Colorado Springs ADUs need the city and building-permit path

Adding a backyard unit in Colorado Springs got simpler in 2025, but it is still a real permit project, not a weekend build.

The 2025 ADU ordinance swept aside the older accessory dwelling and accessory family suite rules. In their place is one set of standards for ADUs on lots that already hold a single-family detached home. You have a few shapes to choose from: attached, integrated into the main house, or a separate detached structure. Whichever you pick, a compliant ADU is authorized through a building permit handled by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department.

A handful of other pieces can shape the timeline. The city wants its own documentation on file, and Colorado Springs Utilities reviews whether existing service can carry the new unit. Public notice goes out before the permit issues, so neighbors hear about it. If the lot sits inside a historic overlay district, the design draws an extra layer of review.

The short-term-rental limit reaches the whole property. Under the current rule, adding an ADU generally means no building there, including the main house, may be used as a short-term rental. A property that legally had both an ADU and a short-term rental on or before June 30, 2025 may continue those nonconforming uses until the use changes or the rental permit expires, is withdrawn, or otherwise ends.

Confirm what the specific lot allows before paying for plans. The city ADU and short-term-rental pages explain the land-use rules; PPRBD and Colorado Springs Utilities handle the building and service questions.