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Residential Building Permit (New Single-Family Construction) in Cañon City, Colorado

Required for new single-family residential construction within Cañon City limits. Reviewed under the 2018 IRC/IBC as locally adopted, plus the City's own Climatic & Geographic Design Criteria (snow, wind, seismic, frost depth). Issued by the City of Cañon City Building Department; electrical and plumbing work on the project is permitted separately through the State of Colorado (DORA), not the City.

Verified 2026-07-06 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Plans must comply with the 2018 IRC/IBC as adopted (effective January 1, 2021) and the City's Climatic & Geographic Design Criteria: Ground Snow Load 30 psf, Wind Speed 100 mph, Seismic Design Category B, Frost line depth 27 inches
  • Submittal Checklist, completed Building Permit Application, and Required Approvals Routing Sheet approvals (Public Works, Planning & Zoning at minimum; County Health Dept. and Water Dept. for commercial only)
  • 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; property must be pinned by a Colorado-licensed surveyor with setbacks verified in the field prior to the first inspection
  • Water Tap Application/Proof of Water (paid receipt from Cañon City or Park Center Water District) submitted prior to applying for the building permit
  • Proof of Sewer or Septic (paid receipt from Fremont Sanitation District, or septic reviewed/approved by Fremont County)
  • Site (plot) plan drawn to legible scale showing orientation, legal description, lot lines/size, adjacent streets, easements/setbacks, utilities, existing/proposed structures, drainage plan, sidewalks, driveways, and top-of-foundation elevation
  • Plans prepared and stamped by a Colorado-licensed architect or engineer on each sheet, addenda/revisions, and specification cover/title pages
  • Floor plan, floor framing plan, elevation drawings, roof framing plan, and structural detail drawings per the Residential Building Permit Packet's Submittal Checklist
  • Engineered Foundation required on all new structures except one-story detached garages not exceeding 800 sq ft (not in the Special Flood Hazard Area); foundation plans require a site-specific soils investigation & lab analysis report by a Colorado-licensed professional engineer
  • Mechanical Permit Application and Mechanical Plan (equipment locations, BTU input/output, vent sizing, combustion air calculations, ACCA Manual J/D/S) submitted alongside the building permit
  • Energy Code compliance per 2018 IRC Chapter 11 (Prescriptive, Simulated Performance, or Energy Rating Index path), including required blower-door air-leakage testing (3 ACH for Climate Zone 5) before final Certificate of Occupancy and a permanent energy certificate posted before final inspection
  • Floodplain Development Permit required if the structure is in the Special Flood Hazard Area, completed by a Colorado-licensed professional engineer and reviewed by the City Engineer
  • Contractors must hold a current City of Cañon City Contractor License in addition to any state trade licensing Contractor
  • All permits submitted through the City's Online Services Portal

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit FeeResolution No. 20, Series of 2024. Valuation determined either by the ICC Building Valuation Data (BVD) table (Feb. 2026 edition) applied as Gross Area x Square Foot Construction Cost, or by actual Construction Contract value. City's own worked example: 2,000 sq ft finished area + 1,000 sq ft unfinished basement + 800 sq ft garage (Group R-3, Type VB) = $440,196 total valuation x 1.0% = $4,401.96 building permit fee
1.0% of valuation (City of Cañon City Permit Fee Multiplier)
Mechanical FeeEffective 01/01/2021; charged in addition to the 1.0% building permit fee. City's worked example totals $110.00 mechanical fee on the $440,196 example project
$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 FeeCollected by the City/County at building-permit issuance per the District's own Impact Fees page; the District's 2020 Inspection/Plan Review Fee Schedule explicitly states 'Impact Fee May Apply And Is Not Included In This Fee Schedule' — genuinely unresolved, contact the Fire District at 719-275-8666 for current amount
Not published as a specific residential dollar figure by either the City or the Cañon City Area Fire Protection District as of this review
Electrical PermitCity's Building Permit Fees page links directly to colorado.gov/dora/boards_programs, which as of 2026-07-16 302-redirects only to the DORA homepage (dora.colorado.gov), not a working deep link. The state page confirming DORA purchases/collects electrical permit fees directly (not the City) is dpo.colorado.gov/ElectricalPlumbingPermits, content-verified this review.
Set and collected by the State of Colorado (DORA), not the City
Plumbing PermitCity's Building Permit Fees page links directly to colorado.gov/dora/boards_programs, which as of 2026-07-16 302-redirects only to the DORA homepage (dora.colorado.gov), not a working deep link. The state page confirming DORA purchases/collects plumbing permit fees directly (not the City) is dpo.colorado.gov/ElectricalPlumbingPermits, content-verified this review.
Set and collected by the State of Colorado (DORA), not the City
Storm Water Impact FeePer City Public Works Department; the City's separate Stormwater Utility Fee (a recurring monthly charge, not a one-time impact fee) is $0.005293 per square foot of impervious surface as of January 1, 2024, per the City's own Stormwater FAQ — that recurring rate should not be confused with a one-time building-permit impact fee, which is not separately itemized
Not itemized as a flat figure on the Building Permit Fees page

Review timeline

Plan reviewCañon City’s published plan-review target
0–14 business days

How long did your Residential Building Permit (New Single-Family Construction) permit actually take in Cañon City?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Foundation

    Before concrete pour

  2. 2

    Rough Framing

    Structural framing complete before cover; includes verification of sealing of plates/penetrations, air barrier assemblies, and window sticker verification per energy code

  3. 3

    Insulation Inspection

    Insulation installation and vapor retarder verified before drywall cover

  4. 4

    Final Inspection

    All City-permitted work (building, mechanical) complete per approved plans; blower-door air-leakage test and posted energy certificate required before final; separate final electrical and plumbing inspections/sign-offs required from the State of Colorado (DORA) before occupancy

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

Tips

  • Cañon City's own review-time commitment for residential permits is approximately 14 business days prior to issuance — a materially faster published figure than many peer Colorado home-rule cities in this corpus, though the City notes it is an approximation.
  • Electrical AND plumbing work on your new home are NOT part of this City building permit — both are separately permitted and inspected by the State of Colorado (DORA), unlike some peer Colorado cities (e.g. Golden) that issue their own electrical/plumbing permits.
  • Confirm water tap and sewer/septic proof-of-payment BEFORE applying for the building permit — both are listed as prerequisites, not concurrent submittals.
  • The City's Building Valuation Data example and Mechanical Fee are separate line items that stack — don't assume the 1.0% building permit fee is the only City-collected charge.

Frequently asked questions

Cañon City requires a residential building permit (new single-family construction) for: Plans must comply with the 2018 IRC/IBC as adopted (effective January 1, 2021) and the City's Climatic & Geographic Design Criteria: Ground Snow Load 30 psf, Wind Speed 100 mph, Seismic Design Category B, Frost line depth 27 inches; Submittal Checklist, completed Building Permit Application, and Required Approvals Routing Sheet approvals (Public Works, Planning & Zoning at minimum; County Health Dept. and Water Dept. for commercial only); 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; property must be pinned by a Colorado-licensed surveyor with setbacks verified in the field prior to the first inspection; Water Tap Application/Proof of Water (paid receipt from Cañon City or Park Center Water District) submitted prior to applying for the building permit; Proof of Sewer or Septic (paid receipt from Fremont Sanitation District, or septic reviewed/approved by Fremont County); Site (plot) plan drawn to legible scale showing orientation, legal description, lot lines/size, adjacent streets, easements/setbacks, utilities, existing/proposed structures, drainage plan, sidewalks, driveways, and top-of-foundation elevation; Plans prepared and stamped by a Colorado-licensed architect or engineer on each sheet, addenda/revisions, and specification cover/title pages; Floor plan, floor framing plan, elevation drawings, roof framing plan, and structural detail drawings per the Residential Building Permit Packet's Submittal Checklist; Engineered Foundation required on all new structures except one-story detached garages not exceeding 800 sq ft (not in the Special Flood Hazard Area); foundation plans require a site-specific soils investigation & lab analysis report by a Colorado-licensed professional engineer; Mechanical Permit Application and Mechanical Plan (equipment locations, BTU input/output, vent sizing, combustion air calculations, ACCA Manual J/D/S) submitted alongside the building permit; Energy Code compliance per 2018 IRC Chapter 11 (Prescriptive, Simulated Performance, or Energy Rating Index path), including required blower-door air-leakage testing (3 ACH for Climate Zone 5) before final Certificate of Occupancy and a permanent energy certificate posted before final inspection; Floodplain Development Permit required if the structure is in the Special Flood Hazard Area, completed by a Colorado-licensed professional engineer and reviewed by the City Engineer; Contractors must hold a current City of Cañon City Contractor License in addition to any state trade licensing; All permits submitted through the City's Online Services Portal. 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: 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 residential dollar figure by either the City or the Cañon City Area Fire Protection District as of this review; Electrical Permit — Set and collected by the State of Colorado (DORA), not the City; Plumbing Permit — Set and collected by the State of Colorado (DORA), not the City; Storm Water Impact Fee — Not itemized as a flat figure on the Building Permit Fees page. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

The City's own Required Approvals Routing Sheet states residential permits take approximately 14 business days to complete prior to issuance. Colorado is a home-rule state with no statewide review-time statute, so this City-published figure is the governing number.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (Online Services Portal); Submittal Checklist; Required Approvals Routing Sheet; Site (Plot) Plan; Improvement Location Certificate or Surveyed Site Plan; Full Construction Drawing Set; Water Tap Application / Proof of Water; Proof of Sewer or Septic; Mechanical Permit Application. 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.

Cañon City requires 4 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new single-family construction), in order: Foundation, Rough Framing, Insulation Inspection, Final Inspection. 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.

The City of Cañon City Building Department issues building and mechanical permits for all work within Cañon City limits. Cañon City is a home-rule city with its own department; Fremont County, Colorado separately operates its own Building Department for unincorporated county areas, not the City of Cañon City.

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), not the City Building Department, per the City's own Building Department and Building Permit Fees pages.