Lone Tree building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Lone Tree, Colorado.
Last verified 2026-07-23 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 9220 Kimmer Dr., Suite 100, Lone Tree, CO 80124
- Phone
- 720-390-5211
- Office hours
- 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday-Friday, excluding holidays/weekends. Chief Building Official: Matt Archer. Community Development Director: Kelly First (kelly.first@cityoflonetree.com, 720-509-1274). General city line: 303-708-1818.
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Lone Tree's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Lone Tree — 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), as amended — City of Lone Tree Design Criteria & Codes page
- 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), as amended
- 2021 International Fire Code (IFC)
- 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC)
- 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC)
- 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC)
- 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
- 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC)
- 2017 ICC A117.1 Accessibility Code
Note on Chapter 18 (Building Regulations), Lone Tree Municipal Code: the City has adopted the International Building Code, 2021 Edition, as amended, with a certified copy on file with the City Clerk; a local amendment… Show full textShow less
Note on Chapter 18 (Building Regulations), Lone Tree Municipal Code: the City has adopted the International Building Code, 2021 Edition, as amended, with a certified copy on file with the City Clerk; a local amendment adds Section 105.3.8 'Soils Test,' requiring a soils test prepared by a Colorado-registered professional engineer at building permit application, with an engineering geologist additionally required for hillside/geological-hazard/steep-slope sites at the Building Official's discretion. Full Chapter 18 amendment text beyond this excerpt is hosted at library.municode.com/co/lone_tree; the base code-edition list is confirmed on the City's own actively-maintained Design Criteria & Codes page.
HB22-1362 statewide energy floor (Colorado): as of 2026-07-06, HB22-1362 requires that municipalities/counties updating their building code adopt an energy code achieving equivalent-or-better performance than the 2021… Show full textShow less
HB22-1362 statewide energy floor (Colorado): as of 2026-07-06, HB22-1362 requires that municipalities/counties updating their building code adopt an energy code achieving equivalent-or-better performance than the 2021 IECC + Model Electric and Solar Ready Code (effective window 7/1/2023-6/30/2026), stepping up to the Colorado Energy Code Board's Model Low Energy and Carbon Code (published 9/2/2025) as the new statewide minimum for any code update on or after 7/1/2026. Lone Tree's currently-published adopted energy code is the 2021 IECC (per its own Design Criteria & Codes page, most recent update not dated on-page) — this predates the 7/1/2026 Model Low Energy and Carbon Code trigger point and does not itself violate HB22-1362, since that stricter floor applies only when a jurisdiction next updates its code. Confirm current status with the Building Division (720-390-5211) before relying on this for a 2026-cycle project, since Lone Tree could adopt updated codes at any time.
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for new construction of single-family homes and duplexes in the City of Lone Tree. Reviewed under the 2021 IRC/IBC as locally adopted (Chapter 18 of the Lone Tree Municipal Code), plus the City's published Design Criteria (30 psf ground snow load, 115 mph ULT wind/Exposure C, 36-inch frost depth, Seismic Design Category B). Issued by the Community Development Department, Building Division.
From$23.50Residential Addition / Remodel Permit (including Basement Finish)
Required for additions, basement finishes, and interior remodels to existing residential structures in Lone Tree. Reviewed under the 2021 IRC as locally adopted. The City's own guidance explicitly names 'basement finish' and 'additions' as permit-triggering work.
From$23.50valuation-basedElectrical Permit
Required for installation, alteration, or repair of electrical systems in Lone Tree. Issued directly by the City's Building Division as part of its combined Building/Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing permit program (not deferred to the Colorado State Electrical Board). Governed by the 2023 NEC as adopted. Contractors must hold current Colorado State Electrical Board (DORA) licensure as a matter of state law, in addition to the City permit.
From$23.50valuation-basedPlumbing Permit
Required for installation, alteration, or repair of plumbing systems in Lone Tree, issued directly by the City's Building Division as part of its combined permit program. Governed by the 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) as adopted. Contractors must hold current Colorado State Plumbing Board (DORA) licensure as a matter of state law, in addition to the City permit.
From$23.50valuation-basedMechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for heating, cooling, and ventilation equipment installation or replacement in Lone Tree, including air conditioners, furnaces, and water heaters. Governed by the 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) and 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) as adopted. Douglas County Use Tax is explicitly waived on mechanical-only permits.
From$23.50valuation-basedFurnace / Water Heater Replacement Permit
A narrower permit scope for like-for-like replacement of a residential furnace or water heater, explicitly named by the City as requiring a permit (distinct from the broader mechanical/HVAC permit type, which also covers new installations such as air conditioners). Billed under the same shared valuation-based Building/Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing fee table; exempt from Douglas County Use Tax.
From$23.50valuation-basedRoofing Permit (Re-Roof)
Required when replacing more than 1 square (100 sq ft) of roofing in Lone Tree. Governed by the 2021 IRC/IBC as adopted; notably, ice and water (ice barrier) underlayment is explicitly NOT required by the City, unlike many mountain-corridor Colorado jurisdictions.
From$23.50valuation-basedSolar Electric / Solar Thermal Device Permit
Required for solar photovoltaic and solar thermal device installations in Lone Tree. Billed as a flat fee under the 2026 Building Division fee schedule, distinct from the valuation-based Building/Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing table. Douglas County Use Tax is explicitly waived on photovoltaic systems.
From$480.00Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit
The City of Lone Tree does not publish a dedicated ADU ordinance, zoning allowance summary, or standalone ADU permit page. In the current (May 22, 2026 codified version) Lone Tree Municipal Code on Municode, Chapter 16 (Zoning), Article VII (SR Suburban Residential District, which governs virtually all single-family residential zoning) lists 'Principal Uses' (Sec. 16-7-20, limited to one single-family dwelling per lot), 'Accessory Uses' (Sec. 16-7-30), and 'Accessory Buildings and Uses in SR-E, SR-L and SR-M Subzoning Districts' (Sec. 16-7-300) in full, and none of these lists include 'accessory dwelling unit,' 'ADU,' or a second dwelling unit as a permitted use — accessory uses are limited to private garages, home occupations, satellite dishes, small water/wastewater facilities, and swimming pools; accessory buildings in the SR-E/L/M subzones are limited to detached garages, home occupations, maintenance buildings, private pools/greenhouses, storm shelters, and tennis courts/BBQ pits/water features. Separately, Sec. 6-6-40(b) of the Municipal Code ('Short-term rental of non-primary residences and accessory dwelling units prohibited') confirms the City's code does recognize 'accessory dwelling unit' as a term, but only in the context of banning its short-term rental — not as an established zoned use. An ADU project (where the parcel's zone district happens to allow a second dwelling, e.g. via a Planned Development zoning overlay under Article XV, or via a variance/rezoning) would be processed as a standard Residential Addition/New Construction building permit through the Accela portal, subject to the same Design Criteria, soils-test amendment, and shared valuation-based fee table as other residential work — but the standard SR-district zoning does not permit a second dwelling unit by right.
From$23.50valuation-basedDemolition Permit
Required to demolish, or otherwise change/remove, any building or structure in Lone Tree. Billed as a flat fee under the 2026 Building Division fee schedule.
$100.00Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit
The City of Lone Tree does not publish a dedicated Tenant Improvement (TI) permit page or process summary distinct from its general commercial Building Permit. A commercial TI project would be filed as a standard Building Permit application through the Accela portal, subject to the 2021 IBC as adopted and the same shared valuation-based fee table used for all occupancies. Neither the Permits and Applications page nor anywhere else on cityoflonetree.com publishes a dedicated TI page, form, or checklist — a confirmed absence.
From$23.50valuation-basedDeck / Patio Cover Permit
Required for decks and patio covers in Lone Tree, explicitly named by the City as permit-triggering work (distinct from exempt concrete patios and driveways at grade). Governed by the 2021 IRC as adopted and the City's Design Criteria for structural loading.
From$23.50valuation-basedEV Charger / Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permit
The City of Lone Tree's 2026 Building Fees schedule has no dedicated EV-charger or EVSE line item -- unlike Solar Electric or Solar Thermal Devices, which have their own flat $480.00 line. Installing a Level 2 (240V) home EV charger requires a City of Lone Tree Electrical Permit, billed under the same valuation-based 'Building, Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Permit Fees for All Occupancies' table used for any electrical installation, issued directly by the City's Building Division under the 2023 NEC as adopted.
From$23.50Sign Permit
The City of Lone Tree requires a permit from the Community Development Department for erection of all signs within city limits. Sign standards are codified in Article XXIX (Sign Standards) of the Lone Tree Municipal Code (Chapter 16, Zoning), intended to protect public health/safety/welfare and support a favorable physical image consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan and Design Guidelines. Off-premises signs, including billboards, are generally prohibited, with limited exceptions (e.g., consolidated signage for two or more businesses within a commercial center with enhanced wayfinding, or temporary signage where construction has closed/altered property access).
See fee scheduleFire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm System Permit
Fire protection and emergency medical services for Lone Tree are provided by South Metro Fire Rescue (SMFR), the same district that serves Littleton. SMFR's Development & Construction Section publishes an itemized 'Systems and Other Fees' schedule (effective January 1, 2026) covering fire sprinkler and fire alarm system work: NFPA 13 sprinkler system modification of ≤50 heads ($344.57 total), 51-300 heads ($414.31), >300 heads ($843.98); Fire Alarm System Modification Base Fee ($461.12, plus $6.12 per additional device); Fire Alarm Control Panel Replacement ($651.92). Over-the-counter same-day review is available for smaller alteration projects (sprinkler ≤50 heads, alarm device changes within specified thresholds) submitted by 11:00 a.m.
From$344.57Change of Use / Change of Occupancy
A standalone City of Lone Tree 'Change of Use' or 'Change of Occupancy' permit application distinct from the general Building Division permitting process is not documented in the City's published materials. Separately, South Metro Fire Rescue (which provides fire protection for Lone Tree) charges its own itemized 'Change of Use' fire-code compliance review fee of $587.99 ($174.24 plan check + $413.75 inspection), per its Systems and Other Fees schedule effective 1/1/2026.
From$587.99
Lone Tree's permit history isn't searchable here yet
This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Lone Tree yet is the record of permits actually issued — the history you'd search by street address. That is a gap in our coverage, not a statement about any particular property.
Your email, and the place — never an address. We only use it to tell you when Lone Tree lands. Privacy.
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 (2026-07)
- 18units
18 buildings · $7.6M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 184units
12 of 12 months reported · #23 in Colorado coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-07)
- 117units
108 buildings · $47.2M valuation
7 month(s) reported to Census
- Full year 2025
- 233units
197 buildings · $83.8M valuation
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-07 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Colorado building activity
Tips & gotchas
- Lone Tree is a home-rule city with its OWN Community Development Department, Building Division (9220 Kimmer Dr., Suite 100) — it is not part of unincorporated Douglas County's building permit program. Confirm any near-boundary parcel's jurisdiction before assuming county rules apply.
- Lone Tree runs its own combined Building/Mechanical/Electrical/Plumbing permit program from a single shared valuation-based fee table — it does NOT defer electrical or plumbing permitting to the Colorado State Electrical Board or State Plumbing Board. Contractors still need current Colorado DORA state trade licensure as a matter of state law regardless of which jurisdiction issues the local permit.
- Notably, Lone Tree's Roofing Guidelines explicitly state that ice and water (ice barrier) underlayment is NOT required — a clear contrast to many mountain-corridor Colorado home-rule jurisdictions that mandate 100% ice barrier coverage.
- The City publishes NO numeric plan-review turnaround (days or weeks) for any standard building-permit category anywhere on its site — not on the Building Division page, the Do I Need a Building Permit page, the Roofing Guidelines page, the Building Inspection Scheduling page, the 2026 fee schedule, or the Building Permit Reports archive. Colorado is home-rule with no statewide clock.
- Local IBC amendment Section 105.3.8 requires a soils test (by a Colorado-registered PE) at building permit application for essentially all construction-scope permits — budget for this cost and lead time before assuming a lighter submittal will suffice.
- Lone Tree has adopted the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code; new construction, 500+ sq ft additions, and 25%-or-greater roof/exterior-wall replacement/repair trigger Class I or II mitigation requirements depending on the parcel's mapped fire-intensity zone (mapped on the City's Interactive Zoning Map) — even non-triggering properties in a mapped zone must maintain existing landscaping.
- HB22-1362 (Colorado's statewide building energy floor): Lone Tree's currently-published adopted energy code is the 2021 IECC. The stricter Model Low Energy and Carbon Code became the statewide floor for any NEW code update on or after 7/1/2026 — this does not retroactively invalidate Lone Tree's current 2021 IECC adoption, but confirm current status with the Building Division before relying on this for late-2026-or-later projects, since the City could update its code at any time.
- The City's site publishes no dedicated ADU or Tenant Improvement permit page/ordinance summary — both are modeled here as scoped applications of the standard residential/commercial Building Permit process rather than assumed to have a distinct dedicated program. For ADUs specifically, the live current Zoning Code (Chapter 16, Article VII, Secs. 16-7-20/16-7-30/16-7-300, Municode version dated May 22, 2026) confirms an ADU/second dwelling unit is NOT a listed permitted use of any kind in the standard SR Suburban Residential District — a zoning path (Planned Development, rezoning, or variance) would be required before a building permit could even be filed; confirm with the Planning Division (720-509-1180) before planning an ADU project.
- The Building Division's own FAQ states explicitly: 'The Lone Tree Building Division does not issue or require contractor licenses' — the only local credential required of any permit party is a Business License; contractors must separately hold current Colorado DORA state trade licensure (Electrical/Plumbing Board) as a matter of state law.
- Applications are submitted EXCLUSIVELY through the City's Accela Citizen Access online portal (aca-prod.accela.com/LONETREE) — no paper/in-person submittal path is described on the City's site.
- A city Use Tax (2.5%) applies to construction materials on most permits, but Douglas County Use Tax is explicitly waived on mechanical-only, plumbing-only, electrical-only permits/projects, and photovoltaic systems — do not assume the two taxes track identically.
- A 2.8% service fee applies to credit card payments, and a separate Cherry Creek Basin Water Quality Authority fee (set annually by that Authority, not the City) may apply at building permit issuance depending on parcel location within the watershed.