Change of Use Permit in Crested Butte, Colorado

Crested Butte requires a change of use permit for: No standalone 'change of use permit' application exists; a change of use is processed through the Town's single Building Permit application under Town Code Sec. 18-13-40(a), which requires a permit before a structure is 'erected, constructed, structurally altered, moved, demolished or changed'; The Town's own issued-permit reports classify these projects as 'Commercial Change of Use,' distinct from but processed alongside 'Alteration Level 1 Commercial' and 'Alteration Level 2 Commercial' within the same BLD permit tracking series — confirmed via a real issued example (BLD2026-00008, 129 Elk Ave, Pinnacle Inc., received 02/04/2026, issued 02/06/2026, $342,000 valuation); Any building permit located in the B1, B2, or B3 Business Districts is automatically classified 'special review' at BOZAR (Town Code Sec. 16-22-110(b)), applying the same $750 surcharge and published 3-D perspective drawing requirement documented in this file's commercial-building-permit entry to a change of use in the historic downtown core exactly as it would to new construction or alteration; The Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (Town Code Article 6.5) explicitly lists 'changes of use' among its enumerated triggers, alongside new construction, moved structures, additions increasing footprint 500+ sq ft, and replacement of more than 25% of exterior siding or roof covering — a change of use inside a mapped Class 1/Class 2 CWRC fire hazard zone can trigger structure-hardening compliance once Town enforcement begins June 1, 2026; Interior-only changes of use judged 'insubstantial' by the Building Inspector and a designated BOZAR member (evaluated on street visibility, extent of change relative to the structure, and neighborhood effect, per Town Code Sec. 16-1-20/16-22-100(a)) can skip the full BOZAR hearing and public notice, paying only the $120 Insubstantial Design Review - DRC fee — the same fast path already documented in this file's commercial-building-permit entry for interior tenant improvements generally; Billed under the same valuation-based Building Permit fee table as any other permit type (2026 Fee Schedule) — no standalone 'change of use' fee line is published; a change of use involving little or no construction valuation still pays at minimum the base Building Permit fee tier ($28.42) plus applicable plan review; Current Gunnison County building contractor license required for all contractors on the permit, same as any other Building Permit (Town Code Sec. 18-13-40(e)); All construction documents for commercial projects (where construction accompanies the change of use) must be prepared, signed and seal-stamped by Colorado registered or licensed design professionals (Town Code Sec. 18-13-20(a)(16)); Certificate of occupancy required before the space may be rented, occupied, or used where the change of use involves construction (Town Code Sec. 18-13-70). If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Crested Butte Building Department (Community Development Department) at (970) 349-5338 before starting work.

In Crested Butte, the published Building Permit Fee — valuation $1.00 to $500.00 (minimum tier) is: $28.42. Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee (Commercial) — 60% of Permit Fee; Insubstantial Design Review - DRC — $120.00; BOZAR Special Review Classification surcharge — $750.00 additional. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

No numeric SLA is published. A real example from the Town's own permit report (BLD2026-00008, 129 Elk Ave) shows a 2-day gap between received and issued dates, but this is a single data point, not a guaranteed turnaround. Where BOZAR review is triggered, the Town's published BOZAR clocks (60-90 days, or 'at least 2 months' generally) apply instead.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; BOZAR Development Permit Application; Gunnison County Building Contractor License. Depending on your project, Crested Butte may also ask for: Sealed commercial construction documents. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Crested Butte requires 1 inspection(s) for a change of use permit, in order: Final Building Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through Town of Crested Butte Building Department (Community Development Department) ((970) 349-5338).

Apply through Town of Crested Butte Building Department (Community Development Department) at 507 Maroon Ave, Crested Butte, CO 81224 (Building Department mailing address: PO Box 39, Crested Butte, CO 81224). Phone: (970) 349-5338, email: building@crestedbutte-co.gov. Office hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Building Official Astrid Matison (ext. 116, amatison@crestedbutte-co.gov). Building Inspector Josh Staab (ext. 127, jstaab@crestedbutte-co.gov). Community Development Director Mel Yemma (ext. 119, melyemma@crestedbutte-co.gov). BOZAR/Planning questions: planning@crestedbutte-co.gov, (970) 349-5338 ext. 121.. Official information: https://townofcrestedbutte.colorado.gov/planning-permitting/community-development.

No. Town Code Sec. 18-13-40(a) folds 'changed' use into the same Building Permit requirement as new construction, alteration, or demolition. The Town's own issued-permit reports track these projects separately as 'Commercial Change of Use' within the same BLD permit series, but there is no distinct application or process.

If the property sits in the B1, B2, or B3 Business Districts, yes — it's automatically classified 'special review' at BOZAR with a $750 surcharge, the same as new construction or alteration in those districts. Interior-only conversions with little visible impact can instead potentially clear the $120 insubstantial-determination fast path.