Commercial Building Permit (New Construction / Addition / Remodel) in Durango, Colorado

Durango requires a commercial building permit (new construction / addition / remodel) for: Zoning standards for the property's zone district must be met (or variances obtained) BEFORE applying for a building permit, per the City's Commercial Property Services page; depending on the development, the project may be a Site Plan Review, Temporary Use Permit (TUP), Special Use Permit (SUP), Limited Use Permit (LUP), Conditional Use Permit (CUP), or Planned Development (PD) project; Projects may need Design Review Board (DRB) approval for site, landscape, and building design; all commercial buildings shall meet the intent of either the Downtown Overlay Design Guidelines or, if located outside the Downtown Overlay District, the Commercial Use Design Guidelines; HISTORIC INTERSECTION: if the building is on Main Avenue downtown and is a contributing structure, or is a historically landmarked commercial building, the Historic Preservation Board (HPB) shall make a recommendation to the DRB on ALL exterior renovations; minor exterior paint changes using the pre-approved historic paint color palette may be approved administratively by staff; All multifamily and commercial projects must submit a complete Fire Code Plan Review package directly to DFPD (104 Sheppard Drive, 970-382-6000), which performs all Life Safety reviews; a DFPD receipt is a prerequisite for the City building-permit application; New projects not already in a planning process prior to 01/01/2026 must be designed to the 2024 I-Codes and 2023 NEC, plus the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code and Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code (CMERSRC); Most commercial projects require an architect's stamp; engineered structural elements require a professional engineer's stamp; structural sheets must document IBC Chapters 16-19 compliance; Life Safety Sheet required for all commercial projects per IBC Chapter 10 (Means of Egress); reviewed by the Fire Marshal; MEP design sheets are required to start the initial review and may NOT be deferred; commercial MEP detail includes kitchen/hood design criteria, gas pipe sizing, equipment schedules (amps/BTUs/voltages), panel schedule and single-line diagram (for the state electrical scope), DWV plan/isometric, grease traps, and floor drains; only fire alarm systems, sprinkler design, truss design sheets, and fire protection engineering may be deferred; Floor plans must show plumbing fixture counts per calculated occupancy and full ADA compliance; reflected ceiling plan must include lighting fixture schedules and emergency egress illumination; Commercial development within the River Corridor Overlay Zone must meet LUDC Division 4-4-5; hillsides with slopes 20%+ trigger LUDC Division 4-4-3; floodplain properties require planning staff consultation; Commercial property owners must use licensed plumbers and electricians (no owner-performed trade work, unlike residential); contractors must hold a City of Durango Business License; All electrical work is separately permitted and inspected by the State of Colorado Electrical Board (DORA); plumbing and gas are City-permitted effective 07/01/2026; Applications submitted through the City's OpenGov online portal (durangoco.portal.opengov.com); no fees due at submittal — all fees due when the permit is issued. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Durango Community Development Department, Building Division at 970-375-5000 before starting work.

No City plan-review fee line exists on the July 2026 Building Permit Fee Schedule — the valuation-based Building Permit Fee covers review and issuance. However, DFPD charges its own separate plan-review fee for multi-family, commercial, and tenant finish projects, set and collected by the fire district directly.

Durango's published plan-review target for a commercial building permit (new construction / addition / remodel) is 0–30 business days.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (OpenGov portal); Full Construction Drawing Set (architect-stamped); Life Safety Sheet; MEP Design Sheets; DFPD Fire Code Plan Review receipt. Depending on your project, Durango may also ask for: Planning entitlement / Design Review Board approval documentation. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Durango requires 4 inspection(s) for a commercial building permit (new construction / addition / remodel), in order: Foundation, Rough Framing, Rough Plumbing / Mechanical, Final Inspection. Schedule each through City of Durango Community Development Department, Building Division (970-375-5000).

Apply through City of Durango Community Development Department, Building Division at 949 E 2nd Avenue, Durango, CO 81301. Phone: 970-375-5000, email: Building@DurangoCo.Gov. Office hours: Not published on the Building Division pages as of this review; main City Hall line 970-375-5000. General building-permit questions: Building@DurangoCo.Gov. Fee-schedule calculation questions: 970-375-4850.. Official information: https://www.durangoco.gov/311/Applying-for-a-Building-Permit.

The City of Durango Building Division reviews the building code scope, but all commercial projects must also submit a complete Fire Code Plan Review package directly to Durango Fire Protection District (which performs all Life Safety reviews), and the planning side may require Site Plan Review, a use permit, and Design Review Board approval against the Downtown Overlay or Commercial Use Design Guidelines before the building permit can proceed.

For contributing structures on downtown Main Avenue and historically landmarked commercial buildings, the Historic Preservation Board makes a recommendation to the Design Review Board on all exterior renovations, and demolition of such structures requires HPB review under LUDC Article 3-3. Minor exterior paint changes using the pre-approved historic palette can be approved administratively.