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Plumbing Permit in Arvada, Colorado

Required for residential and commercial plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs in Arvada, processed as part of the 'Residential Mechanical & Plumbing' permit category. The City of Arvada Building Division issues the plumbing permit and performs plan review and inspections directly — a State of Colorado plumbing contractor license (issued by the State Plumbing Board under C.R.S. Title 12, Article 155) is a prerequisite for contractors, verified by the City before permit issuance, per the same contemporaneous-review policy structure used for electrical.

Verified 2026-07-17 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Homeowner-occupants may install their own water heater or perform their own plumbing work at their residence, per Colorado state law, as long as they occupy the home Owner-builder
  • A State of Colorado-licensed plumbing contractor must be listed as contractor of record for all contracted plumbing work; the City verifies the contractor's State plumbing contractor license and master plumber license before issuing the permit Contractor
  • Water heater installations/replacements require a licensed plumbing contractor, permit, and inspection under Colorado state law
  • Boiler installations over 200,000 BTU require a permit AND inspection from the State of Colorado (in addition to any City permit)
  • Water conditioner installations require proof of certificate from the State of Colorado if not installed by a Master Plumber
  • Gas line and evaporative cooler work may be filed under either Residential Plumbing or Residential Mechanical, depending on scope

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Plumbing Permit Fee — valuation-based (general/new plumbing work not on the Table 18-5 flat-rate list)The Residential Mechanical & Plumbing page states general plumbing fees are published on the Building Fee Schedule page (arvadaco.gov/1263) rather than a separate standalone flat plumbing table — that Building Fee Schedule page IS Table 18-1, the City's published valuation-based fee table, which is the grounded basis for general/new plumbing permit fees; specific fixture types (water heaters, backflow preventers, elevators) instead use the flat Table 18-5 rates cited below
Assessed as the Table 18-1 valuation-based Building Permit Fee (same schedule as new construction; see Residential Building Permit fee tiers, $34 minimum up to $5,669.25 + $3.45/$1,000 over $1M) plus Use Tax
Water Heaters (flat-rate)Table 18-5, Residential Flat-Rate Permit Fees; minor electric wiring included, but a service change/upgrade is not
$55.00
Backflow Preventer (flat-rate)Table 18-5
$55.00
Residential Elevator or Dumbwaiter/Chairlift (flat-rate)Table 18-5
$135.50
Use TaxArvada Municipal Code § 98-84
Assessed on the plumbing work valuation using the 58% materials / 42% labor split

Review timeline

Plan reviewArvada’s published plan-review target
0–1 business days

How long did your Plumbing Permit permit actually take in Arvada?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Underground Plumbing

    Before concrete pour or backfill — pipe slope, materials, cleanouts

  2. 2

    Rough Plumbing

    After pipes installed, before walls closed

  3. 3

    Final Plumbing

    All fixtures connected, no leaks, proper venting verified; a Final Electrical inspection is also required if any electrical work beyond a simple disconnect/reconnect was performed

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

Tips

  • The City of Arvada Building Division — not the Colorado State Plumbing Board — issues and inspects plumbing permits for work inside Arvada. The State Plumbing Board licenses individual plumbing contractors, master plumbers, journeymen, and apprentices (C.R.S. Title 12, Article 155); the City verifies that licensure before issuing the permit and authorizes inspectors to verify on-site.
  • Boiler installations over 200,000 BTU require a SEPARATE permit and inspection directly from the State of Colorado, in addition to the City of Arvada permit — don't assume the City permit alone covers a large boiler installation.
  • Colorado state law requires water heater installation/replacement to be done by a licensed plumbing contractor, with a permit and inspection, even for straightforward like-for-like swaps — a homeowner may still do this work on their own occupied residence.
  • UNRESOLVED LIVE CONTRADICTION as of 2026-07-17: the operational Residential Mechanical & Plumbing page (arvadaco.gov/434) still states 'Requirements follow the 2018 IRC and 2018 IECC, adopted by the City of Arvada... we have an upcoming code adoption' — treating the 2024-code transition as still future, even though it is July 17, 2026 and the City's separate Adopted Building Code summary page (arvadaco.gov/165) and its 2026 Building Code updates page (arvadaco.gov/1388, past tense: 'The changes went into effect on July 1, 2026') both describe the 2024-code suite as already current. Confirm the actual code cycle governing your specific plumbing submittal directly with the Building Safety Division given this site inconsistency.

Frequently asked questions

Arvada requires a plumbing permit for: Homeowner-occupants may install their own water heater or perform their own plumbing work at their residence, per Colorado state law, as long as they occupy the home; A State of Colorado-licensed plumbing contractor must be listed as contractor of record for all contracted plumbing work; the City verifies the contractor's State plumbing contractor license and master plumber license before issuing the permit; Water heater installations/replacements require a licensed plumbing contractor, permit, and inspection under Colorado state law; Boiler installations over 200,000 BTU require a permit AND inspection from the State of Colorado (in addition to any City permit); Water conditioner installations require proof of certificate from the State of Colorado if not installed by a Master Plumber; Gas line and evaporative cooler work may be filed under either Residential Plumbing or Residential Mechanical, depending on scope. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Arvada — Building Safety Division at 720-898-7620 before starting work.

In Arvada, the published Plumbing Permit Fee — valuation-based (general/new plumbing work not on the Table 18-5 flat-rate list) is: Assessed as the Table 18-1 valuation-based Building Permit Fee (same schedule as new construction; see Residential Building Permit fee tiers, $34 minimum up to $5,669.25 + $3.45/$1,000 over $1M) plus Use Tax. Additional published fees: Water Heaters (flat-rate) — $55.00; Backflow Preventer (flat-rate) — $55.00; Residential Elevator or Dumbwaiter/Chairlift (flat-rate) — $135.50; Use Tax — Assessed on the plumbing work valuation using the 58% materials / 42% labor split. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Arvada's published plan-review target for a plumbing permit is 0–1 business days.

You'll need: Plumbing Permit Application (eTRAKiT for licensed contractors; email application to Building Safety Division for homeowners). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Arvada requires 3 inspection(s) for a plumbing permit, in order: Underground Plumbing, Rough Plumbing, Final Plumbing. Schedule each through City of Arvada — Building Safety Division (720-898-7620).

Apply through City of Arvada — Building Safety Division at 8101 Ralston Road, Arvada, CO 80002. Phone: 720-898-7620, email: buildingpermits@arvada.org. Office hours: Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; permits are applied for and paid online via eTRAKiT at arvadapermits.org — permits are no longer processed over the counter. Official information: https://www.arvadaco.gov/332/Building-Permits.

The City of Arvada Building Safety Division issues and inspects plumbing permits for work within Arvada. The Colorado State Plumbing Board licenses individual plumbing contractors and master plumbers (C.R.S. Title 12, Article 155) as a prerequisite — Arvada's Building Division Policy on Contemporaneous Review of State-Issued Plumbing Licenses confirms the City verifies State licensure and issues the permit directly, the same pattern used for electrical permits.

As of a live re-check on 2026-07-17, the City's own Residential Mechanical & Plumbing operational page (arvadaco.gov/434) still states plumbing requirements 'follow the 2018 IRC and 2018 IECC' and describes the 2024-code adoption as 'upcoming' — even though Arvada's higher-level Adopted Building Code page lists the 2024 IPC as already current effective July 1, 2026. This is a confirmed, unresolved inconsistency across the City's own live pages; verify directly with Building Safety Division which code cycle applies to your plumbing submittal.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-07-17.

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Arvada building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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