⛰️ Buying land in Chaffee County, Colorado

1. Zoning and minimum lot size

1. The county adopted a new Land Use Code on Nov 19, 2024. It took effect Jan 1, 2025 and was amended Sept 16, 2025. Check your parcel's zone on the county zoning map or the zoning map PDF (effective Sept 16, 2025).
2. Zones (Table 2.1.2.2): AR Agriculture/Ranching, RR Residential Rural, RS Residential Suburban, RM Residential Mixed, MUR, MUC, IN, BC Backcountry and WRP Wildlands Resource Preservation. There are also IGA and Airport overlays.
3. Maximum density (Table 2.4.2.1): AR and BC 1 home per 35 acres, RR 1 home per 5 acres, RS and RM 4 homes per acre. A rural cluster in AR or RR can reach 1 home per 17.5 acres with 67% open space.
4. Lot types (Table 2.5.2.2): an Estate lot is 5 acres minimum, 230 ft wide, with setbacks of 30 ft front, 25 ft side and 50 ft rear, 5% lot coverage and a 35 ft height limit. A Farmstead lot is 35 acres minimum with 50 ft side and rear setbacks and 1.5% coverage.
5. One accessory dwelling (ADU) is allowed per property. In AR and RR it can be up to 1,500 sq ft or the size of the main home, whichever is smaller. Water and septic are checked at building permit.
6. About 120,000 acres of the county is private land outside the towns. Most of the rest is public land.
7. You will likely need a land use or development permit from Planning before you can get a building permit. Short-term rentals need a county license.
8. Sierra did not confirm which lot types apply to older lots created before 2025. Ask Planning if your lot is buildable as it is.

Sources: Land Use Code page, Land Use Code (amended 9-16-25, PDF), Community Planning and Natural Resources.

2. Water rights and wells

1. Well permits come from the Colorado Division of Water Resources (DWR), not the county. Look up any existing well with the Well Permit Search or the Well Permit Map Viewer. The permit lists what the well may be used for.
2. Under C.R.S. 37-92-602, an exempt household well can pump up to 15 gallons per minute and serve up to three single family homes, livestock and up to one acre of garden and lawn. A well that is the only well on 35 acres or more gets a lighter review. Smaller lots may be limited to household use inside one home.
3. The Arkansas Basin is over-appropriated. The Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District (UAWCD) says water rights junior to 1890 are seldom allowed to divert, so many wells need an augmentation plan to replace the water they use.
4. UAWCD sells augmentation inside its "Blue Line" area, which covers most of Chaffee County and western Fremont County. Call them to confirm your parcel is inside.
5. One standard unit is 0.10 acre-feet: household use plus about 1,400 sq ft of lawn or garden. Listed costs on Oct 31, 2026: $200 application, $165 per year, $3,850 augmentation fee and $100 DWR well permit fee, $4,315 total. Prices can change.
6. If the lot already has augmentation, it moves to the new owner with a UAWCD transfer form. The title company usually handles this at closing.
7. The county requires proof of adequate water at building permit. New subdivision plats need proof that augmentation certificates were bought.
8. DWR says review of a complete well permit application can take up to 49 days.
9. Private wells are not tested by the government. The county says to test yearly for coliform bacteria, nitrates and pH. CSU Extension in Poncha Springs has kits.
10. Sierra did not confirm which older lots can get a well without augmentation. Ask DWR and UAWCD with the parcel's legal description.

Sources: DWR Well Permitting, C.R.S. 37-92-602, UAWCD Augmentation, UAWCD Augmentation Services, County Well Water Testing, Land Use Code 3.4.2 and 4.3.2.

3. Septic (OWTS)

1. Septic permits and inspections are handled by the County Building Department. Public Health says it does not do septic inspections.
2. The county uses the 2025 state Regulation 43 with Chaffee County amendments. A licensed installer must be named on the application. An engineer design is required where Regulation 43 or the plat requires it.
3. If the lot is inside a town or sanitation district and within 400 ft of a sewer line, you must connect to sewer or get a variance.
4. Fees on the April 2026 application: new system $423, site evaluation $150, repair or replaced field $250, variance $50. Fees are not refundable.
5. A septic permit is good for one year and can be renewed once. The building permit depends on the septic permit being approved.
6. State setbacks (Table 7-1): septic tank 50 ft from a well, soil treatment area (leach field) 100 ft from a well, both 10 ft from property lines, leach field 50 ft from streams and lakes.
7. The county also has graywater regulations (Board of Health Resolution 2025-04).
8. Sierra did not confirm whether Chaffee requires a septic inspection when a property is sold. Ask the Building Department.

Sources: Environmental Health, Building Applications and Fees, OWTS Application (April 2026, PDF), 2025 OWTS Regulations (PDF), Adopted Codes.

4. Camping and RVs

1. Owners of vacant property can camp up to 90 days total per calendar year without a permit (Sec. 2.3.7.2).
2. Longer stays need a Landowner Camping Permit (Sec. 5.2.9.4). It lasts 6 months and can be renewed twice.
3. To get one you need a building permit applied for, an HOA letter if there is an HOA, a hard-sided unit, drinking water (hauled is OK), wastewater held and hauled away, trash service and no graywater dumping.
4. Camp setbacks: 50 ft from property lines, 100 ft from neighbors' homes, 100 ft from waterways, 50 ft from floodplains and 50 ft from a ditch easement (or 75 ft from the ditch centerline).
5. Camping gear does not count as a permanent home.

Sources: Land Use Code (PDF).

5. Power and off-grid

1. The county emergency guide lists two electric providers: Sangre de Cristo Electric Association (SDCEA), 719-395-2412, and Xcel Energy, 800-895-1999. Check the SDCEA service territory map for your parcel.
2. SDCEA is a member-owned co-op based in Buena Vista with more than 15,000 members.
3. New SDCEA service: a $750 non-refundable engineering fee is due before a site visit. If the work order sits for six months with no activity, the fee is forfeited.
4. Xcel lists a Chaffee County overhead power line rebuild project running Jan 2025 to Dec 2027.
5. The county building code is the 2021 International Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code. The county also lists the Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code.
6. Sierra did not confirm line extension costs per foot or county rules aimed at fully off-grid homes. Ask the utility and the Building Department.

Sources: County Preparedness Guide (PDF), SDCEA About, SDCEA New Construction, Xcel Chaffee Overhead Rebuilds, Adopted Codes.

6. Roads, access and winter snow

1. The county does not plow state highways, town streets or private roads. If your access is a private road, find out who plows it.
2. Plowing is by priority: main roads and school bus routes first, then collectors and minor roads. Some roads may not be plowed until late afternoon or the next day.
3. The snow brochure says crews maintain 300 miles of road. The road statistics page lists 533.58 miles of county road (99.97 paved, 37.83 chip seal, 395.78 gravel). Some roads are limited or summer only. Ask Road and Bridge about your road.
4. You clear your own driveway. It is unlawful to push snow onto the road or to park on county roads.
5. County right-of-way averages 25 to 30 ft from the road centerline. Plows can damage anything placed there.
6. Any work in county right-of-way, including a new driveway, needs a Road and Bridge permit before work starts. The 2015 permit form lists $200 for a cut across an unimproved road and $250 for an improved road. Culverts must be at least 18 inches, and you maintain your driveway culvert.
7. Parcels larger than 10 acres need an alternate access route (fire trail or two-track) when developed. Every developed property needs a reflective address sign with 4-inch letters at the driveway, above the snow line.
8. Example of seasonal closures: Cottonwood Pass closes for the season Nov 2, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.
9. Building design: winter design temperature is -10 F. Ground snow load and frost depth come from county maps.

Sources: Road and Bridge, Snow Removal brochure (PDF), Road Statistics, Road Permits, Road Cut and ROW Permit (PDF), Adopted Codes, Land Use Code 3.2.2 and 3.2.4.

7. Flood and wildfire

1. Check flood zones on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Building in a special flood hazard area needs a county Floodplain Development Permit under Appendix H.
2. The county GIS map shows floodplains, steep slopes, wildfire risk and wildlife areas by parcel.
3. The code has rules for fluvial (river erosion) hazard zones, but they only take effect once the county adopts the maps. Sierra did not confirm whether those maps are adopted yet.
4. The county adopted the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code with local amendments (Ordinance 2026-02). See the state wildfire code map to see if your lot is covered. The county also posts a wildfire risk map, and the Colorado Forest Atlas has a statewide risk viewer.
5. Fire restrictions: none in effect as of Sept 21, 2026. Call the Sheriff before any controlled burn. From Oct 1 to May 1 burns must be out by 2 p.m. Burns taller than 3 ft or wider than 10 ft need a fire department permit.
6. New subdivisions must provide fire water cisterns.

Sources: Land Use Code page, Adopted Codes, Fire Restrictions, Burn Ordinance 2025-03 (PDF).

8. Livestock

1. Agriculture, including livestock, poultry and bees, is allowed in the AR, RR, RS, RM, MUR, MUC, IN and BC zones (Table 2.1.3.2).
2. Intensive agriculture (feedlots, hog farms, poultry operations, more than one animal unit per acre confined) is not allowed in any zone.
3. Colorado is open range. Under the county Right to Farm and Ranch policy, you fence livestock out, and ditch owners may maintain ditches through easements without notice.
4. The county has a Right to Ranch mediation panel for neighbor disputes.
5. Sierra did not find a per-acre animal limit for personal livestock. Ask Planning before you buy.

Sources: Land Use Code (PDF), Right to Ranch.

9. Property tax basics

1. All property is reappraised every odd-numbered year. Look up any parcel in the Assessor database. The Assessor also posts vacant land sales books.
2. For tax year 2026, the Assessor lists residential assessment rates of 7.05% for schools and 6.25% for local governments, with final rates still set by the state. Most nonresidential property is 26%.
3. Taxes are due in two halves (Feb 28 and June 15) or in full by April 30. Late taxes get 1% interest per month.
4. Unpaid taxes can be sold at the annual tax lien sale, generally the first Thursday in November. Ask the Treasurer about back taxes before you buy.

Sources: Assessor, Treasurer, Understanding Property Taxes in Colorado (PDF).

10. Who to call

1. Community Planning and Natural Resources (zoning, camping permits): 104 Crestone Ave, Room 120, Salida, 719-530-5630. Website.
2. Building Department (building and septic permits): 104 Crestone Ave, Salida, 719-539-2124, Mon to Thu 7 to 5. Website.
3. Road and Bridge (roads, plowing, driveway permits): 10360 CR 120, Salida, 719-539-4591, office 719-239-4581. Website.
4. Assessor: 719-539-4016. Website.
5. Treasurer: 719-539-6808. Website.
6. Clerk and Recorder (deeds): 719-530-5602. Website. Search recorded documents free on Landmark.
7. Public Health: Salida 719-539-4510, Buena Vista 719-395-8493. County contacts.
8. Wells: Colorado DWR. Website.
9. Augmentation: Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District, 339 E Hwy 50, Salida, 719-539-5425. Website.
10. Power: SDCEA, 719-395-2412. Website. Xcel Energy, 800-895-1999. Website.