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Commercial Tenant Improvement / Alteration Permit — Town Planning Clearance + Mesa County Building Permit in Palisade, Colorado

Permit pathway for tenant finishes, interior remodels, and alterations to existing commercial/non-residential space within the Town of Palisade. Mesa County does not publish a separately named tenant improvement permit — the Mesa County Building Department permits TI work as an 'Alteration to Commercial Building.' On the Town side, a TI that does not change the scale, use, or character of the space falls under the Town of Palisade 'Basic Planning Clearance' ($10.00 flat fee); the form's own wording covers 'reroof, residing, interior remodel, window replacement, demo, service upgrades, and/or similar actions which do not change the scale, use or character of a structure or land use,' and it is not limited to residential structures. A TI that changes the occupancy or use classification falls under the same form's separate 'Change of Use' line item ($50.00 flat fee).

Reviewed 2026-08-02 · Source

When you need this permit

  • STEP 1 (concurrent Town prerequisite): For a tenant improvement or alteration that does not change the scale, use, or character of the space, submit a Town of Palisade 'Basic Planning Clearance' application ($10.00 flat fee) to the Community Development Department. It is the same form and fee category documented for Palisade's residential remodel/reroof entry, and the form's own text carries no occupancy-type restriction. Source: Town of Palisade 'PLANNING CLEARANCE: BASIC' application form (Comm Dev_1).
  • If the tenant improvement CHANGES the use/occupancy classification, the same Basic Planning Clearance form has a separate 'Change of Use' checkbox line item requiring a Letter of Intent (current use, proposed use, zoning) at a $50.00 flat fee, distinct from the $10.00 basic-work fee. Source: same form, verified live 2026-08-02.
  • The Basic Planning Clearance form explicitly requires the 'Description of Work' to match the application submitted for the Mesa County building permit.
  • STEP 2: Submit the Mesa County Building Department 'Application for Permit to Build.' Mesa County bills tenant improvement and alteration work on actual labor-and-material valuation (Table 2, Note 2 — 'The Total Valuation for remodels is the actual labor and material cost of the project'), not the Table 3A square-foot schedule used for new construction. When the occupancy classification changes, the county also applies its 'Change in Use/Occupation Valuation Permit Fee' (Table 1A Fee #16: $50.00 under $2,000 valuation, Table 2 valuation-based above $2,000). Mesa County issues and prices Palisade permits off the same countywide fee schedule it uses in Grand Junction.
  • The fire authority left unidentified in an earlier pass IS the Palisade Fire Department (a Town of Palisade department; 175 East 3rd Street; (970) 464-4745; cbalke@townofpalisade.org) — its 'Business Permit Application' form explicitly covers 'Tenant Finish - Interior' and 'Tenant Finish - Exterior' as checkbox project types, confirming a TI-specific fire clearance/plan-review step applies in Palisade, billed under the Town's own published 'Tenant Finish Plan Review Fee' schedule. Source: Palisade Fire Department Business Permit Application (PDF); Town of Palisade Fee Schedule (Updated June 2025); both fetched live 2026-08-02.
  • Palisade does not publish whether Mesa County or the Town separately requires a Food Handling clearance (for restaurant or grocery fit-outs) or a Persigo Waste Water Pre-Treatment step (for grease-generating tenants) analogous to Grand Junction's TI process. The sewer/water provider question is settled: Palisade's water and sewer utilities are Town-of-Palisade-operated (see the Town's own published Water/Sewer Fee Schedule), not a separate district. Confirm the remaining open items with the Mesa County Building Department (970-244-1631) and Town of Palisade Community Development (970-464-5602) at the time you apply.

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Town of Palisade Basic Planning Clearance fee (TI not changing scale/use/character)Town of Palisade 'PLANNING CLEARANCE: BASIC' application form; excludes legal/engineering review, mailing, or recording costs
$10.00 flat fee
Town of Palisade Change of Use fee (TI changing occupancy classification)Same 'PLANNING CLEARANCE: BASIC' form, 'Change of Use' line item; requires a Letter of Intent with current use, proposed use, and zoning
$50.00 flat fee
Mesa County TI/Alteration Permit Fee — valuation-based on actual costMesa County Building Department Fee Schedule, Table 2, Note 2 ('actual labor and material cost')
$50.00 up to $1,200 valuation; $68.00 for the first $2,000 plus $9.90/additional $1,000 to $25,000; scaling per Table 2
Commercial Plan Review Fee — 'Alteration to Commercial Building'Mesa County Building Department Fee Schedule, Table 1A, Fee #1 — the fee line explicitly names 'Alteration to Commercial Building,' confirming TI work is billed under the 50% commercial cap, not the 15% residential cap
Maximum 50% of the Value of the Calculated Permit Fee, as determined appropriate by the Building Department
Change in Use/Occupation Valuation Permit FeeMesa County Building Department Fee Schedule, Table 1A, Fee #16 — applies when the TI changes the occupancy classification
$50.00 under $2,000 valuation; Table 2 valuation-based over $2,000
Work Commencing Before Permit IssuanceMesa County Building Department Fee Schedule, Table 1A, Fee #21
2x the Permit Fee (at Building Official discretion)
Palisade Fire Department Tenant Finish Plan Review Fee (fire plan review + inspections, IBC 109.1/109.2)
NEWLY CONFIRMED this pass (2026-08-02): 'TOWN OF PALISADE, COLORADO FEE SCHEDULE - EMERGENCY SERVICES' (Updated June 2025), Fire Department/EMS Department, 'International Fire and Building Code… Show full citationNEWLY CONFIRMED this pass (2026-08-02): 'TOWN OF PALISADE, COLORADO FEE SCHEDULE - EMERGENCY SERVICES' (Updated June 2025), Fire Department/EMS Department, 'International Fire and Building Code Inspection Fees' > 'Tenant Finish Plan Review Fee.' Separate from both the Town Planning Clearance fee and the Mesa County TI/alteration permit fee — paid to the Town's own Fire Department for the Business Permit Application's 'Tenant Finish' project type.
1-200 sq ft: $50 flat fee (includes inspections). 201-500 sq ft: $50 flat fee plus $75 per inspection. 501-5,000 sq ft: $100 flat fee plus $75 per inspection. Over 5,000 sq ft: $150 plus $0.04/sq ft over 5,000 sq ft, plus $75 per inspection.
Fire Alarm / Fire Sprinkler Plan Review Fee (if the TI adds or modifies alarm or sprinkler systems)NEWLY CONFIRMED this pass (2026-08-02): same Town Fee Schedule page (Updated June 2025), conditional on scope — only applies if the tenant improvement touches fire alarm or sprinkler systems.
Fire Alarm: $50 flat (system modification, <= devices) or $150 plus $2.00/device (new system), plus $75/inspection. Fire Sprinkler: $50 flat (modification, <=20 heads) or $150 plus $2.00/head (new system), plus $75/inspection.
Town of Palisade Water/Sewer connection or tap fees (if the TI requires a new or upsized water/sewer tap)NEWLY CONFIRMED this pass (2026-08-02): Town of Palisade Fee Schedule (Updated June 2025), 'UTILITIES' page. Most straight interior TIs will not trigger a new tap, but this applies if fixture counts or service size change.
Same tiered Water Tap Fee (from $5,500 for a 3/4" tap) and Sewer Tap Fee ($5,500/EQU, minimum 1.00 EQU commercial) documented in the commercial-building-permit entry

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial Tenant Improvement / Alteration Permit — Town Planning Clearance + Mesa County Building Permit permit actually take in Palisade?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough-In (Framing, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical)

    Trade rough-in inspections before cover on altered walls, ceilings, and systems; scheduled via the Mesa County Customer Portal, phone IVR (970-256-1564), or text (SCHEDULE to 844-987-4628). Mesa County publishes a detailed inspection sequence only for residential work — confirm the required commercial/TI inspection list at permit issuance

  2. 2

    Final / Occupancy

    Final building and trade inspections; where use/occupancy changed, occupancy sign-off reflects the new classification. Town of Palisade zoning sign-off confirming the completed work matches the approved Planning Clearance is also required, per LDC Section 4.08

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

Tips

  • The Town's Basic Planning Clearance description of work must match the Mesa County building permit application exactly — prepare both applications with identical scope descriptions to avoid delays.
  • Confirm with the Town (970-464-5602) whether your specific TI counts as 'not changing the scale, use or character' ($10 Basic) or as a 'Change of Use' ($50) before applying — the Basic Planning Clearance form's own wording does not exclude commercial tenants, but the boundary between the two categories is a judgment call the Town makes, not something spelled out numerically on the form.
  • Mesa County bills TI/alteration work on actual labor-and-material cost (not the Table 3A square-foot schedule used for new construction), and adds a Change in Use/Occupation fee on top if the tenant's use differs from the prior occupant's.
  • The Town's own Palisade Fire Department requires a separate 'Business Permit Application' for Tenant Finish - Interior or - Exterior work, billed per its own published schedule ($50-$150+ depending on square footage) — budget for Town Planning Clearance + Palisade Fire Department + Mesa County permit as three separate fee lines.
  • No published review-timeline SLA exists at any of the three steps (Town Planning Clearance, Palisade Fire Department, or Mesa County building permit) — call all relevant offices directly for current queue length.

Frequently asked questions

Palisade requires a commercial tenant improvement / alteration permit — town planning clearance + mesa county building permit for: STEP 1 (concurrent Town prerequisite): For a tenant improvement or alteration that does not change the scale, use, or character of the space, submit a Town of Palisade 'Basic Planning Clearance' application ($10.00 flat fee) to the Community Development Department. It is the same form and fee category documented for Palisade's residential remodel/reroof entry, and the form's own text carries no occupancy-type restriction. Source: Town of Palisade 'PLANNING CLEARANCE: BASIC' application form (Comm Dev_1).; If the tenant improvement CHANGES the use/occupancy classification, the same Basic Planning Clearance form has a separate 'Change of Use' checkbox line item requiring a Letter of Intent (current use, proposed use, zoning) at a $50.00 flat fee, distinct from the $10.00 basic-work fee. Source: same form, verified live 2026-08-02.; The Basic Planning Clearance form explicitly requires the 'Description of Work' to match the application submitted for the Mesa County building permit.; STEP 2: Submit the Mesa County Building Department 'Application for Permit to Build.' Mesa County bills tenant improvement and alteration work on actual labor-and-material valuation (Table 2, Note 2 — 'The Total Valuation for remodels is the actual labor and material cost of the project'), not the Table 3A square-foot schedule used for new construction. When the occupancy classification changes, the county also applies its 'Change in Use/Occupation Valuation Permit Fee' (Table 1A Fee #16: $50.00 under $2,000 valuation, Table 2 valuation-based above $2,000). Mesa County issues and prices Palisade permits off the same countywide fee schedule it uses in Grand Junction.; The fire authority left unidentified in an earlier pass IS the Palisade Fire Department (a Town of Palisade department; 175 East 3rd Street; (970) 464-4745; cbalke@townofpalisade.org) — its 'Business Permit Application' form explicitly covers 'Tenant Finish - Interior' and 'Tenant Finish - Exterior' as checkbox project types, confirming a TI-specific fire clearance/plan-review step applies in Palisade, billed under the Town's own published 'Tenant Finish Plan Review Fee' schedule. Source: Palisade Fire Department Business Permit Application (PDF); Town of Palisade Fee Schedule (Updated June 2025); both fetched live 2026-08-02.; Palisade does not publish whether Mesa County or the Town separately requires a Food Handling clearance (for restaurant or grocery fit-outs) or a Persigo Waste Water Pre-Treatment step (for grease-generating tenants) analogous to Grand Junction's TI process. The sewer/water provider question is settled: Palisade's water and sewer utilities are Town-of-Palisade-operated (see the Town's own published Water/Sewer Fee Schedule), not a separate district. Confirm the remaining open items with the Mesa County Building Department (970-244-1631) and Town of Palisade Community Development (970-464-5602) at the time you apply.. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Palisade Community Development Department (Planning Clearance — Step 1) + Mesa County Building Department (Building Permit — Step 2) at Town of Palisade Community Development: (970) 464-5602. Mesa County Building Department: (970) 244-1631 before starting work.

In Palisade, the published Town of Palisade Basic Planning Clearance fee (TI not changing scale/use/character) is: $10.00 flat fee. Additional published fees: Town of Palisade Change of Use fee (TI changing occupancy classification) — $50.00 flat fee; Mesa County TI/Alteration Permit Fee — valuation-based on actual cost — $50.00 up to $1,200 valuation; $68.00 for the first $2,000 plus $9.90/additional $1,000 to $25,000; scaling per Table 2; Commercial Plan Review Fee — 'Alteration to Commercial Building' — Maximum 50% of the Value of the Calculated Permit Fee, as determined appropriate by the Building Department; Change in Use/Occupation Valuation Permit Fee — $50.00 under $2,000 valuation; Table 2 valuation-based over $2,000; Work Commencing Before Permit Issuance — 2x the Permit Fee (at Building Official discretion); Palisade Fire Department Tenant Finish Plan Review Fee (fire plan review + inspections, IBC 109.1/109.2) — 1-200 sq ft: $50 flat fee (includes inspections). 201-500 sq ft: $50 flat fee plus $75 per inspection. 501-5,000 sq ft: $100 flat fee plus $75 per inspection. Over 5,000 sq ft: $150 plus $0.04/sq ft over 5,000 sq ft, plus $75 per inspection.; Fire Alarm / Fire Sprinkler Plan Review Fee (if the TI adds or modifies alarm or sprinkler systems) — Fire Alarm: $50 flat (system modification, <= devices) or $150 plus $2.00/device (new system), plus $75/inspection. Fire Sprinkler: $50 flat (modification, <=20 heads) or $150 plus $2.00/head (new system), plus $75/inspection.; Town of Palisade Water/Sewer connection or tap fees (if the TI requires a new or upsized water/sewer tap) — Same tiered Water Tap Fee (from $5,500 for a 3/4" tap) and Sewer Tap Fee ($5,500/EQU, minimum 1.00 EQU commercial) documented in the commercial-building-permit entry. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Palisade does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Palisade Community Development Department (Planning Clearance — Step 1) + Mesa County Building Department (Building Permit — Step 2) at Town of Palisade Community Development: (970) 464-5602. Mesa County Building Department: (970) 244-1631 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Town of Palisade Planning Clearance: Basic (or Change of Use) application; Palisade Fire Department Business Permit Application; Mesa County Application for Permit to Build; Mesa County Commercial Plan Review - Submittal Checklist plan set (scoped to the TI). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Palisade requires 2 inspection(s) for a commercial tenant improvement / alteration permit — town planning clearance + mesa county building permit, in order: Rough-In (Framing, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical), Final / Occupancy. Schedule each through Town of Palisade Community Development Department (Planning Clearance — Step 1) + Mesa County Building Department (Building Permit — Step 2) (Town of Palisade Community Development: (970) 464-5602. Mesa County Building Department: (970) 244-1631).

Apply through Town of Palisade Community Development Department (Planning Clearance — Step 1) + Mesa County Building Department (Building Permit — Step 2) at Town of Palisade Community Development: 175 East 3rd Street, P.O. Box 128, Palisade, CO 81526. Mesa County Building Department: 200 S. Spruce Street, Grand Junction, CO 81501 (mailing: PO Box 20,000-5005, Grand Junction, CO 81502-5001). Phone: Town of Palisade Community Development: (970) 464-5602. Mesa County Building Department: (970) 244-1631, email: planning@townofpalisade.org (Town Planning Clearance); mccomdev@mesacounty.us (Mesa County Building Department). Office hours: Town of Palisade: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mesa County Building Department: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; permit issuance after 4:30 p.m. is on a limited basis (Source: Mesa County Building Department Fees page).. Official information: https://palisade.colorado.gov/departments/community-development-planning (Town Planning Clearance); https://www.mesacounty.us/departments-and-services/community-development/building (Mesa County Building Department, actual permit issuer).

Yes, in most cases, and there can be a third fee line too. The Town of Palisade requires its own Planning Clearance before the work begins — a $10.00 'Basic Planning Clearance' for a straight interior TI that doesn't change the scale, use, or character of the space, or a $50.00 'Change of Use' clearance if the tenant's use differs from the prior occupant's. The Town's own Fire Department separately requires a 'Business Permit Application' for tenant-finish work, billed per its own published Tenant Finish Plan Review Fee schedule ($50 flat for very small scopes up to $150+ for larger ones). Mesa County Building Department separately issues the actual building permit (billed as an 'Alteration to Commercial Building' on actual labor-and-material cost) and performs inspections.

No. Mesa County does not publish a distinct TI permit type — tenant improvements and alterations to commercial buildings are permitted under the same commercial building-permit process as new construction, but valuation is based on actual labor and material cost (Table 2, Note 2) rather than the Table 3A square-foot schedule used for new construction.

Sources & verification

Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-02.

Fee schedules

Applications & forms

Codes & ordinances

Department & other records

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 Palisade building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

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