Westminster building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Westminster, Colorado.
Last verified 2026-06-30 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 4800 W. 92nd Avenue, Westminster, CO 80031
- Phone
- 303-658-2075
- Office hours
- Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. (front office); residential permit review walk-through times: Tuesdays 1–4:30 p.m. and Thursdays 9 a.m.–noon; all permits must be applied for online via eTRAKiT
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Westminster's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Westminster — 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) — with City of Westminster amendments; effective June 1, 2024
- 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — with City of Westminster amendments; effective June 1, 2024
- 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) — with City of Westminster amendments; effective June 1, 2024
- 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — with City of Westminster amendments; effective June 1, 2024
- 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — with City of Westminster amendments; effective June 1, 2024
- 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — with City of Westminster amendments; effective June 1, 2024
- 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — adopted per Westminster Municipal Code Section 11-9-11, meeting the Colorado HB22-1362 statewide minimum energy-code floor
- Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code — adopted per Westminster Municipal Code Section 11-9-12, with Westminster amendments (waiver/variance provisions for commercial buildings over 10,000 sq ft and substantial cost differential appeals)
- 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) / NFPA 70 — current edition (per Westminster's Commercial Plan Review Submittal Guidelines); the City has announced the 2026 NEC will become effective August 1, 2026, superseding the 2023 edition
- ICC/ANSI A117.1-2017 — Standard for Accessible Design
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for all new single-family attached or detached dwellings in Westminster. Reviewed against the 2021 IRC and 2021 IECC with Westminster amendments, plus the City's Design Criteria for Structures (wind, snow, seismic). Applications are submitted entirely online via eTRAKiT.
Residential Addition / Remodel Permit
Required for room additions, basement finishes, remodels, and structural alterations to existing one- and two-family dwellings in Westminster. Uses the same valuation-based fee schedule as new residential construction.
Electrical Permit
Required for installation of new or altered electrical service equipment, feeders, branch circuits, and interconnected power sources in Westminster. The City of Westminster's Building Division issues and administers electrical permits as part of its single project-permit model — Westminster does NOT route permit issuance through the Colorado DORA Electrical Board, though contractors must hold the underlying state Electrical Contractor/Master Electrician license as a prerequisite to the City's own Class C Electrical Contractor license.
Plumbing Permit
Required for plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs in Westminster, including underground repair/replacement of sewer and water lines. The City of Westminster's Building Division issues plumbing permits itself; contractors must hold the underlying Colorado state DORA Plumbing license as a prerequisite to the City's Class B Plumbing Contractor license.
Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for heating, cooling, ventilation, and gas-fired equipment installations in Westminster, including furnaces, boilers, water heaters, evaporative coolers, and air conditioners. Governed by the 2021 IMC and 2021 IFGC with Westminster amendments.
Roofing Permit (Reroof)
Required for roof replacement in Westminster whenever cumulative roof covering damage exceeds one square (100 sq ft), per the Residential Re-roofing Guide based on the 2021 IRC with Westminster amendments. Minor repairs of 100 sq ft or less do not require a permit.
Solar PV Permit
Required for interconnected electric power production sources including rooftop or ground-mounted solar/photovoltaic systems in Westminster. Processed as a Miscellaneous Permit with a flat fee, subject to the Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code amendments (WMC 11-9-12).
Electric Vehicle Charger Permit
Required for installation of Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 (DC fast) electric vehicle charging equipment in Westminster. Applied for as a dedicated 'ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGER' permit type in eTRAKiT with submittal requirements that scale by charger level; billed through the City's standard valuation-based building permit fee schedule plus the electric trade fee add-on rather than a separate flat EV-specific fee (Westminster's fee schedule has no distinct EV-charger line item, unlike its flat $300 Solar Systems fee).
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit
Required for construction of a new attached or detached ADU on a single-family detached lot in Westminster. City Council newly authorized ADUs citywide on November 18, 2024, effective January 1, 2025 — the same codes that apply to residential construction (2021 IRC, Fire, utility connections) apply to ADUs.
Demolition Permit
Required for demolition of structures in Westminster. Processed as a flat-fee Miscellaneous Permit.
Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit
Required for interior remodels, additions, and tenant improvements in commercial buildings in Westminster. Reviewed against the 2021 IBC, IFC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, and IECC plus the 2023 NEC and ICC/ANSI A117.1-2017 accessibility standard, all with Westminster amendments. Submitted digitally via eTRAKiT with a published SLA.
Deck / Covered Patio Permit
Required for decks over 30 inches above grade, any deck with an attached roof, patio covers, awnings, and carports in Westminster. Decks 30 inches or less above grade with no roof do not require a permit.
Sign Permit
Required for most permanent signs erected in Westminster — including wall/building signs, monument signs, and post signs — under the Westminster Sign Regulations (WMC Title XI, Chapter 11, enacted by Ord. No. 4053, effective 12-21-2020). Applications are filed with the Community Services Department; sign permits are separate from, and may be required in addition to, a building permit.
Fire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm Permit
Separate permits issued by the Westminster Fire Department Fire Prevention Bureau for new fire sprinkler systems (NFPA 13, 13R, 13D — 2019 edition) and fire alarm systems (NFPA 72 — 2019 edition) and their modifications, under the City's adopted 2021 International Fire Code with local amendments. Required before the City's Building Department will issue the associated building permit; deferred submittals are not accepted.
Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit
Required whenever a building's use or occupancy classification changes in Westminster, governed by the City's adopted 2021 International Existing Building Code (WMC 11-9-1(9)). The Building Division must confirm a proposed occupancy type is allowed in the existing building, and the Fire Department separately reviews the change for fire code compliance. If no structural changes or improvements are made to the site, an Official Development Plan (ODP) is not required (WMC 11-5-5(B)(3)), but Building Division and Fire Department review still applies.
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)
- 19units
19 buildings · $6.4M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 251units
11 of 12 months reported · #16 in Colorado coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 147units
147 buildings · $43.1M valuation
5 month(s) reported to Census
- Full year 2025
- 171units
171 buildings · $55.8M valuation
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
- Westminster physically straddles TWO counties — Adams County and Jefferson County (per the 2020 Census, roughly 71,240 residents live in the Adams County portion and 45,077 in the Jefferson County portion). The City of Westminster Building Division is the single, unified building-permit authority citywide regardless of which county a given parcel sits in. PermitBase routes Westminster's page under Adams County purely for URL/geo grouping — this has no bearing on which office actually reviews or issues the permit.
- Do not confuse this jurisdiction with Westminster, Maryland or Westminster, California — both have similarly-named Building Divisions with entirely separate codes, fee schedules, and departments. This file is exclusively for the City of Westminster, Colorado (cityofwestminster.us, which redirects to westminsterco.gov).
- Westminster's own domain, cityofwestminster.us, 301-redirects to www.westminsterco.gov — westminsterco.gov is the canonical, current domain for all Building Division content; cityofwestminster.us remains live only as the eTRAKiT portal subdomain (develop.cityofwestminster.us).
- Westminster issues ONE project-level building permit rather than separate trade permits for mechanical, plumbing, and electrical work — those trades are billed as a 15%-of-permit-fee and 15%-of-plan-review-fee add-on per trade, layered onto the single permit.
- Electrical and plumbing permits in Westminster are issued and administered by the City's own Building Division (NOT the Colorado DORA Electrical/Plumbing Board) — but contractors must still hold the underlying Colorado state DORA master's and contractor's license as a documented prerequisite before the City will issue its own (free, for electrical; $110, for plumbing) local Class C/Class B contractor license. Confirmed directly from the City's own Contractor License Application form.
- Westminster has used the 2021 International Codes (IBC, IRC, IFC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC) with City amendments since June 1, 2024, plus the 2023 National Electrical Code. The City has publicly announced that the 2026 NEC will become effective August 1, 2026, and that a General Contractor plus any Mechanical/Plumbing/Electrical subcontractors must be registered with the City and signed onto the permit prior to permit release starting May 1, 2026 — both are near-term upcoming changes worth tracking if applying close to those dates.
- The 2021 IECC and the Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code were adopted specifically to satisfy Colorado HB22-1362's statewide minimum energy-code floor (WMC Sections 11-9-11 and 11-9-12).
- Westminster's Design Criteria for Structures (effective June 1, 2024) sets a 30 psf ground snow load, Seismic Design Category B, 36-inch frost depth, and Special Wind Region status with THREE distinct City Map Wind Zones (131/142/155 mph ultimate design wind speed for Zones 1/2/3, divided along Sheridan Blvd. and Wadsworth Pkwy.) — always confirm which zone a specific parcel falls into before finalizing structural plans; do not assume a single citywide wind speed.
- Accessory Dwelling Units are a very recently authorized use in Westminster: City Council approved the ADU ordinance November 18, 2024, effective January 1, 2025 — this is a newer program than in many neighboring Colorado cities, so double-check current zoning/process details given the recency of the change.
- Westminster's Building Permit Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2026, document version V3-2026) is a single, clean, valuation-based table shared across nearly all permit types, supplemented by a Miscellaneous Permit Fees table with flat fees for solar ($300), demolition ($25), re-roofing ($100), water heater ($40), and other common single-family scopes — always check the Miscellaneous table first for common homeowner projects before defaulting to the valuation-based calculation.
- Gas utility in Westminster is Xcel Energy, which delivers gas at three pressures (6" W.C., 12" W.C., 2 psi) with an average heating value of 831 BTU/hr per CFH used in Westminster-specific gas pipe sizing calculations — confirm your meter's delivery pressure before sizing gas pipe per the City's Gas Pipe Plan Submittal Requirements.