Where Colorado is building
Two datasets, side by side. Growth ranks come from the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey — new privately-owned residential construction only, not total permit volume. The fee column is each city’s own published residential building-permit fee, shown verbatim for reference: it is never ranked, averaged, or presented as comparable across cities (why not →).
Census activity data covers 118 of the 128 Colorado jurisdictions PermitBase tracks.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS) · data through 2026-05
Fastest-growing cities
Trailing-12-month units, ranked by year-over-year growth — each city’s residential permit fee sits alongside for reference, never part of the rank.
Trailing-12-month units, by growth
- Superior
- 569 units
- +303.5%
- Firestone
- 173 units
- +133.8%
- Gypsum
- 138 units
- +91.7%
- Castle Pines
- 300 units
- +89.9%
- Commerce City
- 982 units
- +77.9%
- Superior: residential permit fee $28.50
- Firestone: residential permit fee $80
- Gypsum: residential permit fee Not published in any fetchable Town document as of this review
- Castle Pines: residential permit fee $42.00
- Commerce City: residential permit fee $30.41
Eligible for a growth rank: fully-reported trailing-12 and prior-12 month windows, a prior-year total of at least 50 units, and place-level (non-county) records only.
Colorado cities by building-permit growth
Ranked by trailing-12-month Census units. The fee column is reference only — see how to read this table.
| # | Jurisdiction | Trailing-12 units | YoY growth | Residential permit fee * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver | 5,414(10 mo) | — insufficient history | $20.00Verifieddetails → |
| 2 | Colorado Springscounty-wide totals | 5,412 | — county estimate | $50.00Verifieddetails → |
| 3 | Aurora | 1,724 | +17.1% | $1.30Verifieddetails → |
| 4 | Fort Collins | 1,458 | +45.2% | $0.65Verifieddetails → |
| 5 | Littleton | 1,144 | +11.0% | $25.85Verifieddetails → |
| 6 | Commerce City | 982 | +77.9% | $30.41Verifieddetails → |
| 7 | Greeley | 907(11 mo) | — insufficient history | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| 8 | Longmont | 753(7 mo) | — insufficient history | $27.00Verifieddetails → |
| 9 | Parker | 715 | −16.0% | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| 10 | Superior | 569 | +303.5% | $28.50Verifieddetails → |
| 11 | Johnstown | 498 | — insufficient history | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| 12 | Brighton | 344 | — insufficient history | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| 13 | Thornton | 316 | — insufficient history | $30.00Verifieddetails → |
| 14 | Castle Pines | 300 | +89.9% | $42.00Verifieddetails → |
| 15 | Dilloncounty-wide totals | 292 | — county estimate | $50.00Verifieddetails → |
| 16 | Westminster | 251(11 mo) | — insufficient history | $19.50Verifieddetails → |
| 17 | Arvada | 237(11 mo) | — insufficient history | $34.00Verifieddetails → |
| 18 | Fort Lupton | 228 | +16.3% | $24.00Verifieddetails → |
| 19 | Loveland | 211(9 mo) | — insufficient history | $175.92†Verifieddetails → |
| 20 | Lone Tree | 207 | −69.5% | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| 21 | Firestone | 173 | +133.8% | $80Verifieddetails → |
| 22 | Montrose | 159 | +0.0% | Not resolved — the City's codified Sec. 3-1-1 Fee Schedule PDF (previously hosted at a 2025-effective DocumentCenter link) returns HTTP 404 as of this review, and no Wayback Machine snapshot of that URL exists (checked directly via the CDX API). The Municode-hosted Regulations Manual chapter containing this fee schedule is rendered client-side via JavaScript and did not yield fee-table text through a direct browser-header fetch in this session.Verifieddetails → |
| 23 | Bennett | 145 | +16.0% | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| 24 | Gypsum | 138 | +91.7% | Not published in any fetchable Town document as of this reviewVerifieddetails → |
| 25 | Windsor | 138(4 mo) | — insufficient history | Equal to SAFEbuilt's own valuation-based fee†Verifieddetails → |
| 26 | Unincorporated Pueblo Countycounty-wide totals | 137 | — county estimate | $73.93†Verifieddetails → |
| 27 | Berthoud | 132 | −21.4% | Per the 2024 IRC Appendix AB valuation-based fee table†Verifieddetails → |
| 28 | Broomfield | 125 | −87.0% | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| 29 | Durango | 112 | — insufficient history | $24.00Verifieddetails → |
| 30 | Unincorporated Teller Countycounty-wide totals | 106 | — county estimate | — |
| 31 | Lochbuie | 97 | +16.9% | $33.80Verifieddetails → |
| 32 | Mead | 84 | −6.7% | $44.56Verifieddetails → |
| 33 | Frederick | 74(11 mo) | — insufficient history | $35.00Verifieddetails → |
| 34 | Fruita | 69(10 mo) | — insufficient history | $35.00Verifieddetails → |
| 35 | Severance | 69 | — insufficient history | Valuation-based, determined by SAFEbuilt Colorado†Verifieddetails → |
| 36 | Breckenridge | 67 | — insufficient history | $50.00Verifieddetails → |
| 37 | Wellington | 50 | — below floor | $25Verifieddetails → |
| 38 | Eagle | 46(8 mo) | — insufficient history | $39.40Verifieddetails → |
| 39 | Ault | 39 | — insufficient history | $23.00Verifieddetails → |
| 40 | Boulder | 39(8 mo) | — insufficient history | $25.00Verifieddetails → |
| 41 | Louisville | 39 | — insufficient history | $28.00Verifieddetails → |
| 42 | Dacono | 36 | — insufficient history | Computed by the Building Official using the ICC Building Safety Journal's Building Valuation Data (BVD), updated bi-annually each August and February†Verifieddetails → |
| 43 | Lakewood | 30 | −75.6% | $26.00Verifieddetails → |
| 44 | Delta | 23 | −71.6% | $23.50†Verifieddetails → |
| 45 | Glenwood Springs | 22 | — insufficient history | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| 46 | Avon | 20 | −92.2% | $50.00Verifieddetails → |
| 47 | Conejos County (Unincorporated)county-wide totals | 20 | — county estimate | $24Verifieddetails → |
| 48 | Cañon City | 17 | — below floor | 1.0% of valuation (City of Cañon City Permit Fee Multiplier)†Verifieddetails → |
| 49 | Golden | 17(11 mo) | — insufficient history | $25.85Verifieddetails → |
| 50 | Lafayette | 13 | — below floor | $30.00Verifieddetails → |
| 51 | Keenesburg | 10(11 mo) | — insufficient history | $33.80Verifieddetails → |
| 52 | Aspen | 9 | — below floor | Computed via the City's Building Permit Fee Estimator (Excel) referencing the current Municipal Code Fee Ordinance (Title 2)Verifieddetails → |
| 53 | Fort Morgan | 8(11 mo) | — insufficient history | $27.00Verifieddetails → |
| 54 | Florence | 7 | — insufficient history | $75.00Verifieddetails → |
| 55 | Blue River | 6(6 mo) | — insufficient history | $50.00Verifieddetails → |
| 56 | Crested Butte | 6 | — below floor | $28.42Verifieddetails → |
| 57 | Mount Crested Butte | 6 | — below floor | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| 58 | Silver Cliff | 6 | — insufficient history | — |
| 59 | Westcliffe | 5 | — below floor | $100.00Verifieddetails → |
| 60 | Rifle | 3(1 mo) | — insufficient history | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| 61 | Lamar | 1 | — below floor | $33.00Verifieddetails → |
| 62 | Columbine Valley | 0(2 mo) | — insufficient history | $7,600†Verifieddetails → |
| 63 | Unincorporated Washington Countycounty-wide totals | 0 | — county estimate | Not published as a fixed valuation table†Verifieddetails → |
| — | Akron | no data reported | — insufficient history | Not a fixed figure — calculated based on construction cost (valuation-based), due at time of application submission†Verifieddetails → |
| — | Alamosa | no data reported | — insufficient history | $24Verifieddetails → |
| — | Basalt | no data reported | — insufficient history | $21.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Bow Mar | no data reported | — insufficient history | $56Verifieddetails → |
| — | Burlington | no data reported | — insufficient history | $25Verifieddetails → |
| — | Calhan | no data reported | — insufficient history | TBD based on project — per the Town of Calhan's own official Fee Schedule (Updated 11/10/25), the 'Building Permit' line item's CURRENT value is stated verbatim as 'TBD based on project'; the printed Building Permit Application form separately has no new-construction line item and directs applicants to contact the Town office for a project-specific determinationVerifieddetails → |
| — | Centennial | no data reported | — insufficient history | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| — | Center | no data reported | — insufficient history | $0.10Verifieddetails → |
| — | Cheyenne Wells | no data reported | — insufficient history | $25.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Cortez | no data reported | — insufficient history | $75.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Craig | no data reported | — insufficient history | $100.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Cripple Creek | no data reported | — insufficient history | Set per the City of Cripple Creek Building Fee Schedule (valuation-based), adopted/amended by City Council resolution (most recently identified reference: Resolution 2021-21, 'Approving the Building, Planning and Community Development Fee Schedule')†details → |
| — | Eaton | no data reported | — insufficient history | Per Appendix L, 2018 IRC valuation table (as referenced in the Town's current Fee Schedule)†Verifieddetails → |
| — | Erie | no data reported | — insufficient history | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| — | Estes Park | no data reported | — insufficient history | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| — | Evans | no data reported | — insufficient history | $75.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Federal Heights | no data reported | — insufficient history | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| — | Frisco | no data reported | — insufficient history | $65.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Garden City | no data reported | — insufficient history | — |
| — | Gilcrest | no data reported | — insufficient history | $23.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Grand Junction | no data reported | — insufficient history | $50.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Haxtun | no data reported | — insufficient history | $10.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Holyoke | no data reported | — insufficient history | — |
| — | Hudson | no data reported | — insufficient history | $35.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Kersey | no data reported | — insufficient history | Set by SAFEbuilt per the Uniform Building Code (UBC) valuation-based fee schedule (not a flat Town-published table)†Verifieddetails → |
| — | La Junta | no data reported | — insufficient history | Calculated from Total Valuation (Materials $ + Labor $) stated on the application; fees payable to the City of La Junta at time of permit issuance†Verifieddetails → |
| — | La Salle | no data reported | — insufficient history | — |
| — | Larkspur | no data reported | — insufficient history | Not independently verifiable as a dollar figuredetails → |
| — | Lyons | no data reported | — insufficient history | $135Verifieddetails → |
| — | Milliken | no data reported | — insufficient history | $160.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Morrison | no data reported | — insufficient history | Per the adopted code (2015 IBC valuation-based fee table)†Verifieddetails → |
| — | Mountain View | no data reported | — insufficient history | $40.00†Verifieddetails → |
| — | Mountain Village | no data reported | — insufficient history | WaivedVerifieddetails → |
| — | Nederland | no data reported | — insufficient history | $250.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Northglenn | no data reported | — insufficient history | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| — | Nunn | no data reported | — insufficient history | $75.00†Verifieddetails → |
| — | Palisade | no data reported | — insufficient history | $10.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Pierce | no data reported | — insufficient history | $30†Verifieddetails → |
| — | Platteville | no data reported | — insufficient history | $50.00†Verifieddetails → |
| — | Poncha Springs | no data reported | — insufficient history | $50.00†Verifieddetails → |
| — | Saguache | no data reported | — insufficient history | $20.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Salida | no data reported | — insufficient history | $50.00†Verifieddetails → |
| — | Sedgwick | no data reported | — insufficient history | $30.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Silverthorne | no data reported | — insufficient history | $65.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Steamboat Springs | no data reported | — insufficient history | $21.15Verifieddetails → |
| — | Sterling | no data reported | — insufficient history | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| — | Telluride | no data reported | — insufficient history | $51.50Verifieddetails → |
| — | Timnath | no data reported | — insufficient history | Not published onlineVerifieddetails → |
| — | Trinidad | no data reported | — insufficient history | $24.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Vail | no data reported | — insufficient history | $50.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Victor | no data reported | — insufficient history | $23.50Verifieddetails → |
| — | Walsh | no data reported | — insufficient history | $15.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Wheat Ridge | no data reported | — insufficient history | $26.50Verifieddetails → |
| — | Winter Park | no data reported | — insufficient history | $54.00Verifieddetails → |
| — | Yuma | no data reported | — insufficient history | $100.00Verifieddetails → |
How to read this table
Rows are ranked only by Census building-activity units — the one figure that’s measured the same way in every city. The fee column is never ranked, averaged, or sorted, because permit fees aren’t measured the same way from city to city: some jurisdictions charge a flat fee, others price on a sliding scale tied to construction valuation, others per square foot, others as a percentage of the building permit fee. Averaging or sorting those numbers together would compare figures that don’t measure the same thing — a “cheapest city” ranking built on that mix would be a misleading metric, so we don’t build one.
A dagger (†) next to a fee means it’s the starting tier from a valuation-based or sliding-scale schedule per the jurisdiction’s own published fee table — not a final total for every project. Open the linked permit page for the complete schedule.
The growth percentage only appears when a jurisdiction’s trailing-12-month and prior-12-month windows were both fully reported to the Census Bureau, and the prior-year total was at least 50 units. Below that floor a percentage swings too wildly on a small base to be meaningful, so we withhold it rather than publish a misleading rate. County-level rows never get a growth rank, since county totals can include Census imputation for non-reporting offices.
Two provenance regimes are stacked on this page: Census activity figures are self-reported by jurisdictions to the Bureau on a monthly cadence, while permit fees are independently verified by PermitBase against each department’s own published schedule (see the confidence badge and source link on each fee). A jurisdiction shown as “no data reported” did not report to the Census Bureau for that period — that is never the same as zero activity.
Frequently asked questions
- Why don't you rank cities by permit cost?
- Permit fees aren't measured the same way from city to city — one jurisdiction charges a flat fee, another prices on a sliding scale tied to construction valuation, another per square foot, another as a percentage of the building permit fee. Sorting those numbers together and calling the smallest one "cheapest" would compare figures that don't measure the same thing, which is a misleading metric dressed up as a ranking. So this page ranks only what's genuinely comparable across cities — Census building-activity units — and shows each city's own published fee next to it, verbatim, for reference only.
- What does the growth percentage measure?
- Year-over-year change in trailing-12-month housing units authorized for new privately-owned residential construction, per the Census Bureau Building Permits Survey. It only appears when both the current and prior 12-month windows were fully reported and the prior-year total meets a minimum reporting floor — otherwise a percentage would be either impossible to compute or too volatile to be meaningful.
- What does the dagger (†) next to a fee mean?
- It marks a fee that's a starting tier from a valuation-based or sliding-scale schedule, not a flat final total. Open the city's permit page for the complete fee table.
- Why do some cities show “no data reported” instead of a number?
- That jurisdiction didn't report to the Census Bureau for that period. We show it as unreported, never as zero — assuming zero activity for a non-reporting jurisdiction would be inventing a data point that doesn't exist.
See full Colorado building-activity detail →·Look up a specific Colorado permit fee →
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