Colorado Springs, CO Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)
Tiny home rules in Colorado Springs, CO, covering tiny houses on wheels (THOWs), park model RVs, and tiny home on foundation builds, determine where they are legal and how they get permitted.
Key Facts
- Project size
- 20,000 sq ft minimum, 2 acres maximum
- Max density
- 25 tiny houses per acre
- Max height
- 20 feet per unit
- Min site per unit
- 1,000 sq ft or 1.5x floor area
- Setback from residential zone
- 10 feet
- Setback from right-of-way
- 20 feet
Summary
Colorado Springs does not let a freestanding tiny home sit on an ordinary residential lot as an accessory structure. Instead, UDC § 7.3.301D creates a dedicated Tiny House Community land use, sized 20,000 square feet to two acres, capped at 25 units per acre, with each home limited to 20 feet in height and a permanent foundation.
D. Tiny House Community: 1. Project Size: a. The minimum size of a Tiny House Community is twenty thousand (20,000) square feet and the maximum size is two (2) acres... 2. Density and Green Space: a. Maximum residential density is twenty-five (25) Tiny Houses per acre... 3. Setbacks and Separation: a. No designated area for a Tiny House shall be located within ten (10) feet of an adjacent Residential of Mixed-Use zone district or within twenty (20) feet of any public right-of-way adjacent to the project site... 4. Maximum Building Height: The maximum height of a Tiny House and of any common area structure in a Tiny House Community is twenty (20) feet. 5. Installation: Each Tiny House shall be installed on a permanent foundation and shall be connected to City water, sewer, and electric utilities before occupancy for any period of time.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 26-23, passed June 9, 2026).
Full Breakdown
301D, a Tiny House Community must contain a defined land area for each unit of at least 1,000 square feet or one-and-a-half times the tiny house's gross floor area, whichever is larger, and none of that area may fall in a 100-year floodplain, a mapped geological hazard area, or a vehicle circulation route. Density tops out at 25 tiny houses per acre, and a shared green space equal to at least 10% of the project area is required. Setbacks keep each designated tiny-house site at least 10 feet from an adjoining Residential or Mixed-Use zone district and 20 feet from any adjacent public right-of-way, and units must be at least 10 feet from one another.
Every tiny house tops out at 20 feet in height, must sit on a permanent foundation, and must connect to City water, sewer, and electric utilities before any occupancy: ruling out wheeled or off-grid units. The code also permits up to 200 square feet per unit of shared accessory structures such as storage, laundry, or common rooms, requires one parking space per designated site, and obligates the developer to a City agreement covering ongoing maintenance of streets and utilities not accepted by the City.
Violations & Fines
Because Tiny House Community approval runs through a development agreement and site standards rather than a simple building permit, a project that doesn't meet the size, density, setback, or utility-connection standards in § 7.3.301D won't clear Development Plan review or receive occupancy approval. Placing an unpermitted freestanding tiny home outside an approved community is treated as an unlawful use under the UDC and is subject to standard code enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put a tiny home on my own lot in Colorado Springs?
How much land does each tiny house get in a community?
Do tiny houses need a permanent foundation in Colorado Springs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Colorado Springs
Compare Colorado Springs to another location·View the Colorado accessory structures overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.