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Commercial Tenant Improvement (Tenant Finish) Permit in Littleton, Colorado

Interior remodels, tenant finishes, and changes of occupancy in existing commercial buildings in Littleton. The City does NOT maintain a separate tenant-improvement permit category — TI work is applied for, reviewed, and fee'd as a standard Commercial Building Permit under the same Commercial Submittal Requirements and the same valuation-based fee schedule (confirmed 2026-08-02: no 'tenant finish' or 'tenant improvement' page exists on littletonco.gov, and eTRAKiT lists only 'Commercial Building Permits'). The Commercial Submittal Requirements do, however, contain several provisions specific to work in existing buildings, captured here.

Verified 2026-08-02 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Same submittal pathway as new commercial construction: electronic submittal via eTRAKiT under the City's Commercial Submittal Requirements, reviewed under the 2024 I-codes as adopted
  • Code analysis must include a plan of EXISTING exiting conditions and identification of new AND existing fire suppression systems — the two submittal items aimed squarely at work inside existing buildings
  • Colorado Registered Architect seal required; Colorado PE seal required on any structural, mechanical, electrical, or plumbing components of the TI scope
  • Life Safety Plan showing exit routes, lengths, exits, exit discharges, stairs, ramps, and elevators for the affected space
  • Site Plan required ONLY for changes in use, exterior changes, street access modifications, or curb cuts — a purely interior tenant finish with no change of use does not trigger the site plan item
  • Separate plan submittal to South Metro Fire Rescue
  • Health department submittal (Arapahoe, Jefferson, or Douglas County per parcel) required if the tenant space is a restaurant/grocery/food service, childcare/school, swimming pool, or body art facility
  • South Platte Water Renewal Partners review (303-783-3844) applies to food establishments and remodels affecting sanitary drainage, repair garages, and car washes
  • Asbestos: for buildings built before 1988, contact CDPHE (303-692-2000 / 303-692-3100) regarding abatement requirements before disturbing materials
  • IECC energy compliance path must be identified for altered building systems (Prescriptive or Performance)
  • Contractor must hold a current City of Littleton Contractor's License; electrical and plumbing subs also need active Colorado DORA licenses Contractor
  • All documents electronic via eTRAKiT; 'preliminary'/'Not for Construction' sets not accepted; permit must be commenced within 180 days and expires 365 days after issuance

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee (valuation-based)Same Resolution 2025-105 table as all building permits — no separate TI fee line. Example mid-range brackets: $430.37 at $25,000 + $11.11/$1,000 to $50,000; $708.12 at $50,000 + $7.70/$1,000 to $100,000; $1,093.12 at $100,000 + $6.16/$1,000 to $500,000
$25.85 minimum; sliding scale by total valuation
Plan Review FeeCharged when construction documents are reviewed for code compliance
65% of the Building Permit Fee
City Use Tax Deposit0.01969 x Total Job Valuation; assessed and collected at permit issuance
1.969% of total job valuation
Arapahoe County Open Space Tax0.00125 x Total Valuation; charged on the building permit
0.125% of total valuation
Plan Revision / Resubmittal ReviewApplies to revised TI plan sets; provide a written narrative identifying each revision by page/section
$160 minimum (first two hours), then $80/hour
Temporary Certificate of OccupancyUseful for phased tenant openings
$400 first issuance; $200 each renewal

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial Tenant Improvement (Tenant Finish) Permit permit actually take in Littleton?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough Plumbing

    Waste/vent, water, and gas piping installed and tested; must be approved before rough framing inspection

  2. 2

    Rough Electrical

    Rough wiring for the tenant space; must be approved before rough framing inspection

  3. 3

    Rough Heating / Mechanical

    Rough mechanical for the tenant space; must be approved before rough framing inspection

  4. 4

    Rough Framing

    Requested only after rough plumbing, rough electric, and rough heating are approved, per the City's Building Inspections page

  5. 5

    Final Inspections / Certificate of Occupancy

    Trade finals plus building final before occupancy of the tenant space; the full required-inspection set for the permit is listed on the permit record in eTRAKiT per the 2024 IBC as adopted

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

Tips

  • There is no separate 'tenant finish' application or fee in Littleton — search for and apply under Commercial Building Permits in eTRAKiT, and expect the full Commercial Submittal Requirements checklist to apply to your TI scope.
  • The exiting-conditions plan and identification of EXISTING fire suppression systems are explicit submittal requirements — survey the existing space thoroughly before your architect finalizes the code analysis.
  • A purely interior tenant finish with no change of use avoids the Site Plan requirement, but any change in use, exterior change, or new curb cut triggers it — and a change of use can also trigger county health department and South Platte Water Renewal Partners review for food uses.
  • Land Development Impact Fees ($3.44-$6.51/sq ft) are published for new development; whether a change of use within an existing building triggers them is not stated on the City's impact-fee page — confirm with the Permit Center (303-795-3751) before budgeting.
  • For tenant spaces in buildings built before 1988, CDPHE asbestos requirements apply before demolition of finishes — build abatement lead time into the schedule.
  • Plan revisions cost $160 minimum per resubmittal review — respond to comments completely in one package, with a written narrative identifying each revision by page and section.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Construction documents must be submitted separately to South Metro Fire Rescue in addition to the City's eTRAKiT submittal, and your code analysis must identify both new and existing fire suppression systems in the space.

Fees follow the standard valuation table: e.g., a $150,000 tenant finish pays roughly a $1,401 permit fee ($1,093.12 for the first $100,000 plus $6.16 per additional $1,000), plus a 65% plan review fee (~$911), a City use tax deposit of 1.969% of valuation (~$2,954), and an Arapahoe County Open Space Tax of 0.125% (~$188).

Littleton does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Littleton Building and Code Compliance Division (Community Development Department, Permit Center) at 303-795-3751 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Commercial Building Permit Application (eTRAKiT Online System); Architectural Plans (sealed by Colorado Registered Architect); Code Analysis with Existing-Conditions Exiting Plan & Life Safety Plan; South Metro Fire Rescue Plan Submittal. Depending on your project, Littleton may also ask for: Structural Plans (sealed by Colorado PE); Electrical Plans (sealed by Colorado PE); Mechanical & Plumbing Plans (sealed by Colorado PE); County Health Department Submittal; Site Plan. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Littleton requires 5 inspection(s) for a commercial tenant improvement (tenant finish) permit, in order: Rough Plumbing, Rough Electrical, Rough Heating / Mechanical, Rough Framing, Final Inspections / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through City of Littleton Building and Code Compliance Division (Community Development Department, Permit Center) (303-795-3751).

Apply through City of Littleton Building and Code Compliance Division (Community Development Department, Permit Center) at Littleton Center, 2255 W. Berry Avenue, Littleton, CO 80120. Phone: 303-795-3751, email: permits@littletonco.gov. Office hours: Permit Center: Monday-Thursday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Fridays closed; in-person walk-in hours limited to Monday 1:00-4:30 p.m. (no walk-ins after 4:15 p.m.) and Thursday 8:00-11:30 a.m.; Building Inspections staff hours 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. FAX 720-741-0210, eFax 720-384-0601.. Official information: https://www.littletonco.gov/Building-Development.

Littleton, Colorado has adopted: 2024 International Building Code (IBC) — City of Littleton Building Codes and Amendments page; 2024 International Residential Code (IRC); 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — Littleton uses the International Plumbing Code, not the Uniform Plumbing Code; 2024 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC); 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC); 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC); 2024 International Fire Code (IFC); ICC A117.1-2017 Standard with Supplement 1 — Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities; NFPA 70 National Electrical Code, 2026 Edition ("2026 NEC"); 1997 Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings (International Conference of Building Officials); Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code, adopted by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and Colorado Energy Office effective June 1, 2023; Littleton City Code Title 4, Chapter 1 — local IRC amendments including adopted Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria (Table R301.2): Ground Snow Load 40 psf (non-reducible), Ultimate Design Wind Speed 136 mph; Littleton City Code Title 3, Chapter 16 — Contractor Licensing (license/registration required to obtain permits within city limits, effective July 1, 1985). Local amendments apply — see the Littleton overview page for the full list.

No. Littleton processes tenant improvements and interior commercial remodels as standard Commercial Building Permits through eTRAKiT, under the same Commercial Submittal Requirements and the same valuation-based fee schedule (Resolution 2025-105). There is no distinct TI permit type, application, or fee line.

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