State guide
Colorado
Colorado sets minimum OWTS standards in Regulation 43, but local public health agencies issue permits and adopt local regulations that are at least as stringent. Colorado counties also commonly license or register onsite wastewater professionals locally, so residents usually need both the county permit page and the county's professional list.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Who regulates septic permits
- Colorado's OWTS program is regulated locally by county or district public health agencies under local regulations, while CDPHE and statewide Regulation 43 set the minimum standards and state approvals for certain products and systems.
- Who can do the soil or perc test
- Colorado requires a site and soil evaluation, but who may perform it is set locally; official county pages show roles for competent soil technicians, professional engineers, designers, and other locally licensed or registered OWTS professionals.
- State fee
- Not published by an official source we could verify. Ask the office.
Official resources in Colorado
Official state regulation PDF covering site and soil evaluations and local public health agency authority.
Detailed county permit page showing Colorado's local permitting model, test-pit expectations, and application process.
County page explaining local licensing and registration categories for competent soil technicians, designers, installers, and inspectors.
County page explaining local regulation, state oversight, county installer licensing, and county inspections.
County page with permit process, fees, and local professional requirements for septic work.
Key facts for Colorado
- Colorado Regulation 43 requires a site and soil evaluation for each property where an OWTS is proposed.
- Garfield County says CDPHE oversees adoption and enforcement of OWTS rules and regulations.
- Local public health agencies issue permits and adopt local rules that must be at least as stringent as Regulation 43.
- San Miguel County requires a soil evaluation by a CPOW-certified competent soil technician.
- Pueblo County says competent or soil technicians can conduct and interpret soil-profile excavations, percolation tests, and site evaluations.
- No single statewide OWTS permit fee was found; county health agencies publish their own permit and professional-license fees.
County septic and soil-evaluation offices in Colorado
| County office | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larimer County Department of Health and Environment - Septic Systems (OWTS) Larimer | Fort Collins | (970)498-6775 | County permit page with OWTS applications, site-evaluation guidance, records, and licensed-professional links. |
| Garfield County Public Health - Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) Garfield | Glenwood Springs | 970-625-5200, ext. 8150 | County page for new installations, repairs, fees, soil evaluations, and application submittals. |
| Clear Creek County Environmental Health - Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Clear Creek | Georgetown | (303) 679-2428 | County septic page covering local regulation, county inspections, and installer licensing. |
| San Miguel County Public Health Department - On-Site Wastewater Treatment (Septic) Systems San Miguel | Telluride | 970-708-0323 | County OWTS page with permit process, fees, and local contact for application payments and questions. |
| Pueblo Department of Public Health and Environment - Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Pueblo | Pueblo | Not published* | County septic page with permit requirements, updated regulation information, and links to professional lists. |
| Douglas County Health Department - On-site Wastewater Treatment System Professionals Douglas | Not published* | 720-643-2400 | County professional-list page explaining local licensing and training expectations for designers, soil evaluators, installers, and inspectors. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Start with the county public health agency where the parcel sits; Colorado septic permits are local, not statewide.
- Before digging test pits, confirm the county's exact site-evaluation rules, because some counties require open pits for county inspection.
- Use the county's licensed-professional list when available, especially for competent soil technicians, designers, installers, and transfer-of-title inspectors.
Not seeing your county office or county?
Not every county office publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Colorado's population center, for comparison only):
- Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality - Small Wastewater Systems, Wyoming · about 111 miles
- Cheyenne Laramie County Public Health - Small Wastewater, Wyoming · about 111 miles
- NMED Taos Field Office, New Mexico · about 219 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Larimer County Septic Systems (OWTS)
Website →Phone: (970) 498-6775 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Colorado page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.