Longmont building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Longmont, Colorado.
Last verified 2026-06-30 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 385 Kimbark St., Longmont, CO 80501
- Phone
- (303) 651-8332
- Office hours
- Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. (closed Federal holidays, Veterans Day, and the day after Thanksgiving; Building Inspection closed 10–11 a.m. on the 2nd and 4th Thursday for staff training)
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Longmont's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Longmont — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.
Codes adopted
Colorado has no statewide-mandated building code edition. Under the Colorado Constitution's home-rule provisions (art. XX, home rule for municipalities since 1902; home rule for counties since 1970), building codes and zoning are an enumerated home-rule charter power, so cities and counties adopt and amend their own construction codes independently — predominantly the I-Codes, with editions and local amendments varying by jurisdiction. The one statewide floor is for energy: HB22-1362 (2022) created the Energy Code Board (jointly appointed by the Colorado Energy Office and the Department of Local Affairs) and requires that, on or after July 1, 2023 and before July 1, 2026, any municipality or county that adopts or updates a building code must adopt and enforce an energy code achieving performance equivalent to or better than the 2021 IECC together with the board's Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code (which includes electric-ready, EV-ready, and solar-ready provisions); from July 1, 2026 onward the floor shifts to the board's Model Low Energy and Carbon Code or an equivalent. Electrical and plumbing permitting defaults to the Colorado State Electrical Board and State Plumbing Board (within DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations) — the state issues permits and inspects statewide except in counties/jurisdictions that operate their own certified Electrical or Plumbing Inspection Program, in which case the local program has authority instead. Always confirm the currently adopted code edition, local amendments, and inspection authority (state board vs. local program) with the specific jurisdiction before submitting plans.
- 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted effective January 1, 2022; currently in force citywide
- 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — adopted effective January 1, 2022; currently in force citywide
- 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — adopted as part of the 2021 International Codes package effective January 1, 2022
- 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) — adopted effective January 1, 2022
- International Plumbing Code (IPC) and International Mechanical Code (IMC) / International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — adopted as part of the 2021 International Codes package effective January 1, 2022 (edition confirmed via Longmont's 2021 IBC/IRC Geographic Climatic Data Table; individual plumbing/mechanical/fuel-gas amendment ordinance text not independently re-verified beyond the city's codes-adoption page)
- 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — adopted with Longmont amendments, effective July 24, 2024
- PENDING — NOT YET EFFECTIVE: 2024 International Codes plus the Colorado Energy Code Cohort's model amendments were scheduled for Longmont City Council consideration May 12, 2026, with an anticipated effective date of July 1, 2026. As of this extraction (lastVerified 2026-06-30), the City's own Building Code Update page still describes this as a pending/anticipated action, not a confirmed adopted-and-effective ordinance — DO NOT treat the 2024 codes as adopted until the city's codes page or Municode ordinance list confirms passage.
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for construction of new single-family homes and other new residential buildings in Longmont. Reviewed against the 2021 IRC (effective Jan 1, 2022) and Longmont's Geographic & Climatic Design Criteria. Applications are submitted through the Accela Citizen Access (ACA) portal.
Residential Addition / Remodel Permit
Required for additions, remodels, basement finishes, and structural alterations to existing residential buildings in Longmont. Uses the same valuation-based Primary Fee Schedule as new construction. Filed as a 'Residential Remodel/Addition' application via the ACA portal.
Electrical Permit
Required for electrical installations, service changes, and alterations in Longmont. Electrical contractors must hold a Colorado State Master Electrician License AND a Colorado State Electrical Contractor License, then register with the City of Longmont (no additional city license fee). Longmont Power & Communications (LPC), the city's own municipal electric utility, is directly involved in electrical permitting — LPC staff exclusively perform ALL electric meter sets/removals and service disconnects/reconnects.
Plumbing Permit
Required for plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs in Longmont. Plumbing contractors must hold a Colorado State Master Plumber License AND a Colorado State Plumbing Contractor License, then register with the City of Longmont for a $75 fee (Class D specialty registration).
Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for heating, cooling, ventilation, and fuel-gas equipment installations in Longmont. Mechanical contractors need an ICC Master Mechanical certificate plus a $75 City of Longmont registration fee (Class D specialty).
Roofing Permit (Reroof)
Required for roof replacement and repair in Longmont. Governed by the City's Roofing Guidelines for Commercial and Residential Projects, the 2021 IBC/IECC (commercial), and the 'one square' rule requiring full roof replacement once repair exceeds 100 sq ft.
Solar PV Permit
Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems in Longmont. Longmont Power & Communications (LPC) — the city's own municipal electric utility — reviews the interconnection checklist and one-line diagram as part of the building permit process. Fees are statutorily capped for residential/commercial installations under Colorado's Fair Permit Act (SB17-179 / CRS 24-32-3319, commonly referenced by applicants as 'HB 1199').
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit
Required for construction of a new attached, detached, or converted ADU in Longmont. Governed by the City's Land Development Code (Sections 15.04.040 and 15.02.080.E) and the Development Services Center ADU Guide, updated December 2025 to reflect changes required by Colorado HB24-1152 (statewide ADU legislation). LPC and Public Works both participate in ADU plan review alongside Building and Planning.
Demolition Permit
Required for full or partial demolition of structures in Longmont. Fee is a flat rate distinguishing minor interior demolition from major building demolition.
Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit
Required for interior remodels, additions, and tenant improvements in commercial buildings in Longmont. Reviewed against the 2021 IBC with Longmont amendments and climatic/geographic design criteria; uses the same valuation-based Primary Fee Schedule with a higher commercial plan review rate.
Deck / Covered Patio Permit
Required for construction of decks, patios, sunrooms, pergolas, and similar structures in Longmont. Classified as an 'Addition' under the City's building permit requirements and reviewed against the 2021 IRC and Longmont's climatic/geographic design criteria (30 psf snow load, 30-inch frost depth for footings).
EV Charger / Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permit
Longmont has a dedicated EV-charger permitting path, distinct from a generic electrical permit: the City's Building Services Electric Service Application Form has an explicit 'EV' checkbox alongside PV, New Service, and other electric-service request types, and any COMMERCIAL EV charger installation requires filling out a second page of dedicated EV Charger Site Plan Requirements (parking dimensions, bollards, lighting, screening, one-line diagram) subject to Planning & Development Services review under Title 15 of the Municipal Code. The permit fee itself is calculated from project valuation on the same 'actual contract amount' basis as other electrical permits (no separate flat EV fee), but the application, review checklist, and infrastructure-coordination process with Longmont Power & Communications (LPC), the city's own municipal electric utility, are EV-specific.
Sign Permit
The City of Longmont publishes a dedicated Sign Permits page with separate Permanent Sign Permit and Temporary Sign Permit applications, administered by Planning and Development Services (Development Services Center, 385 Kimbark Street). Temporary signs may be displayed for no more than 30 days in any calendar quarter, with a fee of $10.00 per quarter or $40.00 for the entire year. Permanent sign fee amounts were not independently confirmed during this review; a 'Permanent Sign Code Tips' brochure is also published.
Fire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm System Permit
The City of Longmont operates its own Fire Department, Fire Prevention Division (285/385 Kimbark Street, Safety & Justice Building, 303-774-4471), which publishes detailed fire sprinkler submittal requirements: a completed Longmont Fire Department permit application (submittals are not queued for review until complete), two complete sets of fire sprinkler plans and hydraulic calculations, a 45-second alarm delay from flow switch actuation coordinated with the fire alarm technician on-site for testing, and the permit on site at all times. Construction permit fees are $200.00 per riser, control panel, power supply, pump, or tank, plus $1.00 per system device.
Change of Use / Change of Occupancy
The City of Longmont publishes a dedicated 'Site Plan Waiver / Change of Use' application and webpage: all new development, including additions, site changes, or changes in use, is generally subject to site plan review, but a waiver from that review may be requested when the additional building area does not exceed 25% of the property's existing building area AND the change does not affect on/off-site traffic circulation or parking, does not affect public utilities/services (including fire suppression/flow requirements) or on-site drainage, does not significantly alter the use or cause adverse impacts on surrounding properties without mitigation, and does not create safety problems or hazards. Separately, a change of use for occupancy purposes may also be required by Building Inspection, and final inspection approval on a change of use permits issuance of an Occupancy Certificate.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-05)
- 264units
10 buildings · $61.9M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 753units
7 of 12 months reported · #8 in Colorado coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 495units
70 buildings · $123.8M valuation
5 month(s) reported to Census
- Full year 2025
- 1,200units
246 buildings · $252.6M valuation
9 of 12 months reported; Census estimates include imputation
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Colorado building activity
Tips & gotchas
- Longmont physically straddles Boulder County and Weld County — but permitting authority does NOT vary by county. The City of Longmont (a home-rule municipality) is the sole building-permit authority citywide through its Building Services division, regardless of which county a given parcel falls within. This PermitBase entry is filed under Boulder County for URL/geographic routing purposes only.
- Longmont runs its OWN municipal electric utility, Longmont Power & Communications (LPC) — unlike most Colorado cities served by Xcel Energy or a rural electric co-op. LPC is a mandatory reviewer for solar PV interconnection (one-line diagrams, checklists) and has EXCLUSIVE authority over electric meter sets/removals and service disconnects/reconnects citywide — contractor or homeowner attempts at these specific tasks are treated as meter tampering with potential fines and criminal referral.
- As of this extraction (2026-06-30), Longmont's currently ADOPTED AND EFFECTIVE base code is still the 2021 International Codes (effective Jan 1, 2022) — NOT the 2024 codes. The city's own Building Code Update page describes 2024 code adoption (plus the Colorado Energy Code Cohort's model amendments) as scheduled for City Council consideration May 12, 2026, with an anticipated effective date of July 1, 2026, but does not confirm the ordinance has actually passed as of the extraction date. Confirm current status with Building Services (303-651-8332) before relying on this for a live project.
- Longmont's Geographic & Climatic Design Criteria are jurisdiction-specific: 30 psf ground snow load, 110 mph nominal/142 mph ultimate wind speed, Seismic Design Category B, 30-inch frost depth, Severe weathering, Slight-to-Moderate termite risk. Cite these directly rather than assuming Denver or statewide Colorado figures — they differ from Denver's ASCE Hazard Tool approach and from Reno's Nevada-specific table.
- Longmont does not fully delegate electrical/plumbing/mechanical trade licensing to the Colorado DORA boards, nor does it fully replicate Denver's own-program model — it uses a hybrid: contractors must hold the underlying Colorado state trade license (Master Electrician/Electrical Contractor, Master Plumber/Plumbing Contractor, or ICC Master Mechanical certificate) AND separately register with the City of Longmont. Electrical registration carries no additional city fee beyond the one-time $25 sales/use-tax charge for new contractors; Plumbing and Mechanical (Class D) registration each carry a distinct $75 city fee.
- Longmont's 'one square' re-roofing rule (since 2012) is stricter than many jurisdictions: any repair/replacement exceeding 100 sq ft (one roofing square) triggers a requirement to replace the ENTIRE roof, not just the damaged plane, and overlay (roofing over existing layers) is never allowed.
- Colorado's statutory Fair Permit Act (SB17-179 / CRS 24-32-3319) caps aggregate city solar PV permit fees at $500 residential / $1,000 commercial — Longmont's Solar PV Systems page confirms this cap applies, informally referencing it as 'House Bill 1199.'
- A homeowner may self-permit as their own general contractor on their own primary residence for building, and specifically for roofing, without holding a Longmont contractor's license — but any subcontracted trade work must still be performed by a contractor licensed to work in Longmont specifically.
- Applications for most Longmont permit types are submitted through the Accela Citizen Access (ACA) portal (aca.longmontcolorado.gov) rather than a walk-in-only or a different e-permits platform — register for an account before applying.
- Longmont's Fee Manual is reissued periodically within a fiscal year (a 2025 edition and a March 24, 2026 edition were both found live) — always confirm you are citing the CURRENT fee manual version, as fee amounts shift between revisions.