Colorado Springs building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Last verified 2026-07-17 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 2880 International Circle, Colorado Springs, CO 80910 (Main Office); North Office: 3939 Cordera Crest Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80924
- Phone
- (719) 327-2880
- Office hours
- Permits & Contractor Licensing: 7:30 a.m.–4:15 p.m.; Plan Review, Floodplain, and Enumeration: by appointment only; Inspectors office hours: 7:30–8:30 a.m.
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Colorado Springs's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Colorado Springs — 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.
- 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code (PPRBC), 2nd Printing — the regional code framework adopted by reference by all member jurisdictions including Colorado Springs (City Ordinance 23-16); effective June 30, 2023
- 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted by reference via the 2023 PPRBC
- 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — adopted by reference via the 2023 PPRBC
- 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — adopted by reference via the 2023 PPRBC
- 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — adopted by reference via the 2023 PPRBC
- 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) — adopted by reference via the 2023 PPRBC (NOTE: unlike Denver, the Pikes Peak region uses the IPC, not UPC)
- 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — adopted by reference via the 2023 PPRBC
- 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), with the Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code (CMERSRC) — adopted by reference via the 2023 PPRBC
- 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — adopted by reference via the 2023 PPRBC
- 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — adopted by reference via the 2023 PPRBC
- ASME A17.1-2019 Safety Code for Elevators & Escalators, ASME A17.3-2005 (existing elevators/escalators), ASME A18.1-2017 (vertical platform lifts/stairway chairlifts) — conveyance codes adopted via the 2023 PPRBC
- 2017 ICC/ANSI A117.1 Accessibility Standard — adopted via the 2023 PPRBC
- The International Fire Code and its amendments are adopted separately by the applicable fire authority (not PPRBD) — contact the local fire district directly for fire code / fire plan submittal requirements
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for construction of new single-family homes, duplexes, townhouses, and other one- and two-family dwellings within Colorado Springs. Issued and inspected by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department under the 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code (2021 IRC base). Fees include plumbing, electrical, gas, heating, and building inspections for new one- and two-family dwellings and their accessory structures.
Residential Addition / Remodel Permit
Required for additions, garage conversions, basement finishes, and structural alterations to existing one- and two-family dwellings in Colorado Springs. Reviewed by PPRBD under the 2023 PPRBC (2021 IRC base). Basement finishes and certain alterations are billed at flat rates under Table A.1 rather than full valuation.
Electrical Permit
Required for electrical installations, alterations, service changes, and repairs in Colorado Springs. Governed by the 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) as adopted via the 2023 PPRBC. Electrical contractors are LICENSED by the State of Colorado (DORA) but must separately register with PPRBD, which issues the permits and performs the inspections in this region — the statewide DORA Electrical Board does not issue permits directly here.
Plumbing Permit
Required for plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs in Colorado Springs. Governed by the 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) as adopted via the 2023 PPRBC. Plumbing contractors are licensed by the State of Colorado but must separately register with PPRBD, which issues permits and performs inspections in this region.
Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for heating, cooling, ventilation, and fuel gas equipment installations in Colorado Springs. Governed by the 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) and 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) as adopted via the 2023 PPRBC. Common residential HVAC replacement items are billed at fixed flat rates.
Roofing Permit (Reroof)
Required for reroofing (repairs or replacement exceeding 100 sq ft) on residential and commercial buildings in Colorado Springs. Billed as a flat rate for asphalt shingle, stucco, and wood/composite siding reroofs under PPRBD Table A.1. Governed by the 2021 IRC and 2023 PPRBC-specific amendments (Colorado Springs requires minimum Class A roof covering).
Solar PV Permit
Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) and solar-thermal systems in Colorado Springs. PPRBD requires both a building permit and an electrical permit for PV systems (mechanical/plumbing permit as well for solar-thermal systems altering interior piping). Billed at standard valuation-based rates — PPRBD does not publish a solar-specific flat fee.
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit
Required for construction of an attached, integrated, or detached ADU on a property with a single-family detached dwelling in Colorado Springs. Governed by City of Colorado Springs Ordinance No. 25-45 (approved April 8, 2025), which repealed prior ADU/Accessory Family Suite rules. Zoning/land-use standards are set by the City; the building permit itself is issued by PPRBD.
Demolition Permit (Wrecking Permit)
Required for full removal of a structure in Colorado Springs; interior-only demolition follows a separate Interior Non-Load-Bearing Demolition Permit path. Issued by PPRBD under the 2023 PPRBC, coordinated with CDPHE (state asbestos authority) and, in some cases, the City of Colorado Springs Stormwater Enterprise.
Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit
Required for interior remodels, tenant finishes, and additions to commercial buildings in Colorado Springs. Reviewed by PPRBD under the 2023 PPRBC (2021 IBC base), with coordination across other governmental departments (zoning, fire, engineering, traffic, utilities, water, wastewater, health) as applicable to the project scope.
Deck / Covered Patio Permit
Required for construction of decks, covered patios, porches, and similar attached or detached structures in Colorado Springs, except for small exempt decks. Reviewed under the 2021 IRC as adopted via the 2023 PPRBC. Composite decking materials require an evaluation report on-site at inspection.
Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger / EVSE Permit
Colorado Springs has no dedicated EV charger/EVSE permit type published by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD) -- confirmed against PPRBD's Fee Schedule, Download/Forms, and Code pages, none of which contain an EV/EVSE-specific application, checklist, or fee line distinct from the standard valuation-based Electrical Permit (Table B/B.1/C). A residential Level 2 EVSE circuit is billed as ordinary electrical work under the 2023 National Electrical Code (adopted via the 2023 PPRBC). Separately, Colorado's HB24-1173 (Electric Vehicle Charging System Permits, effective 2024) requires 'covered' municipalities (10,000+ population) and counties (20,000+ population) -- a threshold Colorado Springs and El Paso County both clearly exceed -- to have adopted, by December 31, 2025, either the Colorado Energy Office's EV Charging Model Land Use Code, their own objective standards/administrative review ordinance, or an opt-out resolution retaining their existing process for EV CHARGING SYSTEM (i.e., public/commercial charging infrastructure) land-use permitting specifically. Which of these three paths Colorado Springs or El Paso County actually took was NOT confirmed in this research pass -- flagged as a genuine gap rather than assumed, and in any case HB24-1173 targets land-use/siting review for charging systems, not the routine electrical permit fee mechanism that governs a standard home EVSE circuit install (which continues to run through PPRBD's ordinary process below).
Sign Permit
Required before any permanent sign (wall, freestanding/monument, low profile, or electronic message center) is erected in Colorado Springs, plus a separate Temporary Use permit for banners and inflatable displays. Sign permitting runs through TWO agencies in parallel: the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD) issues the actual construction/electrical permit and performs the structural/electrical inspection (Appendix B, Table E), while the City of Colorado Springs Planning Department's Development Review Enterprise (DRE) Division separately reviews the sign against the Unified Development Code's sign chapter (UDC Section 7.4.13) and charges its own zoning review fee under Resolution No. 191-25 (adopted Nov. 25, 2025, effective Jan. 1, 2026). Applications and plan images are submitted together through PPRBD's electronic plan review portal, but expect two distinct fee lines at checkout, not one.
Fire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm System Permit
Required for installation, alteration, or extension of fire sprinkler, standpipe, fire pump, fixed fire-extinguishing, and fire alarm systems in Colorado Springs. This permit is issued and reviewed entirely OUTSIDE PPRBD — by the Colorado Springs Fire Department (CSFD), Division of the Fire Marshal, Fire Construction Services section. PPRBD's own code-adoption notes in this file already flag that 'the International Fire Code and its amendments are adopted separately by the applicable fire authority (not PPRBD)'; for Colorado Springs specifically, that authority is CSFD itself (not a separate special fire district), operating under its own Construction Services Fee Schedule effective January 2025 and its own Permits, Licensing and Records Portal (which replaced ePlans on October 9, 2023).
Change of Occupancy / Change of Use Permit
Required whenever an existing structure or space's occupancy classification changes in Colorado Springs (2023 PPRBC, Section RBC 110.1.2). PPRBD's own guidance document (rev. 11/01/24) walks applicants through the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) compliance paths — prescriptive, work area, or performance — that govern how a building is re-evaluated for a new use. PPRBD does not publish a distinct 'change of occupancy' fee line; the project is billed under PPRBD's standard commercial Building Permit process (the same Table A commercial regional modifier and Table B trade-attachment structure documented in this file's Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit entry). Where the project is commercial, the City of Colorado Springs Planning Department's Development Review Enterprise separately assesses its own Commercial-Alteration planning review fee (30% of the PPRBD Regional Building Department fee, capped at $10,000) under Resolution No. 191-25, effective Jan. 1, 2026 — a real, additional City-side cost distinct from PPRBD's fee.
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)
- 351units
304 buildings · $144.6M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 5,412units
12 of 12 months reported · #2 in Colorado coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 1,923units
1,447 buildings · $771.9M valuation
- Full year 2025
- 5,707units
2,877 buildings · $2,065.1M valuation
County-wide figures: not a separately-reporting BPS place: no Colorado Springs row in we2605c.txt (or the we2512y.txt annual file); permits are issued by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department and BPS books the entire El Paso County total on the 'El Paso County Unincorporated Area' (99990) place row, which equals the co2605c.txt county row (08/041) — county-level totals are the only BPS option here (level set to "county" to match this resolution, though Colorado Springs is an incorporated place); needs principal review before Phase 1
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
- Colorado Springs has NO standalone city building department. Every building permit, plan review, and inspection within city limits is handled by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD), a REGIONAL governmental authority created by a 1966 Inter-Governmental Agreement between El Paso County and Colorado Springs — cite pprbd.org as the official government source, not a third-party mirror.
- PPRBD's fee schedule (Appendix B, Table A-E) has reportedly been stable for 20 years (per PPRBD's FY2026 Budget message, Aug. 20, 2025) and is entirely flat-fee or ICC-valuation-based — no city-specific 'quick permit' vs. 'full review' fee split the way Denver has.
- The Pikes Peak region uses the 2021 IPC (International Plumbing Code), NOT the Uniform Plumbing Code — a contrast worth noting against Nevada jurisdictions like Reno which use the UPC.
- Electrical and plumbing contractors hold a STATE of Colorado license but must separately REGISTER with PPRBD (a distinct ~6-8 week process, non-reciprocal with other departments) — PPRBD is the entity that actually issues the permit and performs inspections region-wide.
- Colorado Springs applies its own stricter zoning triggers on top of PPRBD's base no-permit thresholds: 125 sq ft (not PPRBD's default under-200 sq ft) for accessory structures, and 6 ft (not PPRBD's default under-7 ft) for fences, both requiring separate City zoning approval even when no PPRBD building permit is triggered.
- PPRBD's own Basic Design Information document (updated 06/30/2026) is the authoritative, dated source for regional snow load (Pg 43/57 psf), wind load (130/135/140 mph Vult by Risk Category), seismic (Ss 18.5%, S1 5.9%), and 30-inch frost depth criteria — cite this over any third-party summary.
- PPRBD's service area extends beyond Colorado Springs and El Paso County to Fountain, Manitou Springs, Green Mountain Falls, Monument, Palmer Lake, Calhan, and (in Teller County) Woodland Park — all under the same 2023 PPRBC and largely the same fee schedule, though each jurisdiction adopted by its own separate ordinance/resolution.
- Colorado Springs' current ADU ordinance (25-45, April 8, 2025) is comparatively permissive — up to 1,250 sq ft, all zone districts except detached/attached ADUs in the Wildland Urban Interface Overlay — but PPRBD still issues the underlying building permit, with the City requiring supplemental owner-residency and utility-service documentation.
- Solar PV always requires an electrical permit in the Pikes Peak region; a building permit is additionally required for roof-mount systems and for ground-mount arrays taller than 7 feet — PPRBD does not publish a flat solar fee (unlike Denver's flat $50 solar fee), so solar is billed at standard Table A valuation rates plus a trade attachment fee.
- New one- and two-family dwelling building permits bundle plumbing/electrical/gas/heating inspections into a single fee, but additions, remodels, and most other permit types do NOT — expect separate Table B/B.1 trade attachment fees or standalone Table C fees for those scopes.
- Demolition in the Pikes Peak region requires CDPHE (state) asbestos approval and utility cutoff proof before PPRBD's own $30 wrecking permit fee applies; projects within Colorado Springs disturbing 1+ acre, in a Streamside overlay, or touching an open drainage channel also need a separate City of Colorado Springs Stormwater Enterprise Grading and Erosion Control (GEC) Permit.