Change of Occupancy / Change of Use Permit — Boulder, Colorado · Requirements sheet
Verified 2026-08-13 · Source: https://bouldercolorado.gov/detailed-multi-family-commercial-non-residential-or-mixed-use-guide
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.
Change of Occupancy / Change of Use Permit in Boulder, Colorado
Required whenever an existing building or space's use or occupancy classification changes in the City of Boulder, whether alone or as part of a tenant finish/remodel-alteration project. Billed as a distinct $81.00 Change of Use Fee (BRC 4-20-4(f)(5)) due at the time of the change-of-use request, creditable toward the Building Permit Fee if a permit application is submitted and issued within 90 days. Requires a code analysis and, for existing buildings, an accessibility-compliance analysis under the city's adopted Existing Building Code — Boulder's own Detailed Multi-family, Commercial, Non-Residential or Mixed-Use Guide still instructs applicants to demonstrate compliance with '2018 IEBC,' though the city's currently codified edition (per the 2024 ICC suite adopted via Ordinance 8684, effective Aug. 1, 2025, BRC Title 10 Chapter 5.6) is the 2024 International Existing Building Code.
Verified 2026-08-13 · Source
When you need this permit
- Applies whenever a change from the previous occupancy of a space is proposed, whether standalone or as part of a tenant finish/remodel-alteration project
- A comprehensive code analysis is required, identifying the applicable code (IRC, IEBC, or IBC), the scope (repair, alteration, addition, change of occupancy/use, or relocation), and the level of alteration
- For multi-family, commercial, or mixed-use remodels/alterations: must state type of construction, area of the scope of work, level of alteration, use (occupancy), and whether the use is a change from the space's previous occupancy
- For an existing building undergoing a change of occupancy: applicant must provide an analysis of current accessibility features and a breakout of project costs showing how Existing Building Code compliance is being achieved — Boulder's own live guide currently cites '2018 IEBC' for this analysis, though the city's codified adopted edition is the 2024 IEBC (Ordinance 8684, effective Aug. 1, 2025)
- Energy code documentation scaled to alteration level: Mandatory Measures Checklist integrated into construction plans; Prescriptive Measures Checklist for Level 1-2 alterations; Energy Modeling Summary Report required for Level 3-4 alterations exceeding $500,000 in project cost
- Change of Use Fee ($81.00, BRC 4-20-4(f)(5)) due at time of request for the change-of-use analysis; credited toward the Building Permit Fee if the permit application and issuance occur within 90 days
- Additional prerequisite approvals may apply depending on scope: variances, site review, health department approvals, growth management allocation (if adding residential units), and affordable housing compliance verification (for residential conversions)
- A new Certificate of Occupancy is issued once the change of use/occupancy is approved and any required work is completed
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Review timeline
Inspection process
- 1
Field Inspection
Verifies the space complies with minimum code requirements for the newly approved use, required even where no new construction work was performed
- 2
Final / Certificate of Occupancy Issuance
New Certificate of Occupancy issued once the change of use/occupancy is approved and any required work is complete
See the full Boulder inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- A change of use in Boulder requires the $81.00 Change of Use Fee and a formal code analysis even when the proposed use doesn't obviously require construction — budget for both the fee and the code-analysis submittal before assuming a straightforward reuse needs no review.
- The $81.00 Change of Use Fee is credited toward the Building Permit Fee only if a building permit application is submitted and issued within 90 days of the change-of-use request — sequence your submittal to capture the credit rather than letting the two applications drift apart.
- Boulder's own Detailed Multi-family, Commercial, Non-Residential or Mixed-Use Guide still instructs applicants to demonstrate compliance with '2018 IEBC' for the accessibility analysis on a change of occupancy — but the city's currently codified Existing Building Code is the 2024 IEBC, adopted as part of the 2024 ICC suite (Ordinance 8684, effective Aug. 1, 2025, BRC Title 10 Chapter 5.6). Confirm the current edition with Planning & Development Services rather than relying on the guide document's stated year.
- If the change of use adds residential units, expect additional growth-management-allocation and affordable-housing-compliance-verification steps on top of the base code analysis.
Frequently asked questions
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 Boulder building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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