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Plumbing Permit in Boulder, Colorado

Required for plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs in the City of Boulder. The CITY issues and reviews plumbing permits directly (submitted via the CSS Portal) — Boulder requires and verifies State of Colorado plumbing licensure as a prerequisite ('contemporaneous review'), rather than the State DORA/DPO board issuing permits itself. Governed by the 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC), effective August 1, 2025.

Verified 2026-06-30 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Plumbing Contractor license from the City of Boulder required (Section 4-20-15); applicant must be a master plumber currently licensed by the Colorado State Plumbing Examiner's Board Contractor
  • City verifies State of Colorado plumbing licensure/apprenticeship compliance under the 'Contemporaneous Reviews of Electrical and Plumbing Licenses' program (per Colorado HB19-1086)
  • Plumbing permits can be submitted online via the CSS Portal
  • Residential new-construction fee is based on the number of bathrooms and/or dwelling units (a roughed-in bathroom counts as a bathroom)
  • Nonresidential fee is based on total dollar value of the complete plumbing installation

Required documents

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Fee schedule

New Construction — 1 dwelling unit (1½ baths or less)2026 Schedule of Fees, Plumbing Code Fee (Section 4-20-15(b))
$68.85
New Construction — 1 dwelling unit (2 to 3½ baths)
$94.00
New Construction — 1 dwelling unit (4 or more baths)
$119.15
New Construction — 2 dwelling unit structure
$111.75
New Construction — 3 to 15 dwelling units
$42.25 per unit
Remodel and Addition — 1 dwelling unit
$34.20
Nonresidential/Commercial, Industrial, Misc. — $100 or less
$13.60
Nonresidential/Commercial, Industrial, Misc. — $100.01 to $400
$16.75
Nonresidential/Commercial, Industrial, Misc. — $400.01 to $800
$19.90
Nonresidential/Commercial, Industrial, Misc. — $800.01 or more
$19.90 for the first $800 plus $3.75 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof
Plumbing Contractor License2026 Schedule of Fees, Building Contractor License Fee table (Section 4-20-15); requires current Colorado State Plumbing Examiner's Board master plumber license
$278.95

Review timeline

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

How long did your Plumbing 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

    Underground / Under-slab

    Before concrete pour — pipe slope, materials, cleanouts

  2. 2

    Rough-In

    After pipes installed, before walls closed

  3. 3

    Final

    All fixtures connected, no leaks, proper venting verified

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

Tips

  • The City of Boulder — not a statewide DORA/DPO board — issues and reviews plumbing permits inside city limits, but requires proof of a current Colorado State Plumbing Examiner's Board master plumber license and performs contemporaneous/random compliance reviews.
  • A project that adds plumbing fixtures may trigger a required water meter upsizing — use the Water and Wastewater PIF Worksheet to check before applying.

Frequently asked questions

Boulder requires a plumbing permit for: Plumbing Contractor license from the City of Boulder required (Section 4-20-15); applicant must be a master plumber currently licensed by the Colorado State Plumbing Examiner's Board; City verifies State of Colorado plumbing licensure/apprenticeship compliance under the 'Contemporaneous Reviews of Electrical and Plumbing Licenses' program (per Colorado HB19-1086); Plumbing permits can be submitted online via the CSS Portal; Residential new-construction fee is based on the number of bathrooms and/or dwelling units (a roughed-in bathroom counts as a bathroom); Nonresidential fee is based on total dollar value of the complete plumbing installation. 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 New Construction — 1 dwelling unit (1½ baths or less) is: $68.85. Additional published fees: New Construction — 1 dwelling unit (2 to 3½ baths) — $94.00; New Construction — 1 dwelling unit (4 or more baths) — $119.15; New Construction — 2 dwelling unit structure — $111.75; New Construction — 3 to 15 dwelling units — $42.25 per unit; Remodel and Addition — 1 dwelling unit — $34.20; Nonresidential/Commercial, Industrial, Misc. — $100 or less — $13.60; Nonresidential/Commercial, Industrial, Misc. — $100.01 to $400 — $16.75; Nonresidential/Commercial, Industrial, Misc. — $400.01 to $800 — $19.90; Nonresidential/Commercial, Industrial, Misc. — $800.01 or more — $19.90 for the first $800 plus $3.75 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof; Plumbing Contractor License — $278.95. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Plan review for a plumbing 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: Plumbing Permit Application (CSS Portal). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Boulder requires 3 inspection(s) for a plumbing permit, in order: Underground / Under-slab, Rough-In, 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.

The City of Boulder's Planning & Development Services issues and reviews plumbing permits directly. Plumbing contractors must hold a current Colorado State Plumbing Examiner's Board master plumber license as a prerequisite, and the city conducts 'contemporaneous reviews' (per Colorado HB19-1086) to verify state licensure and apprenticeship compliance — but the permit itself is issued by the city, not the state board.

The 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC), adopted as part of Boulder's 2024 ICC code suite (Ordinance 8684, adopted March 20, 2025), effective August 1, 2025, with Boulder amendments in BRC Title 10.

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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Plumbing Permit in other cities

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