Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday
Address: 401 Main Street, Suite 304,
Walsenburg, CO 81089
Phone: 719-738-1220 EXT 103
Sky Tallman
Land Use Director / County Planner
Cheri Chamberlain
Building and Code Enforcement Technician
Ryan Sablich
Building and Code Enforcement Technician
Planning Commission Meeting & Work Session- July 27th, 2023
Work session: July 27, 2023 at 10:00 AM Regular Meeting: July 27, 2023 at 1:30 PM Commissioners Meeting Room – 401 Main Street, Suite 309, Walsenburg, CO 81089 Office: 719-738-3000
Planning Commission Work Session July 13th 2023 11:00am
Planning Commission Work Session July 13, 2023 at 11:00 AM Commissioners Meeting Room – 401 Main Street, Suite 309 Walsenburg, CO 81089 The Planning Commission will hold a work session
Board of Adjustment Meeting July 20th 2023 1:30 p.m.
The Board of Adjustment will hold a public hearing to receive public comment concerning Land Use Application 23-026. The applicants, George and Frances Barnett, are seeking a Variance from setback
Online permitting and licensing portal
All permits, inspections, contractor licensing and code enforcement complaints can now be done online. Click above to create an account and get started.
See Documents link above for helpful documents, checklists, and guides.
Building in Huerfano County
General Information for Building Permits
Huerfano County has adopted the codes listed below. Additions, insertions, attachments, deletions and changes are prescribed in Resolution 17-13.
- International Building Code “IBC” 2015 edition, including appendix chapters C, & F;
- International Residential Code “IRC” 2015 edition, including appendix chapters F, J, R & S;
- International Mechanical Code “IMC” 2015 edition;
- International Energy Conservation Code “IECC” 2015 edition;
- International Fuel Gas Code “IFGC” 2015 edition; and
- American National Standard on the design and construction of Log Structures “ICC 400-2012”.
If your property does not have an existing access from a State Highway or County Road, an access permit is required.
- For access off of a county road, more information can be found on the Road and Bridge page. Access permits can be applied for through the permitting portal
- For access off of a state highway, please look on the CDOT website in the business center.
The following submittals are required with all building permit applications. Those from section 106 of the 2021 IRC reflect amended changes from and additions to the IRC 2021 edition as adopted as the Huerfano County Building Code in Resolution 23-25. Details on construction documents can be found in section 106 of the 2021 IRC; items 106.1.5 through 106.1.12 were added by Resolution 23-25.
106.1.5 Building Permit Application. Applications can be made on forms provided by the Building Inspector or online here: https://co-huerfano-co.smartgovcommunity.com/Public/Home
106.1.1 Construction documents. Construction documents may be submitted electronically and shall be of sufficient clarity to indicate the location, nature and extent of the work proposed and show in detail that it will conform to provisions of this code and relevant laws, ordinances and regulations.
Construction Documents to include:
1. 106.1.9 Exterior elevations. Show each view. Show vertical dimensions and heights. Show openings, identify materials and show lateral bracing system, where applicable. Show dimensions and schedules.
2. 106.1.10 Foundation plan. Show all foundations and footings. Indicate size, locations, thickness, materials and strengths, and reinforcing. Show all imbedded anchoring such as anchor bolts, hold-downs, post bases, etc. Show dimensions for the location and size of all components delineated on the foundation plan. Each set of foundation plans shall meet the requirements of the Huerfano County Board of Commissioners’ Resolution No. 09-16.
Pursuant to Huerfano County BOCC Resolution no: 09-16, all foundation designs encompassing two hundred and fifty square feet (250ft²) or larger are required to be based on a site-specific geotechnical evaluation and sealed by a Colorado Certified Engineer or Architect; in lieu of a complete geotechnical evaluation for residential structures, the professional can assume the load-bearing values in Table R401.4.1 of the International Residential Code 2015 Edition.
3. 106.1.11 Floor plan. Show all floors including basements. Show all rooms, with their use. Overall dimensions and location of all structural elements and openings. Show all doors and windows. Provide door and window schedules. All fire-resistance-rated assemblies, areas of refuge, occupancy separations, fire blocking and draft stopping shall be shown. Show dimensions for the size of all rooms and the locations of other components delineated on the floor plans.
4. 106.1.12 Framing plan. Show all structural and non-structural members, their size, methods and details of attachment, connections, location and materials for floor, roof, decks and wall section. When required by this code show all fire-rated assemblies and fire-resistant penetrations.
5. Mechanical plan. Show all structural and non-structural members, their size, manufactured specifications of the unit, methods and details of attachment, connections, location and materials.
Note: A fireplace is considered a secondary source of heat. “NOT” a primary.
6. Engineered Truss plan. Slope or depth, span & spacing, location of all joints, require bearing widths design loads as application (Top chord live load, Top chord dead load, Bottom chord live load, Bottom chord dead load, concentrated loads and their points of application, controlling wind and earthquake loads). Adjustment to lumber and joint connector design values for conditions of use. Each reaction force and direction joint connector type and description and the dimensioned location of each joint connector except where symmetrically located relative to the joint interface, lumber size, species and grade for each member, connection required for truss-to-truss girder, truss ply-to-ply, field splice, calculated deflection ratio and/or maximum description of for live and total load. Maximum axial compression ratio forces in the truss members to enable the building designer to design the size, connections, and anchorage of the permanent continuous lateral bracing forces shall be shown on the truss drawings or on supplemental documents, required permanent truss member bracing location.
106.1.2 Manufacturer’s Installation Instructions. Manufacturer’s installation instructions, as required by this code, shall be available on the job site at the time of inspection.
106.1.3 Information on braced wall design. For buildings and structures utilizing braced wall design, and where required by the building official, braced wall lines shall be identified on the construction documents. Pertinent information including, but not limited to, bracing methods, location and length of braced wall panels and foundation requirements of braced wall panels at the top and bottom shall be provided.
106.1.3 Information for construction in flood hazard areas. (see R106.1.3 and Section 4.00 of the Land Use Code for details)
106.2 Site Plan or Plot Plan
The construction documents submitted for the application for permit shall be accompanied by a site plan.
The site plan shall include the following items:
1. In all zoning districts (with the exception of agricultural) a site improvement survey, sealed by a Colorado Registered Land Surveyor is required in addition to items two (2) through ten (10). At the discretion of the Land Use Director, this requirement may be waived.
2. A legible map, drawn to scale, as accepted by the Building Inspector, showing the location, height and approximate dimensions or envelope location of each existing and proposed structure, and a description of the uses to be contained within each existing and proposed structure.
3. The existing and proposed building setbacks and the building area showing distance to property lines, highway, street or road rights-of-way, watercourses, and other natural and historic features of the site.
4. The location, size, number of spaces and surfacing of any existing or proposed parking and loading areas.
5. The location of any existing and proposed roads, streets, footpaths, traffic devices, and driveways.
6. The location, if any, and pertinent characteristics of any existing or proposed signs, lighting fixtures, and landscaping.
7. The location of any easements on the property, including type of easement.
8. The anticipated location of all water, sewage disposal, electrical, telephone, and other utilities.
9. All finished grading and stormwater runoff.
10. Vicinity map – Map showing the location of the proposed site in relationship to the surrounding area within 500 feet of the boundaries.
106.1.6 and 106.1.7 Sanitation & Water. Pursuant to C.R.S. §25-10-112 (1) and section 10.05 of the Huerfano County Land Use Code the applicant must show proof of an approved sanitation system. Pursuant to the Board of County Commissioners Resolution No: 21-22, proof of adequate water is required in order to obtain a building permit.
106.1.8 Right to develop. Applicant must show a deed or other proof of property ownership. If the applicant is other than the property owner, they must hold a Huerfano County Contractor license that is appropriate for the type of construction being permitted and have written authorization to act as the owner’s agent. Proof of ownership must include a complete property description, unless otherwise approved by the building inspector.
Owner-Liability – Property owners submitting owner-build permits must sign a letter of understanding from the Huerfano County Building Authority board, relevant to the use of subcontractors.
600 square foot is the size minimum for any structure that will be used for habitation (family dwelling) for any period. Water, septic or waste water treatment, plumbing, Radon mitigation and electricity must be installed in the building. All permanent residences must be on a foundation system.
No accessory buildings larger than 120 sq. feet may be built on vacant land without a permit.
Addresses cannot be assigned to vacant land; an address is assigned only to completed homes.
One story detached accessory structures may be built with no permit only if:
- 120 square feet or less if no residence on property (vacant land)
- 200 sq ft or less if residence on property
Any porches, decks or awnings attached to the accessory building are counted in the square footage.
If the materials and methods are not listed in the adopted codes, it is considered an alternative building method. The entire structure must be engineered and stamped by a Colorado Licensed Engineer, and be approved by the Huerfano County Building Authority.
Contractor Licensing in Unincorporated Huerfano County
The Huerfano County appreciates your desire to perform work in our area. Our goal is to ensure contractor qualifications and requirements are uniform and consistent for all contractors within Huerfano County.
“Contractor” means any person who contracts to provide material and/or labor for a job which requires a building permit from any member jurisdiction in Huerfano County. All Contractors must have a valid license issued by the County to perform construction work in unincorporated Huerfano County. General Contractors are responsible for ensuring all subcontractors are properly licensed and insured. If non-licensed workers are found on a job site, the County reserves the right to stop work, and revoke the Building Permit.
- Contractor License Application Form
- License Fees (see below)
- Copies of any other current licenses held.
- Copy of ICC Certification (may be required for A, B or C type licenses, and D type Roofing and Mechanical licenses).
- Copy of current State issued Driver’s License or Photo ID of the Primary Applicant (or Business Agent).
- Worker’s Compensation Coverage or State Waiver
- Certificate of Liability Insurance:
- Certificate holder shall be Huerfano County, 401 Main Street, Suite 201, Walsenburg, CO 81089
- Coverage must meet the minimum Colorado State statutory requirements.
- Certificate must show the insured as the legal business entity’s name, and must include assumed name as DBA (if applicable).
- Proof of Liability Insurance will be verified when applying for a building permit in Huerfano County. Insurance must pertain to the work for which you are requesting a permit, and the Certificate must show current coverage.
Contractor License Applications can be made online through our permitting portal linked to below. 81089
Please allow a minimum of five business days for application processing. Processing cannot begin until all required information and documentation is provided. Incomplete Applications will not be processed.
If the application is approved, the license certificate will be mailed to the applicant. If the application is denied, a letter giving a specific reason for denial and all submitted information will be returned to the applicant. A copy of the denial letter will also be sent to each related jurisdiction
REMINDER: All approved Contractor Licenses expire on December 31 of the current year
New application fee. A non-refundable Application Fee of $100.00 is required at the time of submission.
Renewal fee. A non-refundable Renewal Fee of $25.00 is required when a license is renewed. After the 90-day renewal grace period has expired renewals must pay the full new application fee.
License Fee: $100 per jurisdiction
(a) Credit Card payments are subject to a payment processing fee.
(b) Checks should be made payable to Huerfano County Treasurer.
Building Contractor – A Unlimited
- Contractor shall provide proof of ICC Certification or current license from any jurisdiction which tests to ICC standards, as satisfactory to the Building Authority.
- Five (5) years experience in building construction field work on Type I-FR or Type II-FR buildings and A, E or I occupancies as a foreman or superintendent responsible for the following activities:
- Excavations
- Erection of structural elements of reinforced concrete, steel, masonry, heavy timber, or conventional light frame construction.
- General supervision over all building trades.
- Three (3) years of one of the following may be substituted for an equal amount of the required field work:
- Building construction administrative work in the respective trade to which the license pertains.
- Engineering or architecture courses from an accredited college granting a BS or BA degree.
- A combination of (a) and (b) above may be accepted not to exceed a total of three (3) years.
- Having either held a Class B Building Contractor license or worked in the Class B field as a foreman or superintendent for at least three (3) years.
Building Contractor – B Limited
- Contractor shall provide proof of ICC Certification or current license from any jurisdiction which tests to ICC standards, as satisfactory to the Building Authority.
- Four (4) years experience in building construction field work on Type I-FR or Type II-FR buildings and A, E or I occupancies as a foreman or superintendent responsible for the following activities:
- Excavations
- Erection of structural elements of reinforced concrete, steel, masonry, heavy timber, or conventional light frame construction.
- General supervision over all building trades.
- Two (2) years of one of the following may be substituted for an equal amount of the required field work:
- Building construction administrative work in the respective trade to which the license pertains.
- Engineering or architecture courses from an accredited college granting a BS or BA degree.
- A combination of (a) and (b) above may be accepted not to exceed a total of two (2) years.
- Having either held a Class C Building Contractor license or worked in the Class C field as a foreman or superintendent for at least two (2) years.
Building Contractor – C Home Builder
- Contractor shall provide proof of ICC Certification or current license from any jurisdiction which tests to ICC standards, as satisfactory to the Building Authority.
- Two (2) years experience in residential building construction field work as a journeyman carpenter, framing contractor or as a construction foreman.
- One (1) of the following may be substituted for an equal amount of the required field work:
- Having built two (2) houses under owner generated permits.
- Having either held a Class D Specialty Trade license, or worked in a Class D specialty field as a journeyman if pertaining to residential construction.
- One (1) year experience as a Building Inspector.
Building Contractor – D Specialty Trade
- Contractor shall provide Specialty D License or equivalent from any other Colorado jurisdiction which tests to the ICC standards, or meet experience requirements with no violations.
- Three (3) years of field experience within Huerfano County in the respective trade to which the license pertains
Planning and Zoning
Development in Huerfano County is guided by the Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2018, and the Zoning Regulations and Procedures. The Comprehensive Plan will be going through an update in 2023 and we will be doing outreach to get public comment on the plan. The Comprehensive Plan update will include housing strategies and hazard mitigation plans.
Land Use Department Staff are available to help with questions and concerns related to a prospective application or the regulations and procedures. Applications can be submitted online through the link below for the following:
- Conditional Use Permit
- Subdivison, PUD or Plat Amendment
- Vacation of easements, right-of-way or lot lines
- Temporary Assembly Permits
- Camping Permits
- Conditional use permits for marijuana or oil/gas exploration
- Rezoning
- Variances
- Sign permits
Road and Bridge and Public Works permits available on the portal include:
- Access permits
- Emergency Cut
- Right-of-Way Excavation
- Bulk Water Applications
Use the link above to apply for all land use and building permits. You must create an account to submit an application.
How-to Guide for using the portal for Land use applications can be found HERE
Code Enforcement
The County’s policy is to achieve voluntary compliance with reported and discovered code violations. However, not all violations have the same degree of severity. As such, the County has established through this policy priority ranking and procedures. The intent is to allow the level of enforcement that best fits the type and circumstances of the code violation(s) within clear and objective criteria, consistent with the established priorities, and maximize available resources. It is the County’s policy that code enforcement follows the priority ranking set forth in this policy.
It is the County’s policy to investigate and attempt to resolve all reported and discovered code violations. There may be times when code violations cannot be given the same level of attention, when some code violations may receive no attention at all, or when the County may be unable to carry out the proactive code enforcement activities outlined in this policy. In such circumstances the most serious violations, as determined through application of the priorities and criteria in this section, will be addressed before the less serious violations are addressed, regardless of the order in which the complaints are received. However, complaints alleging both priority and non-priority violations may be processed together to maximize efficiency.
The County has established the following priorities:
- Violations that present an imminent threat to public health and safety or the environment;
- Violations affecting storm drainage, wetlands and/or adjacent areas;
- Building code violations consisting of non-permitted construction or failure to obtain permits for construction;
- Engineering and Environmental Health permit violations including failure to obtain required permits or failure to meet conditions and requirements or permits;
- Land Use and Zoning violations; and
- Multiple complaints received on the same property.
Any person can make a complaint to the County alleging one or more code violations. Anyone wishing to do so is encouraged to file a complaint on a County complaint form. Complaints and any supporting documentation may be made using the Report a Concern link below.
Anonymous complaints will be accepted, but may or may not be investigated at the discretion of the Land Use Department depending on the following factors:
- The reliability of the complaint;
- Whether the complaint alleges an imminent threat to public health and safety or to the environment; and
- The ease or difficulty with which the complaint may be verified by County staff.
The County policy is to maintain the confidentiality of Code Enforcement complaint files and computer records, including the identity of the complainant, to the extent legally possible. In addition, the County recognizes that some complainants do not wish to have their names disclosed to the alleged code violator for fear of retaliation. However, in some cases it may be necessary for successful prosecution and enforcement for the complainant to be identified and to testify in court. Additionally, the County’s Code Enforcement files are subject to state statutes governing public records and disclosure
Use the link above to report a code violation or other land use/building issues or concerns. Reports may be made anonymously.