Fees, valuation & enforcement
Permit fees are a project input. Enforcement exposure is a project risk. Use the official schedule where available, then confirm valuation, trade permits, plan review, and inspection charges with the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
Official fee pathway
The final charge may depend on declared construction value, occupancy classification, square footage, plan review, state surcharges, trade permits, technology fees, and inspection activity. Do not use a neighboring city’s fee table as a substitute for this jurisdiction.
Fee desk contact
(719) 783-2669; Planning and Zoning email: pz@custercounty-co.gov
Ask the counter to confirm current charges before submitting a project with multiple trades or a change of use.
Financial exposure
Plan for building, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, energy, zoning, septic, right-of-way, or other reviews that the project scope triggers. The lowest initial permit fee is not always the lowest project cost.
Enforcement exposure
When work begins without authorization, the agency may halt the site, require corrective plans, impose additional fees, withhold inspection release, or require concealed work to be exposed for review.
Closeout exposure
A missing final inspection or certificate can complicate occupancy, refinancing, sale, insurance, and utility connection. Preserve the approved plans and signed inspection record through closeout.
Professional field note
Even when a cosmetic or minor project does not require a building permit, zoning, floodplain, shoreline, historic, utility, fire, or right-of-way controls may still apply. Confirm the full jurisdictional picture before work starts.
Source trail
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Why permit costs vary
Building departments commonly calculate charges from valuation, occupancy, floor area, project type, plan review effort, trade scope, state surcharges, and inspection activity. A remodel that appears small on paper may still trigger structural, energy, fire, or utility review. Ask the permit counter which disciplines apply before you finalize the construction budget.
The same discipline applies to enforcement. Correcting unpermitted work after finishes are installed can require demolition, revised plans, additional inspections, and schedule disruption. Authorization is usually the less expensive project-management decision.