Mount Crested Butte building permits

Building department

Address

911 Gothic Rd., PO Box 5800, Mt. Crested Butte, CO 81225

Phone

(970) 349-6632, ext. 5 (Community Development Department)

Email

mnevinslavtar@mtcb.colorado.gov (Community Development Director)

Office hours

Community Development Department Staff (per mtcb.colorado.gov/departments-services/community-development): Maeve Nevins-Lavtar, Community Development Director, ext. 117, mnevinslavtar@mtcb.colorado.gov. Shannon Hessler, Planner II, ext. 119, shessler@mtcb.colorado.gov. Todd Carroll, Community Development Coordinator, ext. 120, tcarroll@mtcb.colorado.gov. Leah Desposato, Community Development Coordinator, ext. 105, ldesposato@mtcb.colorado.gov. Building permit and design-review applications are submitted online via the Town's GovWell portal (app.govwell.com/mtcb).

Website

Official site

Permit portal

Apply online at Mount Crested Butte's portal

Inspection guide

See how inspections work in Mount Crested Butte — 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.

• 2021 International Building Code (IBC) — Town Code Chapter 6, Article II, adopted by Ordinance No. 6, Series 2024, in effect as of January 3, 2025, pursuant to Title 31, Article 16, Part 2, C.R.S.
• 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) — Town Code Chapter 6, Article III, with local amendments including Table R301.2 climatic design criteria (Sec. 6-32, a 155 psf ground snow load) and a modified automatic fire sprinkler requirement (Sec. 6-59)
• 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — referenced in the Town's Adopted Codes list on mtcb.colorado.gov/building
• 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — Town Code Chapter 6, Article IV (Sec. 6-73 through 6-75), with a local flat-fee Table 1-AM mechanical permit fee schedule
• 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — adopted per the Town's Adopted Codes list; the State of Colorado is responsible for reviewing and inspecting plumbing rather than the Town
• 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) — Town Code Chapter 8, Article I, enforced through the Crested Butte Fire Protection District (CBFPD), which performs all fire alarm/suppression/sprinkler inspections rather than the Town Building Division
• 2021 International Property Maintenance Code — per the Town's Adopted Codes list
• 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — per the Town's Adopted Codes list
• Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code — Town Code Chapter 6, Article X (Sec. 6-141 et seq.), adopted by Ordinance No. 6, Series 2024, in effect as of January 3, 2025; applies to new one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses (residential buildings are exempted from certain waiver provisions per Section 101.4.1/102.1)
• 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (WRC) — per the Town's own 'Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code' link and 'WRC Standards Summarized' summary sheet published on mtcb.colorado.gov/building
• National Electrical Code and International Plumbing Code — the Town's own Adopted Codes page states: 'The State of Colorado is responsible for reviewing and inspecting electrical and plumbing. Please contact the State of Colorado to determine the following code editions: National Electrical Code, International Plumbing Code' — Mt. Crested Butte does not itself adopt/administer these trade codes
• Full Town Code Chapter 6 (Buildings and Building Regulations) and Chapter 8 (Fire Prevention and Protection) text and Ordinance No. 6, Series 2024 hosted at mtcb.colorado.gov and mirrored on ecode360.com/MT4975 and qcode.us/codes/mtcrestedbutte

Permit types & fees

• Residential Building Permit (New Construction)

  Required for new single-family homes, duplexes, townhomes, and similar residential structures within Town of Mt. Crested Butte limits. Reviewed under the 2021 IRC as locally amended (Town Code Chapter 6, Article III), including the Town's Table R301.2 climatic design criteria (155 psf ground snow load, 105 mph wind design speed, Seismic Design Category B, 9,400 ft Manual J elevation), a stricter automatic fire sprinkler trigger than neighboring Crested Butte, and a concurrent Design Review + Permit Review process administered directly by the Community Development Department.

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• Residential Addition / Remodel Permit

  Required for additions, interior remodels, and exterior remodels to existing residential structures in Mt. Crested Butte, per the Town's own Permit Policy document covering remodels, additions, repairs, excavation, and driveway improvements. Reviewed under the 2021 IRC and IEBC as locally amended (Town Code Chapter 6); additions of 1,000 sq ft or more that bring total gross floor area to 4,800 sq ft or more trigger whole-structure fire sprinkler requirements.

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• Mechanical / HVAC Permit

  Required for heating, cooling, ventilation, and appliance installation, alteration, or repair in Mt. Crested Butte. Governed by the 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC), adopted by Town Code Chapter 6, Article IV, with a locally set flat-fee Table 1-AM schedule (Town Code Sec. 6-75) rather than a valuation-based fee.

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• Roofing Permit (Re-Roof)

  Required for re-roofing work in Mt. Crested Butte, reviewed under the 2021 IBC/IRC as adopted, with mandatory ice barrier underlayment per Table R301.2. If the re-roof affects 25% or more of the structure, the entire roof must meet Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (WRC) Class A roof-covering, valley-flashing, and vent-mesh requirements per the Town's own WRC Standards Summary.

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• Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Permit

  Required for rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic installation in the Town of Mt. Crested Butte. The Town's own Building Division does NOT issue or inspect electrical permits at all — electrical work, including PV wiring and utility interconnection, is handled entirely by the Colorado State Electrical Board (Division of Professions and Occupations), capped at $500 for a residential permit and $1,000 for a commercial permit under the statewide solar permit fee cap, C.R.S. § 24-48.5-113 (HB21-1284). The Town's own Building Permit (valuation-based Table 1-A fee, or the Design Review 'no drawings/engineering' $100 fee for simple roof-mounted work) covers only the structural/mounting scope. The Town has adopted the Model Colorado Electric and Solar Ready Code provisions for new construction.

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• Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Permit

  Required for installing a new electrical circuit, outlet, or panel/service upgrade to serve an EV charger in the Town of Mt. Crested Butte. As with solar PV interconnection work, the Town's Building Division does NOT issue or inspect electrical permits of any kind — all electrical work, including a new EV charger circuit, is handled directly by the Colorado State Electrical Board (Division of Professions and Occupations), independent of the Town's own Building Permit process (which only applies if structural work, such as a new garage, accompanies the charger installation).

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