Florence building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Florence, Colorado.
Last verified 2026-07-06 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- Florence Municipal Center, 600 West 3rd Street, Florence, CO 81226
- Phone
- (719) 784-4848
- Office hours
- Main City Hall line (719) 784-4848 (option 6 reaches the Building Inspector directly); Fax (719) 784-0228. Building Inspector: David Wales, David.Wales@florencecolorado.org. Permit applications and supporting documents may also be submitted to john.vernetti@florencecolorado.org per the Building Permits page.
- Website
- Official site
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Florence — 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.
- 2006 International Building Code (IBC) — City of Florence Building Department page states plainly: 'The City of Florence follows the 2006 International Building Code'
- 2006 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — per the Building Permit Application Submittal Checklist (PDF): 'Energy Code – City of Florence adopts the 2006 Edition of the International Energy Conservation Code'
- Florence Municipal Code Title 15 (Buildings and Construction), Section 15.04.040: 'The requirement for obtaining building permits relative to the construction, alteration, moving, demolition, repair, maintenance, and use of any building or structure within the City of Florence shall be governed by the most recent adopted edition of the appropriate adopted codes and building standards, including amendments thereto.' Per Municode search indexing of Title 15, Chapter 15.08 (amendments) is where local amendments to the 2006 IBC are set forth (Section 15.08.010).
- Electrical: 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — administered by the State of Colorado, NOT the City (see localAmendments). Source: City of Florence Building Department page, linking to the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) Electrical Board page, which states the current adopted edition as the 2023 NEC.
- Plumbing: 2021 (Colorado) Plumbing Code — administered by the State of Colorado, NOT the City. Source: City of Florence Building Department page, linking to the DORA Plumbing Board page, which lists the 2021 edition.
- No separate local IRC, IMC, IFGC, or IFC edition is published by the City on its Building Department or Building Permits pages, or in the Building Permit Application Submittal Checklist — only the 2006 IBC (general building code) and 2006 IECC (energy code) are explicitly named by the City itself. The zero-tolerance policy governing this corpus prohibits inferring an IRC/IMC/IFGC/IFC edition the City has not itself published; note this as a gap rather than assuming a matching 2006 cycle for the unlisted codes.
- HB22-1362 (Colorado statewide energy code floor, effective for jurisdictions adopting/updating codes on specified triggers starting July 2023 for larger jurisdictions and July 2026 for smaller ones) does not appear reflected on the City's Building Department page or Submittal Checklist, both of which still affirmatively state the 2006 IECC as current and were the live, actively-maintained pages as of this review (2026-07-06) — checked directly, no updated energy code notice found. Flagged honestly rather than assumed; Florence's population (under the HB22-1362 tiered compliance triggers) and its home-rule status both bear on whether/when the floor applies, but the City has not published any code update reflecting it as of this review.
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for new construction of single-family homes and other residential structures within Florence city limits, per Florence Municipal Code 15.04.040. Reviewed under the City's adopted 2006 IBC and 2006 IECC. Electrical and plumbing scopes of the project are permitted separately and directly through the State of Colorado (DORA), not the City.
Residential Addition / Remodel Permit
Required for additions, alterations, and repairs to existing residential structures in Florence, per Florence Municipal Code 15.04.040. Reviewed under the same 2006 IBC/IECC standard and Submittal Checklist requirements as new construction, though the required document set scales with project scope.
Electrical Permit
Electrical permits within Florence city limits are issued and scheduled entirely by the State of Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) Electrical Board, NOT by the City of Florence. The City's Building Department page directs applicants to the state DORA Electrical page and confirms the currently adopted electrical code edition as the 2023 NEC.
Plumbing Permit
Plumbing permits within Florence city limits are issued and scheduled entirely by the State of Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) Plumbing Board, NOT by the City of Florence. The City's Building Department page directs applicants to the state DORA Plumbing page and confirms the currently adopted plumbing code edition as the 2021 Plumbing Code.
Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for mechanical (HVAC, gas-fired equipment) work as part of the City's building permit process under the 2006 IBC as adopted. Unlike electrical and plumbing, the City's Building Department page does not identify mechanical permitting as state-administered, so it is treated as part of the standard City Building Permit Application (mechanical layout requirements — exhaust systems, venting, combustion air — are explicitly listed in the Submittal Checklist's structural details section).
Re-Roof Permit
Required for re-roofing projects in Florence. The City imposes a firm advance-notice requirement: all re-roofing projects must submit the application and required documentation at least three (3) business days prior to the scheduled start date.
Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Permit
Required for solar photovoltaic installations in Florence. The City's building permit for a solar installation requires a copy of the State Electrical Permit (since electrical work itself is DORA-administered) alongside engineered structural documentation for roof-mounted systems.
Demolition Permit
Required for demolition/removal of a building or structure within Florence, per Florence Municipal Code 15.04.040, which explicitly includes 'demolition' among the activities requiring a building permit. Applied for using the same Building Permit Application form, checking the 'Remove' use-of-building box.
Commercial / Industrial / Multi-Family Tenant Improvement Permit
Required for commercial, industrial, and multi-family tenant improvement, alteration, or new construction projects in Florence. Requires plans prepared by a Colorado-licensed Architect or Engineer, and a separate off-street parking plan submitted to the City Planner.
Deck / Covered Patio Permit
Required for construction of decks and covered patios attached or detached from a residential structure in Florence, under the general Building Permit Application and Submittal Checklist requirements (structural details, foundation/footing requirements where applicable).
EV Charger / Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permit (State-Administered)
Electrical permits within Florence city limits — including an EV charging station (Level 1/2 EVSE) circuit — are issued and scheduled entirely by the State of Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) Electrical Board, NOT by the City of Florence, exactly as documented in the electrical-permit entry. No EV-specific permit, provision, or fee exists at either the City or State level; EV charger wiring is simply electrical work subject to the standard state-administered process.
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)
- 1units
1 buildings · $137,382 valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 7units
12 of 12 months reported · #54 in Colorado coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 6units
6 buildings · $1.4M valuation
5 month(s) reported to Census
- Full year 2025
- 9units
9 buildings · $1.6M valuation
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
- MOST IMPORTANT: Electrical and Plumbing permits/inspections in Florence are issued and scheduled entirely by the State of Colorado DORA (Electrical Board / Plumbing Board), NOT by the City of Florence Building Department. The City's own page states this in plain language and links directly to dpo.colorado.gov/Electrical (2023 NEC) and dpo.colorado.gov/Plumbing (2021 Plumbing Code). Do not attempt to apply for these trades through City Hall.
- Florence's own Building Department page states plainly that it follows the 2006 International Building Code — a notably older edition than many peer Colorado jurisdictions in this corpus (which have moved to 2021 or 2024 IBC cycles). The Submittal Checklist confirms the City also still uses the 2006 IECC for energy code compliance. No separate IRC/IMC/IFGC/IFC edition is published by the City; treat any project needing a residential-specific or mechanical-specific code citation as running through the 2006 IBC as the City's sole stated building-code reference.
- HB22-1362's statewide energy code floor does not appear reflected anywhere on the City's actively-maintained Building Department page or Submittal Checklist as of this review (2026-07-06) — both still affirmatively cite the 2006 IECC. This is flagged honestly as a potential compliance gap worth a direct call to the Building Department, not resolved by assumption.
- No published valuation-based fee schedule exists for Building/Plan Check/Driveway Access fees — these are line items on the paper/PDF Building Permit Application that City staff fill in manually rather than a published table. The City's 2026 Citywide Fee Schedule (Resolution No. 7-2026 / No. 8-2026 under Ordinance No. 4-2026) lists a 'Building/ Planning' department page in its table of contents, but the actual populated numeric fee table for Building was not found published as of this review — call (719) 784-4848 or email building@florencecolorado.org for a project-specific quote.
- The City assesses a combined 5% use tax (2.5% Fremont County + 2.5% Florence City) against the CITY's OWN valuation of the work, not necessarily the applicant-declared valuation — this is printed directly on the Building Permit Application form.
- A $75 flat Flood Permit Fee applies whenever a Floodplain Development Permit is required (i.e., the structure sits within a recognized floodplain per the FEMA FIRM Map, panel prefix 08043C0).
- Re-roofing requires submittal at least 3 business days before the planned start date (stated in capital letters on the Building Permits page) — note the page also contains a contradictory 'two days' sentence elsewhere; this file treats the 3-business-day figure as governing since it is stated first and emphasized, but the inconsistency itself should be confirmed directly with the Building Department before relying on it for a time-sensitive project.
- Commercial, Industrial, and Multi-Family projects require plans stamped by a Colorado-licensed Architect or Engineer AND a separate Off-Street Parking Plan reviewed by the City Planner (not the Building Department) — budget separate review tracks for these two approvals.
- Septic system approval runs through Fremont County, not the City — submit the County-approved septic application as part of your City building permit package rather than expecting the City to review septic design itself.
- Florence's own Building Permits page contact for permit submission is listed as john.vernetti@florencecolorado.org, while the Building Department's general contact is David Wales (Building Inspector) at building@florencecolorado.org / David.Wales@florencecolorado.org — both may be relevant depending on whether the inquiry is about submittal logistics or inspection scheduling.
- No numeric plan-review turnaround (days/weeks) is published anywhere on the City's Building Department page, Building Permits page, Building Permit Application, or Submittal Checklist — Colorado is home-rule with no statewide clock, and every permitType in this file without a City-published figure is honestly null/unverified with a documented chase trail, per this corpus's zero-tolerance data policy, rather than an invented number.