Skip to main content
PermitBase

Change of Use / Change of Occupancy in Centennial, Colorado

Centennial's own Building Permit Classifications page — an exhaustive, named list of every building-permit category the City uses — has NO distinct 'Change of Occupancy' or 'Change of Tenancy' classification, confirmed by direct review; this is genuinely different from neighboring Douglas County jurisdictions such as Castle Rock, which charge a separate flat Change of Occupancy ($250) or Change of Tenancy ($200) fee. Where a use or occupancy classification changes without construction, Centennial's own tools are a Zoning Verification Letter (zoning-compliance side) and, if construction accompanies the change, this file's Commercial Alterations or Commercial Tenant Improvement permit types (whose required Complete Code Analysis documents occupancy classification). Separately and concretely, South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR) assesses its own real, published 'Change of Use' fire-code plan-check-and-inspection fee, independent of anything the City Building Division charges.

Verified 2026-08-13 · Source

When you need this permit

  • No standalone 'Change of Occupancy' or 'Change of Tenancy' classification exists on the City's own Building Permit Classifications page, confirmed by direct review of that page's full One-Stop Permits, Commercial Permits, and Residential Permits category lists — Centennial does not offer Castle Rock's construction-free administrative reclassification fee/track
  • Where a use/occupancy change accompanies actual construction, removal, or reconfiguration of space, it is reviewed under this file's Commercial Alterations or Commercial Tenant Improvement permit types; both require a Complete Code Analysis documenting 'description of uses and occupancy classification(s) for all portions of the building' per the City's Commercial Alterations Plans Checklist
  • A property owner or prospective tenant can independently request a Zoning Verification Letter (ZVL) — an administrative procedure in which the Community Development Director verifies that a requested use, building, or structure complies with the Land Development Code — apart from any Building Division application; Standard ZVL $75.00, Custom ZVL (additional information requested) $100.00, processed in approximately 5 business days after payment
  • Separately, South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR) — Centennial's fire-code Authority Having Jurisdiction, documented in this file's fire-sprinkler-alarm-permit entry — assesses its own distinct 'Change of Use' fire-code plan-check-and-inspection fee to re-verify the new use against current fire code, independent of and in addition to whatever (if anything) the City Building Division charges
  • If the change of use is accompanied by new construction, demolition, or tenant-improvement work, the project should instead be evaluated under this file's Commercial Alterations or Commercial Tenant Improvement permit types rather than treated as a construction-free change of use

Required documents

Check off what you have — your progress is saved on this device.

Not ready yet — 0 of 1 required documents checked.

This checker covers one permit. A full project usually triggers several — our paid checklist will assemble all of them, from $29 →

Fee schedule

Zoning Verification Letter — StandardCity of Centennial Apply for a Zoning Verification Letter page; fee due prior to staff assignment and letter completion
$75.00
Zoning Verification Letter — Custom (additional information requested)City of Centennial Apply for a Zoning Verification Letter page
$100.00
South Metro Fire Rescue — Change of Use Plan CheckSouth Metro Fire Rescue Systems and Other Fees, effective January 1, 2026, Miscellaneous Fees section
$174.24
South Metro Fire Rescue — Change of Use Inspection
$413.75
South Metro Fire Rescue — Change of Use Combined TotalAssessed independently of, and in addition to, any City Building Division fee — the City's own Building Permit Classifications page has no comparable 'Change of Use' line item
$587.99
If construction accompanies the change of usePer this file's Commercial Alterations and Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit entries; City of Centennial Building Permit Fee Schedule (PDF)
Standard valuation-based Building Permit Fee plus 65% Building Plan Review Fee

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use / Change of Occupancy permit actually take in Centennial?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    SMFR Change of Use Fire Inspection

    Verifies the new use/occupancy against current fire code requirements; billed as South Metro Fire Rescue's separate Change of Use inspection fee

  2. 2

    Building Final (only if occupancy classification changes AND construction was involved)

    Confirms the space meets applicable building/egress requirements for the new occupancy classification, via the Commercial Alterations or Commercial Tenant Improvement permit track

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

Tips

  • Centennial's Building Division has no distinct 'Change of Occupancy' or 'Change of Tenancy' line item the way Castle Rock does — don't assume a flat City administrative fee exists; confirm directly with the Building Division (303-754-3321) whether your specific use change needs a Commercial Alterations/Tenant Improvement permit or nothing beyond the fire-side SMFR review.
  • Budget for South Metro Fire Rescue's separate $587.99 Change of Use plan-check-and-inspection fee even with zero construction — this is billed independently of, and in addition to, whatever (or nothing) the City charges.
  • A Zoning Verification Letter ($75 standard / $100 custom) is Centennial's purpose-built tool for confirming a new use is zoning-permitted before signing a lease or starting build-out — it is not itself a change-of-occupancy permit, but it is the closest analog Centennial publishes to Castle Rock's Change of Occupancy/Tenancy product.
  • Any actual construction converts the project into a full Commercial Alterations or Commercial Tenant Improvement permit (both documented elsewhere in this file) rather than a lighter change-of-use-only track — Centennial does not offer a construction-free administrative reclassification fee the way Castle Rock does.

Frequently asked questions

It isn't mandatory, but it's the City's dedicated tool for confirming a specific use is permitted under the Land Development Code before you commit to a space or start build-out — $75 standard or $100 custom, processed in approximately 5 business days after payment.

No. Centennial's own Building Permit Classifications page has no 'Change of Occupancy' or 'Change of Tenancy' line item, confirmed by direct review — unlike Castle Rock's separate $250/$200 tiers. South Metro Fire Rescue does, however, charge its own separate $587.99 Change of Use fee regardless of what the City charges.

Centennial does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Centennial Building Division (Community Development Department) at 303-754-3321 for current turnaround.

You'll need: SMFR Plan Review and Construction Permit Application (Accela Permit Portal). Depending on your project, Centennial may also ask for: Zoning Verification Letter Application; Building Permit Application (Commercial Alterations or Commercial Tenant Improvement). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Centennial requires 2 inspection(s) for a change of use / change of occupancy permit, in order: SMFR Change of Use Fire Inspection, Building Final (only if occupancy classification changes AND construction was involved). Schedule each through City of Centennial Building Division (Community Development Department) (303-754-3321).

Apply through City of Centennial Building Division (Community Development Department) at Centennial Civic Center, 13133 E. Arapahoe Rd., Centennial, CO 80112. Phone: 303-754-3321, email: buildingdivision@centennialco.gov. Office hours: Monday - Tuesday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Wednesday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Thursday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Workstations are available at the Building Division office for online portal use. 24-Hour Citizen Response Center: 303-325-8000.. Official information: https://www.centennialco.gov/Government/Departments/Building.

Centennial, Colorado has adopted: Colorado has no statewide mandatory building code for general construction; code adoption is a home-rule/local decision that varies by city and county. Applicants must confirm the specific edition and local amendments adopted by their own city — do not assume any other Colorado jurisdiction's adopted codes apply to Centennial. Source: City of Centennial Building Division page (jurisdiction-specific adopted-codes list, current as of this review).; Colorado HB22-1362 (Building Greenhouse Gas Emissions, signed June 2, 2022) establishes a statewide ENERGY-CODE FLOOR only (not a full building code): before July 1, 2026, municipalities and counties that update their building codes must adopt and enforce an energy code achieving equivalent-or-better efficiency than the 2021 IECC and the state Energy Code Board's model Electric and Solar Ready Code; on/after July 1, 2026 they must meet the Board's model Low Energy and Carbon Code. Centennial's currently adopted 2021 IECC satisfies this floor as of this review. Source: Colorado General Assembly, HB22-1362, https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb22-1362; Colorado HB24-1152 (effective June 30, 2025) requires 'subject jurisdictions' (which include Centennial as part of the Denver metro area) to allow at least one Accessory Dwelling Unit per single-family-zoned lot where single-family homes are allowed, removing owner-occupancy mandates, ADU-specific parking minimums beyond what the statute permits, and other historical barriers. Centennial's Land Development Code ADU provisions (Section 12-3-603(H)) implement this. Source: Colorado General Assembly, HB24-1152, http://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1152; 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — current adopted edition per City of Centennial Building Division; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — current adopted edition per City of Centennial Building Division; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — current adopted edition per City of Centennial Building Division; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — listed among Centennial's 'Current Building Codes'; note the Building Division's separate FAQ page states the adopted energy code as '2018 IECC' — the Building Division's main Codes page (which lists 2021 IECC) is treated as the more current, authoritative statement for this record, but applicants should confirm the operative edition with the Building Division directly given this discrepancy between the City's own published pages. Source: City of Centennial Building Division page and Building Division FAQ (both centennialco.gov); 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) — enforced by South Metro Fire Rescue, not the City Building Division; fire permits/plan review must be applied for separately through South Metro Fire; 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — current adopted edition per City of Centennial Building Division; 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — current adopted edition per City of Centennial Building Division; 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — current adopted edition per City of Centennial Building Division (Colorado, unlike Montana, uses the IPC here, not the UPC); 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — current adopted edition per City of Centennial Building Division; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — current adopted edition per City of Centennial Building Division (supersedes the 2020 NEC cited in the City's older 2024 Photovoltaic Installation Guide handout); 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (CWRC) — adopted by City of Centennial; part of the statewide Wildland-Urban-Interface code framework administered by the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, with local adoption required for WUI-designated jurisdictions by April 1, 2026 and full compliance by July 1, 2026. Source: City of Centennial Building Division 'Current Building Codes' list; 2024 Centennial Property Maintenance Code — locally authored, adopted by City of Centennial (PDF on file with Building Division); 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities — referenced in the 2021 IBC as adopted by City of Centennial; Centennial Municipal Code Chapter 18 (Building Regulations) and the City's Land Development Code govern amendments, permitting procedure, and zoning overlays on top of the adopted I-Codes. Source: https://library.municode.com/co/centennial/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=CEMUCO_CH18BURE. Local amendments apply — see the Centennial overview page for the full list.

Yes. SMFR's own published fee schedule lists 'Change of Use' as its own distinct Miscellaneous Fees line item ($174.24 plan check + $413.75 inspection = $587.99 total), separate from and in addition to anything the City Building Division may require.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-13.

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

Other permits in Centennial

Residential Building Permit (New Construction)Residential Alteration / Addition / Remodel PermitElectrical PermitPlumbing PermitMechanical / HVAC PermitRe-Roofing PermitSolar Photovoltaic (PV) PermitDemolition PermitFence PermitAccessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) PermitEV Charger / EVSE PermitCommercial Building Permit (New Construction)Commercial Tenant Improvement PermitSign PermitFire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm Permit

Change of Use / Change of Occupancy in other cities

Akron, ColoradoAlamosa, ColoradoArvada, ColoradoAspen, ColoradoAult, ColoradoAurora, ColoradoAvon, ColoradoBasalt, Colorado

Compare change of use / change of occupancy fees across Colorado →

Look up this fee in a different city →

Embed this data card →

Now live

Build your Centennial project checklist

Describe your project once and get every permit, document, and fee it triggers in Centennial — in one checklist. Sign up and pay once to generate it, or go unlimited with Pro.

Get started →