online permit portal. Four PDF applications sit on the Building Department page, and each goes to Otero County Public Works at 411 N. 10th Street, Rocky Ford, CO 81067.
- Building Permit Worksheet (revised September 23, 2024): the owner or the owner’s representative completes it as far as they can and then phones Public Works to book a meeting with the Building Inspector.
- Roofing Permit Application: for single-family, multi-family, manufactured home and non-residential roofs, signed by the property owner.
- Septic (OWTS) Application: the on-site wastewater treatment system permit, on an Otero County Department of Health form.
- Right-of-Way Permit: for utility lines along or across a county road, reviewed in the field by Road & Bridge before it is issued.
The department asks for 1 business day of notice for permits, so call ahead before driving to Rocky Ford.
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Get a free quote →Otero County permit fees
The County does not post a building permit fee table. The worksheet’s office-use block has a line for the building valuation and a line for the permit fee, both completed by the Building Inspector, so the figure for a given job comes from the appointment. The fees the County does publish are these.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Roofing permit, new roof decking and re-roof | $100 |
| Roofing permit, re-roof only with no decking required | No fee |
| Sign (Land Use Department) | $40 |
| Variance | $200 |
| Rezoning | $200 |
| Administrative, limited impact or major impact review (use by review) | $200 |
| Minor subdivision | $200 |
The land use figures come from the 2025 Otero County Land Use Department Fee Schedule and are non-refundable. Major subdivisions, planned unit developments and oil and gas operations are charged actual costs as determined by the Board of County Commissioners. Septic permit fees are paid by check to Otero County Public Works.
Trade and septic permits in Otero County
Otero County does not issue electrical or plumbing permits. Its Building Department page sends both to the State of Colorado, whose electrical and plumbing inspectors cover the county, and gives 303-894-7800 for permits.
The County has adopted the 2006 International Mechanical Code and the 2006 International Fuel Gas Code, and its roofing form lists heating and gas among the work that needs a separate permit.
Septic systems stay local. The on-site wastewater treatment system permit is an Otero County Department of Health permit, and the same inspector who handles building permits inspects septic systems. The application covers new installations, engineer-designed systems, absorption field repairs or alterations, basic repairs such as a sewer line, clean-out or tank replacement, and bank or remodeling requests. It expires 1 year after it is received. The health department also serves Crowley County and has its main office at 13 W. 3rd Street in La Junta (719-383-3040).
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →What the worksheet asks for
The three-page Building Permit Worksheet is the County’s checklist. Building plans have to be handed in before a permit is issued.
Site and owner
- Applicant, owner, contractor and architect or engineer contacts
- Project address and legal description: section, township, range, subdivision, lot, block and parcel number
- Site plan showing every existing structure
- Lot dimensions, setbacks from each property line and any easements, including conservation easements
- Whether existing structures will be removed or moved, and how
- Whether a soil analysis and a site survey are included
Building and utilities
- Type of construction: wood frame, steel frame or masonry
- Floor joist and roof truss type, exterior stud size and window header material
- Floor areas by level, plus garage, basement, carport, deck and porches
- Bedrooms and bathrooms
- Water supply: individual well, public system or cistern
- Wastewater: public system, or an individual system approved by the health department
- Primary heating system
- For a manufactured home: manufacturer, year, size, serial number and data plate location
The Building Inspector fills in the zone district, floodplain status, required setbacks, valuation and fee in the office-use block. The Land Use Code bars a building permit for plans that do not conform to it, so zoning problems have to be cleared with the Land Use office (719-383-3035) first.
How to apply: 6 steps in Otero County
Inside La Junta, go to the City’s Engineering Department. Anywhere else in the county, start with the County Building Department.
Complete the Building Permit Worksheet and tick the location of construction: Otero, Cheraw, Swink, Rocky Ford, Manzanola or Fowler.
Show all existing structures and setbacks, and bring the building plans.
File the OWTS application if the lot is not on public sewer, and take out State electrical and plumbing permits.
Call 719-383-3134 at least 1 business day ahead and meet the Building Inspector at 411 N. 10th Street, Rocky Ford.
Pay the permit fee entered on the worksheet, then give 3 business days of notice for each inspection.
Rather not deal with the Otero County building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Otero County
The Building Department page asks for 3 business days of advance notice for inspections, booked by phone on 719-383-3134. The County’s older roofing permit form still says roofing inspections can be requested no less than 4 hours ahead on 719-383-3035, the Land Use office line; the 3-day rule is the one on the current page.
Roofing permits are good for 60 days, and by signing the form the owner lets County staff onto the property for the roofing inspection during normal business hours. For a manufactured home, the Land Use Code requires the foundation to be built and approved by the Building Official before the home is delivered to the site.
Electrical and plumbing rough-in and final inspections are booked with the State’s inspectors, not the County.
Local Otero County details that matter
Design criteria: the County publishes a 25 lb snow load (35 lb combined live and dead load), a 26-inch frost level and a 95 mph wind load.
Energy code: the building, residential, mechanical and fuel gas codes are the 2006 editions, but the energy code is the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code.
Land use reviews: the Land Use Code applies to all unincorporated land. Applications that go to the Planning Commission are due by 4:00 p.m. on the 23rd of the month for the next month’s agenda, and the commission meets on the third Monday at 6:00 pm in the Rocky Ford annex. The Land Use office is open Monday to Thursday, 8 am to 4 pm, with staff telecommuting on Fridays.
Floodplain: the code’s Flood Plain District covers the 100-year floodplain of the county’s rivers and creeks, and the worksheet has the inspector record floodplain status for every site.
County roads: a utility line in a county right-of-way needs the Right-of-Way Permit, with a sketch and plan of the installation.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →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 Otero County resources
- Otero County Building Department: codes, contacts and applications
- Otero County Building Permit Worksheet (PDF)
- Otero County Roofing Permit Application (PDF)
- Otero County septic (OWTS) permit application (PDF)
- Otero County Land Use office, forms and Land Use Code
- 2025 Otero County Land Use Department Fee Schedule
- Otero County Health Department
- City of La Junta Engineering Department: building permits
- Town of Fowler forms and applications, including the building permit
- Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations: electrical and plumbing permits
Otero County permit FAQs
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Who issues building permits in Otero County?
The Otero County Building Department at 411 N. 10th Street in Rocky Ford, for the unincorporated county and, on its worksheet, for Cheraw, Swink, Rocky Ford, Manzanola and Fowler. La Junta issues its own through the City Engineering Department, and Fowler also has a Town permit form.
How much is a building permit in Otero County?
The County publishes no fee table for building permits. The Building Inspector enters a building valuation and the permit fee on your worksheet at the appointment. A roofing permit with new decking is $100, and a re-roof without new decking is free.
How do I apply for a building permit?
Fill in the Building Permit Worksheet from the County website, attach a site plan and building plans, and call 719-383-3134 at least 1 business day ahead for an appointment.
Do I need a permit to re-roof a house in Otero County?
Yes, a roofing permit. It costs $100 when the roof decking is replaced, nothing for a re-roof only, and it is good for 60 days.
Who issues electrical and plumbing permits in Otero County?
From the State of Colorado, at 303-894-7800 or through its online permit system. The County does not issue them.
Who permits septic systems in Otero County?
The Otero County Department of Health, through the County’s Building & Septic Inspector at Public Works. The application expires 1 year after it is received.
Which building codes does Otero County use?
The 2006 International Building, Residential, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code and the 1997 Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings.
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More Colorado permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Otero County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.