Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit in Loveland, Colorado

Loveland requires an accessory dwelling unit (adu) permit for: The structure must have water and sewer permanently attached to the ADU, tied into the primary dwelling's services; The structure requires its own separate power meter; The structure requires its own separate address from the primary residence, assigned by the City of Loveland; The structure must be on a permanent foundation; The structure cannot be located near overhead power lines with less than 10 ft vertical / 5 ft horizontal clearance; Setbacks must be confirmed with the Planning Department for the specific property; Effective July 1, 2026: a property owner may be the general contractor on their own ADU, but must hire City-licensed subcontractors for each trade (the owner cannot self-perform trade work unless it is their primary residence, per the standard homeowner exemption); Foundation and framing drawings must be sealed by a professional engineer; Energy code compliance requires an energy code inspection list and Manuals J, D, and S; the prescriptive path requires ResChecks; a qualified third party must perform all energy inspections. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Loveland Building Division (Development Services Department) at (970) 962-2505 before starting work.

In Loveland, the published Building Permit Fee (valuation-based) is: Based on the current ICC Building Valuation Data applied to project square footage (R-3 one/two-family Type VB valuation $175.92/sq ft effective March 15, 2026). Additional published fees: Residential Plan Review Fee — 65% of the Building Permit Fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Once a full submittal is received and accepted through the check-in process, the review time is 10 business days. Source: City of Loveland New Detached ADU Submittal Check List.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Site Plan / Grading Plan; Electric Service Worksheet (ESW); Architectural Plans; Foundation and Framing Drawings; Energy Code Compliance Forms. Depending on your project, Loveland may also ask for: Architectural Review Committee Letter; Foundation Setback and Elevation Certification; Residential Lot Stormwater Quality Permit Application; Residential Certification of Lot Grading and Structure Elevation. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Loveland requires 4 inspection(s) for an accessory dwelling unit (adu) permit, in order: Footing/Foundation/UFER, Framing, Final Grade Certification, Final Building. Schedule each through City of Loveland Building Division (Development Services Department) ((970) 962-2505).

Apply through City of Loveland Building Division (Development Services Department) at 410 E. 5th Street, Loveland, CO 80537. Phone: (970) 962-2505, email: eplan-res@cityofloveland.org (residential); eplan-building@cityofloveland.org (non-residential). Office hours: Lobby Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 AM-4:00 PM; Phone Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 AM-3:30 PM. Inspection Line: (970) 962-2100. Official information: https://www.lovgov.org/services/development-services/building-division.

Loveland, Colorado has adopted: Colorado has no statewide mandatory building code for municipalities; each home-rule or statutory city adopts and amends its own building code edition. Colorado's only statewide floor is an energy/greenhouse-gas standard: House Bill 22-1362 (2022), codified in relevant part at C.R.S. Title 24 and repealing portions of the prior C.R.S. 30-28-211 energy-code statute, directs the Colorado Energy Code Board to publish a Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code and a Model Low Energy and Carbon Code, which local governments (and certain state agencies) must adopt on their own timelines or otherwise demonstrate equivalent/greater stringency. Source: Colorado General Assembly, HB22-1362 (leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb22-1362); Colorado Energy Office Energy Code Board. Applicants should confirm the specific edition/amendments in effect for their city, since Colorado building codes vary by municipality.; City of Loveland runs its own Building Division and adopts/amends its own code within the Unified Development Code (Title 18) and Municipal Code (Title 15) framework — it is NOT a DOLA/state-administered program. Effective July 1, 2026, the City Council-adopted amendments move Loveland to the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) and 2024 International Residential Code (IRC) family (referenced in the City's 'Building Code adopted changes (ICC 2024)' notice, approved on second reading June 2, 2026); prior to that date the currently effective editions are the 2021 IRC, 2021 IMC (Mechanical), and 2021 IFGC (Fuel Gas), per City of Loveland Residential HVAC/Gas Load Fast Track forms dated 5/27/2026. Source: City of Loveland Building Division homepage and Loveland Building Code Amendments page (lovgov.org/services/development-services/building-division; lovgov.org/services/development-services/building-division/loveland-building-code).; Effective July 1, 2026, City of Loveland adopts the Colorado Model Low Energy and Carbon Code (combining the Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code with the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)) to satisfy the HB22-1362 statewide energy-code floor. Source: City of Loveland 'City Council approves building-related code changes' notice (lovgov.org/home/showpublisheddocument/63720/639162471002370000).; Effective July 1, 2026, City of Loveland adopts Appendix BC (Accessory Dwelling Units) from the International Residential Code, with local amendments to align with the Unified Development Code, and now allows a property owner to act as general contractor on an ADU provided all subcontractors hold a valid City of Loveland contractor license. Source: City of Loveland code-changes notice.; Effective July 1, 2026, City of Loveland adopts Appendix BE from the International Residential Code (Radon Control Methods) for all new commercial and residential buildings, with new rough-radon, final-radon, and radon-mitigation-certificate inspections. Source: City of Loveland code-changes notice.; Building Valuation Data Table (square-foot construction costs by ICC occupancy group and construction type), effective March 15, 2026, is used by the City to calculate building-permit valuation; the City's fee schedule states 'Building permit fees are based on the current ICC Fees' via the ICC Building Valuation Data publication (iccsafe.org/products-and-services/i-codes/code-development-process/building-valuation-data/). Source: City of Loveland Building Valuation Data Table PDF (lovgov.org/home/showpublisheddocument/60277/639090010225200000) and 2026 Fee Schedule (lovgov.org/home/showpublisheddocument/60275/639089984528770000).. Local amendments apply — see the Loveland overview page for the full list.

The homeowner cannot construct or general contract the ADU project unless it will be their primary residence. Effective July 1, 2026, a property owner may act as general contractor on their ADU but must hire City-licensed subcontractors for each trade.