Raw land in the Colorado foothills looks straightforward on a listing sheet: acreage, zoning, price per acre. In practice, the gap between a parcel that is genuinely buildable and one that will cost you years of permitting headaches is not visible from the road. This guide covers the five things we check on every land parcel before recommending an offer.
Well permits: what they mean and what they do not ¶
A well permit from the Colorado Division of Water Resources tells you that the state has authorized drilling at that location. It does not tell you how much water you will find, how deep you will need to drill, or whether the water quality will meet residential standards. In Douglas County, most residential permits are Household Use Only permits, capped at one acre-foot per year. In Teller County, you are typically drawing from fractured granite aquifer, which behaves differently from the Dawson Aquifer to the east. Always request any existing pump test results and a water quality analysis before making an offer.
Percolation tests and septic feasibility ¶
If a parcel does not have access to a municipal sewer system, you will need a septic system. Before that is possible, the soil needs to pass a percolation test, which measures how quickly water drains through the soil. Some areas of the foothills, particularly those with heavy clay content or shallow bedrock, fail perc tests entirely. A failed perc test does not necessarily kill a transaction, but it changes the economics significantly. We always ask whether a perc test has been completed and, if so, request the results before recommending an offer.
Access easements and road maintenance ¶
Many rural parcels in Douglas and Teller Counties are accessed via private roads or shared easements rather than county-maintained roads. The difference matters enormously. A county-maintained road is graded and plowed on the county's schedule. A private road is maintained by whoever owns it or by a road maintenance agreement among neighboring parcels. Before making an offer, we review the deed for access easements, confirm who is responsible for road maintenance, and ask the county road department about the maintenance status of any connecting roads.
Zoning and what it actually allows ¶
A-1 agricultural zoning in Douglas County allows a single-family residence and accessory structures on parcels of a certain minimum size. But zoning overlays, wildfire hazard designations, and floodplain boundaries can restrict what you can build and where you can build it. We contact the county planning department on every land transaction to confirm current zoning, any pending overlay changes, and whether the parcel has any recorded restrictions beyond the standard zoning code.
Mineral rights: the question most buyers forget ¶
In Colorado, mineral rights can be severed from surface rights, meaning someone else may own the rights to extract oil, gas, or minerals from beneath your land. A title search will reveal whether mineral rights have been severed, but many buyers do not think to ask. In the foothills corridor, active mineral extraction is uncommon, but severed mineral rights can affect your ability to build in certain locations and can complicate future resale. We flag this on every land transaction.
Land transactions take longer and require more due diligence than residential purchases. That is not a reason to avoid them. It is a reason to work with someone who knows what to look for. If you have questions about a specific parcel, reach out and we will take a look.