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Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in Aurora, Colorado

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.

Verified 2026-06-30 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Application submitted via the Building Division (Aurora4Biz.org online portal or in person at the Permit Center)
  • Plans must comply with the 2021 IRC with City of Aurora Amendments (Aurora City Code Chapter 22) and 2021 IECC
  • Table R301.2(1) climatic and geographic design criteria must be shown on plans: 40 psf ground snow load, wind speed per Aurora's wind map/ASCE Hazard Tool, Seismic Design Category B, 36-inch minimum frost depth, 1°F winter design temperature
  • Site-specific geotechnical report required for new homes (soil lateral/bearing design)
  • Fee is calculated per square foot by occupancy group: R-3 (Single Family Homes) = $1.30/sq ft, plus a minimum state-mandated fee at the $5,000 valuation tier
  • R-3 Master Plans (repeat single-family plan sets within a subdivision) are billed a flat $2,655 fee instead of the per-square-foot rate

Required documents

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Fee schedule

New Building Construction Fee — R-3 Single Family HomesCity of Aurora 2026 New Building Construction Fee Table (Form #A176, Revised 01/2026); minimum fee applies at the $5,000 State Fees tier
$1.30 per square foot
R-3 Master Plans (flat fee)Form #A176 — for repeat single-family plan sets within a subdivision
$2,655.00 flat fee
State Surcharge / Minimum FeeCity will separately collect use tax based on materials cost; some projects may have additional parks/capital impact fees
Applied at the $5,000 valuation tier per Form #A176

Review timeline

Plan reviewTypical estimate — confirm current times with the Aurora building department
~10–30 business days

How long did your Residential Building Permit (New Construction) permit actually take in Aurora?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Foundation / Footings

    Before concrete pour — footings must extend below 36-inch minimum frost depth

  2. 2

    Framing

    After framing complete, before insulation or wall cover

  3. 3

    MEP Rough-In

    Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing rough-in before walls closed

  4. 4

    Insulation / Energy

    Insulation and 2021 IECC compliance verification before drywall

  5. 5

    Final

    All work complete, ready for Certificate of Occupancy

See the full Aurora inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Aurora bills new single-family construction per square foot ($1.30/sq ft for R-3) rather than using a project-valuation formula like Denver or Reno — request the 2026 New Building Construction Fee Table (Form #A176) to estimate cost.
  • Aurora's 36-inch minimum frost depth is deeper than Denver's typical requirement — verify footing depth on plans.
  • Ground snow load (40 psf) and Seismic Design Category B are fixed city-published values (Form #A200) — no need to consult the ASCE Hazard Tool for those two criteria, only for site-specific wind speed interpolation.
  • Builders working on subdivision-wide single-family plans should ask about the R-3 Master Plan flat fee ($2,655), which can be more economical than per-square-foot billing across repeat plan sets.

Frequently asked questions

Aurora requires a residential building permit (new construction) for: Application submitted via the Building Division (Aurora4Biz.org online portal or in person at the Permit Center); Plans must comply with the 2021 IRC with City of Aurora Amendments (Aurora City Code Chapter 22) and 2021 IECC; Table R301.2(1) climatic and geographic design criteria must be shown on plans: 40 psf ground snow load, wind speed per Aurora's wind map/ASCE Hazard Tool, Seismic Design Category B, 36-inch minimum frost depth, 1°F winter design temperature; Site-specific geotechnical report required for new homes (soil lateral/bearing design); Fee is calculated per square foot by occupancy group: R-3 (Single Family Homes) = $1.30/sq ft, plus a minimum state-mandated fee at the $5,000 valuation tier; R-3 Master Plans (repeat single-family plan sets within a subdivision) are billed a flat $2,655 fee instead of the per-square-foot rate. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Aurora Development Services Department — Building Division at (303) 739-7420 before starting work.

Aurora uses a per-square-foot fee table by occupancy group rather than a valuation-based formula. Single-family homes (R-3) are billed $1.30 per square foot per the 2026 New Building Construction Fee Table (Form #A176). The city separately collects use tax based on material costs.

Plan review for a residential building permit (new construction) in Aurora typically runs 10–30 business days. This is an estimate, not a published figure — confirm current review times with City of Aurora Development Services Department — Building Division at (303) 739-7420.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (Aurora4Biz.org); Site Plan; Construction Drawings; Geotechnical Soils Report. Depending on your project, Aurora may also ask for: Engineering Design Criteria Reference (Form #A200). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Aurora requires 5 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction), in order: Foundation / Footings, Framing, MEP Rough-In, Insulation / Energy, Final. Schedule each through City of Aurora Development Services Department — Building Division ((303) 739-7420).

Apply through City of Aurora Development Services Department — Building Division at 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.. Official information: https://www.auroragov.org/business_services/building_division/permits.

Aurora has adopted the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) and 2021 International Building Code (IBC) family, with City of Aurora amendments (Aurora City Code Chapter 22), per the city's own Adopted Building Codes form (Form #A245, Revised 02/2026). As of this writing Aurora has not adopted the 2024 I-Codes.

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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