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Commercial Tenant Improvement (Interior Commercial Alteration) Permit in Golden, Colorado

Required for interior alterations to existing commercial spaces in Golden — tenant finishes, remodels of retail/restaurant/office space, and other interior commercial work. Golden does not publish a separate TI application form or fee schedule (the same Accela portal and valuation-based fee table apply), but the City's own Review Periods table treats 'Interior Commercial Alterations' as a distinct plan-review category with a materially faster 5-15 working-day goal than new commercial construction (20-30 days), and the Golden Fire Department offers a streamlined path for limited tenant improvement projects. Relevant to Golden's downtown retail/hospitality turnover along Washington Avenue.

Verified 2026-08-02 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Interior commercial alterations are reviewed under the 2024 IBC and 2024 IEBC (International Existing Buildings Code) as adopted, with trade work under the 2024 IMC/IPC/IFGC and 2023 NEC
  • Valuation = cost of labor and materials; permit fee includes prepayment of the City's 3% building-materials use tax (1.5% of total valuation)
  • All contractors must be identified on the permit before issuance and must each hold a current City of Golden Contractor License (Municipal Code Chapter 15.01) in addition to any state DORA trade license Contractor
  • Modifications to fire sprinkler, fire alarm, or kitchen hood suppression systems require separate permits through the Golden Fire Department Fire & Life Safety Division; Type I kitchen hoods (restaurant TIs) require a hood suppression system permit
  • For limited tenant improvement projects, GFD allows a completed construction safety form to be submitted in lieu of a full fire plan — verify applicability with the Fire & Life Safety Division before submission
  • Paint/spray booths installed as part of a TI require both a GFD suppression permit and separate Building Division approval of the booth structure

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (Building Permit Fee Table)Effective 05/01/11, Resolutions #1097/#1648/#2121 — no TI-specific fee is published; the general valuation table applies
$25.85 minimum, scaling per valuation tiers (e.g., $430.38 for the first $25,000.00 plus $11.11 for each additional $1,000.00 up to $50,000.00; $708.13 for the first $50,000.00 plus $7.70 per additional $1,000.00 up to $100,000.00)
Plan Review FeeNo separate sub-permit plan review fee when trade valuations are included in the building permit valuation
65% of the Permit Fee
Building Use TaxPrepaid at permit issuance
3% of building materials valuation (est. 1.5% of total project valuation)
Demolition Building Permit — Interior Non-StructuralFlat fee if interior demolition is permitted separately ahead of the TI build-out
$25.00
Temporary Certificate of Occupancy
$100.00
Reinspection Fee
$50.00

Review timeline

Plan reviewGolden’s published plan-review target
5–15 business days

How long did your Commercial Tenant Improvement (Interior Commercial Alteration) Permit permit actually take in Golden?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough Plumbing / Gas Pipe

    New or relocated plumbing and fuel-gas piping before concealment

  2. 2

    Rough Heating / Rough Electrical

    Ductwork and wiring modifications before concealment

  3. 3

    Rough Frame

    New interior partitions and structural modifications before cover

  4. 4

    Insulation

    Where wall/ceiling assemblies are modified, per the 2024 IECC

  5. 5

    Drywall

    Attachment inspection before taping/finishing

  6. 6

    Fire system acceptance tests (GFD, if applicable)

    Sprinkler modifications (rough/hydro) and fire alarm 100% pretest with NFPA 72 Record of Completion; kitchen hood test (manual pull, fusible link, fuel/make-up-air shutdown, Class K extinguisher placement); request via portal 2+ business days ahead with stamped plans on-site

  7. 7

    Final Inspections (Building, Plumbing, Heating, Electrical)

    All work complete per approved plans before occupancy of the altered space

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

Tips

  • Golden's TI review category is genuinely faster on paper — 5-15 working days versus 20-30 for new commercial — but it is not a separate permit product: same portal, same application, same valuation-based fee table. The distinction the City publishes is the review timeline, not the paperwork.
  • Restaurant and bar TIs (common in downtown Golden's Washington Avenue corridor) almost always trigger separate GFD permits: any Type I kitchen hood requires a hood suppression system permit, and hood plans must show nozzle locations/distances, suppressant sizing, protected appliances, Class K extinguisher, and manual pull station.
  • Ask GFD early whether your project qualifies as a 'limited tenant improvement' — if so, a completed construction safety form can substitute for a full fire plan submittal, saving meaningful review time.
  • If your TI modifies sprinkler or alarm systems, the GFD review (3-4 week initial-review goal) can outlast the Building Division's 5-15 day TI review — sequence your submittals so fire review isn't the surprise critical path.
  • Interior non-structural demolition ahead of a build-out is a flat $25 permit — one of the cheapest items in the fee table — but partial structural demo is $50 and triggers structural review considerations.

Frequently asked questions

Golden requires a commercial tenant improvement (interior commercial alteration) permit for: Interior commercial alterations are reviewed under the 2024 IBC and 2024 IEBC (International Existing Buildings Code) as adopted, with trade work under the 2024 IMC/IPC/IFGC and 2023 NEC; Valuation = cost of labor and materials; permit fee includes prepayment of the City's 3% building-materials use tax (1.5% of total valuation); All contractors must be identified on the permit before issuance and must each hold a current City of Golden Contractor License (Municipal Code Chapter 15.01) in addition to any state DORA trade license; Modifications to fire sprinkler, fire alarm, or kitchen hood suppression systems require separate permits through the Golden Fire Department Fire & Life Safety Division; Type I kitchen hoods (restaurant TIs) require a hood suppression system permit; For limited tenant improvement projects, GFD allows a completed construction safety form to be submitted in lieu of a full fire plan — verify applicability with the Fire & Life Safety Division before submission; Paint/spray booths installed as part of a TI require both a GFD suppression permit and separate Building Division approval of the booth structure. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Golden Building Department at (303) 384-8151 before starting work.

In Golden, the published Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (Building Permit Fee Table) is: $25.85 minimum, scaling per valuation tiers (e.g., $430.38 for the first $25,000.00 plus $11.11 for each additional $1,000.00 up to $50,000.00; $708.13 for the first $50,000.00 plus $7.70 per additional $1,000.00 up to $100,000.00). Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee — 65% of the Permit Fee; Building Use Tax — 3% of building materials valuation (est. 1.5% of total project valuation); Demolition Building Permit — Interior Non-Structural — $25.00; Temporary Certificate of Occupancy — $100.00; Reinspection Fee — $50.00. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Golden's published plan-review target for a commercial tenant improvement (interior commercial alteration) permit is 5–15 business days.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (Online Permitting Portal); Construction Drawings. Depending on your project, Golden may also ask for: GFD construction safety form or fire system plans. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Golden requires 7 inspection(s) for a commercial tenant improvement (interior commercial alteration) permit, in order: Rough Plumbing / Gas Pipe, Rough Heating / Rough Electrical, Rough Frame, Insulation, Drywall, Fire system acceptance tests (GFD, if applicable), Final Inspections (Building, Plumbing, Heating, Electrical). Schedule each through City of Golden Building Department ((303) 384-8151).

Apply through City of Golden Building Department at 911 10th Street, Golden, CO 80401 (Building Department); Planning Department at 1445 10th Street, Golden, CO 80401. Phone: (303) 384-8151, email: building@cityofgolden.net. Office hours: Monday-Friday, general City Hall hours (main line (303) 384-8000); Building Department direct line (303) 384-8151. Official information: https://www.cityofgolden.gov/business/building_construction/building_permit.php.

Not as a separate application or fee — TIs are applied for through the same Accela portal under the same valuation-based fee table as other building permits. However, the City publishes 'Interior Commercial Alterations' as its own plan-review category with a 5-15 working-day goal, distinctly faster than the 20-30 working days for new commercial projects.

Beyond the building permit (inclusive of trades), a Type I kitchen hood requires a kitchen hood suppression system permit from the Golden Fire Department Fire & Life Safety Division, and any sprinkler or fire alarm modifications require their own GFD permits — all submitted through the same online portal (permits.cityofgolden.net).

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