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Building your own home? Grand County changes Certificate of Occupancy policy

Tonya Bina
Sky-Hi Daily News
Grand County, Colorado
Byron Hetzler/Sky-Hi Daily News
ALL | Sky-Hi Daily News

Grand County commissioners are hoping a change in building department policy helps personal-home builders who find themselves recession stretched.

By allowing people who are building their own homes the ability to move in with a soft certificate of occupancy, Commissioner Gary Bumgarner said he hopes the county can “make it easier for people in these hard economic times.”

The policy, approved on Tuesday, narrowly focuses on property owners who act as general contractors on their own single-family dwellings.



Developers and contractors of other homes or units would still need to obtain an official certificate of occupancy before anyone could move in.

Once a list of “safety” building items are completed, before cosmetics are completed, the county building department may permit immediate family members the opportunity to move into their own homes even if they are still under construction.



This should financially help people who may be making two home payments, Bumgarner said.

“It allows families to move in sooner to make ends meet,” he said.

Before families can move into a home under construction, they must obtain an official OK from the county building official through a special inspection that ensures the building is safe and meets basic living standards.

Upon that inspection, the homeowner-builder has 240 days to complete the home and obtain the lawful certificate of occupancy, otherwise he or she could be cited in violation of state statute, according to the new provision.

– Tonya Bina can be reached at 887-3334 ext. 19603 or e-mail tbina@skyhidailynews.com.


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