Building Codes and Standards

The Division of Housing’s Building Codes & 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:

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);
Sales (sellers, dealers, retailers) of manufactured homes (pre-1976 mobile homes, homes manufactured to the federal standards, modular homes) in Colorado through advertising or sales activities, including those with a retail location outside of Colorado;
Installation of manufactured homes (pre-1976 mobile homes, homes manufactured to the federal standards, modular homes) in our state, which means the placement of a manufactured 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;
Construction of all site built hotels, motels, and multi-family structures in any local jurisdiction that does not have a building department; and
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 dispute resolution process.

Laws, Rules & Policies

Current Administrative Rules

Notice of Rulemaking

The State Housing Board will be holding a Rulemaking Hearing scheduled for May 9, 2023, at 3:00 PM. Location is 1313 Sherman Street, Room 318. This is an in-person meeting.

Specifically, the hearing will be addressing the following: To implement House Bill 22-1242 concerning modifications to the regulations of factory-built structures signed into law by Governor Jared Polis on May 17, 2022, and in the process ensure at a minimum the following are addressed in the rules:

The rules stay consistent with the changes made in law;
Define new terms used in the bill;
Modify rules to include tiny homes into adopted building codes; fees; manufacturer registration; plan review, inspection, and approval; installers instructions and registration; seller registration, enforcement and Division of Housing approval authority;
Establish the safety of foundation systems for tiny homes, manufactured homes, and factory built structures in areas of the state where there are no construction standards for these structures;
Establish manufacturers escrow requirements of down payments;
Clarify that local government may include wildfire risk requirements to the building design criteria;
Clarify the State Housing Board may consider any national or international standard in whole or part for tiny homes;
Clean up formatting, citations, update language, remove unnecessary language, etc.

Stakeholders may present verbal testimony at the rulemaking hearing or provide written testimony by Monday, 4/24/2023 at 8:00 AM. Submit written testimony to Sam Albrecht at sam.albrecht@state.co.us with subject heading "Written testimony for Rule Making Hearing on 5/9/2023"

The proposed rule changes are located here.

On 5/2/2023, the Technical Advisory Committee met to consider an additional 9 rules to be submitted to the State Housing Board at the public hearing on 5/9/2023. If you have any comments on these nine rules, please send an email to sam.albrecht@state.co.us no later than 5:00 PM on 5/7/2023. Please use “Comments on 9 Additional Rules” in the title.

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 or wind shear factors.

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

Factory-built (offsite)

Modular

Residential

Nonresidential

Federal (HUD)

Manufactured Homes Built to the Federal Standards

Stick-built (onsite)

Limited to jurisdictions that do not have a building department

Hotels, Motels, Multi-family

Sales

Manufactured Homes

DOH Seller Application - New & Renewal

Document Portal (For Insurance and Bond Companies Only)

Installations

A local government may not adopt less stringent standards for the installation of a manufactured 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 promulgated by the Division of Housing. However, a local government may enact standards for mobile or modular homes concerning unique public safety requirements related to geographic or climatic conditions, such as weight restrictions for roof snow loads or wind shear factors.

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.

Factory - Built Residential Structures

Manufactured Housing Installation Program Inspection Procedures for Participating Jurisdictions 2-20

DOH MHIP Handbook

DOH MHIP Inspector Registration Packet 2-20

DOH MHIP Installer Registration Packet 2-20

Document Portal (For Insurance and Bond Companies Only)

DOH MHIP Certified Installer Application 2-20

MHIP Inspector's Exam

MHIP Installer's Exam

Manufactured Homes Built to Federal Standards