Building an ADU in Colorado Springs
City code and Colorado law · Last reviewed October 9, 2026
Since Ordinance 25-45, approved April 8, 2025, Colorado Springs allows one accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on any lot with a single-family detached home. It can be up to 50% of the main house or 1,250 square feet, whichever is less, or 750 square feet if the house is under 1,500 square feet. A detached ADU can be 16 feet tall with a 5-foot rear setback. You get it through a building permit from the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD), and a property with an ADU can't have a short-term rental. [1][2]
| How many | One ADU per lot with a single-family detached home (attached, integrated or detached) [1] |
|---|---|
| Wildland Urban Interface Overlay | Only integrated (inside the house) ADUs; detached and attached ADUs not allowed [1] |
| Max size | 50% of the main house or 1,250 sq ft, whichever is less; 750 sq ft if the house is under 1,500 sq ft [1] |
| Detached ADU height | 16 ft; a garage converted to a detached ADU up to 25 ft [1] |
| Setbacks | Front and side same as the main house; 5 ft rear for detached ADUs; not in front yards [1] |
| Parking | City lists one off-street space for the ADU on top of other required parking; state law limits new-space requirements (see below) [1][4] |
| Owner residency | Notarized affidavit that you live in the main house when you apply for the permit [6] |
| Short-term rental | Not allowed anywhere on a property with an ADU (except some ADU-STR pairs permitted by June 30, 2025) [1][2] |
| Selling separately | Not allowed; you record a covenant against separate sale (a lawful subdivision may be possible) [1][6] |
| Impact fees | Park land and school land dedication, plus Citywide Development Impact fees [1] |
| Public notice | City-issued poster on the property frontage for 14 days before the permit is issued [1] |
| State ADU law | A HB24-1152 subject jurisdiction; not a certified ADU Supportive Jurisdiction (as of Oct. 9, 2026) [3][9] |
On this page
What you can build here
On April 8, 2025, City Council approved Ordinance 25-45. It replaced the old ADU and Accessory Family Suite rules with standards that allow an ADU on any property with a single-family detached home. Colorado Springs is a "subject jurisdiction" under Colorado's 2024 ADU law, HB24-1152. See our Colorado ADU law page.
You can have one ADU per lot, in one of three types:
- Attached: connected to the house by a wall or other permanent connection.
- Integrated: inside the house, such as a basement unit.
- Detached: in a separate building on the same lot.
Tiny homes, prefab and manufactured homes can be detached ADUs, but they must sit on permanent foundations to connect to city utilities. Different building code rules may apply, so ask PPRBD. Mobile homes and RVs can't be ADUs. See our backyard tiny house guide and prefab ADU guide. [1][3]
Size, height and setbacks
Size. An ADU is limited to 50% of the main house or 1,250 square feet, whichever is less. If your house is under 1,500 square feet, the ADU can be 750 square feet. ADUs don't count against the lot's cap on total accessory building floor area.
Height. A detached ADU, or another accessory building containing one, can be up to 16 feet tall. A garage converted to a detached ADU can be up to 25 feet. Attached and integrated ADUs follow the main house's height limit.
Setbacks and yards. Front and side setbacks are the same as for the main house. A detached ADU needs at least a 5-foot rear setback. ADUs aren't allowed in front yards but are allowed in corner, side and rear yards.
Access and design. An attached or integrated ADU can't have its outside entrance on the front. Where possible, you must provide a 36-inch-wide path from the front property line. The city also requires the ADU's architecture, design, color and materials to be "compatible" with the main house. DOLA says that under HB24-1152 decisions must rest on objective standards, and that words like "compatible" are "generally considered subjective standards." Ask the city how it applies this rule. [1][3]
Wildfire overlay: where the city differs from state law
The city says that in the Wildland Urban Interface Overlay (WUI-O) district, "detached and attached ADUs are not allowed and may not be constructed." Only integrated ADUs, inside the house, may be built there.
State law reads differently. HB24-1152 requires a subject jurisdiction to allow one ADU wherever it allows single-unit detached homes, and defines an ADU as "an internal, attached, or detached dwelling unit." DOLA's guidance says "the ADU must be allowed to be either internal to, attached to, or detached from" the house, and that this applies whether the lot is in "a standard zone district, overlay zone district, or a Planned Unit Development." The law's list of exempt parcels covers lots without public water and sewer, historic properties outside a historic district, and floodplains; it doesn't mention wildfire areas. The law does let cities apply and enforce their building, fire and other life safety codes.
If your lot is in the WUI-O and you want an attached or detached ADU, confirm with City Planning at 719-385-5905 what it will approve. For questions about the state law, contact DOLA's Division of Local Government. [1][3][4][5]
Parking
The city's ADU standards say "one (1) off-street parking space is required for an ADU in addition to parking required for other uses on the site."
HB24-1152 says a subject jurisdiction may not require you to build a new off-street space for an ADU. It may require you to designate an existing driveway, garage or tandem space for it. It may require one new space only if your lot has no existing off-street space, your zone required parking for the house as of January 1, 2024, and on-street parking is banned on your block.
The city's page doesn't say whether an existing driveway or garage space can count. Ask City Planning before you design, especially if you plan a garage conversion. [1][3][4]
Garage conversions
You can convert a garage into a detached ADU. A converted garage can be up to 25 feet tall, compared with 16 feet for a new detached ADU. The size cap and the other ADU standards still apply, and the parking question above matters if the garage holds your required parking. See our garage conversion guide. [1]
Permits, fees and timeline
An ADU that meets the standards needs only a building permit from the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department. There is no separate city land use application or fee. Along with PPRBD's requirements, the city needs:
- A notarized Owner Residency Determination Affidavit stating that you live in the main house when you apply. HB24-1152 allows this: a city can't require owner occupancy, but it may ask you to show you live on the lot when you apply to build an ADU (not when the ADU is built along with a new house).
- A recorded covenant barring subdivision and separate sale of the ADU.
- A Colorado Springs Utilities ability-to-serve determination, made during permit review.
- A Report of Acceptability, only in Historic Preservation Overlay districts.
Fees. A DRE plan review fee is charged when the permit is issued, based on the PPRBD permit type. ADUs also pay Park Land Dedication, School Land Dedication and Citywide Development Impact (CDI) fees. CDI fees fund police and fire capital needs, are due at building permit and are adjusted every year. See the city's current fee schedules, and our ADU cost guide.
Timeline. The city doesn't publish an ADU review time. PPRBD posts its current plan review status by department. The 14-day public notice poster must be up before the permit is issued. See our ADU permit process guide. [1][4][6][7][8]
Renting it out, HOAs and selling
You can rent an ADU long term. But Colorado Springs bars short-term rentals on any property with an ADU. Since June 30, 2025, the main house, the ADU and any other building on the lot "shall not be used as a short term rental." A property that had both a permitted ADU and a permitted short-term rental on or before June 30, 2025 may keep them as nonconforming uses until the rental permit ends. State law lets cities regulate short-term rental of ADUs. See the city's short-term rental page.
The city doesn't enforce HOA covenants and suggests getting independent legal advice. Under HB24-1152, HOA rules that restrict ADUs in ways the law prohibits are void in subject jurisdictions, though reasonable restrictions are allowed.
You can't subdivide the lot or sell the ADU separately in most cases. If the house and a detached ADU meet all UDC requirements for separate lots, the property may be subdivided so each is on its own lot. [1][2][3][4]
Financing and state programs
Colorado's ADU loan help through the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (rate buydowns and credit enhancement), and DOLA's local ADU grants, work only in DOLA-certified ADU Supportive Jurisdictions. Colorado Springs was not on DOLA's certified list as of October 9, 2026, so check again before you apply. See our ADU financing guide. To compare, see our Denver page. [9][10]
Permit steps in Colorado Springs
Check your zoning and wildfire overlay
Find your zone on SpringsView, and check whether you are in the Wildland Urban Interface Overlay on the Fire Department's Wildfire Risk Assessment Site. In that overlay only an integrated ADU is allowed. [1]
Ask for a free pre-application meeting
The city encourages a pre-application meeting with a planner, which is free. Questions go to 719-385-5905 or LURPlanningInfo@coloradosprings.gov. [1][5]
Design to the ADU standards
Check size, height, setbacks, the 36-inch access path, and the rule that an attached or integrated ADU can't have its outside entrance on the front. In a Historic Preservation Overlay, you also need a Report of Acceptability. [1]
Sign the owner affidavit and covenant
Sign the Owner Residency Determination Affidavit before a notary, and record the covenant prohibiting subdivision and separate sale with the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder. Both are in the city's ADU application packet. [1][6]
Apply for a building permit at PPRBD
Submit through the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department with the city's documents. Colorado Springs Utilities checks whether it can serve the ADU during permit review. [1]
Post the public notice
City Planning issues a notice poster during plan review. Post it along your street frontage and keep it up for 14 days before the permit is issued. [1]
Pay fees and pass inspections
A DRE plan review fee and impact fees are due when the building permit is issued. Request PPRBD inspections online or at 719-327-2880. [1][7][8]
Who to call
-
Development Review Enterprise (DRE), City Planning
Which documents your ADU building permit needs: DREPlanningInfo@coloradosprings.gov
-
Planning Department, Land Use Review
Pre-application meetings, zoning and impact fee questions: LURPlanningInfo@coloradosprings.gov
-
Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD)
Building permits, plan review and inspections
-
Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU)
Utility service questions for an ADU
-
STR permits: shorttermrentals@coloradosprings.gov
Questions people ask
How big can an ADU be in Colorado Springs?
Up to 50% of the main house or 1,250 square feet, whichever is less. If your house is under 1,500 square feet, the ADU can be 750 square feet. [1]
Can I Airbnb my ADU in Colorado Springs?
No. Since June 30, 2025, no building on a property with an ADU, including the main house, can be used as a short-term rental. Some properties that already had both permits by that date can continue for now. [1][2]
Can I build a detached ADU in the wildfire overlay?
The city says no: in the Wildland Urban Interface Overlay only integrated ADUs inside the house are allowed. Colorado's ADU law, as DOLA explains it, says covered cities must allow an internal, attached or detached ADU, including in overlay districts. Confirm with City Planning what it will approve on your lot. [1][3][4]
Do I have to live on the property to build an ADU in Colorado Springs?
You must sign a notarized affidavit that you live in the main house when you apply for the permit. State law bars cities from requiring you to keep living there afterward. [4][6]
Sources (10)
- Accessory Dwelling Units, City of Colorado Springs Planning Department. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- Short Term Rental Permit, City of Colorado Springs Planning Department. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- Accessory Dwelling Units, Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Division of Local Government. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- House Bill 24-1152, Concerning Increasing the Number of Accessory Dwelling Units (Signed Act), Colorado General Assembly. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- Pre-Application Meeting Request, City of Colorado Springs Planning Department. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- Accessory Dwelling Units: Instructions for Owner Residency Determination Affidavit and Prohibition of Subdivision and Separate Sale Covenant, City of Colorado Springs Planning Department. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- Current Fee Schedules, City of Colorado Springs Planning Department. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, Pikes Peak Regional Building Department. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- ADU Supportive Jurisdictions, Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Division of Local Government. Accessed October 9, 2026.
- Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Finance Programs, Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. Accessed October 9, 2026.