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Mechanical / HVAC Permit in Boulder, Colorado

Required for heating, cooling, ventilation, and fuel-gas equipment installations in the City of Boulder. Governed by the 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) and 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), both effective August 1, 2025. Residential HVAC and solar-thermal permits can be submitted online via the CSS Portal.

Verified 2026-06-30 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Furnace, A/C, heat pump, boiler replacement or new installation
  • Ductwork installation or significant modification
  • Solar thermal (solar water heating) systems are processed as a Mechanical Permit, not an Electrical Permit
  • Mechanical HVAC (Residential Only)/Solar Water Heater/Wood Burning permits can be submitted online via the CSS Portal
  • Mechanical Contractor license classes are trade- and code-section-specific (Class A/B/C/D/E per BRC Section 4-20-13) Contractor

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Mechanical Permit — labor & materials $100 or less2026 Schedule of Fees, Mechanical Permit Fee (Section 4-20-13)
$13.60
Mechanical Permit — $100.01 to $400
$16.75
Mechanical Permit — $400.01 to $800
$19.90
Mechanical Permit — $800.01 and above
$19.90 for the first $800 plus $3.75 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof
Solar Thermal System — Residential
$69.60
Solar Thermal System — Nonresidential and Multifamily
$139.20
Mechanical Contractor License — Class A (any IMC/IFGC construction)2026 Schedule of Fees, Building Contractor License Fee table (Section 4-20-13)
$253.50
Mechanical Contractor License — Class C (one- and two-family dwellings under IRC)
$127.25
Mechanical Contractor License — Class E (boilers, water heaters, hydronics)
$63.50

Review timeline

Plan reviewTypical estimate — confirm current times with the Boulder building department
~0–0 business days

How long did your Mechanical / HVAC Permit permit actually take in Boulder?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough-In / Equipment

    Equipment installation and ductwork before walls closed

  2. 2

    Final

    Equipment operational, combustion air and venting verified

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

Tips

  • Boulder processes solar water heating (solar thermal) as a Mechanical Permit — separate from rooftop solar PV, which is processed as an Electrical Permit.
  • Mechanical contractor licenses in Boulder are split into five classes (A through E) based on the type of equipment and code section — confirm the correct class before applying. Contractor

Frequently asked questions

Boulder requires a mechanical / hvac permit for: Furnace, A/C, heat pump, boiler replacement or new installation; Ductwork installation or significant modification; Solar thermal (solar water heating) systems are processed as a Mechanical Permit, not an Electrical Permit; Mechanical HVAC (Residential Only)/Solar Water Heater/Wood Burning permits can be submitted online via the CSS Portal; Mechanical Contractor license classes are trade- and code-section-specific (Class A/B/C/D/E per BRC Section 4-20-13). If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Boulder Planning & Development Services at 303-441-1880 before starting work.

In Boulder, the published Mechanical Permit — labor & materials $100 or less is: $13.60. Additional published fees: Mechanical Permit — $100.01 to $400 — $16.75; Mechanical Permit — $400.01 to $800 — $19.90; Mechanical Permit — $800.01 and above — $19.90 for the first $800 plus $3.75 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof; Solar Thermal System — Residential — $69.60; Solar Thermal System — Nonresidential and Multifamily — $139.20; Mechanical Contractor License — Class A (any IMC/IFGC construction) — $253.50; Mechanical Contractor License — Class C (one- and two-family dwellings under IRC) — $127.25; Mechanical Contractor License — Class E (boilers, water heaters, hydronics) — $63.50. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Plan review for a mechanical / hvac permit in Boulder typically runs 0–0 business days. This is an estimate, not a published figure — confirm current review times with City of Boulder Planning & Development Services at 303-441-1880.

You'll need: Mechanical Permit Application (CSS Portal). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Boulder requires 2 inspection(s) for a mechanical / hvac permit, in order: Rough-In / Equipment, Final. Schedule each through City of Boulder Planning & Development Services (303-441-1880).

Apply through City of Boulder Planning & Development Services at 1101 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO 80302. Phone: 303-441-1880, email: PDSpermitadmin@bouldercolorado.gov. Office hours: Tuesday–Friday, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.. Official information: https://bouldercolorado.gov/services/building-permits-and-inspections.

Boulder, Colorado has adopted: 2024 International Building Code (IBC) family — City Council adopted the 2024 International Code Council (ICC) suite of codes with local amendments on March 20, 2025 (Ordinance 8684); effective August 1, 2025; local amendments codified in Title 10 of the Boulder Revised Code; 2024 International Residential Code (IRC) — part of the 2024 ICC suite adopted March 20, 2025, effective August 1, 2025, with Boulder amendments in BRC Title 10; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — part of the 2024 ICC suite, effective August 1, 2025; 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — part of the 2024 ICC suite, effective August 1, 2025; 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — part of the 2024 ICC suite, effective August 1, 2025; 2024 International Fire Code (IFC) — part of the 2024 ICC suite, effective August 1, 2025; 2024 City of Boulder Energy Conservation Code (CoBECC) — Boulder's own locally-amended energy code (not a straight IECC adoption), effective December 1, 2024; published on ICC Digital Codes as COBECC2024P1; mandatory-measures checklist now required to be integrated into commercial/multifamily plan sets; 2023 NFPA 70 National Electrical Code (NEC), as amended by the City of Boulder — effective August 1, 2023; amendments in BRC Title 10; 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) — applies to properties in Boulder's designated wildland urban interface zone per the city's Structure Protection Plan / Wildland Fire program (edition as referenced in Boulder's Zoning and Permitting FAQ, Oct. 2020; confirm current edition at time of application). Local amendments apply — see the Boulder overview page for the full list.

The 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted as part of Boulder's 2024 ICC code suite (Ordinance 8684), effective August 1, 2025. Fuel gas work follows the companion 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), also effective August 1, 2025.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-06-30.

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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Mechanical / HVAC Permit in other cities

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