Butch Knowlton, Director
1060 E. 2nd Ave.
Durango, CO 81301
Phone: 970-382-6250
Fax: 970-382-6272
E-mail: spriggsjj@co.laplata.co.us
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8am-5pm
**2003 Fire Code Adoption Information
| Adopted Codes | Building Department FAQ's | |
| 2003 | IRC | |
| IRC | What does the Building Department do? | |
| IBC | When do I need a Building Permit? | |
| IFGC | What should I do before applying for a Building Permit? | |
| IMC | ||
| IECC | ||
| The La Plata County Building Department has an inventory of IRC and IBC code books for sale. | ||
| International Code Council | ||
What the Building Department does: The structural integrity of buildings and the safety of building occupants are paramount concerns of the La Plata County Building Department. For this reason, building codes have been enforced since 1973. In 2004, the Building Department issued 1064 building permits. Building officials conducted 5620 on-site inspections of residential and commercial property and traveled nearly 102,292 miles to ensure compliance with our building codes.
Permits and Inspections: Building permits are required for all new structures, additions and newly-placed mobile homes on unincorporated (non-city, township or tribal) county land. Before a building permit is issued, property owners must perform soil testing and demonstrate authorization for sewage disposal and domestic water supply. County building officials inspect homes, commercial buildings and other structures throughout the construction process. Most structures are inspected at least five times for the following: Footings, stem wall, framing, plumbing & mechanical and a final inspection. At the conclusion of successful residential inspections, a Certificate of Occupancy (CO) is issued.
There have been several local amendments to the international codes, including a minimum foundation design and a formula to establish the roof snow load based on the elevation of a building site. These local amendments are available on La Plata County Code - Buildings and Building Regulations (.pdf)
Additional Information:
For additional information about registered contractors, please call the Home Builders Association of Southwest Colorado at 970-382-0082.
For additional information about building permits and requirements, geologic hazards or related matters, please call (382-6250)or e-mail the Building Department.
For information about sewage disposal and septic systems, please contact San Juan Basin Health Department at 247-5702.
For information about domestic water wells, please contact the Colorado Division of Water Resources at 247-1845.
Electrical Permits and Inspections are performed by the Colorado State Electrical Board at 259-1300.
For information about obtaining an address for your property, please click here to review the Street Naming and Addressing Assigning Policy. For additional information contact the GIS department.
Property and parcel information Assessor Property Database