Aurora building permit requirements

City of Aurora Development Services Department — Building Division

Verified 2026-06-30 · Source

11 permit types(303) 739-7420Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Wed 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Department information

Address: 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, Ste. 2400, Aurora, CO 80012
Phone: (303) 739-7420
Email: permitcounter@auroragov.org
Office hours: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; Wed 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Website: Official site

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 Aurora Amendments (Aurora City Code Ch. 22)2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — with City of Aurora Amendments; Table R301.2(1) climatic/geographic criteria amended locally2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — with City of Aurora Amendments2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — with City of Aurora Amendments2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — with City of Aurora Amendments2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — with City of Aurora Amendments2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — with City of Aurora Amendments2021 International Fire Code (IFC) — with City of Aurora Amendments2017 ICC/ANSI A117.1 Accessibility Standard2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — City of Aurora will transition to the 2026 NEC for electrical permit applications received on/after August 1, 2026

Permit types

Residential Building Permit (New Construction)

Required for construction of new single-family homes and other R-3/R-4 occupancy residential structures in Aurora. Reviewed against the 2021 IRC with City of Aurora Amendments. Billed per square foot using the 2026 New Building Construction Fee Table rather than a valuation-based formula.

Residential Addition / Remodel Permit

Required for additions, structural alterations, remodels, and basement finishes to existing single-family homes in Aurora. Reviewed against the 2021 IRC with City of Aurora Amendments. Basement finishes are a distinct flat-rate permit type.

Electrical Permit

Required for electrical installations, alterations, and service changes in Aurora. The City of Aurora Building Division issues electrical permits and performs inspections in-house — Aurora does NOT issue a separate municipal electrical contractor license; electricians must hold a current State of Colorado (DORA) master electrician/contractor license on file with the Building Division. Governed by the 2023 NEC (transitioning to the 2026 NEC for applications received on/after August 1, 2026).

Plumbing Permit

Required for plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs in Aurora. The City of Aurora Building Division issues plumbing permits and performs inspections in-house — Aurora does NOT issue a separate municipal plumbing contractor license; plumbers must hold a current State of Colorado (DORA) master's/contractor's license on file with the Building Division. Governed by the 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) with City of Aurora Amendments.

Mechanical / HVAC Permit

Required for heating, cooling, ventilation, and fuel gas installations in Aurora. Governed by the 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) and 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) with City of Aurora Amendments. Most common residential HVAC replacement scopes are flat-rate permits.

Roofing Permit (Reroof)

Required for roof replacement (tear-off and reroof) on residential and commercial buildings in Aurora. Both residential and commercial reroofing are flat-rate permits under Aurora's 2026 fee schedule; residential also offers a combined roof-and-siding flat rate.

Solar PV Permit

Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems in Aurora. Solar and wind systems are permitted in all zone districts subject to underlying zone restrictions (Aurora Unified Development Ordinance Section 3.3.5/3.3.6, Table 3.2-1). Eligible residential systems can use SolarAPP+, the DORA-administered statewide instant electrical plan review tool. Residential and commercial solar are both flat-rate permits.

Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit

Required for construction of a new detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on a residential property in Aurora. Aurora's Unified Development Ordinance (Section 3.3.6) is being updated to comply with Colorado HB24-1152 and HB24-1304, which require ADUs to be allowed administratively (without a Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing) on lots zoned for single-family detached dwellings.

Demolition Permit

Required for full or partial demolition of a structure in Aurora. Billed as a single flat-rate permit type covering both full and partial building demolition.

Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit

Required for interior remodels and tenant improvements in existing commercial buildings in Aurora, ranging from minor non-structural alterations to extensive reconfigurations. Governed by the 2021 IBC with City of Aurora Amendments. Billed via the New Building Construction Fee Table by occupancy group, or the Permit Fee Calculator.

Deck / Covered Patio Permit

Required for construction of decks and covered patio structures at single-family residences in Aurora. Both are flat-rate permit types under Aurora's 2026 fee schedule.

Tips & gotchas

Aurora is a home-rule city that physically spans three counties — Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas — with the majority of the city (and population) in Arapahoe County. Regardless of which county a parcel sits in, the City of Aurora Building Division is the sole permitting authority citywide; there is no separate Arapahoe/Adams/Douglas county permitting layer for work inside Aurora city limits. This dataset routes Aurora under arapahoe-county for URL/geo purposes only.
Aurora has adopted the 2021 I-Code family (IBC, IRC, IMC, IPC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC, IFC) with City of Aurora Amendments, plus the 2023 NEC — NOT the 2024 I-Codes that Denver has already moved to. Always verify Aurora's current adopted edition before assuming parity with Denver or Colorado Springs.
Beginning August 1, 2026, Aurora will require compliance with the 2026 NEC (NFPA 70) for electrical permit applications received on or after that date — a near-term code change to watch for.
Aurora uses a flat-rate fee model for most common permit types (2026 Flat Rate Fee Permits, Form #A175: 'Predictable. Simple. Fair. Same project type = same permit fee') rather than Denver's or Reno's valuation-based tables for those same scopes. New building construction (including new single-family homes) is a separate per-square-foot table by IBC occupancy group (Form #A176), not the flat-rate list.
Aurora does NOT issue its own municipal electrical or plumbing contractor license — contractors must have a current State of Colorado (DORA) master's/contractor's license on file with the Building Division. However, the City of Aurora Building Division — not DORA — issues the permits and performs the inspections itself.
Aurora's climatic/geographic design criteria (Form #A200, Engineering Design Criteria): 40 psf ground snow load, 36-inch minimum frost depth, Seismic Design Category B, Severe weathering, 1°F winter design temperature, and required ice barrier underlayment — all notably more conservative than Denver's approach, which now points applicants to the ASCE Hazard Tool for site-specific snow/seismic values rather than publishing fixed city figures.
Aurora's Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance (UDO Section 3.3.6) currently allows ONLY detached ADUs (max 650 sq ft, 24 ft height, on lots over 6,000 sq ft) and is actively being updated to comply with Colorado's 2024 statewide ADU legislation (HB24-1152, HB24-1304) — confirm current standards directly with Aurora Planning given this is an area of active code change.
Colorado has adopted SolarAPP+ statewide (via DORA) for instant electrical plan review of eligible residential solar/storage systems, available for use in Aurora — but Aurora's own residential solar PV permit fee ($500 flat) is notably higher than Denver's flat $50 solar PV fee; don't assume fee parity across Front Range cities.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-06-30.

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 Aurora building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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