Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in Federal Heights, Colorado

Federal Heights requires a residential building permit (new construction) for: Plans must comply with the 2021 IRC/IBC as adopted and locally amended per Ordinance 23-02, and the 2018 IECC for energy compliance; Classification of Work on the application must mark 'Residential' and category '1. New Building'; All contractors must complete a City of Federal Heights Contractor Registration; subcontractors must be recorded via a Subcontractor License Form ($14.00 fee each); Plans requiring a design professional's stamp must meet the City's published Architect/Professional Engineer Seal Specifications; A zoning-district-specific Plot Plan (R-1, R-4, or R-5 template) is required as part of submittal; Multi-agency sign-off required on the application: Building, Public Works, Fire Dept., Storm Water, Engineering, and Zoning. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Federal Heights Building Department at 303-412-3526 before starting work.

In Federal Heights, the published Building Permit Fee — valuation $1.00 to $500.00 is: $23.50. Additional published fees: Building Permit Fee — valuation $501.00 to $2,000.00 — $23.50 for the first $500 plus $3.05 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation $2,001.00 to $25,000.00 — $69.25 for the first $2,000 plus $14.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation $25,001.00 to $50,000.00 — $391.75 for the first $25,000 plus $10.10 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation $50,001.00 to $100,000.00 — $643.75 for the first $50,000 plus $7.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation $100,001.00 to $500,000.00 — $993.75 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation $500,001.00 to $1,000,000.00 — $3,233.75 for the first $500,000 plus $4.75 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; Building Permit Fee — valuation $1,000,001.00 and up — $5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.65 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; Plan Review Fee — 65% of Building Permit Fee; Building Use Tax — 4% of estimated materials cost (materials estimated at 50% of total valuation; effective ~2% of total valuation); Subcontractor Fee — $14.00 per subcontractor. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

The City does not publish a specific numeric turnaround time for residential building permit review. Colorado is a home-rule state with no statewide review-time statute, and Federal Heights' website, fee schedule, and application form do not state an SLA for this permit type.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (City of Federal Heights, 2022 fillable PDF); Plot Plan (zoning-district-specific template: R-1, R-4, or R-5); Construction Plans (Architect/Engineer-sealed where required). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Federal Heights requires 4 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction), in order: Foundation, Framing, Rough Mechanical/Plumbing, Final Inspection. 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.

The City of Federal Heights Building Department (2380 W. 90th Ave.) issues building, mechanical, and plumbing permits for all work within city limits, using a single unified Building Permit Application covering categories like New Building, Addition, Repair/Replace, and more. Electrical permits and inspections are handled entirely by the State of Colorado DORA Electrical Board, not the City.