Change of Use Permit in Broomfield, Colorado

Broomfield requires a change of use permit for: The City and County of Broomfield's own Building Division FAQ ('Do I need a building permit for my project?') explicitly lists changes of use among the project types that require a permit: 'Alterations, garage conversions, changes of use, structural repairs, drywall, and fire or flood repairs require permits'; Reviewed against the 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) as adopted by City and County of Broomfield Ordinance No. 2295, which governs change-of-occupancy requirements for existing buildings; Filed on the same General Permit Application used for residential/commercial additions, remodels, and structural repairs — Broomfield does not publish a distinct 'Change of Use' application form; The City's Prospective Owners & Operators guidance for new businesses recommends filing a pre-application with the Planning Division first, to confirm the intended use complies with Broomfield's land use and zoning laws, before or alongside the Building Division permit; A new business or new use in an existing space also needs a Certificate of Occupancy from the Building Division; a Commercial Certificate of Occupancy Checklist is published separately; A Food License from the Broomfield Department of Public Health and Environment is required if the new use involves food service; Registering the business with the State of Colorado is a separate prerequisite step recommended before applying locally; All General, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (and Fire Sprinkler, if applicable) trade valuations must be listed on the General Permit Application per BMC §15-03-100, even if the change of use involves no physical construction; All permit application documents must be emailed to buildingpermits@broomfield.org — permits cannot be submitted through the Online Portal. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City and County of Broomfield Building Division (Community Development Department) at 303-438-6370 before starting work.

In Broomfield, the published Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (same schedule as other General Permit Application trades) is: $23.50 minimum ($1-$500 valuation), scaling per the published fee table; above $18,000 the codified BMC 15-03-100 Table 1-A schedule continues (e.g., $69.25 + $14.00/$1,000 from $2,000-$25,000, down to $4.75/$1,000 above $500,000). Additional published fees: Zoning Verification Letter — Simple — $25.00; Zoning Verification Letter — Complex — $50.00; Use Tax on any accompanying construction materials — 4.15% of 50% of total project valuation. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Broomfield does not publish a change-of-use-specific timeline on its Review Timelines page, since change of use is filed through the general permit process rather than as its own category. A change of use paired with a full interior buildout would typically follow the published Tenant Finish timeline (5 to 6 weeks) if commercial; a use change with no construction is not covered by any published SLA. Confirm current timing with buildingpermits@broomfield.org.

You'll need: General Permit Application; Commercial Certificate of Occupancy Checklist. Depending on your project, Broomfield may also ask for: Planning Division Pre-Application / Zoning Compliance Check; Zoning Verification Letter. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Broomfield requires 2 inspection(s) for a change of use permit, in order: Building/Life-Safety Walkthrough, Final. Schedule each through City and County of Broomfield Building Division (Community Development Department) (303-438-6370).

Apply through City and County of Broomfield Building Division (Community Development Department) at George Di Ciero City & County Building, One DesCombes Drive, Broomfield, CO 80020. Phone: 303-438-6370, email: buildingpermits@broomfield.org. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except holidays; payments accepted 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Over-the-counter Plans Analyst consultations available Tuesdays 9am-Noon and Thursdays 1-4pm. Chief Building Official: Tim Pate, tpate@broomfield.org. Permits cannot be submitted through the Online Portal — all permit application documents, revisions, and affidavits must be emailed to buildingpermits@broomfield.org.. Official information: https://www.broomfield.org/174/Building.

Broomfield, Colorado has adopted: Colorado is a home-rule state with NO single statewide building code — each municipality and county adopts and amends its own code edition(s). The only statewide floor requirements are energy-code related (HB22-1362, the Colorado Energy Code Board / Model Low Energy and Carbon Code process) and, for accessory dwelling units, HB24-1152 (statewide ADU standards for eligible jurisdictions). Applicants working in any other Colorado city or county must independently confirm that jurisdiction's own adopted code edition and amendments — do not assume Broomfield's editions apply elsewhere. Source: Colorado Energy Office, Colorado Department of Local Affairs.; City and County of Broomfield Ordinance No. 2295, adopted by Broomfield City Council, effective April 15, 2026: adopts the 2024 International Building Code, 2024 International Residential Code, 2024 International Mechanical Code, 2024 International Plumbing Code, 2024 International Fuel Gas Code, 2024 International Existing Building Code, and 2024 International Fire Code (2024 ICC code series), plus the Colorado Low Energy and Carbon Code (state Model Low Energy Carbon Code / MLECC amendment package). Source: City and County of Broomfield Building Code Information page and Building Division page.; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — City and County of Broomfield began enforcement August 1, 2023, based on the State of Colorado's statewide NEC adoption (Colorado state law requires uniform statewide adoption of the NEC only, per the State Electrical Board). Broomfield will begin enforcement of the 2026 NEC on August 1, 2026, per the State Electrical Board's adoption schedule. Source: City and County of Broomfield Building Code Information page.; Broomfield Municipal Code (BMC) Title 15 (Building and Construction) codifies the locally-amended code editions and permit-fee authority (BMC 15-03-100); BMC Title 17 (Zoning), Chapter 17-32, governs accessory uses including fences (17-32-140) and accessory dwelling units (17-32-160 / 17-04-089). Source: City and County of Broomfield Building Code Information page; Municode library.; Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Code: a state-mandated model code (Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code Board) that all Colorado jurisdictions must adopt by March 1, 2026 and enforce by June 1, 2026 (both deadlines confirmed on the City's dedicated 'Broomfield Voice' WUI project page, itself last updated 2026-04-15). The City's Building Division page still carries unchanged 2025-vintage text (re-fetched live 2026-07-23, identical to the 2026-07-18 and 2026-07-03 captures) stating Broomfield had not yet held its adoption hearing and was not expected to consider adoption until early 2026. The dedicated Broomfield Voice WUI page (also re-fetched live 2026-07-23, unchanged since its 2026-04-15 update) is more current and explicit: as of its last update the Wildfire Resilience Code 'has not been adopted by Broomfield,' hearing dates are 'not yet set,' and adoption-ordinance readings 'are not anticipated to occur until the second half of 2026.' Both the March 1, 2026 statewide adoption deadline and the June 1, 2026 enforcement deadline have now passed with no adoption on record on either page — Broomfield's WUI code is not yet in effect as of today. Confirm current status directly with the Building Division before relying on it. Source: City and County of Broomfield Building Division page, 'Wildland Urban Interface Code' notice; City of Broomfield ('Broomfield Voice'), '2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code' project page and its 'Key Dates' tab.. Local amendments apply — see the Broomfield overview page for the full list.

Yes. The City and County of Broomfield's Building Division FAQ explicitly lists 'changes of use' among the project types that require a permit, filed on the same General Permit Application used for alterations and remodels. Even a use change with minimal construction scope should be confirmed with the Building Division (buildingpermits@broomfield.org) and, per the City's new-business guidance, checked against zoning with the Planning Division first.