Westcliffe building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Westcliffe, Colorado.
Last verified 2026-07-06 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 1000 Main Street, P.O. Box 406, Westcliffe, CO 81252
- Phone
- 719-783-2282, ext. 12 (Building Department); ext. 10 or 11 (other permit/application forms)
- Office hours
- Building and Zoning office hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Town Hall general hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).
- Website
- Official site
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Westcliffe — 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.
- 2006 International Building Code (IBC), excluding all appendices unless specifically adopted — Westcliffe Municipal Code Title 3, Chapter 2, Section 3-2-1 (Ord. 7-2016, eff. 6/2/2016, repealing and replacing the section originally adopted by Ord. 3-1991, amended by Ord. 3-1996, Ord. 1-2000, Ord. 2-2008)
- 2006 International Residential Code (IRC), with Appendix E (Manufactured Housing Used as Dwellings) adopted in its entirety
- 2006 International Mechanical Code (IMC)
- 2006 International Fire Code (IFC), with Wet Mountain Fire Protection District named as the Department of Fire Prevention for the Town (Section 103.1 amendment)
- 2006 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — locally amended to replace all references to the International Property Maintenance Code
- 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
- No local International Plumbing Code (IPC) or National Electrical Code (NEC) edition is separately adopted by the Town — electrical and plumbing permitting/inspection authority is assigned entirely to the State of Colorado (see localAmendments and the electrical-permit/plumbing-permit entries below).
- Currency note: the Town's own codified Municipal Code (Title 3, Chapter 2, most recently amended by Ord. 7-2016, eff. 6/2/2016) still specifies the 2006 ICC code family with no more recent edition-adoption ordinance found after a full chase (Municode library, Town press-release archive, and direct site search for a 2018/2021/2024-edition adoption ordinance all came up empty as of this review). Colorado is home-rule with no statewide-mandated code edition for a town this size, so the 2006 suite is treated as the current, governing adopted code for this file rather than assumed to have been silently upgraded.
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for new construction of single-family homes in the Town of Westcliffe. Reviewed under the 2006 IRC/IBC as locally adopted and amended, including the Town's Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria (50 psf ground snow load, 110 mph wind speed, 40-inch frost depth, no mandatory ice barrier underlayment). Issued by the Town's Building and Zoning Official.
Residential Addition / Remodel Permit
Required for additions and remodels to existing single-family structures in Westcliffe, including basement finishes. Reviewed under the 2006 IRC as locally adopted. The Town publishes a prescriptive 'International Code Council Building Guide' for Single Family Residential Additions and Basement Finishes specifically.
Electrical Permit
Electrical permits within Westcliffe town limits are issued and inspected entirely by the State of Colorado, NOT the Town — per an explicit local amendment in Municipal Code Title 3, Chapter 2 (IBC Section 101.4.1 and parallel IEBC sections) stating electrical inspections are performed by Colorado State Electrical Inspectors under the State's adopted code, with a separate permit required. Custer County is not listed among the counties excluded from state jurisdiction on the DORA/DPO Electrical Permits jurisdiction page, confirming state authority applies here.
Plumbing Permit
Plumbing permits within Westcliffe town limits are issued and inspected entirely by the State of Colorado, NOT the Town — per an explicit local amendment in Municipal Code Title 3, Chapter 2 (IBC Section 101.4.4 and parallel IEBC sections) stating plumbing inspections are performed by Colorado State Plumbing Inspectors under the State's adopted code, with a separate permit required. Custer County is not listed among the counties excluded from state jurisdiction on the DORA/DPO Plumbing Permits jurisdiction page, confirming state authority applies here.
Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for heating, ventilation, and mechanical equipment installation, replacement, or repair in Westcliffe. Governed by the 2006 International Mechanical Code (IMC) as locally adopted. Issued by the Town's Building and Zoning Official; fee is set off the cost of the job per the Town's Administration Fee Schedule rather than the general valuation-tier Building Permit Fee table.
Re-Roofing Permit
Required for re-roofing work on single-family residential structures in Westcliffe. Governed by the 2006 IRC/IBC. The Town publishes a dedicated 'Single Family Residential Re-Roofing' ICC Building Guide, and the Town's Design Criteria chart does NOT require ice barrier underlayment (unlike some higher-elevation Colorado mountain jurisdictions).
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit
Required for construction or conversion of an Accessory Dwelling Unit in Westcliffe. ADUs were established as a permitted use by right (within certain parameters) by Ordinance No. 4-2024 (adopted October 15, 2024), which added Title 10, Chapter 1, Section 17 to the Municipal Code. An ADU may be new construction or a conversion of an existing accessory structure (e.g. shed, garage).
Demolition Permit
Required for demolition of residential, commercial, or accessory structures in Westcliffe. The Town's Fee Schedule sets distinct flat fees by structure category (Residential, Commercial, Accessory Building), each plus Building and Zoning administration fees.
Deck / Covered Patio / Carport Permit
Required for construction of uncovered decks, porches, patio covers, and carports in Westcliffe. The Town publishes dedicated 2006 ICC Building Guides for 'Single Family Residential Patio Covers & Carports', 'Enclosing Existing Patio Covers', and 'Uncovered Decks & Porches' specifically.
Commercial Tenant Improvement / Commercial Building Permit
Required for new commercial construction, tenant improvements, and commercial remodels in Westcliffe. Governed by the 2006 IBC as locally adopted. Commercial plan review is performed under contract by the International Code Council (ICC) itself, at a distinctly higher plan-review rate than residential.
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit
Required for installation of rooftop residential or commercial solar photovoltaic systems within Westcliffe town limits. The structural/mounting portion is permitted through the Town's Building and Zoning Department under the 2006 IBC/IRC as locally adopted; the electrical portion (wiring, inverter, interconnection) is permitted separately and directly through the Colorado DORA/DPO Electrical & Plumbing Permits program, not the Town — the same state-administered arrangement documented in this file's electrical-permit entry. No dedicated solar/PV line item is published in the Town's Fee Schedule; the Town's General Building and Zoning Permit Fee Schedule (valuation-based) applies to the structural portion, subject to Colorado's statewide solar permit fee cap.
Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station Permit
Westcliffe has no dedicated EV-charger/EVSE application, checklist, or fee line — a Level 2 or DC fast charger installation is permitted the same way this file's solar-pv-permit entry documents: the structural/mounting portion (if any support structure or canopy is added) goes through the Town's Building and Zoning Department under the 2006 IBC/IRC, while the electrical work (circuit, panel upgrade, charger wiring, interconnection) is permitted and inspected entirely by the State of Colorado Electrical Board (DORA/DPO Electrical & Plumbing Permits program), NOT the Town — the same explicit Municipal Code Title 3, Chapter 2 amendment (IBC Section 101.4.1) that routes all electrical work statewide. Colorado's HB24-1173 (EV Charging System Permits Act), which requires covered local governments to adopt streamlined EV-charger permitting standards by December 31, 2025, applies only to counties with 20,000+ population and municipalities with 10,000+ population — Westcliffe (2020 Census population 435; ~495 est. 2023) is far below that threshold and is not a covered jurisdiction under the Act. Because Custer County has no local electrical inspection program of its own (it is not on the State Electrical Board's list of counties/jurisdictions with a delegated program), the governing mechanism is the State Electrical Board's direct statutory authority under C.R.S. § 12-115-120(2): a state electrical inspector must inspect the work within three working days of the inspection request (§ 12-115-120(2)(b)), and permit fees are set by the Board 'based upon the actual expense of inspecting each type of electrical installation' (§ 12-115-121(1)) rather than a locally-published table — confirmed by direct review of both statute sections and the Board's current rules (3 CCR 710-1), which likewise publish no static fee table (permit fees are calculated and charged at the time of online application through the DPO Online Permitting System). For comparison, the statutory cap on what a LOCAL government with its own inspection program may charge is currently $120 (base fee, CPI-adjusted annually from a January 1, 2021 baseline) plus up to an 8% valuation-based tiered surcharge, per § 12-115-121(2)(a) — this cap does not itself set Westcliffe's fee (since the State, not a local government, performs the inspection here), but it is the closest currently-published statutory dollar anchor for Colorado electrical permit costs.
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)
- 0units
0 buildings · $0 valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 5units
12 of 12 months reported · #59 in Colorado coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 1units
1 buildings · $300,000 valuation
5 month(s) reported to Census
- Full year 2025
- 5units
5 buildings · $1.3M valuation
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
- Westcliffe (2020 Census population 435; ~495 est. 2023) is a small home-rule/statutory town with its OWN Building and Zoning Official — currently combined with the Town Manager role (Caleb Patterson, as of the most recent verified interview) rather than a dedicated multi-person department. Confirm parcel jurisdiction (Town vs. unincorporated Custer County) before assuming these rules apply.
- Electrical AND plumbing permits are issued and inspected ENTIRELY by the State of Colorado (DORA/DPO Electrical & Plumbing Permits program), NOT the Town — this is an explicit amendment written directly into the Town's own Municipal Code (Title 3, Chapter 2), and independently confirmed by checking that Custer County is not listed among the excluded counties on the DORA/DPO jurisdiction pages for either trade.
- The Town's adopted code family is the 2006 ICC suite (IBC, IRC, IMC, IFC, IEBC, IECC) per the most recent amending ordinance found (Ord. 7-2016, eff. 6/2/2016) — no later edition-adoption ordinance was found after a full chase of the Municode library, the Town's press-release archive, and direct site search. This is notably older than many larger Colorado jurisdictions (which have moved to 2021/2024 editions); confirm current status directly with the Building Department (719-783-2282 ext. 12) before finalizing a code analysis for a specific project.
- Westcliffe's own Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria (Municipal Code Title 3, Chapter 2, IRC Section R301.2(1)): 50 psf ground snow load, 110 mph wind speed, Exposure C seismic, 40-inch frost depth, -10°F winter design temp, and NO mandatory ice barrier underlayment — notably lighter design criteria than some higher-profile Colorado mountain resort towns at similar elevation (e.g. Vail's 145 psf snow load / 100% ice barrier). Do not reuse a generic 'Colorado mountain town' design assumption for a Westcliffe project.
- Accessory Dwelling Units are permitted as a use by right within certain parameters per Ordinance No. 4-2024 (Oct. 15, 2024), but this file could not independently retrieve the full ordinance's dimensional/parameter text (Municode's public library viewer for this client is a JavaScript SPA whose backing API did not expose a working public content route during this review) — confirm specific ADU parameters directly with the Building and Zoning office. A Board of Trustees fee-delay resolution for ADUs applies only to town-owned lots, not private parcels generally.
- The Town's actively-maintained standalone 'Fee Schedule' document (footer-dated 6/2021 but published under filename 'FEE SCHEDULE adopted 2024.pdf', and referenced as further amended by Ordinance #1-2025 for park-use fees specifically) is a DIFFERENT, more current document than the older fee table codified in Municipal Code Title 3, Chapter 2, Section 3-2-3 (set by the same Ord. 7-2016 that adopted the 2006 codes). This file's permitType fees use the standalone, actively-maintained Fee Schedule rather than the older codified table.
- If work is started before a permit is obtained, the Town's Fee Schedule states the permit fee will DOUBLE — a stricter and more explicit penalty statement than many peer jurisdictions publish.
- Mechanical (HVAC) permit fees are NOT set by the valuation-tier table used for Building/Residential permits — they are 'set off cost of job' at the Building and Zoning office's discretion; call ahead for a quote rather than estimating from the general fee table.
- Commercial Plan Review is contracted out to the International Code Council itself (65% of permit fee) — a distinctly different and higher-cost arrangement than the Town's in-house Residential New Construction plan review (50% of permit fee).
- The Town does not publish a numeric plan-review or permit-issuance turnaround (days/weeks) for ANY permit category anywhere on its site — not the Building Department page, the standalone Fee Schedule, or the codified Title 3 Chapter 2 ordinance text. Colorado is home-rule with no statewide clock for a town this size, and every permitType in this file is honestly null/unverified with a documented chase trail rather than an invented figure.
- State-level housing/zoning legislation aimed at population thresholds (referenced by the Town's own Building & Zoning Officer as generally applying to towns of 1,000+ population) appears not to bind Westcliffe given its ~495-person population — but this file did not independently re-derive the exact statutory population threshold from bill text itself, so treat this as a directional, partial-confidence note rather than a verified statutory citation for any specific state mandate (including HB22-1362).
- Full-header curl (custom User-Agent + Accept headers) was required to retrieve the Building Department page directly — a bare fetch without browser-like headers returned HTTP 403. If independently verifying these sources, use a full browser session or equivalent headers rather than a bare request.