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Commercial Building Permit — Englewood, Colorado · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-08-26 · Source: https://www.englewoodco.gov/government/city-departments/building-codes/fees
PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency. Requirements change and vary by project — confirm current details with the building department before you submit.
Commercial Building Permit in Englewood, Colorado
Commercial new construction, additions, alterations, tenant improvements, and changes of occupancy in Englewood go through the same Building Permit the City issues for residential work — Englewood does not operate a second, commercial-only permit product. The City's own Building & Codes Division reviews and issues the permit directly, using the same ims.englewoodco.gov portal and the same valuation-based fee bracket table for every occupancy. What differs for a commercial project is the plan-submittal package (the City's dedicated commercial checklists, each plan discipline sealed by the matching Colorado-licensed professional), full payment of the 65% plan review fee (the waiver applies only to single-family, owner-occupied dwellings), and fire-protection plan review, which is handled separately by the City's own Fire Marshal's Office rather than by the Building Division or by Denver Fire.
Verified 2026-08-26 · Source
When you need this permit
- Plans must include a code analysis (use and occupancy classification, construction type, allowable area calculations, stories/height, sprinkler identification, plumbing fixture count); architectural plans sealed and signed by a Colorado-licensed Architect ('No exceptions'); structural plans by a Colorado Structural Engineer; electrical, mechanical, and plumbing plans each by a Colorado Registered Engineer; a soils report sealed by a licensed Colorado Engineer; energy compliance via IECC verification or a simulated analysis such as COMcheck; fire protection system drawings as a deferred submittal; a backflow prevention specification; and an off-street parking/traffic sign plan (a formal traffic study is required once expected peak-hour trip generation exceeds 100 vehicles) — per the City's 'Plan Submittal Requirements for Commercial Plan Review' checklist.
- For a remodel, addition, tenant improvement, or change of occupancy: an Architect's seal (Colorado Registered Architect, 'No exceptions') plus a Colorado Engineer's seal on any portion containing structural work or MEPs; site plan/civil documents only for additions, new or changed street access, usage increases of 20% or more, or footprint increases; fire protection alterations sealed by a NICET-certified preparer or Engineer (deferred submittal); an Industrial Wastewater Survey for the Littleton/Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant; asbestos testing or remediation documentation; and an Owner Authorization Letter — per the City's 'Commercial Remodel, Addition, Tenant Improvement, or Change of Occupancy' checklist. A change of occupancy triggers issuance of a new Certificate of Occupancy.
- Reviewed under the 2024-cycle International Codes (2024 IBC, IEBC, IFC, IFGC, IMC, IPC, IECC) and the 2023 National Electrical Code as currently adopted by the City, per the Adopted Codes and Amendments page; the City's own commercial checklist PDFs are dated 2021 and 2023 and still cite the 2018 I-Codes and 2020 NEC, so the checklist should be read for what to submit and the Adopted Codes page for which code edition governs.
- The 65% plan review fee applies in full to commercial projects — the single-family, owner-occupied waiver does not extend to commercial, industrial, or multi-family work, per the 2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule. Owner-builder
- A citywide Use Tax of 3.8% and an Arapahoe County Open Space Tax of 0.25%, each calculated on one-half the total valuation, are assessed on the permit in addition to the permit fee and plan review fee, per the 2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule.
- Fire-protection systems (sprinkler, alarm, fire pump, standpipe, smoke control) are not part of this permit — they are reviewed and permitted separately by the City's own Fire Marshal's Office through a distinct Fire Application on the same iMS portal, submitted alongside but reviewed on a separate track from the Building Division's commercial submittal.
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Fee schedule
Total Valuation $0.00 to $5002026 Building Permit Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2026 (englewoodco.gov, showdocument?id=27995) — the same valuation-based bracket table used for residential work; there is no separate commercial fee table.
$26.78
Total Valuation $2,001 to $25,0002026 Building Permit Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2026.
$78.92 for the first $2,000 plus $15.95 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $25,000
Total Valuation $25,001 to $50,0002026 Building Permit Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2026.
$445.87 for the first $25,000 plus $11.51 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $50,000
Total Valuation $50,001 to $100,0002026 Building Permit Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2026.
$733.62 for the first $50,000 plus $7.97 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $100,000
Total Valuation $100,001 to $500,0002026 Building Permit Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2026 — the bracket a typical small-to-mid commercial tenant improvement or addition falls into.
$1,191.71 for the first $100,000 plus $6.39 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $500,000
Total Valuation $500,001 to $1,000,0002026 Building Permit Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2026.
$3,685.16 for the first $500,000 plus $5.39 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $1,000,000
Total Valuation $1,000,001 and up2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2026.
$6,391.71 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.59 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
Plan Review2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule — charged in full on commercial projects; the waiver of this fee applies only to single-family, owner-occupied dwellings.
65% of building permit fee
Additional Plan Review (required by changes, additions or revisions)2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule.
$55 per hour
Re-inspection2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule.
$100 per hour
Issuance of Temporary Certificate of Occupancy2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule — relevant to commercial tenant-improvement and change-of-occupancy projects seeking early occupancy.
$300
Use Tax2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule — a construction materials use tax collected with the permit, in addition to the permit fee and plan review fee.
3.8% on one-half the total valuation
Arapahoe County Open Space Tax2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule.
0.25% on one-half the total valuation
Fire Plan Review / Construction and Operational Permit Fees (fire-protection systems)
The 2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule's own 'Fire Plan Review' line item states only 'See Fire Marshal's website'; Show full citationHide
The 2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule's own 'Fire Plan Review' line item states only 'See Fire Marshal's website'; the Fire Marshal's Office's Permits, Codes, and FAQ/Resources pages publish no fee table. Fire-protection review is billed separately from, and is not included in, the Building Division fees above.No published dollar fee schedule found
Review timeline
Plan review
Not published — contact the department
Inspection process
- 1
Rough Inspection
Rough-in inspections occur before work is covered/concealed; approval status is tracked in the applicant's iMS account.
- 2
Special Inspection
Required for certain structural/technical elements per the adopted 2024 IBC, as determined by the plans examiner or building official.
- 3
Fire Life-Safety Inspection (City of Englewood Fire Marshal's Office)
Conducted by the City's own Fire Marshal's Office wherever fire-protection systems are part of the scope — a separate track from the Building Division's own inspections, not performed by Denver Fire or an outside fire district.
- 4
Final Inspection
Final inspection prior to closing out the permit and issuing a Certificate of Occupancy.
See the full Englewood inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- Englewood issues no separate commercial building permit, tenant-improvement permit, or commercial fee schedule — commercial work uses the same permit, portal, and valuation-based fee table as residential work. The commercial-specific parts are the plan-submittal checklists (which require every discipline's plans to carry the matching Colorado-licensed professional's seal) and full payment of the 65% plan review fee, which the single-family owner-occupied waiver does not reach. Owner-builder
- Budget for the Use Tax (3.8% of one-half the total valuation) and the Arapahoe County Open Space Tax (0.25% of one-half the total valuation) as real, separate line items on top of the permit fee and plan review fee — both are near-universal add-ons on Colorado construction permits and are easy to leave out of a rough cost estimate.
- Fire-protection review for a commercial project is handled by the City's own Fire Marshal's Office (under the Police Department's Special Operations and Code Division), not by Denver Fire and not by an outside special fire district — Denver Fire's role in Englewood, per the City's own materials, is limited to suppression and emergency response following the City's 2015 department merger, while fire code plan review and permitting stayed with the City.
- No evidence was found of a currently active third-party commercial plan-review contractor (such as SAFEbuilt or Colorado Code Consulting) handling Englewood's commercial building-permit review — the City's own materials describe the Building & Codes Division as reviewing and issuing permits directly.
Frequently asked questions
Englewood requires a commercial building permit for: Plans must include a code analysis (use and occupancy classification, construction type, allowable area calculations, stories/height, sprinkler identification, plumbing fixture count); architectural plans sealed and signed by a Colorado-licensed Architect ('No exceptions'); structural plans by a Colorado Structural Engineer; electrical, mechanical, and plumbing plans each by a Colorado Registered Engineer; a soils report sealed by a licensed Colorado Engineer; energy compliance via IECC verification or a simulated analysis such as COMcheck; fire protection system drawings as a deferred submittal; a backflow prevention specification; and an off-street parking/traffic sign plan (a formal traffic study is required once expected peak-hour trip generation exceeds 100 vehicles) — per the City's 'Plan Submittal Requirements for Commercial Plan Review' checklist.; For a remodel, addition, tenant improvement, or change of occupancy: an Architect's seal (Colorado Registered Architect, 'No exceptions') plus a Colorado Engineer's seal on any portion containing structural work or MEPs; site plan/civil documents only for additions, new or changed street access, usage increases of 20% or more, or footprint increases; fire protection alterations sealed by a NICET-certified preparer or Engineer (deferred submittal); an Industrial Wastewater Survey for the Littleton/Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant; asbestos testing or remediation documentation; and an Owner Authorization Letter — per the City's 'Commercial Remodel, Addition, Tenant Improvement, or Change of Occupancy' checklist. A change of occupancy triggers issuance of a new Certificate of Occupancy.; Reviewed under the 2024-cycle International Codes (2024 IBC, IEBC, IFC, IFGC, IMC, IPC, IECC) and the 2023 National Electrical Code as currently adopted by the City, per the Adopted Codes and Amendments page; the City's own commercial checklist PDFs are dated 2021 and 2023 and still cite the 2018 I-Codes and 2020 NEC, so the checklist should be read for what to submit and the Adopted Codes page for which code edition governs.; The 65% plan review fee applies in full to commercial projects — the single-family, owner-occupied waiver does not extend to commercial, industrial, or multi-family work, per the 2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule.; A citywide Use Tax of 3.8% and an Arapahoe County Open Space Tax of 0.25%, each calculated on one-half the total valuation, are assessed on the permit in addition to the permit fee and plan review fee, per the 2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule.; Fire-protection systems (sprinkler, alarm, fire pump, standpipe, smoke control) are not part of this permit — they are reviewed and permitted separately by the City's own Fire Marshal's Office through a distinct Fire Application on the same iMS portal, submitted alongside but reviewed on a separate track from the Building Division's commercial submittal.. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Englewood Building & Codes Division (Community Development Department) at 303-762-2357 (Building Department main line); 303-762-2356 before starting work.
No. The 2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule waives the 65% plan review fee only for single-family, owner-occupied dwellings. Commercial, industrial, and multi-family projects pay it in full.
Englewood does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Englewood Building & Codes Division (Community Development Department) at 303-762-2357 (Building Department main line); 303-762-2356 for current turnaround.
You'll need: Building Permit Application (via IMS); Plan Submittal Requirements for Commercial Plan Review (checklist); Plan Submittal Requirements: Commercial Remodel, Addition, Tenant Improvement, or Change of Occupancy (checklist); Construction plans (electronic PDF, unlocked, black-and-white, scaled). Depending on your project, Englewood may also ask for: Owner Authorization Letter. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
Apply through City of Englewood Building & Codes Division (Community Development Department) at 1000 Englewood Parkway, 3rd Floor, Englewood, CO 80110. Phone: 303-762-2357 (Building Department main line); 303-762-2356, email: BuildingDept@englewoodco.gov. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (holidays excepted) — per the City's general Contact Us / Business Hours page (englewoodco.gov/our-city/contact-us); no Building & Codes Division-specific hours are separately published, so this is City Hall's general business hours as of verification.. Official information: https://www.englewoodco.gov/government/city-departments/building-division.
No. Commercial new construction, additions, remodels, tenant improvements, and changes of occupancy all use the same Building Permit issued for residential work, through the same ims.englewoodco.gov portal and the same valuation-based fee bracket table. A commercial project follows the City's commercial plan-submittal checklists and pays the 65% plan review fee in full.
The City's own Fire Marshal's Office reviews and permits fire-protection systems, on a separate application and review track from the Building Division's commercial submittal, even though both are submitted through the same iMS portal. Denver Fire, which handles suppression and emergency response under the City's 2015 department merger, has no plan-review role.
Yes. A citywide 3.8% Use Tax and a 0.25% Arapahoe County Open Space Tax, each calculated on one-half the total project valuation, are assessed on the permit in addition to the building permit fee and the 65% plan review fee, per the 2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule.
Sources & verification
Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-26.
Fee schedules
Applications & forms
Codes & ordinances
Department & other records
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 Englewood building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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