Commercial Building Permit in Cañon City, Colorado

Cañon City requires a commercial building permit for: Pre-application meeting: listed as a checked item under 'REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED FOR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS' on the Commercial Packet's Submittal Checklist, while the Commercial Building Permit Process flowchart describes it as 'Encouraged for all applications except minor interior changes' — both characterizations are the City's own, reported as published; Submit all necessary electronic drawings to the third-party plan reviewer (plancheck@shumscoda.com, copy kulsh@canoncity.org) with the Plan Review Services Transmittal Form; receive and sign the review fee schedule agreement with Shums Coda Associates; application and materials usually submitted by Owner's Representative, Project Architect, or Project Engineer; Plan review scopes per the Submittal Checklist: Preliminary Building Review (schematic/design development drawings showing size, occupancy group(s), type of construction, means of egress, fire separation assemblies, fire protection systems), Building Review (complete architectural plans, site plan with distances to lot lines, general specifications, fire-resistance rated assembly specifications), Structural Review (architectural and structural plans, soil boring and geotechnical recommendations report with bearing values, structural calculations), Accessibility Review, Energy Review, Mechanical Review, Plumbing Review, and Electrical Review; Energy code: must choose between the 2018 IECC or ASHRAE 90.1-2016 — the City's Energy Information sheet states the two 'cannot combine'; specify the thermal envelope compliance path on plans (C402.1.3 R-value, C402.1.4 U/C/F-factor, or C402.1.5 COMcheck component performance; or C407 Total Building Performance; or the ASHRAE chapters); Commercial Design Criteria (Climatic & Geographic Design Criteria document): ground/roof snow load 30 psf (no reductions permitted per ASCE 7-16 Sections 7.3, 7.4, 7.7, 7.8, 7.13.1; increased by importance factor 1.10 for Risk Category III and 1.20 for Risk Category IV); basic design wind speeds VULT 115 mph/VASD 90 mph (Risk Category I), VULT 126 mph/VASD 100 mph (Risk Category II), VULT 139 mph/VASD 110 mph (Risk Category III/IV); flood hazard areas per the Flood Insurance Study for Fremont County dated July 3, 2012, as amended (IBC 1612.3); After third-party review approval: provide TWO sets of stamped approved plans and all associated documents (soils report, project manual, etc.) to the Building Department, uploaded through the online portal (civicgov4.com/co_canoncity/portal) along with applications and packet forms; Completed Submittal Checklist, signed Building Permit Application, and signed Mechanical Permit Application; Required Approvals Routing Sheet: applicant is responsible for securing sign-offs from Public Works, City Planning & Zoning, County Health Department, Fire District, and Water Department (Health and Water are commercial-only routings) BOTH prior to permit issuance AND again prior to final inspection/Certificate of Occupancy for commercial projects; Copy of Warranty Deed, Title Commitment, or other documentation showing property ownership including easement information; Improvement Location Certificate or Surveyed Site Plan prepared and stamped by a Colorado-licensed surveyor; prior to first inspection the property must be pinned by a Colorado-licensed surveyor with setbacks dimensioned and field-verified; Water Tap Application/Proof of Water (paid receipt from Cañon City or Park Center Water District) submitted prior to applying for the building permit; for all services other than single-family residences a testable backflow prevention assembly is required and supplied by the applicant; Proof of Sewer or Septic (paid receipt from Fremont Sanitation District; septic reviewed/approved by Fremont County, 719-276-7460); Site (plot) plan drawn to legible scale including orientation, legal description, lot lines/size, adjacent roads, easements/setbacks/building envelopes, utilities, existing/proposed structures, floodplain/floodway delineation if applicable, drainage plan, public sidewalk (min. width 5 ft, 6 inches thick adjacent to mountable curb), access driveways/parking/curb cuts, top-of-foundation elevation (lowest elevation at least 1 foot above the highest point of edge of pavement/top back of curb adjacent to the property), square footage of all structure footprints and external flatwork, and accessible route from public streets or sidewalks; Development Site Plan: for nonresidential and multi-family development, a more specific Site Plan and other plans/reports require approval by the Engineering and Planning Departments PRIOR to building permit approval, per Chapter 4.12 of the Cañon City Subdivision and Development Regulations; Conditional items determined by the Engineering Department (719-276-5291): Floodplain Development Permit (if in the Special Flood Hazard Area, prepared by a Colorado-licensed PE), Stormwater Drainage Easement, Grading Erosion Sediment & Control (GESC) Permit, Right-of-Way Permit, and Access Agreement (projects adjacent to designated thoroughfares); Contractors must hold a current City of Cañon City Contractor License in addition to any Colorado state trade licensing; Electrical and plumbing permits and inspections are issued and scheduled by the State of Colorado (DORA), not the City — plan two separate permitting tracks. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Cañon City Building Department at 719-276-5253 before starting work.

In Cañon City, the published Building Permit Fee is: 1.0% of valuation (City of Cañon City Permit Fee Multiplier). Additional published fees: Third-Party Commercial Plan Review Fee — Not published as a fixed schedule by the City — set per a review fee schedule agreement the applicant receives and signs with Shums Coda Associates, and paid by the applicant DIRECTLY to Shums Coda Associates, not to the City; Mechanical Fee — $30.00 flat for valuation not more than $2,000; $30.00 plus $10.00 per each additional $1,000 (or fraction thereof) for valuation over $2,000; Fire Impact Fee — Not published as a specific dollar figure by the City or the Cañon City Area Fire Protection District; Water Tap / Impact Fees — Not published as a fixed schedule on the Building Department pages — the Water Tap Application's official-use section itemizes Impact Fee, Rebate Fee, Cash-in-Lieu Fee, Tap Fee, and Meter & Pit Fee as determined by the City Engineer/Water Superintendent; Storm Water Impact Fee — Not itemized as a flat figure on the Building Permit Fees page; Electrical and Plumbing Permit Fees — Set and collected by the State of Colorado (DORA), not the City. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

The City's Commercial Building Permit Process flowchart states the overall timeframe is typically 45-60 days from a complete application submittal, with each third-party review round usually within 10-14 working days. The Required Approvals Routing Sheet separately quotes approximately 24-30 working days for initial review and routing, and notes large commercial projects may take longer. Colorado has no statewide review-deadline mandate.

You'll need: Plan Review Services Transmittal Form (Shums Coda Associates); Complete Construction Drawing Set for Third-Party Review; Two Sets of Stamped Approved Plans (post-review); Building Permit Application; Mechanical Permit Application; Submittal Checklist; Required Approvals Routing Sheet; Copy of Warranty Deed or Title Commitment; Improvement Location Certificate or Surveyed Site Plan; Water Tap Application / Proof of Water; Proof of Sewer or Septic; Site (Plot) Plan for Commercial Development; Development Site Plan (Engineering/Planning approval). Depending on your project, Cañon City may also ask for: Floodplain Development Permit. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Apply through City of Cañon City Building Department at 128 Main Street, Cañon City, CO 81212. Phone: 719-276-5253, email: Kathy Ulsh (Certified Building Official) and Susanne Rave (Permit Technician II) — see City of Cañon City Building Department contact page for current email addresses. Office hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. (the building opens to the public at 8:00 a.m.; staff are available by phone only from 7-8 a.m.). Inspections may be scheduled 24 hours a day by calling 719.276.5292.. Official information: https://www.canoncity.org/176/Building-Department.

The City of Cañon City Building Department (128 Main Street, 719-276-5253) — not Fremont County, which runs a separate Building Department for unincorporated areas only, and not the State of Colorado, which has no state-level general permitting agency. Plan review, however, is performed by a third-party reviewer (Shums Coda Associates) on the City's behalf, and the City Building Official issues the permit after third-party approval.

Yes — the City publishes a distinct Commercial Alterations Packet for alterations/tenant work inside existing commercial buildings, with a substantially lighter submittal list (see this jurisdiction's commercial-tenant-improvement-permit entry). It still requires third-party plan review by Shums Coda and uses the same 1.0%-of-valuation fee formula.

No. Both electrical and plumbing permits and inspections in Cañon City are issued and scheduled by the State of Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), per the City's own Building Department page.