Administrative overview · FIPS 08033
Dolores 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
Municipal Fallback
This profile identifies a handoff outside the county’s ordinary structural permitting lane.
Required jurisdiction check
Confirm the controlling local or state authority before filing.
The record is marked Municipal Fallback. That means the county profile should be treated as a routing brief: incorporated municipalities, a state building department, or a state fire marshal may control plan review, permits, and inspections. Contact the named agency below and verify the parcel’s jurisdiction before paying a fee or scheduling field work.
Responsible agency
Dolores County Board of County Commissioners and Assessor's Office; municipal fallback includes the Town of Rico
For a project in or near Dolores 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
Dolores County Commissioners/permit questions: (970) 677-2383; Town of Rico: (970) 967-2861
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Dolores County offices, 409 N. Main Street, Dove Creek, CO 81324; Rico Town Hall, 2 Commercial Street, Rico, CO 81332
Operating hours
The County Assessor's Office, which receives Improvement Notices, lists Monday-Thursday, 7:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. County building/land-use counter hours are otherwise N/A; call before visiting.
Review expectation
N/A for a building permit because the County does not publish a county building-permit review program. County land-development applications require a pre-application conference, Planning Commission review, and Board of County Commissioners review; the regulations state that the pre-application conference will outline the time required and do not set a single standard timeline.
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 Dolores County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
This record is marked Municipal Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel 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 Dolores County Commissioners/permit questions: (970) 677-2383; Town of Rico: (970) 967-2861.
How long might review take?
N/A for a building permit because the County does not publish a county building-permit review program. County land-development applications require a pre-application conference, Planning Commission review, and Board of County Commissioners review; the regulations state that the pre-application conference will outline the time required and do not set a single standard timeline.
How are inspections scheduled?
The County's official building notice says septic and driveway permits may be required and directs applicants to contact the Commissioners' Office at (970) 677-2383. County land-use enforcement inspections are scheduled with the owner within two business days of notice when a reasonable belief of violation exists. For building work inside Rico, contact Rico Town Hall at (970) 967-2861 and the Town's Planning Administrator/Building Official; no countywide building-inspection schedule was published.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
N/A for a specific countywide 2026 building-code edition. Dolores County does not publish a county building-code program; it publishes snow-load and wind-load guidance and land-use regulations. Colorado has no general statewide building code. Within the Town of Rico, the official Land Use Code references the International Building Code adopted by Rico Ordinance 2016-1; applicable municipal codes control inside municipal boundaries. For unincorporated Dolores County land-use review, the official regulations exempt a qualifying single-family residence on a previously approved subdivision/PUD lot, related residential utility connections, home-based businesses, qualifying small confined agricultural-animal operations, and electric transmission lines at or below 115 kV; septic/ISDS and driveway permits may still be required. Rico's municipal code separately exempts, among other items, one-story detached accessory buildings up to 120 sq. ft., decks, fences up to 6 ft., retaining walls up to 4 ft., platforms, walks, driveways, prefabricated pools, roofing/siding, and footprint-neutral remodeling, subject to zoning requirements.