Arapahoe County, Colorado Denver & the Metro

Barndominium Builders in Arapahoe County, Colorado

Most people picture Arapahoe County as Aurora, Centennial and Littleton, yet the unincorporated part that matters for a shop house lies far to the east, along I-70 toward Strasburg, Byers and Deer Trail. That is wheat ground and grazing land split into parcels of twenty acres and up, and it is where we put up barndominiums for owners who want living quarters and a working bay in one building. We design and build post frame homes when a wide clear span matters most, and steel homes when a bolted frame suits the owner better, then carry the job from drawings through the county's plan review. Unincorporated land is permitted by the Arapahoe County Building Division; septic comes from the county's Public Health department. If you are comparing barndominium contractors for a Colorado plains parcel, start the survey with the legal description and we will work out which rules attach to it before anything is drawn.

Arapahoe County at a glance

County: Arapahoe County
Building permit: County (unincorporated land)
Local facts on this page: 5, each linked to its source

Tell us about your land

Before you build in Arapahoe County

The local answers that shape a build here, each taken from the office or document that publishes it. Rules change, so we confirm them again against your parcel before drawing.

County-issued permitWho issues the permit

Arapahoe County Building Division (Public Works and Development)

The Building Division issues permits, reviews plans and inspects work only for unincorporated Arapahoe County, and asks applicants to check their jurisdiction before applying. Parcels inside Aurora, Centennial, Bennett or another municipality go to that city or town instead. Zoning sits with the county's Zoning Division and septic permits with Arapahoe County Public Health.

Source: Building - Arapahoe County, Colorado (arapahoeco.gov)

Adopted building codes: The Board of County Commissioners adopted the current codes by Resolution No. 21-394 on 1 April 2022: the 2021 International Building Code and International Residential Code. The county adopted the 2023 National Electrical Code on 9 July 2024.
New single-family home submittal: The Building Division's checklist for a new single-family home asks for a site plan, a geotechnical (soils) report, foundation and structural plans, roof truss calculations signed by a Colorado-registered design professional, and either an on-site wastewater and on-site well permit or a city water and sewer will-serve letter. A Rural Driveway Acknowledgement Affidavit applies where relevant.
Minimum lot sizes in rural zones: The county Land Development Code (May 2026 edition) sets minimum single-family lot sizes of 35 acres in the AE district, 19 acres in A-1 (Agricultural-1) and 9 acres in RR-A (Rural Residential).
Septic (OWTS) permits: Arapahoe County Public Health permits the installation, repair and use of septic systems in the county, under county OWTS regulations effective 7 May 2026. A permit is required for new installations, expansions, repairs and use, and system designers, soil evaluators and installers must hold a county licence plus NAWT certification.
Wells and septic on the eastern plains: The county's Tier 1 growth analysis (south of I-70, east of Hayesmount Road) reports that most of that area is unincorporated A-1 land, and that A-1 zoning has produced large-lot areas served by individual wells and on-site wastewater systems with a sparse road network.

Building on land near Arapahoe County

Buildable acreage in Arapahoe County means the eastern plains, not the suburbs along E-470. Out there a parcel usually runs on its own well and septic, so the soils report does double duty: it sizes the foundation and tells the septic designer what the ground will absorb. Gravel section-line roads and long private drives are normal, and the county asks about rural driveways at permit time. Metal building homes with a tall door on the leeward side handle the plains wind well. If you are shopping land near Arapahoe County's eastern edge, compare it with parcels across the line in [Elbert County](/areas/elbert-county-co/) or [Adams County](/areas/adams-county-co/). Our [site preparation](/services/site-preparation/) crew plans pad, drive and utility runs together.

Where we build in this part of Colorado

Denver & the Metro

What we build in Arapahoe County

Kits, custom plans and turnkey builds. The parcel decides the budget more than the floor area does, so we price against your land rather than a rate card.

Custom Plans

Custom barndominium plans for Colorado: floor plans drawn around your land, snow load and soils, ready for a licensed engineer's seal where required.

Barndominium Kits

Barndominium kits for Colorado land: steel or pole barn shell packages drawn to the snow load your own county or city sets for your elevation.

Turnkey Builds

Turnkey barndominium builds in Colorado: one team from land and permits through well, septic, shell and finishes to a house you move into.

See every service

Have land in or near Arapahoe County? Tell us about the parcel and what you want to build, and we will check it against the local rules before anything is drawn.

Start your build survey

Building in Arapahoe County: questions

Start the survey

How much does it cost to build a barndominium in Arapahoe County?

On the eastern plains the site line items move the total as much as the building does: well depth, the septic design your soils allow, drive length and the distance to the nearest power pole. We price against the actual parcel rather than a menu. Read the barndominium cost guide for sourced ranges and the factors behind them, then send us the parcel through the survey.

Do I need a building permit for a barndominium in Arapahoe County?

Yes. On unincorporated land the Arapahoe County Building Division reviews and permits a new home under the 2021 International Residential Code, and a barndominium with living space is a home. The submittal needs a soils report and proof of water and wastewater, which on rural land means a well permit and a septic permit from Public Health. Our permitting service puts that package together; a Colorado-licensed engineer stamps the drawings where the county calls for it.

Can barndominium kits go up near Byers or Strasburg?

They can, provided the package passes county plan review for that parcel. Trusses must come with calculations signed by a Colorado-registered design professional, and the foundation has to match the soils report, so an off-the-shelf kit drawn for another region usually needs rework. We check a package you already have or supply barndominium kits sized for the site. Confirm first that the land is unincorporated; parcels inside the Town of Bennett, for example, answer to the town.

How big does a parcel need to be for a house in rural Arapahoe County?

It depends on the zone. The county's Land Development Code sets a 19-acre minimum lot for a single-family home in A-1, the common agricultural zone east of Aurora, 35 acres in AE and 9 acres in RR-A. Check the zoning on the county's map before you make an offer, and look at our post frame homes page for layouts that suit a large lot.

Keep reading

What usually comes next once you know what Arapahoe County allows.

Barndominium Cost Guide

Sourced per-square-foot ranges by tier and size, and what moves the number on your land.

Read it

Is a Barndominium Legal in Colorado?

Zoning, septic and who inspects, before you buy the land.

Read it

How Long Does It Take?

From parcel to move-in, and which steps set the clock.

Read it

Sources for this page

The published pages behind the Arapahoe County facts above. Rules change, so check the current version with the office before you rely on it.

Barndominium builders near Arapahoe County

Nearby places we also build in. Across a city limit or a county line the permit office, zoning and septic rules can change, so each has its own page.

Aurora

Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas Counties, Colorado

Centennial

Arapahoe County, Colorado

Elbert County

Colorado county

Adams County

Colorado county

Building in Arapahoe County?

Start with the survey. Tell us where the land is and what you want on it, and we will come back with which office permits it, what it will allow, and a plan to fit.

Start the survey