Buying land in Denver County, Colorado: what to check

What to check before buying land in Denver County

Ordered by what Denver County's numbers point to. Every parcel differs, so treat this as where to look first.

1. 1.Put flood checks first in Denver County

   47% of the county's area is in the 1%-annual-chance (100-year) floodplain FEMA's National Risk Index uses for inland flooding; 2.8% of its mapped soils flood occasionally or frequently. FEMA rates Denver County's river-flooding risk relatively high.

   Look up the FEMA flood zone at the pin, not the parcel's address. If any of the land is in zone A or V, price flood insurance before you offer, ask for an elevation certificate, and check whether the access road floods too.

   Guide: Flood zones before buying land

2. 2.Budget for a perc test and maybe an engineered septic

   USDA rates 68% of Denver County's mapped soils "very limited" for conventional septic absorption fields and 5.4% "not limited".

   Without city sewer you need a septic permit from the county or state health department. Make the offer contingent on a passing soil or perc test; mound and aerobic systems can cost several times a conventional one.

   Guide: Perc tests and septic systems

3. 3.Find out where the water comes from

   At least half of Denver County was in severe drought (D2) or worse in 27% of the 262 weekly U.S. Drought Monitor maps from 2021 to 2026. Colorado allocates water by permit or water right, so a well or pond isn't automatic.

   Ask whether the land has a public water connection, an existing well (and its log and yield), or neighbors' well depths from the state well database. For a new well, check permits and typical depth with the state agency first.

   Guide: Wells, public water and water rights

4. 4.Sanity-check the price per acre

   Farm real estate in Denver County averaged $122,408 an acre including buildings in the 2022 Census of Agriculture, and 9.9% of its mapped soils are prime or of statewide importance.

   Compare the asking price with recent sales of similar tracts, not the county average, which mixes cropland, pasture, timber and homesites. If an ag tax valuation applies, ask what the rollback taxes would be if you change the use.

   Guide: Land due diligence checklist

5. 5.Confirm access, utilities and zoning

   The 2020 Census classified 28% of Denver County's land area as rural.

   Rural tracts are often sold without recorded access or a power line nearby. Get the title company to confirm a recorded easement or public road frontage, and ask the electric co-op what a line extension costs.

   Guide: Zoning and deed restrictions

6. 6.Rule out wetlands on the part you'll use

   About under 1% of Denver County's mapped soils are hydric (formed under saturated conditions, a federal wetland indicator) and under 1% are poorly or very poorly drained (USDA SSURGO).

   Open the National Wetlands Inventory mapper at the parcel. Filling or draining a wetland can need a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit, and wet ground limits septic fields and building pads.

   Guide: Wetlands on land for sale