Digital permit application gateway
Start with the issuing authority’s own submission lane. A complete application package, accurate valuation, and accessible inspection path are the fastest route through statutory plan review.
Recommended first click
Use the official digital gateway to submit plans, monitor review comments, pay required charges, and request inspections when the permit is issued. If the link is unavailable, use the agency website or phone number on the administrative profile to confirm the current lane.
Typical review lane
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.
Treat this as a planning signal, not a guaranteed approval date. Completeness, corrections, resubmittals, and agency workload control the actual clock.
Verify the parcel is inside this agency’s service area and note whether a city, state, fire marshal, septic authority, or utility district also has approval authority.
Prepare legible plans, site information, project valuation, ownership authorization, contractor information, and any energy, floodplain, zoning, or utility documentation the issuing office requires.
Keep the permit number, approved plan set, correction comments, fee receipts, and inspection results together. Those records establish the compliance trail for the next trade.
Application documents
Before submission, call Dolores County Commissioners/permit questions: (970) 677-2383; Town of Rico: (970) 967-2861 if the project involves a change of occupancy, structural alteration, accessory structure, demolition, or work near a regulated environmental feature.
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
This record is marked Municipal Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel 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 Dolores County Commissioners/permit questions: (970) 677-2383; Town of Rico: (970) 967-2861.
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.
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.
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.
What makes an application complete
Before you click submit, make sure the drawings agree with the site plan, project description, valuation, ownership authorization, and contractor information. If the work changes structure, occupancy, drainage, fire protection, energy performance, or utility demand, describe that scope plainly. Ambiguous narratives create correction cycles and delay the field schedule.
Save the confirmation number, payment receipt, uploaded plan set, and every correction comment. Those records are the backbone of a defensible compliance file when multiple trades or agencies share responsibility.
Submission quality check
Site: address, parcel, access, setbacks, and existing conditions are consistent.
Scope: structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, and energy work is identified.
Closeout: inspection contacts and the final approval path are understood before work begins.