Bow Mar building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Bow Mar, Colorado.
Last verified 2026-07-06 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 2 Middlefield Road, Columbine Valley, CO 80123
- Phone
- 303-795-2063
- Office hours
- 8:00am - 4:00pm, Monday through Friday (Building Department office, per the Town's live Building Permits page; the page notes these hours 'will be shortened due to COVID-19' — an apparently stale caveat still present on the live page as of the last verification). Building Department Coordinator Bonnie Zapata-Diaz. Bow Mar Building Inspector Terry Weis (reviews all plans and conducts all inspections) direct line 303-522-3331.
- Website
- Official site
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Bow Mar — 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), including all Appendices — Bow Mar Municipal Code Sec. 18-8, adopted by Ordinance No. 340 (executed February 26, 2024)
- 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), including all Appendices, with local amendments — Sec. 18-9
- 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — Sec. 18-10
- 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — Sec. 18-11
- 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — Sec. 18-12
- 2021 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) — Sec. 18-13
- 2021 International Fire Code (IFC), including Appendices B, C, and D, with local amendments — Sec. 18-14
- 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — Sec. 18-15
- 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — Sec. 18-16
- 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — Sec. 18-17
- ASME A17.1-2022 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators — Sec. 18-18
National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), 'as currently adopted by the State of Colorado or as is from time to time modified, re-enacted, or re-adopted by the State of Colorado' — Sec. Show full textShow less
National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), 'as currently adopted by the State of Colorado or as is from time to time modified, re-enacted, or re-adopted by the State of Colorado' — Sec. 18-19. This is a dynamic, floating adoption clause (not a fixed local edition); the Town's own Non-Structural Building Permit Application form states in writing that 'The Town of Bow Mar has adopted the 2021 International Building Code and the 2023 National Electric Code,' confirming the 2023 NEC is the currently-referenced edition as of the last verification.
All codes adopted via Ordinance No. 340, 'AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF BOW MAR AMENDING CHAPTER 18 OF THE BOW MAR MUNICIPAL CODE BY THE ADOPTION OF VARIOUS REGULATIONS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CODE… Show full textShow less
All codes adopted via Ordinance No. 340, 'AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TOWN OF BOW MAR AMENDING CHAPTER 18 OF THE BOW MAR MUNICIPAL CODE BY THE ADOPTION OF VARIOUS REGULATIONS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL, THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION, AND THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS,' which repealed and replaced the prior 2015-edition code set (the ordinance's own recitals state Chapter 18 'previously adopted the 2015 edition of various codes published by the ICC') — full ordinance text retrieved directly as a PDF from the Town's website.
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for new single-family residential construction in Bow Mar. Reviewed under the 2021 IRC as locally amended (Sec. 18-9), plus the Town's Table R301.2(1) design criteria (30 psf roof snow load, 110/140 mph wind speeds, 36-inch frost depth). Requires Design Review Board (DRB) approval before submittal, is administered day-to-day out of the shared Columbine Valley Town Hall office, and is issued under Bow Mar's own Municipal Code Chapter 18.
From$56Residential Addition / Remodel Permit
Required for additions and major remodels to existing residences in Bow Mar, using the same Building Permit with Plan Review track as new construction. Reviewed under the 2021 IRC/IEBC as locally amended, including the Town's amended residential-remodel energy table (Table N1102.1.3) and carbon monoxide alarm requirements for existing dwellings.
From$56Electrical Permit
Electrical permitting in the Town of Bow Mar is fully deferred to the Colorado State Electrical Board (DORA Division of Professions and Occupations) — the Town does NOT run its own local electrical permit or inspection program. Bow Mar Municipal Code Sec. 18-6 explicitly directs permit holders to 'contact the State Electrical Board concerning the permits, inspections and fees.' Electrical work is still governed technically by the current NEC (National Electrical Code) as adopted by the State of Colorado, per Sec. 18-19.
See fee schedulePlumbing Permit
Plumbing permits ARE locally administered by the Town of Bow Mar Building Department (unlike electrical, which is deferred to the state). The Town's 2021 IPC (Sec. 18-11) governs the work; the Building Department issues the permit, lists required inspections on the permit card, and closes the job after a passed final inspection.
From$100.00Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for mechanical/HVAC installations and replacements in Bow Mar. Most common single-appliance replacements (furnace, boiler, air conditioner, swamp cooler) are processed under the Non-Structural Building Permit track using the Town's Flat Fee Schedule rather than the valuation-based table. Governed by the 2021 IMC as adopted (Sec. 18-10).
From$250Furnace / Water Heater Replacement Permit
A distinct, genuinely flat-fee-schedule permit type in Bow Mar for like-for-like replacement of water heaters (gas or electric) and side-arm water tanks, processed via the Non-Structural Building Permit Application without full plan review.
From$200Roofing Permit
A separate permit is required for roofing projects in Bow Mar, governed by the Town's own 'Code Requirements for Residential Roofs' page (which references IRC 2015-cycle section numbering R904-R907, alongside the Town's current 2021 IRC adoption) with several local amendments including drip-edge and ice-barrier requirements.
See fee scheduleDemolition Permit
Required if demolition of an existing structure is planned in Bow Mar. Uses a dedicated Demolition Permit Application distinct from the standard Building Permit with Plan Review or Non-Structural tracks.
See fee scheduleDeck / Patio / Fence Permit
Decks, patios, fences, sheds, gazebos, hot tubs, and similar accessory structures require a building permit in Bow Mar (per the Municipal Code's broad definition of 'structures' in Sec. 18-2(b), and the Town's own example list of work requiring permits). Processed via the Non-Structural Building Permit track for most such projects, with DRB approval required for any exterior visibility.
From$56valuation-basedSolar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit
Bow Mar has no separate solar/photovoltaic permit type; rooftop PV is permitted as a combined Building Permit (structural/racking, Town valuation-based fee table) and Electrical Permit (State of Colorado Electrical Board, since Bow Mar Municipal Code Sec. 18-6 directs applicants to the State Electrical Board for electrical permits, inspections, and fees rather than issuing them itself). As in every Colorado jurisdiction, the combined total of all governmental fees for the installation is capped by state law at $500 for a residential system and $1,000 for a commercial system (C.R.S. § 24-48.5-113, enacted by HB21-1284).
From$500EV Charger / EVSE Permit
Installation of an electric vehicle charger (EVSE) at a Bow Mar property is electrical work, and the Town of Bow Mar does not issue electrical permits at all — Municipal Code Sec. 18-6 directs all electrical permitting, inspection, and fees to the Colorado State Electrical Board (DORA), the same routing that applies to every other electrical trade permit in Bow Mar. There is no Town-issued EV-charger-specific permit or fee.
See fee scheduleSign Permit
Bow Mar has no standalone sign permit, sign ordinance, or sign-dimensional standards anywhere in its Municipal Code. Chapter 16 (Zoning), Article I (Secs. 16-1 through 16-21) contains no article or section addressing sign size, height, number, location, or permitting. The only 'sign' references anywhere in the Town's code are two procedural public-hearing-notice signs (for variance and rezoning applications) and a nuisance provision in Chapter 18 barring unauthorized posting on Town or others' property. Given Bow Mar's exclusively residential zoning and town-wide prohibition on commercial establishments (Sec. 16-11), the classic commercial/business signage scenario has no applicability here.
See fee scheduleFire Sprinkler & Fire Alarm System Permit (South Metro Fire Rescue)
Required for installation, alteration, or modification of an automatic fire sprinkler system or a fire alarm/detection system anywhere in Bow Mar. This permit is issued and inspected by South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR), a separate fire protection district — NOT the Town of Bow Mar Building Department. Bow Mar's own Ordinance No. 340 amends the locally-adopted 2021 IFC (Secs. 103.1/103.2) to create the SMFR Fire Marshal's Office as the Town's fire code official, and SMFR's own live 'About Us' page confirms Bow Mar as a directly served jurisdiction. SMFR runs its own submittal portal (Accela), its own fee schedule, and publishes its own plan-review turnaround goal — genuinely separate from, and in addition to, the Town's own Building Permit process documented elsewhere in this record.
From$110.44Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit (South Metro Fire Rescue)
Bow Mar's own Ordinance No. 340 added a new section to the locally-adopted 2021 IFC, Sec. 105.6.25, explicitly requiring anyone who intends to 'change occupancy of a building' to first apply to and obtain a permit from the fire code official — South Metro Fire Rescue. SMFR's own live fee schedule confirms this is a currently-administered permit category by listing a distinct 'Change of Use' line item with its own fee. Separately, and administered by the Town rather than SMFR, Bow Mar Municipal Code Sec. 18-7 requires a Certificate of Occupancy before any building may be occupied. Given Bow Mar's exclusively residential zoning and absence of commercial districts, the realistic scope of a change-of-occupancy scenario here is narrow, and not the commercial-tenant occupancy-classification change this permit type usually addresses.
From$174.24
Bow Mar's permit history isn't searchable here yet
This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Bow Mar yet is the record of permits actually issued — the history you'd search by street address. That is a gap in our coverage, not a statement about any particular property.
Your email, and the place — never an address. We only use it to tell you when Bow Mar lands. Privacy.
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 (2026-07)
- No data reported
- Trailing 12 months
- No data reported
- Year to date (2026 YTD)
- No data reported
- Full year 2025
- No data reported
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-07 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Colorado building activity
Tips & gotchas
- SHARED BUILDING OFFICE, SEPARATE AUTHORITY: Bow Mar's Building Department is physically co-located with, and day-to-day administered out of, the Town of Columbine Valley's Town Hall (2 Middlefield Road, Columbine Valley, CO 80123) under an intergovernmental services arrangement. This is NOT a case of Columbine Valley governing Bow Mar — Bow Mar issues its own permits under its own Municipal Code Chapter 18 (Ordinance No. 340), maintains its own separate phone line (303-795-2063, versus Columbine Valley's own Building Department line at 303-795-1434), and has its own dedicated Building Inspector (Terry Weis, 303-522-3331) who reviews Bow Mar's plans and conducts Bow Mar's inspections specifically. Do not use Columbine Valley's code editions, fee schedule, or permit-type list for a Bow Mar project — this record is built exclusively from Bow Mar's own ordinances and fee pages. All contractor/homeowner insurance must name BOTH towns as additional insureds, a direct artifact of the shared-office arrangement.
- Bow Mar straddles Arapahoe and Jefferson counties — the 2020 Census counted 587 residents on the Arapahoe side and 266 on the Jefferson side, and the Town's own Community page says the same. Building permit authority is entirely municipal for both sides, so apply to the Town of Bow Mar regardless of which county your address falls in; neither county issues these permits.
- Design Review Board (DRB) approval is a hard prerequisite for virtually every permit involving exterior work — new construction, additions, roofing, decks, fences, demolition. The Town explicitly states it 'will not process' a building permit without DRB approval when exterior work is involved. The DRB meets only once a month (2nd Tuesday, 7:00 PM) — budget calendar time accordingly, well before your target permit-submittal date.
- Electrical work is the one major trade Bow Mar does NOT permit locally — Municipal Code Sec. 18-6 directs applicants straight to the Colorado State Electrical Board (DORA) for permits, inspections, and fees. Plumbing, by contrast, IS a Town-administered permit ($100 flat Town fee plus the applicable Permit Fee) — don't conflate the two trades' permitting pathways.
- Common single-appliance replacements (furnace $250, boiler $275, air conditioner $250, swamp cooler $175, water heater gas/electric/side-arm tank $200 each) use a simple published Flat Fee Schedule via the Non-Structural Building Permit Application — cheaper and faster than the full valuation-based Building Permit Fee table used for new construction and major remodels.
- A 1% Transportation Utility Fee applies on top of the Building Permit Fee for any project valued at $10,000 or more, dedicated to local street maintenance — factor this into total project cost estimates (e.g., a $50,000 project pays $1,530 Building Permit Fee + $500 Transportation Utility Fee = $2,030 total, per the Town's own worked example).
- The Town's dedicated Roof Specifications page still references 2015-cycle IRC section numbers (R904-R907) even though the Town's general code adoption was updated to the 2021 IRC by Ordinance No. 340 in 2024 — the specific numeric requirements on that page (ice barrier extension, underlayment layer counts, wind-speed rating, amended drip-edge detail) remain the Town's actively published, governing technical guidance for roofing regardless of the cycle-number label used.
- Bow Mar requires a site-specific soils report from a Colorado-registered geo-technical engineer for ALL new habitable structures (not just larger projects) — this is a locally amended addition to the 2021 IRC (amended R401.4) reflecting expansive/compressible/shifting soil conditions found in parts of Town.
- Basement garages are flatly not permitted anywhere in the Town of Bow Mar (Sec. 18-21) — a genuinely unusual, absolute local prohibition worth flagging early in any project involving a garage.
- Building permits expire if work is not commenced within 180 days, or is suspended/abandoned for 180 days after commencement; total construction must complete within 365 days of issuance per the ordinance (Sec. 18-5(d)) — though the Town's separate Building Procedures page states permits are 'valid for 360 days,' a minor published discrepancy worth confirming with the Building Department for your specific timeline.
- Bow Mar has no commercial zoning and no commercial permit track. It is an exclusively residential lake community with no commercial zone district anywhere in Town. Municipal Code Sec. 16-3 establishes only six districts (Residential I, Residential II, Recreational, Utility, Agricultural, Planned Development), and Sec. 16-11 prohibits 'the maintenance of a professional office or commercial establishment dealing with the public on the premises' town-wide except via an approved Official Development Plan in a Planned Development District (5+ acre sites, Board of Trustees approval, Sec. 16-9) — and no PD-zoned parcel appears on the Town's published zoning map (2015 Community Plan Existing Zoning Map: Agricultural, R-1, R-2, and Recreation only). The word 'commercial' does not appear on the Town's Building Permit Fees page at all. For commercial or TI work, look to neighboring Littleton, Lakewood, Denver, or unincorporated Arapahoe/Jefferson County. See the FAQ on the residential-building-permit entry for the full zoning basis.
- The 'no commercial permit track' finding above holds up across every available source. (1) The Town's Municode Chapter 16 zoning text (full Secs. 16-1 through 16-17) establishes Sec. 16-3's six districts, Sec. 16-9's Planned Development District as the sole theoretical path to 'a mix of business and commercial uses' (5+ acre minimum, Board of Trustees-approved Official Development Plan required), and Sec. 16-11's town-wide trade/business prohibition outside an approved PD/ODP; every other district (16-5 Residential I, 16-6 Residential II, 16-7 Recreational, 16-8 Agricultural, 16-10 Utility) is textually residential/recreational/agricultural/utility-only with no commercial use permitted. (2) Both hosted copies of the Town's zoning map (the specialdistrict.org copy and townofbowmar.org/files/a98de9ba3/Exhibit+A-Town+of+Bow+Mar+Zoning+Map.pdf) show a legend of only Agricultural, R-1 Residential, R-2 Residential, and Recreation; no PD or commercial parcel is mapped anywhere in Town. (3) The Building Permit Fees and Building Permits pages carry no commercial/TI fee line item, and all four downloadable permit forms (Building Permit w/ Plan Review, Demolition, Non-Structural, Roofing) are residential-only; the Non-Structural Building Permit Application has a 'Signed contract with Homeowner' field and no commercial/business checkbox or field of any kind. (4) The townofbowmar.colorado.gov domain that surfaces in search results returns a 404 error and is not a live Town site. (5) No record indicates an actual commercial permit process, a pending PD/ODP rezoning (2025/2026), or any commercial establishment in Town; the BMOI marina/clubhouse/tennis facilities are a private members'-only social club (Bow Mar Owners, Inc.), not a public-facing commercial establishment, and sit on Recreational District land where commercial use is independently disallowed (Sec. 16-7). Bow Mar genuinely has no distinct commercial-building-permit or TI-permit process, and (per the Town's own published zoning map) no commercial zoning currently exists anywhere in Town to trigger one.