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Commercial Tenant Improvement / Nonresidential Permit in Brighton, Colorado

Required for commercial, industrial, retail, and other nonresidential building permits in Brighton, including tenant improvements (TI). Reviewed under the 2021 IBC as locally adopted. A higher plan review deposit applies for larger-scope commercial/industrial/multi-unit projects and TIs.

Verified 2026-07-06 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Plans must comply with the 2021 IBC as adopted by the City of Brighton
  • Permit Checklist: Com, Ind, MF document set applies
  • $500.00 plan review deposit due at application submittal for new Commercial/Industrial/Multi-unit plan review or TIs greater than $25,000 in valuation
  • Temporary Certificate of Occupancy available for commercial projects at $200.00, with $100.00 for each 30-day renewal
  • Foundation Only Permit available for commercial projects at a flat $600.00

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee (unified valuation-based schedule)2026 Community Development Fee Schedule (Attachment 4)
$23.50 minimum, scaling per the valuation tiers in the 2026 Community Development Fee Schedule
Plan Review Fee
65% of Permit Fee
Plan Review Deposit — New Commercial/Industrial/Multi-unit Plan Review or TI's greater than $25,000Due at application submittal; applied toward final plan review fee
$500.00
Foundation Only Permit (Commercial)
$600.00
Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (Commercial)
$200.00, plus $100.00 for every 30-day renewal
Construction Use Tax
3.75% of 50% of total project valuation

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial Tenant Improvement / Nonresidential Permit permit actually take in Brighton?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Foundation

    Before concrete pour

  2. 2

    Framing

    Structural framing complete before cover

  3. 3

    Rough Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical

    Trade rough-ins before concealment

  4. 4

    Final Inspection

    All work complete per approved plans and applicable codes; required for Certificate of Occupancy issuance

See the full Brighton inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Tenant improvements over $25,000 in valuation trigger the higher $500 plan review deposit (vs. $200 for custom residential) — budget this cash-flow timing into your project schedule.
  • A Foundation Only Permit ($600 flat) lets commercial projects start foundation work before the full building plan set is approved — useful for fast-tracking site work on larger commercial builds.

Frequently asked questions

Brighton requires a commercial tenant improvement / nonresidential permit for: Plans must comply with the 2021 IBC as adopted by the City of Brighton; Permit Checklist: Com, Ind, MF document set applies; $500.00 plan review deposit due at application submittal for new Commercial/Industrial/Multi-unit plan review or TIs greater than $25,000 in valuation; Temporary Certificate of Occupancy available for commercial projects at $200.00, with $100.00 for each 30-day renewal; Foundation Only Permit available for commercial projects at a flat $600.00. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Brighton Community Development Department, Permitting Division at 303-655-2017 before starting work.

In Brighton, the published Building Permit Fee (unified valuation-based schedule) is: $23.50 minimum, scaling per the valuation tiers in the 2026 Community Development Fee Schedule. Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee — 65% of Permit Fee; Plan Review Deposit — New Commercial/Industrial/Multi-unit Plan Review or TI's greater than $25,000 — $500.00; Foundation Only Permit (Commercial) — $600.00; Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (Commercial) — $200.00, plus $100.00 for every 30-day renewal; Construction Use Tax — 3.75% of 50% of total project valuation. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Brighton does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Brighton Community Development Department, Permitting Division at 303-655-2017 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application — Commercial/TI scope; Permit Checklist: Com, Ind, MF; Commercial CO Checklist. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Brighton requires 4 inspection(s) for a commercial tenant improvement / nonresidential permit, in order: Foundation, Framing, Rough Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical, Final Inspection. Schedule each through City of Brighton Community Development Department, Permitting Division (303-655-2017).

Apply through City of Brighton Community Development Department, Permitting Division at 500 S 4th Avenue, Brighton, CO 80601. Phone: 303-655-2017, email: 1stop@brightonco.gov. Office hours: City of Brighton main line 303-655-2000; Building Permit Counter direct line 303-655-2017; Homeowner Inspection Line 303-655-2151; Community Development general line 303-655-2072. City Hall closes at noon on Fridays, and all Community Development functions (planning and zoning, permitting and inspections) end at noon on Fridays as well.. Official information: https://www.brightonco.gov/222/Permitting.

Brighton, Colorado has adopted: 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — City of Brighton 'Building Code Editions, Design Loads, Etc.' sheet, Codes & Information page; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC); 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC); 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2021 International Fire Code (IFC); 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); 2021 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC); 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC); 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC); ICC A117-17 (Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities); Effective date of the 2021 I-Code revisions: January 1, 2023. Effective date of the 2023 NEC adoption: July 1, 2023 — both per the City's own published 'Building Code Editions, Design Loads, Etc.' sheet (Codes & Information page), which is treated as the current, governing adopted-code list for this file.; Note on code-page currency: Brighton's Municode-hosted Chapter 15, Article 15-12 ('National Electrical Code') still codifies the '2005 National Electrical Code' verbatim in its Municode text — this is a known lag between the codified ordinance text on Municode and the live, actively-maintained Codes & Information page, which explicitly states the 2023 NEC is adopted effective 7/1/2023. The live department page is treated as authoritative for current code edition, consistent with the same lag pattern documented for other Colorado home-rule jurisdictions in this corpus (e.g. Vail's Minimum Submittal Requirements PDFs).. Local amendments apply — see the Brighton overview page for the full list.

$500.00 is due at application submittal for new Commercial/Industrial/Multi-unit plan review or for tenant improvements greater than $25,000 in valuation, applied toward the final 65%-of-permit-fee plan review charge due at issuance.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-06.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Brighton building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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Commercial Tenant Improvement / Nonresidential Permit in other cities

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