Northglenn building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Northglenn, Colorado.
Last verified 2026-07-05 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 11701 Community Center Drive, Northglenn, CO 80233
- Phone
- 303.450.8745
- Office hours
- Weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except holidays; Inspection Request Line 303.450.8748 (call before 4 p.m. for next-work-day scheduling)
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Northglenn's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Northglenn — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.
Codes adopted
Colorado has no statewide-mandated building code edition. Under the Colorado Constitution's home-rule provisions (art. XX, home rule for municipalities since 1902; home rule for counties since 1970), building codes and zoning are an enumerated home-rule charter power, so cities and counties adopt and amend their own construction codes independently — predominantly the I-Codes, with editions and local amendments varying by jurisdiction. The one statewide floor is for energy: HB22-1362 (2022) created the Energy Code Board (jointly appointed by the Colorado Energy Office and the Department of Local Affairs) and requires that, on or after July 1, 2023 and before July 1, 2026, any municipality or county that adopts or updates a building code must adopt and enforce an energy code achieving performance equivalent to or better than the 2021 IECC together with the board's Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code (which includes electric-ready, EV-ready, and solar-ready provisions); from July 1, 2026 onward the floor shifts to the board's Model Low Energy and Carbon Code or an equivalent. Electrical and plumbing permitting defaults to the Colorado State Electrical Board and State Plumbing Board (within DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations) — the state issues permits and inspects statewide except in counties/jurisdictions that operate their own certified Electrical or Plumbing Inspection Program, in which case the local program has authority instead. Always confirm the currently adopted code edition, local amendments, and inspection authority (state board vs. local program) with the specific jurisdiction before submitting plans.
- 2021 International Building Code (IBC), adopted by reference and locally amended — City of Northglenn Building Division code list, https://www.northglenn.org/government/departments/building/index.php
- 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), adopted by reference and locally amended, including a locally-filled Table R301.2(1) Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria — source PDF: https://cms7files.revize.com/northglennco/IRC%202021.pdf
- 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC)
- 2021 International Fire Code (IFC)
- 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC)
- 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC)
- 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC)
- 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
- 2021 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC)
- 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC)
- 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), adopted by reference and locally amended
- 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities
- 1997 Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, as amended
- Municode Northglenn Chapter 10 (Building Regulations) governs adoption: Article 10-1 (Building Department administration), Article 10-2 (IBC amendments), Article 10-7 (IFGC), Article 10-8 (IRC amendments), Article 10-11 (IECC), Article 10-16 (IPMC), Article 10-17 (IEBC), Article 10-18 (Contractor Licenses) — https://municode.northglenn.org/ch10/chapter_10.html
- NOTE (per City's own Building Division page): Northglenn is scheduled to adopt the suite of 2024 ICC codes by summer 2026 and the 2026 NEC immediately following State of Colorado adoption (slated for adoption August 2026) — confirm current edition in force at time of permitting
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for new single-family homes and similar new residential construction in Northglenn. Reviewed under the 2021 IRC/IBC as locally amended (including Northglenn's own Table R301.2(1) climatic/geographic design criteria) by the City's Building Division, operated under contract by SAFEbuilt. Falls under the CommunityCore 'Plan Review Permit' track.
Residential Addition / Remodel Permit
Required for additions, pop-tops, basement finishes, detached garages, decks/carports, and interior remodels in Northglenn. Reviewed under the 2021 IRC as locally amended. Routed through CommunityCore's 'Plan Review Permit' track.
Electrical Permit
Required for electrical modifications, service upgrades, and panel changeouts in Northglenn. Governed by the 2023 NEC as locally adopted and amended. Standalone electrical work (Electrical Only, service upgrades, panel changeouts) is categorized as a 'One-Stop/Quick Permit' in CommunityCore, issued without a plan upload. Residential electrical permits are billed on a distinct area-based fee schedule rather than the general valuation table.
Plumbing Permit
Required for plumbing modifications, sump pumps, and lawn sprinkler backflow devices in Northglenn. Governed by the 2021 IPC as locally amended (gas test pressure amended to 10 PSIG, minimum sewer depth amended to 12 inches). Standalone plumbing work is categorized as a 'One-Stop/Quick Permit' in CommunityCore.
Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for furnace, boiler, air conditioning, mini-split, heat pump, and swamp cooler installation or replacement in Northglenn. Governed by the 2021 IMC and IFGC as locally adopted. Most standalone HVAC equipment swaps are categorized as 'One-Stop/Quick Permits' in CommunityCore.
Roofing Permit (Reroof)
Required for re-roofing or roof re-cover work in Northglenn. Governed by 2021 IBC/IRC local roofing provisions. Roofing is categorized as a 'One-Stop/Quick Permit' in CommunityCore, issued same-visit without a plan upload.
Solar PV Permit
Required for solar panel installation in Northglenn. Governed by the 2021 IBC/IRC and 2023 NEC as locally adopted. Unlike most standalone electrical work, PV Systems (commercial and residential) are categorized as a 'Plan Review Permit' in CommunityCore, requiring documents uploaded before submittal.
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit
Required for construction of an ADU in Northglenn, governed by a detailed Planning & Development / Building Division joint guidance document covering zoning eligibility, size limits, ownership rules, utility requirements, and building-code-specific ADU provisions under the 2021 IRC/IBC as adopted.
Demolition Permit
Required for demolition of structures or building interiors in Northglenn, listed under both 'Outside' and 'Inside' categories on the City's 'Do I Need a Permit?' page.
Fence / Retaining Wall Permit
Required for all fences (only minor picket repair is exempt) and for retaining walls 4 feet or more from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall in Northglenn.
EV Charger Permit
The City of Northglenn's Building Division lists "EV Chargers" as its own distinct category among the "One-Stop Permits Available Through Community Core" — the same same-visit, no-plan-review track used for water heaters, furnaces, and electrical service upgrades. It is listed separately from the "Electrical Only" one-stop category, but the City does not publish a separate EV-specific dollar fee; the Building Division's published fee schedule breaks out Residential Electrical Permit fees by enclosed living area rather than by equipment type, and EV charger installations are billed on that same area-based Electrical Permit table.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-05)
- No data reported
- Trailing 12 months
- No data reported
- Year to date
- No data reported
- Latest full year
- No data reported
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Colorado building activity
Tips & gotchas
- Northglenn's Building Division is operated under contract by SAFEbuilt since 2009, with SAFEbuilt staff working out of a satellite office inside City Hall (11701 Community Center Drive) — the City remains the code-adopting and permit-issuing authority, but expect SAFEbuilt personnel to answer the Division's main line (303.450.8745) and inspection line (303.450.8748).
- Northglenn straddles both Adams and Weld counties; confirm which county a specific parcel sits in, though the Building Division and its codes/fees apply citywide regardless of county line.
- CommunityCore splits permits into two very different tracks: 'One-Stop/Quick Permits' (roofs, water heaters, HVAC equipment, standalone electrical/mechanical/plumbing, EV chargers — issued same-visit with no plan upload) versus 'Plan Review Permits' (solar/PV, foundations, tenant finish, basement finish, detached garages, decks, additions, remodels — require documents uploaded first and fall under the City's published multi-day review timeframe). Confirm which track your project falls into before estimating turnaround.
- Published Timeframe for Building [Plan] Review: Residential 10-14 business days; Commercial under $1 million 14-20 business days; Commercial over $1 million 21-30 business days — this only governs the Plan Review Permit category, not the same-visit Quick Permit category.
- Northglenn's own locally-filled IRC Table R301.2(1) design criteria (30 psf ground snow load, 130 mph wind speed, Seismic Design Category B, 36-inch frost depth, Severe weathering, Ice Barrier Underlayment NOT required) is distinctive — notably, Northglenn's table marks ice barrier underlayment as not required, unlike some neighboring Front Range jurisdictions in this corpus that mandate it.
- ALL fences require a permit in Northglenn except minor picket repair — a stricter local rule than jurisdictions with a height-based fence exemption.
- Detached accessory structures 200 SF or under, with no utilities, are exempt from permitting — crossing either the size or utility threshold triggers a permit requirement.
- Residential electrical permits use a distinct area-based fee schedule (tied to enclosed living area, $115 to $230+ scaling), separate from the general valuation-based Building Permit Fee schedule used for most other permit types.
- All contractors — including electricians — must hold a City of Northglenn contractor license (the electrician license itself is free) in addition to any Colorado state trade license; permits will not issue until every contractor on the job is licensed and listed.
- Northglenn's Accessory Dwelling Unit rules are unusually well-documented in a dedicated Planning & Development/Building Division joint guidance PDF, covering zoning tables by district (RS-1/RS-2/RS-3/RM-1/RM-2/MN/PD), a flat 750 SF size cap, a ban on separately metering ADU water/sewer, and specific building-code items (independent heating, possible fire separation, radon control, blower-door test).
- Northglenn is scheduled to adopt the 2024 ICC code suite by summer 2026 and the 2026 NEC following state adoption (slated August 2026) — confirm the currently-governing code edition at the time of application, since this file reflects the 2021 IBC/IRC/etc. and 2023 NEC in force as of this review (2026-07-05).