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Change of Use Permit in Springfield, Colorado

No standalone 'change of use permit' application, fee, or ordinance provision was found for Springfield after directly reading Municipal Code Chapter 16 (Zoning) — Article I (definitions), Article II (all zoning districts' permissive-use and special-exception lists), Article III (Zoning Requirements, §§16-59-16-65), and Article IV (Administration: rezoning-amendment procedure, Board of Adjustment special exceptions/variances, enforcement, interpretation). A use not listed as permissive for a given zoning district requires Board of Adjustment approval as a 'special exception' (Sec. 16-4: 'a specified use which must first be approved by the board of adjustment'), rather than a distinct 'change of use' permit track. This file's own prior adversarial re-verification pass (2026-08-02, cited in tipsAndGotchas) independently confirmed the same absence.

Verified 2026-08-14 · Source

When you need this permit

  • A use not listed among the 'permissive uses' for a property's zoning district requires Board of Adjustment approval as a 'special exception' under Chapter 16, Sec. 16-4 ('a specified use which must first be approved by the board of adjustment') and the special-exception list in each zone's own section — this is the functional equivalent of a change-of-use approval, but it is not separately named or processed as a 'change of use permit'
  • No distinct 'change of use permit' application, checklist, or fee line exists anywhere in Chapter 16, the Town's Building Permit Application, or the Master Fee Schedule (Resolution No. 25-07) — confirmed by direct chapter-by-chapter reading of Chapter 16 in this and a prior (2026-08-02) research pass
  • The Master Fee Schedule's only Zoning/Rezoning Fees are: Rezoning Application $150.00; Right of Way and Vacate $150.00; Variance/Conditional Use Permit Application $35.00 — the $35.00 fee is the closest published fee to what a change-of-use special-exception request would use, since Chapter 16 routes non-permissive uses through Board of Adjustment special-exception/variance review
  • If the change of use involves new construction, an addition, or interior remodeling, the Town's general Building Permit Application (Chapter 16) would separately apply, per this file's residential-building-permit entry

Required documents

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

Fee schedule

Variance/Conditional Use Permit Application FeeMaster Fee Schedule, Resolution No. 25-07 (revised 8-14-2025) — the closest published fee to a change-of-use request, applicable when Board of Adjustment special-exception/variance review is triggered by a non-permissive use; no fee line separately labeled 'change of use' exists
$35.00

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use Permit permit actually take in Springfield?

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

Inspection process

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

    Tips

    • Springfield's Municipal Code has no permit literally called 'Change of Use Permit' — a use not already listed as a permissive use for a property's zoning district needs Board of Adjustment approval as a 'special exception' instead, using the same $35.00 Variance/Conditional Use Permit Application fee that covers other conditional-use requests.
    • This file's own prior (2026-08-02) adversarial research pass independently read all of Chapter 16 looking specifically for a hidden site-plan-review or conditional-use gate for commercial change-of-use scenarios and found none beyond the standard Board of Adjustment special-exception mechanism — treat that finding as corroborated, not merely assumed.
    • If your change of use also involves construction or a remodel, budget for the Town's separate general Building Permit ($50 flat + Building Cost Fee) in addition to any Board of Adjustment special-exception review.

    Frequently asked questions

    Springfield requires a change of use permit for: A use not listed among the 'permissive uses' for a property's zoning district requires Board of Adjustment approval as a 'special exception' under Chapter 16, Sec. 16-4 ('a specified use which must first be approved by the board of adjustment') and the special-exception list in each zone's own section — this is the functional equivalent of a change-of-use approval, but it is not separately named or processed as a 'change of use permit'; No distinct 'change of use permit' application, checklist, or fee line exists anywhere in Chapter 16, the Town's Building Permit Application, or the Master Fee Schedule (Resolution No. 25-07) — confirmed by direct chapter-by-chapter reading of Chapter 16 in this and a prior (2026-08-02) research pass; The Master Fee Schedule's only Zoning/Rezoning Fees are: Rezoning Application $150.00; Right of Way and Vacate $150.00; Variance/Conditional Use Permit Application $35.00 — the $35.00 fee is the closest published fee to what a change-of-use special-exception request would use, since Chapter 16 routes non-permissive uses through Board of Adjustment special-exception/variance review; If the change of use involves new construction, an addition, or interior remodeling, the Town's general Building Permit Application (Chapter 16) would separately apply, per this file's residential-building-permit entry. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Springfield (Town Clerk / Town Manager's Office) at 719-523-4528 before starting work.

    In Springfield, the published Variance/Conditional Use Permit Application Fee is: $35.00. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

    Springfield does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Springfield (Town Clerk / Town Manager's Office) at 719-523-4528 for current turnaround.

    Depending on your project, Springfield may also ask for: Special Exception / Variance Request (Board of Adjustment); Town of Springfield Building Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

    Apply through Town of Springfield (Town Clerk / Town Manager's Office) at 748 Main Street, PO Box 4, Springfield, CO 81073. Phone: 719-523-4528, email: mmcginnis@springfieldco.gov. Office hours: Town Hall main line (719) 523-4528; fax (719) 523-6956 (also seen as 523-6945 on a separate form). Springfield is a statutory town (not home-rule) and does not maintain a standalone 'Building Department' — building permit intake, zoning review, and issuance are handled directly by Town Hall staff (Town Clerk / Town Manager) with Board of Trustees oversight, per Springfield Municipal Code Chapter 16 (Zoning) and the Town's Master Fee Schedule.. Official information: https://www.springfieldco.gov/.

    Springfield, Colorado has adopted: NONE CURRENTLY ADOPTED — verified by ordinance history, not assumed. The Town of Springfield originally adopted the International Building Code, 2006 edition, on July 10, 2008. Ordinance No. 355 (introduced Feb. 9, 2023; passed second reading March 9, 2023) repealed and re-adopted Sec. 18-1 of the Municipal Code, re-confirming the 2006 IBC with Town-specific geographic limits (Sec. 18-3). HOWEVER, Ordinance No. 356 (introduced June 8, 2023; passed and published July 13, 2023) subsequently REPEALED Chapter 18, Article I, Sec. 18-1 through 18-3 IN THEIR ENTIRETY, including the 2006 IBC adoption itself and all the geographic-limits provisions (frost depth, wind load, snow load, seismic category, etc.). No later ordinance (reviewed the Town's full ordinance archive through Ordinance No. 365, current as of this review) re-adopts any building code edition. As of 2026-07-06, Springfield therefore has NO adopted building code (no IBC/IRC/IMC/IPC/IECC edition) on its books.; Despite the repealed building code, the Town continues to operate an active Building Permit process governed by Springfield Municipal Code Chapter 16 (Zoning) rather than Chapter 18 (Building Code) — the current Building Permit Application form (dated 03.25.2025) explicitly states the applicant 'agrees to comply with Springfield Municipal Code, Chapter 16 by which this permit is granted' and cites 'MUNICODE CHAPTER 16-ZONING' as the governing authority for the permit's underlying agreement. This is a zoning/land-use permit and property/setback review, not a code-compliance plan review against a specific model code edition.; Electrical and plumbing work is NOT reviewed or inspected by the Town at all — Ordinance No. 355 (Sec. 13-158, as re-adopted, still in force) defines the 'electrical inspector' as 'the Colorado State Electrical Inspector assigned by the State of Colorado to perform electrical inspections for the Town of Springfield,' and the same ordinance's Sec. 18-3(10) (since repealed along with the rest of Sec. 18-3, but consistent with current practice) stated that electrical and plumbing issues are governed by 'the electrical and plumbing codes required by the State of Colorado.' The current Building Permit Application form itself lists only 'State electrical' and 'State plumbing' under its Inspections checklist — confirming Springfield defers both trades entirely to Colorado DORA/state inspection programs rather than running its own trade-permit or trade-inspection process.. Local amendments apply — see the Springfield overview page for the full list.

    Not a standalone one. Municipal Code Chapter 16 (Zoning) has no permit named 'change of use' — a use not listed as a permissive use for the property's zoning district instead requires Board of Adjustment approval as a 'special exception,' using the Master Fee Schedule's $35.00 Variance/Conditional Use Permit Application fee. This was independently confirmed by two research passes reading Chapter 16 in full.

    Sources & verification

    Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-14.

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