Fire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm System Permit in Federal Heights, Colorado

Federal Heights requires a fire sprinkler and fire alarm system permit for: Governed by the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) as adopted by the City via Ordinance 23-02 (this file's own verified codesAdopted entry) — NOTE: the Fire Department's own 'Fire Prevention' subpage separately states the department has 'adopted the 2015 International Fire Code,' which conflicts with the ordinance-verified 2021 IFC edition already established elsewhere in this file; treated here as a stale/unrevised webpage reference rather than the governing text, consistent with this file's practice of trusting the primary ordinance over a summary page that may lag a code update (see the analogous NEC-edition discrepancy pattern documented for peer Colorado jurisdictions in this corpus); Fire sprinkler systems (referencing NFPA 13/13D/13R by standard cross-reference in the adopted IFC) and fire alarm systems (referencing NFPA 72) are reviewed by the Fire Department's Fire Prevention Division prior to issuance of the related construction permit; New automatic fire sprinkler system installations are billed by square footage; modification of an existing fire alarm system is a separate, flat-fee line item — both are itemized in the City's 2024 Fee Schedule (Resolution No. 24-03) under 'Fire Alarm Systems' and 'Fire Permits - General'; Fire Dept. sign-off is one of six required agency blocks (Building, Public Works, Fire Dept., Storm Water, Engineering, Zoning) printed on the City's standard multi-agency Building Permit Application — fire protection systems installed as part of new construction or tenant finish are reviewed by the Fire Department concurrently with the general building permit application, rather than through a wholly separate permitting track (a materially different posture from Edgewater's model, where an independent fire district runs its own separate permit/fee/inspection process); All businesses in the City are separately subject to an annual Fire Safety Inspection ('All businesses within the City are inspected by the fire department annually to ensure compliance with the code') distinct from system-installation plan review — initial inspection and first re-inspection are free; subsequent re-inspections are $75.00/hour (minimum one hour), due within 30 days; Operating a fire protection system, or conducting fire-permit-regulated operations, without first obtaining the required permit or prior approval is billed at double the original permit fee, per the 2024 Fee Schedule. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Federal Heights Building Department at 303-412-3526 before starting work.

Per the City's 2024 Fee Schedule (Resolution No. 24-03), installation of a new automatic fire sprinkler system is billed at $0.20 per square foot. Modification of an existing fire alarm system is a flat $75.00. Fire-only plan review, where separately billed, is $100.00 per hour.

Federal Heights does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Federal Heights Building Department at 303-412-3526 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Fire Sprinkler/Alarm Permit Application; Building Permit Application (concurrent submittal referencing fire-protection scope). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Federal Heights requires 1 inspection(s) for a fire sprinkler and fire alarm system permit, in order: Final Inspection (fire sprinkler/alarm system). Schedule each through City of Federal Heights Building Department (303-412-3526).

Apply through City of Federal Heights Building Department at 2380 W. 90th Ave., Federal Heights, CO 80260. Phone: 303-412-3526, email: building@fedheights.org. Office hours: 7:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Tuesday-Friday, excluding holidays (closed Mondays). After-hours non-emergency line: 303-428-8833. Fax: 303-412-3598. Key staff: Director Tim Williams (303-412-3558); Building Official Drew Leckman (303-412-3562); Permit Technician Karen Jackson (303-412-3527, also the inspection-scheduling line at 303-412-3534).. Official information: https://www.fedheights.org/building.

Federal Heights, Colorado has adopted: 2021 International Building Code (IBC), amended — adopted by City Council via Ordinance 23-02 (March 7, 2023), effective April 15, 2023 based on permit application date; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), amended — Ordinance 23-02; 2021 International Fire Code (IFC), amended — Ordinance 23-02; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — Ordinance 23-02; 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC), amended — Ordinance 23-02; 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), including appendices A, B and C — DRIFT FIX 2026-07-23: prior entry incorrectly said '2021 IFGC'; the actual text of Ordinance 23-02 §1(6) (verified directly against the ordinance PDF via Municode) and the current Municode codification (Sec. 10-16(6), Supp. 42, online content updated May 28, 2026) both read 'International Fuel Gas Code, 2018 Edition' — Federal Heights retained the 2018 IFGC alongside the 2018 IECC rather than elevating it to 2021 with the rest of the 2021-cycle codes in Ordinance 23-02; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — Ordinance 23-02; 2021 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) — Ordinance 23-02; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — Ordinance 23-02; 2021 International Green Construction Code (IgCC) — Ordinance 23-02; 2021 ICC Performance Code (ICCPC) — Ordinance 23-02; 2021 NFPA 101 Life Safety Code — Ordinance 23-02; 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), amended — City's Adopted Technical Codes page states explicitly this edition 'will remain adopted as the 2018 edition' rather than upgrading to 2021 alongside the other 2021-cycle codes in Ordinance 23-02; Prior code cycle for reference: 2018 ICC Codes were adopted January 19, 2021 via Ordinance 21-01, effective February 1, 2021 (superseded by Ordinance 23-02 for all codes except IECC); NEC (National Electrical Code) edition not separately confirmed on the City's own pages: electrical permitting and inspection in Federal Heights is administered entirely by the State of Colorado (DORA State Electrical Board), not adopted/enforced locally as a city code — see localAmendments for detail. Local amendments apply — see the Federal Heights overview page for the full list.

No. Unlike some peer Denver-metro Colorado cities that rely on an independent special fire protection district, Federal Heights has its own municipal Fire Department, and its Fire Prevention Division performs fire-system plan review, permitting, and inspection in-house, concurrently with the standard multi-agency Building Permit Application.