Administrative overview · FIPS 08027
Custer County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Custer County Planning and Zoning Office
For a project in or near Custer County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
(719) 783-2669; Planning and Zoning email: pz@custercounty-co.gov
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Planning and Zoning Office, Custer County Courthouse, Westcliffe, CO 81252; County address: 205 S. 6th Street, Westcliffe, CO 81252
Operating hours
Monday-Thursday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; the County is closed on weekends and holidays.
Review expectation
N/A for ordinary building or zoning-permit review; the County publishes no standard review timeline on its current building-permits page. Complex planned developments can involve scheduled Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners actions.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Custer County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Custer County Planning and Zoning Office is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact (719) 783-2669; Planning and Zoning email: pz@custercounty-co.gov.
How long might review take?
N/A for ordinary building or zoning-permit review; the County publishes no standard review timeline on its current building-permits page. Complex planned developments can involve scheduled Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners actions.
How are inspections scheduled?
For compliance inspections, the applicant calls the Planning and Zoning Office after the applicable criteria are met and the office schedules the inspection. The County's 2026 Zoning Resolution authorizes inspections for suspected violations and requires septic systems to have a prior septic permit; septic permits include inspections, with additional septic inspection trips charged at $75 when the system is not ready or fails inspection.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
N/A for a specific 2026 IRC/IBC edition. The County's 2026-revised Zoning Resolution governs development and building requirements in unincorporated Custer County, including zoning permits before excavation, construction, reconstruction, or square-footage-increasing remodels; the reviewed materials do not identify a separate technical building-code edition. The 2026 Planning and Zoning fee schedule states that an accessory building under 100 sq. ft. does not require a permit. Other work may still require zoning, septic, floodplain, or state permits; the Zoning Resolution requires a zoning permit before excavation, construction, reconstruction, or remodeling that increases square footage or changes use. Confirm any other minor or cosmetic exemption with Planning and Zoning because the County's documents are under review.