Permitting Authorities / Rio Grande County Department of Building Safety
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Rio Grande County, CO?
Adopted code
Rio Grande County Department of Building Safety
Yes — a permit is required to replace a roof in Rio Grande County, CO, issued by Rio Grande County Department of Building Safety. The county's Residential Building Packet states "PERMIT IS REQUIRED FOR ALL CONSTRUCTION AND FOR ALL MOBILE HOMES," and its permit-exempt work list (small accessory structures, low fences and retaining walls, small water tanks, sidewalks/driveways, finish work, small pools, playground equipment, small awnings, and small decks) does not include roofing or re-roofing. A fine of 200% of the original permit fee is assessed if construction begins or is completed without a required permit. Complete applications require two sets of construction plans, proof of ownership (recorded warranty deed), and, where applicable, a flood-plain determination and Road & Bridge access permit. Allow a minimum of ten working days for plan review after a complete application is submitted. A permit becomes invalid if work is not commenced within 180 days of issuance, or if work is suspended for 180 days after commencing; permits with at least one recorded inspection within the initial 180 days are automatically extended an additional 180 days (one year total), and become invalid if not finaled within 18 months.
Jurisdiction
Rio Grande County, Colorado
Address
Del Norte, CO 81132
Contact
- url: https://riograndecounty.colorado.gov/departments/building-department
- phone: 719-657-9472
- email: [email protected]
Roofing permit required
Required
Permit process note
The county's Residential Building Packet states "PERMIT IS REQUIRED FOR ALL CONSTRUCTION AND FOR ALL MOBILE HOMES," and its permit-exempt work list (small accessory structures, low fences and retaining walls, small water tanks, sidewalks/driveways, finish work, small pools, playground equipment, small awnings, and small decks) does not include roofing or re-roofing. A fine of 200% of the original permit fee is assessed if construction begins or is completed without a required permit. Complete applications require two sets of construction plans, proof of ownership (recorded warranty deed), and, where applicable, a flood-plain determination and Road & Bridge access permit. Allow a minimum of ten working days for plan review after a complete application is submitted. A permit becomes invalid if work is not commenced within 180 days of issuance, or if work is suspended for 180 days after commencing; permits with at least one recorded inspection within the initial 180 days are automatically extended an additional 180 days (one year total), and become invalid if not finaled within 18 months.
Inspection requirements
Minimum required inspections are: footing (forms and tied steel in place before concrete); foundation; rough framing (roof, walls, and shear, after state rough electrical/plumbing inspections are complete); rough insulation, water-resistive barriers, and window/door flashing; and final inspection (structure complete, site cleaned and graded, after state final electrical/plumbing and County Road & Bridge access approval). All inspection requests require a minimum of two working days' notice, and a $75 re-inspection fee applies if a scheduled inspection is not ready. A Certificate of Occupancy is required before a single-family dwelling may be occupied.
Adopted code
Rio Grande County has adopted the 2018 International Residential Code (for One- and Two-Family Dwellings), 2018 International Building Code, 2018 International Existing Building Code, 2018 International Mechanical Code, and 2018 International Energy Conservation Code. Minimum design snow load is 30 psf per the Structural Engineers Association of Colorado (SEAC) 2016 Colorado Design Snow Loads publication.
Ice & water shield
Required — Rio Grande County's Table R301.2(1) design-criteria exhibit (linked from the Building Department's own "Rio Grande County Design Criteria IRC" document) prints "Ice Barrier Underlayment Required" as "YES."
About ice & water barrierWind design criteria
Rio Grande County's own "Rio Grande County Design Criteria IRC" document (Exhibit A, Table R301.2(1) "Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria," filled in by the jurisdiction per the 2018 IRC) prints: "Ground Snow Load: * [see Colorado Design Snow Loads (2016) by the Structural Engineers Association of Colorado, 30psf minimum]. Wind Design Speed: 115 (mph). Topographic effects: NO. Special wind region: NO. Windborne debris zone: NO. Seismic Design Category: B. Weathering: Severe. Frost line depth: 36". Termite: Moderate. Winter Design Temp: -16° F. Ice Barrier Underlayment Required: YES. Flood Hazards: ** [see FIRM May 19, 1987 - Updated September 2, 2011]. Air Freezing Index: 3500. Mean Annual Temp: 43° F."
Sales & use tax
5.50% combined for unincorporated Rio Grande County (state 2.9% + Rio Grande County 2.60%, the latter including a 0.6% Health Service District tax per DR 1002's own footnote 2). Rio Grande County is a statutory county with no home-rule self-collection; DR 1002 (rev. 2019/2020 vintage) lists "Rio Grande County Limits" at a 1.90% rate under the separate County Lodging District Tax (CLD) table, which applies only to lodging services (hotels, motels, condominiums, camping spaces) — the general County Sales Tax table lists Rio Grande County's general rate separately as 2.60%, and that is the rate used here. Re-verified 2026-08-27 against the January 2026 edition of Colorado Department of Revenue form DR 1002, read from a rendered image of its tables rather than from extracted text: the state, county and city figures above match that edition exactly. Where the text above names the June 19, 2019 revision of DR 1002, that describes the edition the figure was originally taken from and is not a current citation.
The building permit authority for unincorporated Rio Grande County, Colorado, all subdivisions within the county, the City of Monte Vista, and the Town of Del Norte (San Luis Valley). Does not cover the Town of South Fork or the Town of Center, which run separate permitting. Requires a permit for all construction, and roofing is not among the limited list of work exempted from permit.
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