Costilla County vs Navajo County: Land Rules Compared Before You Buy
If you are comparing our land in Colorado with our land in Arizona, the first thing to know is that the county rules are not the same — and a plan that works in one county may not work in the other. Do not carry a rule from one county across the state line and assume it applies.
Here is the side-by-side, as I understand the rules today. Where I do not have a confirmed rule for a county, I say so below — I would rather leave a blank than invent one.
Camping In Costilla County, Colorado, you can camp on the land up to 14 days in any 3-month period with no permit. For longer stays, the county issues camping permits for up to 180 days, and up to a year with an active building permit. That is the rule as I understand it from the county, and it is the one I would confirm with the county planning office before counting on it. In Navajo County, Arizona, I do not have a confirmed camping rule to give you. Do not assume the Costilla camping rules apply in Arizona. Ask Navajo County directly what camping is allowed on a specific lot, and for how long, before you plan a stay.
Building — what you can build In Costilla County, site-built homes have a 600 sq ft minimum on a permanent foundation. Manufactured homes are allowed if they are 1976 or newer, state-certified, and on a permanent foundation. Tiny homes under 600 sq ft, container homes, and pallet structures are not allowed. There is no deadline to pull a building permit — buy now, build when ready. In Navajo County, I do not have a confirmed minimum dwelling size, manufactured-home rule, or tiny-home rule to give you. A building permit is required in Navajo County, but do not assume the Costilla dwelling rules carry over. Ask the county what is allowed on that specific lot.
Building — order of work In Navajo County, the county does not allow a shed or structure on vacant land before the primary dwelling — a storage shed comes only once construction documents are submitted and a building permit is opened. That order matters: if your plan starts with "put a shed up first," it will not work that way in Navajo County. In Costilla County, I do not have a confirmed rule to give you about putting a shed or structure up before the primary dwelling. Ask Costilla County planning before counting on any order of work. In both counties, a building permit is required before you build. In Costilla County, construction permits renew yearly, so a build that stretches across years needs renewals.
Septic In both counties, on-site septic is required, and the system must be installed and inspected before occupancy. A soil test is part of that process. In Costilla County, septic needs its own permit (an OWTS permit). In Navajo County, on-site septic is required, with a soil test, installed and inspected before hookup or occupancy.
Water In both counties, there is no municipal water on our parcels. The usual options are the same in outline: drill a permitted well, use a cistern, or haul water. The permit authority is different — in Colorado, well permits go through the Colorado Division of Water Resources; in Arizona, through the Arizona Department of Water Resources. In Colorado, a household-use well permit can also depend on whether the subdivision sits under a court-approved augmentation plan, so eligibility has to be verified for the specific lot. In both counties, verify water for the specific lot with the county and the water authority before you buy — do not assume a well is available just because a neighbour has one.
Power In both counties, most rural parcels have no grid power, and owners typically run solar with battery storage. In Costilla County, the local provider is the San Luis Valley Rural Electric cooperative, and a few parcels have power lines nearby — when that is the case it is noted on the parcel page, and a connection still has to be arranged with the provider. In Navajo County, where grid power exists it is through APS or Navopache Electric — and the county only allows power after a valid primary-dwelling and septic permit, not to vacant land first. Do not plan on grid power to a vacant lot in Navajo County. In both counties, never assume power is at the lot. Power nearby, power in the area, and power at the lot are three different things.
The practical difference Costilla County is the county I can give you the most detail on — camping, dwelling size, permits, and water rules are the ones buyers ask about most, and they are the ones I have confirmed. Navajo County is the county to ask more questions about before you buy: camping, minimum dwelling size, and the order of work beyond the shed rule are all things to confirm with the county, not to assume from the Colorado rules.
If you are looking at one of our parcels and want to talk through which county's rules would apply to your plan, tell me which parcel and what you plan to use it for, and I will send you the details for that parcel. And as always: check the county's rules for what you want to do, and walk the parcel yourself before you decide.
Comparison at a glance
| Topic | Costilla County, CO | Navajo County, AZ |
|---|---|---|
| Camping, no permit | Up to 14 days in any 3-month period | Not confirmed — check with the county |
| Camping, with permit | Up to 180 days; up to a year with an active building permit | Not confirmed — check with the county |
| Minimum dwelling | 600 sq ft, site-built, permanent foundation | Not confirmed — check with the county |
| Manufactured homes | Allowed if 1976 or newer, state-certified, permanent foundation | Not confirmed — check with the county |
| Tiny / container / pallet homes | Not allowed (under 600 sq ft) | Not confirmed — check with the county |
| Building permit | Required; construction permits renew yearly | Required |
| Shed before primary dwelling | Not confirmed — check with the county | Not allowed; storage shed only once construction docs submitted and building permit opened |
| Septic | OWTS permit; installed + inspected before occupancy; soil test | Required; soil test; installed + inspected before hookup/occupancy |
| Water | No municipal water; well (CO Division of Water Resources permit), cistern, or haul; augmentation-plan eligibility may apply | No municipal water; well (AZ Dept of Water Resources permit), cistern, or haul |
| Power | Mostly off-grid, solar typical; San Luis Valley REC where lines exist | Mostly off-grid, solar typical; APS or Navopache where grid exists; power only after valid primary-dwelling + septic permit, not to vacant land first |