Custer County Custom Home Builders Guide (2025)

Valor Develops
5 days ago
6 min read

Everything You Need to Know About Building a Home in Westcliffe & Silver Cliff, Colorado

By Valor Development

If you’re thinking about building a home in Westcliffe, Silver Cliff, or anywhere in the Wet Mountain Valley, you’re in good company. More people — retirees, families, remote professionals, ranchers, and off-grid dreamers — are discovering this valley every year. They come for the quiet. They stay for the views. And they all say the same thing:

“There’s no place like this anywhere in Colorado.”

And they’re right.

Where else do you get 300+ days of sun, 14,000-foot peaks in your backyard, high-elevation privacy, wildlife you can set your watch to, and a community that still waves back?

But building here isn’t like building in Colorado Springs or Denver.

It’s different.
Remote.
Beautiful.
Sometimes unpredictable.

Those differences are exactly why this guide was created.

Whether you’re scrolling social media, doing early research, or deep into planning, this Custer County Custom Home Builders Guide (2025) is designed to help you avoid costly mistakes, set clear expectations, and understand how building in the Wet Mountain Valley truly works.

Think of this as your field guide — practical, local, and rooted in real conditions, not fantasy marketing.

Why This Guide Matters (And Who It’s For)

This guide is for:

Anyone researching how to build a home in Westcliffe or Silver Cliff
Anyone relocating from out of state
Anyone comparing custom homes, modular barns, steel buildings, or barndominiums
Anyone thinking about off-grid living
Anyone looking to understand land, wells, septic, zoning, or timeline realities
Anyone who wants to start a Colorado mountain build with eyes wide open

Building in Custer County: What Makes This Region Unique

Between the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the rolling foothills of the Wet Mountain Valley, Custer County sits at roughly 7,800–9,000 feet in elevation. That affects nearly everything about a home build.

Elevation Impacts:

Snow load engineering
Roof pitch requirements
Foundation depth
Wind ratings
Solar performance
Battery efficiency
Heating strategies
Concrete delivery and curing
Material staging logistics

This area also includes geological and wildlife factors that impact build plans:

Soil types change dramatically within a quarter mile
Wildlife corridors affect fencing and land use
Drainage matters — especially on slopes
Driveway design influences insurance and emergency access

Credible sources:

Colorado Geological Survey – https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org

Colorado Parks & Wildlife – https://cpw.state.co.us

1. Zoning & Permits: Your First Stop Before Anything Else

Custer County’s zoning and permitting process is clear, structured, and strictly enforced. Before you buy land — or even think about breaking ground — you’ll want to study:

Zoning designations (A, RR, Commercial, etc.)
Allowed uses on the parcel
Setbacks and easements
Building permit requirements
Access and driveway standards
Fire mitigation requirements
Variance process (when needed)

Official Source:

Custer County Planning & Zoning

https://www.custercounty-co.gov/pz

Why this matters to new home builders:

Zoning determines everything from your home footprint to livestock rights to accessory structures. Don’t rely on hearsay. Always check the county directly.

2. Water Wells & Water Rights — Know This Early

In rural Custer County, wells are critical. Depths and yields vary widely depending on geography, slope, and underlying rock.

Before drilling a well, you must:

Obtain a well permit from the Colorado Division of Water Resources
Understand the type of well allowed (domestic, household-use only, livestock, etc.)
Understand augmentation needs (in certain zones)
Plan for water storage if off-grid

If you’re coming from another state, know this: Colorado water rights behave differently than anywhere else in the U.S.

3. Septic / OWTS: Designing for Mountain Soil

Custer County follows Colorado’s statewide Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (OWTS) standards:

Soil testing
Tank sizing
Leach field design
Alternative systems (when needed)
Permits and inspections
Repairs or replacements on older systems

Official Source:

Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) –

https://cdphe.colorado.gov/OWTS

Mountain soil, clay layers, slope, and water tables all impact system design. Plan accordingly — both for budget and timeline.

4. Power, Solar, Propane, & Off-Grid Options

One of the best things about the Wet Mountain Valley is your ability to choose:

Grid-Connected Homes:

Served primarily by Sangre de Cristo Electric Association.

Off-Grid Homes:

Solar + battery banks
Propane for heating and cooking
Backup generators
Cisterns
Gravity-fed systems
Wood/coal stoves

If you’re building off-grid, plan early for:

Winter sunlight angles
Battery performance at subzero temps
Snow removal for solar
Load management
Backup generation

Off-grid builds require more upfront planning, more engineering, and careful budgeting — but it is absolutely possible here.

5. Access, Roads & Driveways — A Bigger Deal Than Most Realize

Driveways must meet certain county standards for:

Width
Grade
Snow access
Turnarounds
Drainage
Emergency vehicles

A beautiful parcel can become expensive quickly if the driveway is long, steep, or requires excavation. Always walk the access route and ask:

“Can this be plowed in winter? Year after year?”

6. Building at Elevation — Material, Engineering & Weather Realities

Custer County requires homes built to mountain standards:

Higher roof pitches
Specific snow loads
Wind-rated materials
Reinforced trusses
Frost-depth foundations
Fire-resistant materials
Required defensible space

Official Source:

Colorado State Forest Service Wildfire Mitigation – https://csfs.colostate.edu

Winter storms can also influence:

Concrete delivery
Framing timelines
Material staging
Road access
Labor availability

This is why local experience matters.

7. Choosing a Builder: What Questions to Ask

Building here is not like building in the suburbs. You want a builder who knows:

Elevation requirements
Local inspectors
Local subcontractors
Lead times for materials
Seasonal timing
Off-grid engineering
Soil and drainage challenges
Snow, wind, and wildfire realities
Rural construction logistics

8. Custom Homes, Barndominiums & Steel Buildings — What Works Best Here?

Custer County supports a wide variety of build types:

Traditional Custom Homes

Ideal for families, full-time residents
Fully customizable
Works well with grid or off-grid

Barndominiums / Hybrid Barn-Home Builds

Durable
Large interior spans
Efficient construction timelines
Ideal for multi-use living (garage + home)

Rigid-Frame Steel Buildings (Shops, Barns, Homes)

High wind resistance
Snow load strength
Low long-term maintenance
Fast erection timelines

The key is choosing the build type that matches your lifestyle and your land.

9. Budget Planning & Cost Realities in Rural Colorado

Everything depends on:

Driveway length
Excavation complexity
Well depth
Septic system design
Material delivery cost
Engineering
Build type
Weather delays
Material choices
Contractor experience

We can include real cost ranges if you’d like — but only factual, verified ones. You decide.

10. Timeline: What a Typical Build Looks Like

A realistic build sequence in Custer County:

Land due diligence
Zoning confirmation
Site visit with builder
Survey
Well + septic plan
Engineering
Construction loan (if applicable)
Permitting
Site prep
Foundation
Framing
Roofing
Rough-ins
Inspections
Interior finishes
CO (Certificate of Occupancy)

Weather can adjust timing, but good planning minimizes surprises.

11. Off-Grid Living: A Practical Guide

For many buyers, the dream is privacy and independence. Custer County makes that dream possible. You’ll want to plan early for:

Solar sizing and battery design
Generators
Propane tanks (buried or above ground)
Cisterns
Backup heating
Internet options (Starlink, Elevate, local ISP availability)
Water pump strategies for off-grid wells

Off-grid requires precision — but it is absolutely doable.

12. Key Contacts & Trusted Government Resources

These are the ONLY sources you should rely on for legal, zoning, and regulatory information: Or call Valor, your local builder that knows Custer County, CO.

Custer County Planning & Zoning

https://www.custercounty-co.gov/pz

Colorado Division of Water Resources

https://dwr.colorado.gov/services/well-permitting

Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (Septic / OWTS)

https://cdphe.colorado.gov/OWTS

Colorado Geological Survey

https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org

Colorado State Forest Service

https://csfs.colostate.edu

Colorado Parks & Wildlife

https://cpw.state.co.us