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Building Codes and Standards

Mobile homes and mountains

The Division of Housing’s Building Codes and Standards (BCS) Section protects Colorado citizens by regulating diverse and unique aspects of the state’s residential and nonresidential construction industry in partnership with local governments, the federal government, other state agencies, and the private sector. Specifically, the BCS regulates the:

  1. Construction of factory-built structures at on offsite location (closed construction including electrical, mechanical, or plumbing components) to be installed or completed onsite in Colorado (both residential and non-residential);
  2. Sales (sellers, dealers, retailers) of manufactured homes (pre-1976 mobile homes, homes manufactured to the federal standards, modular homes) and tiny homes in Colorado through advertising or sales activities, including those with a retail location outside of Colorado;
  3. Installation of manufactured homes (pre-1976 mobile homes, homes manufactured to the federal standards, modular homes) and tiny homes in our state, which means the placement of a manufactured home or tiny home on a permanent or temporary foundation system, and includes supporting, blocking, leveling, securing and anchoring of the home and connecting multiple or expandable sections of the home;
  4. Construction of all site built hotels, motels, and multi-family structures in any local jurisdiction that does not have a building department;
  5. Foundation systems design and installation for manufactured homes, tiny homes, and factory-built structures in areas of the state where no local building department exists; and
  6. Accessible housing standards for factory-built residential structures and residential projects in any political subdivision that does not have a local building code, where the residential structures/projects are designed to serve persons with nonambulatory disabilities, semi ambulatory disabilities, sight disabilities, hearing disabilities, disabilities of incoordination, and aging.  

The BCS registers/certifies manufacturers, sellers, installers, and independent installation inspectors. By law, it must review and approve design/construction plans of factory-built structures (both residential and nonresidential) prior to construction, and certify a factory-built structure once it has passed inspections. The BCS also inspects and certifies the installation of manufactured homes before occupancy.

A home owner may submit concerns regarding the construction, sale, or installation of his/her manufactured home to the BCS for investigation through its complaints process. 

 

Tiny Homes

Effective 7/1/2023, the BCS is regulating the manufacture, sale, and installation of tiny homes. We are creating some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for different segments of the tiny home community. For new manufacturers, sellers, and installers of tiny homes, please review the relevant sections below the FAQs. 

On 7/12/2023, we held a one hour webinar for manufacturers of tiny homes with an introduction to becoming a registered manufacturer. If you were unable to attend the webinar, a recording can be found here (1 hour, 12 minutes): Tiny Home Manufacturer Webinar Introduction and Information Session. The slide deck for this webinar can be found here: Welcome to Tiny Homes – Manufacturers - 7-12-2023.

 

Laws, Rules & Policies

New Administrative Rules effective 7/1/2023 

Redline of changes from old rules to new rules for reference

Construction

The Division of Housing must conduct a full design and plan review and inspection of the construction of factory-built structures to the extent the design and construction relates to work performed offsite or work that is completed onsite using components shipped with the factory-built structure as reflected in the approved plans for the factory-built structure. A local government may not duplicate efforts to review or approve the construction of a factory-built structure that is under review or approved by the Division of Housing nor may it charge building permit fees to cover the cost of plan reviews or inspections performed by the Division of Housing.

A local government's jurisdiction is limited to work done onsite in compliance with section 24-32-3311(6), C.R.S., and includes associated plan review, permits, inspections, and fees.

The Division of Housing may authorize a local government to inspect and approve work that is completed onsite using components shipped with the factory-built structure as reflected in the approved plans for the factory-built structure. A local government may charge inspection fees if authorized to assist the Division of Housing to inspect and approve work that is completed onsite using components shipped with the factory-built structure as reflected in the approved plans for the factory-built structure. 

The Division of Housing does account for and apply a local government's standards concerning unique public safety requirements related to geographic or climatic conditions, such as weight restrictions for roof snow loads, wind shear factors, fire supression systems, and wildfire mitigation. 

The Colorado Energy Office tracks energy code requirements across the state as well as other code requirements. You may access that information here.

Limited to jurisdictions that do not have a building department

Hotels, Motels, Multi-family

Foundations

Effective July 1st, 2023, the Division of Housing (DOH) is now responsible for the design approval and inspection of foundation systems in jurisdictions without building departments. This is required for Manufactured Home, Tiny Homes, and Factory Built Structures to be installed in Colorado where no building standards exist. Plans for these foundation systems should be sent to the plan submittal email (manufactured.plans@state.co.us) for review and approval. Once they have been approved, construction may begin. The home may not be set until the foundation has passed all the required inspections by a DOH inspector or one of its approved third party agencies. Below is a list of the DOH known local jurisdictions without building departments. 

  • Baca County  
  • Cheyenne County  
  • Conejos County 
  • Costilla County  
  • Crowley County
  • Custer County  
  • Delta County
  • Dolores County
  • Kit Carson County 
  • Mineral County  
  • Montezuma County*
  • Phillips County  
  • Prowers County  
  • Saguache County
  • Sedgwick County  
  • Washington County
  • Yuma County

* Montezuma County doesn't issue C.O.'s or enforce any residential building codes. But they do require that a person acquire the proper permits before building in the county. 
 

Sales

Installations

A local government may not adopt less stringent standards for the installation of a manufactured home or tiny home than those promulgated by the Division of Housing. A local government may not, without express consent by the Division of Housing, adopt different standards than the standards for the installation of a manufactured home or tiny home promulgated by the Division of Housing. However, a local government may enact standards for mobile, modular, or tiny homes concerning unique public safety requirements related to geographic or climatic conditions, such as weight restrictions for roof snow loads, wind shear factors, fire suppression systems, and wildfire risk. 

A local government may not impose weight restrictions for roof snow loads or wind shear factors on a manufactured home built to the federal "Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards" that are different from what has been zoned for our state by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) pursuant to the Federal Act or impose any other requirements that would impact the design and construction of the home, unless an exemption has been granted for that jurisdiction by HUD. However, a local government may require onsite mitigation to address unique public safety requirements related to geographic and climatic conditions, such as weight restrictions for roof snow loads and wind shear factors, on a manufactured home built to the federal "Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards", so long as there is no interference with the federal standards for the design and construction of the HUD-code manufactured home.