Residential Building Permit (New Construction, Single-Family, ADU, Additions) in Salida, Colorado

Salida requires a residential building permit (new construction, single-family, adu, additions) for: STEP 1: Submit the City of Salida Residential Building Permit Application (448 E. First Street, Suite 112) with site plan, floor plans, building elevations, utilities layout, proof of ownership, and — if in the floodplain — a Special Flood Hazard Development Permit; attach the completed Chaffee County Building Permit Application per the City's own document checklist ('County Application (See County Building Permit Application for Additional Requirements)'); Pay the City Permit Fee: 20% of the county building permit fee, minimum $50 (residential), due at City submittal, per the City's own Residential Building Permit Application; STEP 2 (after City review/forward): Submit to Chaffee County Building Safety Department — one electronic plan set (PDF or Dropbox link, no hand-drawn plans), including foundation plan, floor plans, floor/wall/roof framing plans, elevations, sections/details, and IECC compliance documentation (Compliance Path Certificate, Manual J/S/D calculations, blower-door/duct/ventilation test results from a RESNET- or BPI-certified tester); Pay the Chaffee County Building Permit Fee: Total Valuation x 0.007, plus a Plan Review Fee of 10% of that Building Permit Fee (Building Permit Fee + Plan Review Fee = Total due to County); $110.00 minimum (includes plan review); Geotechnical report required if lot slope exceeds 20% (plus a slope-stability study); commercial excavation projects always require one; Both a Final Inspection AND Municipal (City of Salida) Sign-Off AND County approval are required before a Certificate of Occupancy will issue. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Two-agency split: City of Salida Community Development Department (zoning/fire/Land-Use-Code review and City permit fee, first step) + Chaffee County Building Safety Department (I-Code plan review, permit issuance, fees, and inspections, second step) at City of Salida: 719-539-4555 (fax 719-539-5271). Chaffee County Building Safety Department: 719-539-2124 (Option 1 for inspections, Option 2 for applications/fees); fax 719-530-9208 before starting work.

In Salida, the published City of Salida Permit Fee (residential) is: 20% of the Chaffee County building permit fee, minimum $50.00. Additional published fees: Chaffee County Building Permit Fee — Total project valuation x 0.007; Chaffee County Plan Review Fee — 10% of the Building Permit Fee; Mobile Home Placement in Mobile Home Park — $110.00 flat (County); Additional City fees (project-dependent) — System Development (water/wastewater tap) fees, Inclusionary Housing Fee-in-Lieu, Open Space Dedication Fee-in-Lieu, School Siting Fee-in-Lieu, Special Flood Hazard Development Permit fee, Sidewalk Construction Fee-in-Lieu; Credit Card Transaction Fee (County) — 2.5%. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Chaffee County's own stated goal is 4-5 weeks for residential permits, but that clock only starts after the City of Salida has completed its own separate zoning/fire review and forwarded the application — neither agency publishes a combined end-to-end timeline, and the County's figure is an explicit goal, not a guarantee.

You'll need: City of Salida Residential Building Permit Application; Chaffee County Residential Building Permit Application; Site Plan, Floor Plans, Building Elevations; Proof of Ownership (Warranty Deed, etc.). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Salida requires 4 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction, single-family, adu, additions), in order: Foundation / Footing, Framing, MEP Rough-In, Final Inspection (County) + Municipal Sign-Off (City of Salida). Schedule each through Two-agency split: City of Salida Community Development Department (zoning/fire/Land-Use-Code review and City permit fee, first step) + Chaffee County Building Safety Department (I-Code plan review, permit issuance, fees, and inspections, second step) (City of Salida: 719-539-4555 (fax 719-539-5271). Chaffee County Building Safety Department: 719-539-2124 (Option 1 for inspections, Option 2 for applications/fees); fax 719-530-9208).

Apply through Two-agency split: City of Salida Community Development Department (zoning/fire/Land-Use-Code review and City permit fee, first step) + Chaffee County Building Safety Department (I-Code plan review, permit issuance, fees, and inspections, second step) at City of Salida Community Development Department: The Touber Building, 448 E. First Street, Suite 112, Salida, CO 81201. Chaffee County Building Safety Department: 104 Crestone Ave., Room 125 (2nd Floor), Salida, CO 81201 (mailing: P.O. Box 699, Salida, CO 81201). Phone: City of Salida: 719-539-4555 (fax 719-539-5271). Chaffee County Building Safety Department: 719-539-2124 (Option 1 for inspections, Option 2 for applications/fees); fax 719-530-9208, email: City of Salida (zoning/land use/building permit inquiries): planning@cityofsalida.com; Commercial Permit Inquiries/Major Impact Review: kristen.hodges@cityofsalida.com. Chaffee County Building Safety Department: bdepartment@chaffeecounty.org (electronic plan submittals: eplans@chaffeecounty.org). Office hours: City of Salida Community Development: Monday-Thursday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (per the City's own Contact Information block on the Building Permit Review page). Chaffee County Building Safety Department: operates on a 4-day work week (Monday-Thursday), inspections performed Monday-Thursday excluding federal holidays; inspection requests must arrive by 4:00 p.m. the business day before the desired inspection date (Friday afternoon requests roll to Tuesday).. Official information: https://www.cityofsalida.com/commdev/page/building-permit-review and https://www.chaffeecounty.org/departments/building_department/index.php.

Salida, Colorado has adopted: 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted by the City of Salida per the City's own Building Permit Review page: 'The City adopted the 2021 International Codes for Building, Residential, Existing Buildings, Plumbing, Mechanical, Energy Conservation, Fuel Gas and Property Maintenance with the 2021 IECC and the 2021 National Electric Code.' Chaffee County Building Safety Department's own Adopted Codes & Design Criteria page independently confirms the same 2021 I-Code suite (IBC, IRC, IFC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IECC, IEBC) is the edition actually enforced county-wide, including for Salida.; 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — same dual-source confirmation as above; 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC); 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — Chaffee County's Residential Building Application requires an IECC Compliance Path Certificate, Manual J/S/D submittal, and blower-door/duct/ventilation testing by a RESNET- or BPI-certified tester; 2021 International Property Maintenance Code — named on the City's own adopted-codes list; 2023 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70 / NEC) — City of Salida's own page states '2021 IECC and the 2021 National Electric Code,' but Chaffee County Building Safety Department's Adopted Codes & Design Criteria page (the agency that actually issues and enforces electrical permits) lists the 2023 NEC as currently adopted; this is a genuine, honestly-flagged discrepancy between the City's own page text and the County's live enforced edition — applicants should confirm the currently enforced NEC edition directly with Chaffee County Building Safety Department at time of submittal; 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities — Chaffee County Adopted Codes & Design Criteria page; Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (effective July 1, 2026) and 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) — Chaffee County Adopted Codes & Design Criteria page; note several IWUIC-specific submittal requirements on the County's own Residential Building Application are explicitly scoped to 'Unincorporated Chaffee County Only,' meaning some (not all) IWUIC provisions may not directly apply within Salida city limits — confirm scope with the County Building Department for any given IWUIC provision; Colorado Model Electric Ready & Solar Ready Code — Chaffee County Adopted Codes & Design Criteria page; the County's Residential Building Application requires roof load design for future solar panels and a solar-ready zone/interconnection pathway on submitted plans; Salida Municipal Code Chapter 16, Land Use and Development — governs zoning compliance, setbacks, dimensional standards, landscaping, and parking; reviewed by the City of Salida Community Development Department as the mandatory first step before any County building-permit review begins. Local amendments apply — see the Salida overview page for the full list.

Neither the City nor the County alone. The City of Salida Community Development Department first reviews every building permit application for zoning compliance and fire safety under the Salida Municipal Code, and charges its own fee (20% of the county fee, minimum $50). Only after the City's review is complete does the application go to the Chaffee County Building Safety Department, which performs the substantive building-code plan review, actually issues the permit, collects the county fee, and performs inspections.