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Commercial Tenant Improvement / Alteration Permit (Commercial Alteration) in Cañon City, Colorado

Cañon City publishes a genuinely distinct packet for tenant improvements and alterations to existing commercial buildings: the 'Commercial Alterations Packet' (the City's own document title is 'COMMERCIAL ALTERATION' — the City does not use the phrase 'tenant improvement'). It is a substantially lighter submittal than the full Commercial Building Permit: only a Building Permit Application, Mechanical Permit Application, the Required Approvals Routing Sheet with the 'top portion filled out only,' and plans already 'Approved & Reviewed... by Shums Coda (commercial third-party plan reviewer)' — no site plan, warranty deed, surveyed ILC, water tap proof, or Development Site Plan items appear on the alterations list. Plan review still routes through the City's third-party commercial reviewer, and the same 1.0%-of-valuation City permit fee formula applies (no alteration-specific fee is published). Issued by the City of Cañon City Building Department; electrical and plumbing scopes are permitted separately by the State of Colorado (DORA).

Verified 2026-08-02 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Per the Commercial Alterations Packet, provide exactly: (1) Building permit application, (2) Mechanical permit application, (3) Routing sheet top portion filled out only, and (4) Approved & Reviewed plans by Shums Coda (commercial third-party plan reviewer)
  • Plans must first go through the third-party commercial plan review (submit electronically to plancheck@shumscoda.com, copying Building Official Kathy Ulsh at kulsh@canoncity.org; review fees paid directly to the reviewer under a signed fee schedule agreement) — the alterations packet requires the plans to arrive at the City already approved and stamped
  • A pre-application meeting is encouraged for all commercial applications 'except minor interior changes,' per the Commercial Building Permit Process flowchart
  • Reviewed under the 2018 IBC and 2018 IEBC (International Existing Building Code) as locally adopted, effective January 1, 2021
  • Building Renovation asbestos requirements apply per CDPHE state/federal regulations: any renovation project requires inspection for asbestos by a Colorado-certified asbestos inspector before work begins (CDPHE Asbestos Compliance Assistance Group, 303-692-3100)
  • Contractors must hold a current City of Cañon City Contractor License in addition to any Colorado state trade licensing Contractor
  • Electrical and plumbing work within the tenant space is permitted and inspected by the State of Colorado (DORA), not the City
  • A change that adds or alters mechanical/HVAC systems is covered by the Mechanical Permit Application included in this packet, with fees per the Mechanical Fee Schedule

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit FeeResolution No. 20, Series of 2024 — no alteration/tenant-improvement-specific fee schedule is published; the citywide formula applies, with valuation by ICC BVD table or actual construction contract (the City's Building Permit Fees page's contract-method example: a $180,000 contract x 1.0% = $1,800 permit fee). For project types without a BVD-table average cost, Resolution No. 20 Section 5 uses a good-faith estimate of actual construction cost approved by the Building Official.
1.0% of valuation (City of Cañon City Permit Fee Multiplier)
Third-Party Commercial Plan Review FeeThe Building Department page states a third-party reviewer 'currently completes all commercial reviews for the City' and applicants 'pay review fees directly to the third party Commercial Plan Reviewer' — alterations plans must arrive at the City already reviewed and approved
Not published — set per the review fee schedule agreement signed with Shums Coda Associates and paid directly to the reviewer, not the City
Mechanical Fee (if mechanical scope)Effective 01/01/2021, per the Mechanical Fee Schedule included in the Commercial Alterations Packet
$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

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial Tenant Improvement / Alteration Permit (Commercial Alteration) permit actually take in Cañon City?

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Inspection process

  1. 1

    Building Department Inspections Throughout Construction

    Per the Commercial Building Permit Process flowchart, Building Department inspections occur throughout construction, coordinated with the owner or owner's representative; no alteration-specific inspection sequence is published. Inspections may be scheduled 24 hours a day at 719-276-5292

  2. 2

    Final Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy

    Per the Required Approvals Routing Sheet (included in the alterations packet): 'THE PROPERTY MAY NOT BE OCCUPIED UNTIL A FINAL INSPECTION IS DONE AND A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY IS ISSUED,' enforceable as a misdemeanor under Section 15.02.040 of the Cañon City Municipal Code. State of Colorado (DORA) electrical and plumbing finals are scheduled separately

See the full Cañon City inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Sequence matters: for a tenant improvement, get your plans through Shums Coda review FIRST — the City's alterations packet expects 'Approved & Reviewed plans by Shums Coda' as a submittal item, not a post-application step, so the City-side permit issuance on an alteration can be quick once the third-party approval letter and stamped plans are in hand.
  • The alterations track is deliberately lighter than new commercial construction: routing sheet 'top portion filled out only,' and none of the new-construction items (surveyed ILC, warranty deed, water tap proof, Development Site Plan, site plan checklist) appear on the alterations list — but scope changes that touch the site, occupancy, or utility services can pull a project back into the full commercial packet; confirm with the Building Department (719-276-5253) if your TI is more than interior work.
  • There is no TI-specific fee discount or separate schedule — the same 1.0%-of-valuation formula applies, and interior finish contracts are natural candidates for the Construction Contract valuation method (contract value x 1.0%) rather than the BVD square-foot table.
  • Any renovation of an existing commercial building triggers Colorado CDPHE asbestos inspection requirements before work begins, regardless of building age — budget for a Colorado-certified asbestos inspection as part of TI due diligence.
  • Electrical and plumbing portions of a tenant improvement (new circuits, fixtures, break-room plumbing) are permitted and inspected by the State of Colorado (DORA), not the City — a TI in Cañon City runs City building/mechanical and State electrical/plumbing tracks in parallel.

Frequently asked questions

Cañon City requires a commercial tenant improvement / alteration permit (commercial alteration) for: Per the Commercial Alterations Packet, provide exactly: (1) Building permit application, (2) Mechanical permit application, (3) Routing sheet top portion filled out only, and (4) Approved & Reviewed plans by Shums Coda (commercial third-party plan reviewer); Plans must first go through the third-party commercial plan review (submit electronically to plancheck@shumscoda.com, copying Building Official Kathy Ulsh at kulsh@canoncity.org; review fees paid directly to the reviewer under a signed fee schedule agreement) — the alterations packet requires the plans to arrive at the City already approved and stamped; A pre-application meeting is encouraged for all commercial applications 'except minor interior changes,' per the Commercial Building Permit Process flowchart; Reviewed under the 2018 IBC and 2018 IEBC (International Existing Building Code) as locally adopted, effective January 1, 2021; Building Renovation asbestos requirements apply per CDPHE state/federal regulations: any renovation project requires inspection for asbestos by a Colorado-certified asbestos inspector before work begins (CDPHE Asbestos Compliance Assistance Group, 303-692-3100); Contractors must hold a current City of Cañon City Contractor License in addition to any Colorado state trade licensing; Electrical and plumbing work within the tenant space is permitted and inspected by the State of Colorado (DORA), not the City; A change that adds or alters mechanical/HVAC systems is covered by the Mechanical Permit Application included in this packet, with fees per the Mechanical Fee Schedule. 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 — set per the review fee schedule agreement signed with Shums Coda Associates and paid directly to the reviewer, not the City; Mechanical Fee (if mechanical scope) — $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. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

The City publishes no alteration-specific timeline. Its general commercial figures are: third-party review rounds usually within 10-14 working days each, overall commercial process typically 45-60 days from a complete application, and approximately 24-30 working days for initial review and routing per the Routing Sheet — but the alterations track's lighter routing requirement suggests a simple tenant finish may move faster once Shums-approved plans are in hand. Confirm current expectations with the Building Department at 719-276-5253.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Mechanical Permit Application; Required Approvals Routing Sheet — top portion only; Approved & Reviewed Plans by Shums Coda. Depending on your project, Cañon City may also ask for: Asbestos Inspection Report. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Cañon City requires 2 inspection(s) for a commercial tenant improvement / alteration permit (commercial alteration), in order: Building Department Inspections Throughout Construction, Final Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through City of Cañon City Building Department (719-276-5253).

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.

Yes, in substance: the City publishes a distinct 'Commercial Alterations Packet' (the City's term is 'Commercial Alteration,' not 'tenant improvement') with a reduced submittal list — building permit application, mechanical permit application, routing sheet top portion only, and plans already approved by Shums Coda, the City's third-party commercial plan reviewer. Fees follow the same 1.0%-of-valuation formula as any building permit; there is no TI-specific fee schedule.

Yes. All commercial reviews for the City are completed by its third-party plan reviewer (Shums Coda Associates), and the Commercial Alterations Packet requires plans to be submitted to the City already 'Approved & Reviewed... by Shums Coda.' Review fees are paid directly to the reviewer.

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