Park County septic permits and inspection rules

Permit requirements

Park County requires an OWTS permit for new installations, repairs, and expansions, with applications reviewed by Environmental Health. Mountain sites at elevation with shallow soils routinely need engineered designs, and processing runs longer during the May to September season. Confirm current contact details through the county site.

What triggers an inspection

The transfer-of-title inspection at property sale is the main trigger. Park County's short-term rental licensing also requires septic documentation, and an undocumented system must be permitted, inspected, and approved before an STR license is issued.

Transfer of title rules

Park County requires a transfer-of-title OWTS inspection and permit when most properties with septic systems sell. A NAWT-certified inspector uses the county's approved form covering the tank, soil treatment area, well distances, and maintenance status, and the county typically processes a complete application in 7 to 10 business days, longer in peak season.

• Plan one to two weeks minimum before closing
• Short-term rental licenses also require septic documentation under the county's 2026 STR rules

Required pumping frequency

Park County does not set a fixed pumping calendar; pump when scum and sludge approach a quarter of tank volume, which for seasonal cabins can stretch longer than the three-to-five-year norm and for full-time mountain homes matches it. Cold soils slow digestion, so do not defer a due pump-out into winter.

Setback rules

Park County enforces at least the Colorado Regulation 43 minimums: 100 feet from a well to the soil treatment area, 50 feet from a well to the tank, 50 feet from surface water and watercourses, 10 feet from property lines, and 5 feet from a dwelling to the tank. Streams, springs, and high groundwater in South Park make setback verification essential before any work.

Soil and percolation testing

Soil profile evaluation is required for new and replacement systems, and shallow decomposed granite over bedrock at elevation often fails conventional criteria, pushing designs to engineered or higher-treatment systems. Budget for the soil work up front, it decides everything else.