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Commercial Tenant Improvement / Tenant Finish Permit in Louisville, Colorado

Required for tenant finish and minor commercial work in existing commercial spaces in Louisville. This is a genuinely distinct permit type — the CSS portal lists 'Commercial: Tenant Finish or Minor Commercial Work' as its own project type, the City publishes a dedicated 'How to Calculate Building Fees for a Commercial Tenant Finish' guide (Rev. 01.01.2024), and the required document set is lighter than new commercial construction (no soils report or site improvement worksheet). Same valuation-based fee table as other permits, but impact fees apply only on a change in use and tap fees only if a larger tap is needed.

Verified 2026-08-02 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Apply under the 'Commercial: Tenant Finish or Minor Commercial Work' project type in the CSS Online Portal (electronic-only submittal)
  • Building plans must be stamped per the Documents Required for Permit Application — COMMERCIAL checklist
  • Reviewed under the City's adopted 2024 ICC codes (IBC/IEBC/IECC/IMC/IPC effective 12/6/2025) and 2023 NEC
  • All contractors employed on the project must hold a current City of Louisville Contractor License (LMC Sec. 5.12.090) and be listed on the permit Contractor
  • Valuation = materials + labor + profit; the higher of stated contract cost or the City's Building Valuation Data Table governs the fee
  • Impact fees apply only for a change in use (or with the 1st tenant after a Core & Shell); water/sewer tap fees apply only if a larger tap is needed

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (Building Permit Fee Table)City's own worked example in the Tenant Finish guide: $1,000,000 valuation → $6,500 building permit fee
$28.00 minimum, scaling per the standard valuation tiers (Table 4, CC 12/03/24)
In-House Plan Review FeeWorked example: $4,225 on a $1M-valuation tenant finish
65% of the building permit fee
Development Impact FeesTenant Finish fee guide ('Only for a change in use') + Impact Fees guide Table A
$0 unless the project involves a change in use (or is the 1st tenant after a Core & Shell); if triggered, nonresidential rates are per sq ft: Commercial $4.03, Office $1.75, Institutional $2.43, Industrial $0.60
Water / Sewer Tap Fees
$0 unless a larger tap size is needed — see Tap Fee Calculation Form (Public Works, 303-335-4608)
Boulder County Use TaxWorked example: $5,925 on $1M valuation
1.185% of 50% of Total Valuation
City of Louisville Use TaxWorked example: $18,875 on $1M valuation
3.775% of 50% of Total Valuation
Fire Department Fee
Set separately by the Fire Department (303-666-8809); City's worked example shows a $665 base fee, with additional fees possible
Additional Plan Review Fee After Permit is IssuedThe Tenant Finish guide (Rev. 01.01.2024) lists $120/hour; the newer New Commercial guide lists $125/hour — the rate varies by fee-guide version
$120.00-$125.00 per hour (minimum 1 hour)
Temporary Certificate of Occupancy
$175.00

Review timeline

Plan reviewLouisville’s published plan-review target
20–20 business days

How long did your Commercial Tenant Improvement / Tenant Finish Permit permit actually take in Louisville?

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Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough Electrical / Rough Mechanical / Rough Plumbing / Rough Frame

    Trade rough-ins before concealment; each permit's specific required inspections are published under the Required Inspections section of the permit record in the CSS portal (4PM cutoff for next-business-day scheduling)

  2. 2

    Building Final

    All work complete per approved plans; the Certificate of Occupancy/Completion is reviewed by staff within 3 business days of a passed Building Final (Temporary CO available for $175)

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

Tips

  • A tenant finish that keeps the same use category owes NO impact fees and NO new tap fees (unless a larger tap is needed) — but a change in use can trigger per-sq-ft impact fees at the nonresidential rates, so confirm the use classification before budgeting.
  • The tenant-finish document set is deliberately lighter than new commercial construction: no soils report and no site improvement worksheet are required — but plans must still be stamped and the Wastewater Classification Survey is required whenever the tenant is new.
  • Despite being lighter-scope, tenant finish permits share the same published 4-week first-review-comments timeline as all other commercial permits — Louisville publishes no expedited TI track.
  • The use-tax stack still applies to TI valuation: the City's own $1M tenant-finish example shows $24,800 in combined county+city use taxes versus $6,500 in permit fees.

Frequently asked questions

Louisville requires a commercial tenant improvement / tenant finish permit for: Apply under the 'Commercial: Tenant Finish or Minor Commercial Work' project type in the CSS Online Portal (electronic-only submittal); Building plans must be stamped per the Documents Required for Permit Application — COMMERCIAL checklist; Reviewed under the City's adopted 2024 ICC codes (IBC/IEBC/IECC/IMC/IPC effective 12/6/2025) and 2023 NEC; All contractors employed on the project must hold a current City of Louisville Contractor License (LMC Sec. 5.12.090) and be listed on the permit; Valuation = materials + labor + profit; the higher of stated contract cost or the City's Building Valuation Data Table governs the fee; Impact fees apply only for a change in use (or with the 1st tenant after a Core & Shell); water/sewer tap fees apply only if a larger tap is needed. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Louisville Building Safety Division at (303) 335-4584 before starting work.

In Louisville, the published Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (Building Permit Fee Table) is: $28.00 minimum, scaling per the standard valuation tiers (Table 4, CC 12/03/24). Additional published fees: In-House Plan Review Fee — 65% of the building permit fee; Development Impact Fees — $0 unless the project involves a change in use (or is the 1st tenant after a Core & Shell); if triggered, nonresidential rates are per sq ft: Commercial $4.03, Office $1.75, Institutional $2.43, Industrial $0.60; Water / Sewer Tap Fees — $0 unless a larger tap size is needed — see Tap Fee Calculation Form (Public Works, 303-335-4608); Boulder County Use Tax — 1.185% of 50% of Total Valuation; City of Louisville Use Tax — 3.775% of 50% of Total Valuation; Fire Department Fee — Set separately by the Fire Department (303-666-8809); City's worked example shows a $665 base fee, with additional fees possible; Additional Plan Review Fee After Permit is Issued — $120.00-$125.00 per hour (minimum 1 hour); Temporary Certificate of Occupancy — $175.00. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Louisville's published plan-review target for a commercial tenant improvement / tenant finish permit is 20–20 business days.

You'll need: Building Plans (stamped); Commercial Checklist (2024 IBC Plan Review Checklist Commercial); Fixture Count Form — Commercial (stamped). Depending on your project, Louisville may also ask for: Wastewater Classification Survey — Commercial. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Louisville requires 2 inspection(s) for a commercial tenant improvement / tenant finish permit, in order: Rough Electrical / Rough Mechanical / Rough Plumbing / Rough Frame, Building Final. Schedule each through City of Louisville Building Safety Division ((303) 335-4584).

Apply through City of Louisville Building Safety Division at City Hall, 749 Main St, Louisville, CO 80027. Phone: (303) 335-4584, email: building@louisvilleco.gov. Office hours: Monday-Thursday 8AM-4PM (in-person; remote 4PM-5PM); Friday 8AM-5PM remote/by appointment only; Tuesday 11AM-12PM limited staff availability (staff meeting). Inspection hours Monday-Friday 6:30AM-5PM.. Official information: https://www.louisvilleco.gov/local-government/government/departments/building-safety.

Yes. 'Commercial: Tenant Finish or Minor Commercial Work' is its own project type in the City's CSS portal, with a dedicated fee-calculation guide and a lighter document checklist than new commercial construction (no soils report or site improvement worksheet).

Only for a change in use, or if you are the first tenant after a Core & Shell build. A like-for-like tenant finish owes no impact fees, and water/sewer tap fees apply only if a larger tap is needed.

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Commercial Tenant Improvement / Tenant Finish Permit in other cities

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