Selling a Jeffco Foothills Home in Winter: A Prep Checklist
The short answer
You can sell well in winter if buyers can get in easily and your paperwork is ready. In Jefferson County, start the septic Use Permit early (the exemption is now only for systems installed less than a year before closing), keep the driveway and walks clear, know who plows your road, and gather radon and well records.
1. Start the septic Use Permit early
Jefferson County's OWTS Regulations took effect June 15, 2026. If your home is on septic, you generally need a Use Permit before the sale. The new rule exempts only systems installed and approved less than one year before closing. (The county's Use Permit web page still describes an older five-year exemption; the regulation is what governs. Call Environmental Health Services at 303-232-6301 if unsure.)
The application needs a septic tank inspection from the past 12 months (with pumping receipt when applicable) and a soil treatment area report from the past 6 months, among other items. The permit is good until closing or 6 months, whichever comes first. Snow can limit what the inspector sees, so earlier is better.
2. Make access easy
- Clear the driveway, walks and parking. The plow's leftover berm at your driveway is yours to clear, and Jeffco can warn or ticket for pushing snow onto county roads.
- Know your road: county, private, or HOA. Jeffco doesn't plow private roads and doesn't plow or sand mountain areas from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Buyers will ask.
- Have your road maintenance agreement ready if the road is private.
3. Have records ready
- Radon: Colorado law (C.R.S. 38-35.7-112) requires you to disclose known radon test results and any mitigation.
- Well: past water tests and service records.
- Utilities: 12 months of heating bills and the age of your furnace or boiler.
4. Thinking about updates first?
See my remodel-before-selling guide, or get a starting number from my home valuation page.
FAQ
Do I need a septic inspection to sell in Jefferson County? Generally yes. Under the 2026 OWTS Regulations, you need a Use Permit before the sale unless the system was installed and approved less than one year before closing.
How long is a Jeffco septic Use Permit good for? Until closing or 6 months, whichever comes first.
Do I have to disclose radon when selling in Colorado? Yes, known radon test results and mitigation must be disclosed under C.R.S. 38-35.7-112.
Let's talk
Thinking about listing this winter? I'll put together a prep plan for your property, from the septic permit to showings. Contact me here.
Braden Wahr, The Apollo Group
