Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in Loveland, Colorado

Loveland requires a residential building permit (new construction) for: Building permit required for new single-family and two-family dwelling construction; Plans must comply with the City of Loveland's currently adopted IRC edition and Design Criteria (130 MPH 3-second-gust wind, Exposure C; 30 psf ground snow load per the current Building Code Amendments page, moving to 35 psf under the ASCE update effective July 1, 2026; 30-inch minimum frost depth); Effective July 1, 2026, third-party energy inspections are required for all new residential buildings to verify what was submitted for review, and Appendix BE (Radon Control Methods) applies to all new residential buildings with rough-radon, final-radon, and radon-mitigation-certificate inspections; Effective July 1, 2026, the Colorado Model Low Energy and Carbon Code (Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code + 2024 IECC) applies, per the statewide HB22-1362 energy-code floor; Submittals are processed electronically; residential submittals go to eplan-res@cityofloveland.org, non-residential to eplan-building@cityofloveland.org; A valid City of Loveland Contractor's License is required for structural, mechanical, electrical, or plumbing work on rental homes, multi-family buildings, and non-residential buildings; an owner-occupant may self-perform work in their primary residence with a Homeowner Affidavit. 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 is: Based on the current ICC Building Valuation Data (square-foot construction cost by occupancy group/construction type) applied to project square footage; e.g., R-3 (one- and two-family, Type VB) valuation is $175.92/sq ft effective March 15, 2026. Additional published fees: Residential Plan Review Fee — 65% of the Building Permit Fee; New Technology Fee — Permit Portion — 10% of the Building Permit Fee; New Technology Fee — Residential Plan Check Portion — 10% of the Residential Plan Check Fee; Re-Inspection Fee (per inspection, penalty) — $200.00; Inspections outside normal business hours — $200.00 minimum (2-hour minimum), or total hourly City cost if greater; Additional Plan Review (changes/additions/revisions to approved plans) — $150.00 per hour, 1-hour minimum; Occupancy Permit (per building or shell), excludes single-family R-3 — $100.00, plus $50.00 for each additional non-residential improvement. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

The current plan review estimate is 20-30 working days per round of review. Source: City of Loveland Permitting FAQ's page.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Construction Drawings; Residential Gas Load Form. Depending on your project, Loveland may also ask for: Homeowner Affidavit. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Loveland requires 5 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction), in order: Foundation/Footing, Water-Resistive Barrier, Framing, Rough Radon / Final Radon, Final Building Inspection. Schedule each through City of Loveland Building Division (Development Services Department) ((970) 962-2505).

Residential submittals are emailed to eplan-res@cityofloveland.org and non-residential submittals to eplan-building@cityofloveland.org. The City's online Accela portal is planned for mid-2026 launch.

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.