La Plata County, CO Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)
Tiny home rules in La Plata County, 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
- Where allowed
- Manufactured home parks and manufactured home subdivisions
- Space size in a park
- At least 4,000 square feet, excluding parking
- Foundation
- Wheels, axles and towing apparatus removed; RVs exempt
- Skirting deadline
- Within sixty (60) days of placement
- Parking
- Two (2) spaces within each space
- Building code
- IRC Appendix BB adopted without amendments, § 18-36
Summary
In unincorporated La Plata County, Colorado, section 73-15 of the Land Use Code places tiny homes in manufactured home parks and manufactured home subdivisions. A tiny home on wheels can serve as a permanent dwelling in a park once it is converted to permanent use and meets the building code. The county adopted IRC Appendix BB Tiny Houses without amendments.
I. Purpose. This section is enacted to facilitate the development and use of land for permanent dwelling units which are not site-built structures to promote more affordable residential development. ... 1. Uses. ... In addition to manufactured homes, tiny homes may be located within a manufactured home park. Recreational vehicles and tiny homes on wheels intended for use as a permanent dwelling may be located within a manufactured home park provided such vehicle has been converted to permanent use and meets all applicable building code requirements. Tiny homes and recreational vehicles located within a manufactured home park shall comply with all the requirements of this code applicable to manufactured homes, unless otherwise specified herein. ... 1. Uses. ... In addition to manufactured homes, tiny homes may be located within a manufactured home subdivision.
Full Breakdown
Section 73-15 of the La Plata County Code is the section that names tiny homes. Its stated purpose is to facilitate the development and use of land for permanent dwelling units which are not site-built structures, to promote more affordable residential development. It applies to land use permit applications proposing manufactured home parks, tiny home communities and manufactured home subdivisions, so the approval runs through the county's land use permit process rather than a standalone tiny home permit.
In a manufactured home park, tiny homes are allowed alongside manufactured homes. Recreational vehicles and tiny homes on wheels intended as a permanent dwelling are allowed if the vehicle has been converted to permanent use and meets all applicable building code requirements. Tiny homes in a park must meet every Land Use Code requirement that applies to manufactured homes unless section 73-15 says otherwise. Every occupied structure must have its wheels, axles and removable towing apparatus removed and be secured to a foundation approved by the building official, and skirting must go on within sixty (60) days of placement. Recreational vehicles do not have to remove wheels and axles.
The park standards are numeric. Each space must be at least 4,000 square feet, excluding parking, with a width of at least one-third the depth. Only one manufactured home is allowed per space. Park perimeter setbacks are fifty (50) feet from a state or federally designated highway, county designated rural arterial or other public right-of-way, and ten (10) feet from the exterior side or rear lot line. Inside the park, a home sits ten (10) feet from the front boundary and five (5) feet from the side and rear boundaries of its space. Each space needs two (2) parking spaces and a posted number, and ten (10) percent of the park is set aside for recreation. Accessory buildings in a park are limited to garages, cabanas, storage structures and carports.
A manufactured home subdivision also accepts tiny homes, with one manufactured home per platted lot. On the building side, section 18-36 adopts the 2024 International Residential Code with county amendments and states that Appendix BB Tiny Houses shall be adopted without amendments.
Violations & Fines
Placing a tiny home for occupancy without the required land use approval, or in breach of a permit condition, is a violation under section 80-3 of the Land Use Code. The director or code enforcement officer can send a notice to correct violation with thirty (30) days to comply, issue a stop order, or refer the matter to the county attorney for an injunction. Penalties can be assessed for each day the violation exists, and the owner carries the burden of proving compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I live in a tiny home on wheels in unincorporated La Plata County?
Does the county have its own tiny house building standard?
What size lot space does a park tiny home need?
Are accessory buildings allowed next to a park tiny home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in La Plata County
Compare La Plata County to another location·View the Colorado accessory structures overview
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