Cortez building permits
Department contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Cortez, Colorado.
Last verified 2026-07-06 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 123 Roger Smith Avenue, Cortez, CO 81321
- Phone
- 970-565-3402
- Office hours
- Monday-Thursday 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Friday 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Permit Tech/Deputy City Clerk (Cheryl Lindquist): 970-564-4016. Fire Inspector/Building Inspector (Sean Canada): 970-564-4009. 24-hour inspection scheduling line: 970-564-4071 (checked daily at 8:00 a.m.; inspections performed 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, excluding holidays). Fax: 970-565-8172.
- Website
- Official site
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Cortez — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.
Codes adopted
Colorado has no statewide-mandated building code edition. Under the Colorado Constitution's home-rule provisions (art. XX, home rule for municipalities since 1902; home rule for counties since 1970), building codes and zoning are an enumerated home-rule charter power, so cities and counties adopt and amend their own construction codes independently — predominantly the I-Codes, with editions and local amendments varying by jurisdiction. The one statewide floor is for energy: HB22-1362 (2022) created the Energy Code Board (jointly appointed by the Colorado Energy Office and the Department of Local Affairs) and requires that, on or after July 1, 2023 and before July 1, 2026, any municipality or county that adopts or updates a building code must adopt and enforce an energy code achieving performance equivalent to or better than the 2021 IECC together with the board's Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code (which includes electric-ready, EV-ready, and solar-ready provisions); from July 1, 2026 onward the floor shifts to the board's Model Low Energy and Carbon Code or an equivalent. Electrical and plumbing permitting defaults to the Colorado State Electrical Board and State Plumbing Board (within DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations) — the state issues permits and inspects statewide except in counties/jurisdictions that operate their own certified Electrical or Plumbing Inspection Program, in which case the local program has authority instead. Always confirm the currently adopted code edition, local amendments, and inspection authority (state board vs. local program) with the specific jurisdiction before submitting plans.
- 2015 International Building Code (IBC) — City of Cortez Adopted Codes page
- 2015 International Residential Code (IRC), EXCEPT Section R313 (Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems), which was not adopted — City of Cortez Adopted Codes page
- 2009 International Mechanical Code (IMC)
- 2009 International Plumbing Code (IPC)
- 2009 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC)
- 2009 International Existing Building Code (IEBC)
- 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — cited as '2009 International Energy Efficiency Code' on the Adopted Codes page; the City's separate Building Codes & Design Standards page states the 2009 IECC is in effect
- 2015 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC)
- 2009 International Fire Code (IFC)
- 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) — per City of Cortez Building Codes & Design Standards page; NOTE — electrical permits themselves are NOT issued by the City (see localAmendments); this is the code edition the state electrical inspection references for Cortez
- ANSI A117.1-2003 Edition, Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities
- NFPA 211-2000 Edition, Standard for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances
- Colorado Manufactured Housing Installations, State Resolution #37
- Local Ordinance #851, Series 1997 — Construction Standards for Straw Bale Homes
- Full text of IBC/IRC/IFC/IPC/IPMC local amendments is hosted as separate ordinance-amendment documents linked from the City's Building Codes & Design Standards page (https://www.cortezco.gov/184/Building-Codes-and-Design-Standards)
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for construction of new single-family and other residential structures within Cortez city limits, per the Building Permit Application's project-type checklist ('New Residential'). Reviewed under the 2015 IBC/IRC (with the local exception of IRC Section R313, fire sprinklers, not adopted) and Cortez's own structural design criteria. Issued and inspected by the City of Cortez Division of Planning & Building; electrical work is separately permitted and inspected by the State of Colorado (DORA), not the City.
From$75.00Residential Addition / Remodel Permit
Required for additions, remodels, and structural alterations to existing residential structures in Cortez, per the Building Permit Application's project-type checklist ('Residential Remodel' / 'Residential Addition'). Normal repairs and non-structural cabinet/window/door replacement that do not alter plumbing or mechanical elements are exempt.
From$75.00valuation-basedPlumbing Permit
Required for installation, alteration, or repair of plumbing systems, water/sewer/gas lines, and related fixtures in Cortez. Governed by the 2009 International Plumbing Code (IPC) as locally adopted. Plumbing inspections for new construction are included in the initial building permit; standalone plumbing work is billed per a detailed unit-fee schedule.
From$35.00Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for installation, replacement, alteration, or repair of mechanical systems (furnaces, boilers, air handlers, evaporative coolers, ventilation, and related equipment) in Cortez. Governed by the 2009 International Mechanical Code (IMC) as locally adopted. Mechanical inspections for new construction are included in the initial building permit; standalone mechanical work is billed per a detailed unit-fee schedule.
From$30.00Roofing Permit (Re-Roof)
Required for re-roofing work on structures within Cortez city limits. Uses a flat, size-tiered fee rather than a valuation-based calculation. Governed by the 2015 IBC/IRC roofing provisions as locally adopted, including Cortez's required ice barrier underlayment design standard.
From$150.00Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit
Governed by Cortez's own Land Use Code, which (per the City's own, dated June 2022 ADU information notice) restricts ADUs to the R1 and RE zoning districts by Conditional Use Permit only, with owner-occupancy and parking requirements. Cortez does not appear to be a 'Subject Jurisdiction' under Colorado's 2024 ADU legislation (HB24-1152), which would otherwise have required an administrative (non-hearing) approval process without owner-occupancy or parking conditions by June 30, 2025 — but this record could not confirm the City has formally reaffirmed its ADU ordinance post-HB24-1152, so treat the underlying zoning rule as the best-available but not freshly-reconfirmed figure.
From$500.00Demolition Permit
Required for demolition of any structure in Cortez, per the Planning & Building FAQ. The lot must be graded smooth after demolition is complete. Priced as a flat fee on the City's 2026 Fee Schedule.
$100.00Fence Permit
Required for construction of new fences in Cortez, per the Planning & Building FAQ ('new fences, sheds, carports, garages, additions, etc.'). Priced as a flat fee on the City's 2026 Fee Schedule; no separate retaining-wall-specific fee line was found on the fee schedule or FAQ.
$100.00Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permit (State-Issued Electrical Permit)
Installing an EV charger/EVSE in Cortez is electrical work, and the City of Cortez does NOT issue or inspect electrical permits of any kind -- per the City's Building Inspections page and Permits & Licenses page, ALL electrical permits and inspections within Cortez are handled by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), the same split-jurisdiction mechanism already documented in the residential-building-permit and solar-pv-permit entries. No City of Cortez EV-charger permit application, fee line, or webpage exists -- checked the Building Permits & Applications, Building Codes and Design Standards, and Planning & Building FAQ pages directly; none name electric vehicle charging stations, EV chargers, or EVSE. If the charger is mounted to or requires a new structure (e.g., a new carport canopy), that structural portion would separately require a City of Cortez Building Permit.
See fee scheduleSolar PV Permit (Split City/State Jurisdiction)
Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems in Cortez. The City of Cortez Building Division itself confirms it 'permits and inspects for all phases of the project except for electrical' — a licensed electrical contractor must separately obtain a Colorado State Electrical Board (DORA) Solar/Alternative Energy Permit and perform all electrical hook-ups, since Cortez does not locally administer electrical permitting. The structural/racking portion is billed on the City's standard valuation-based Building Permit fee table; the aggregate of all governmental fees for the installation (City + state) is capped under Colorado's Fair Permit Act (C.R.S. 24-48.5-113, HB21-1284) at $500 residential / $1,000 commercial. Cortez is also listed as a participating jurisdiction on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's SolarAPP+ platform.
From$75.00Commercial Building Permit (New Construction, Remodel, Addition & Tenant Improvement)
Required for new commercial construction, commercial remodels, commercial additions, and changes of occupancy within Cortez city limits, applied for on the City's single Building Permit Application via its 'New Commercial', 'Commercial Remodel', 'Commercial Addition', and 'Change of Occupancy' project-type checkboxes. All commercial projects must be prepared by a Colorado licensed design professional, and the plan package must include civil, architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and energy efficiency plans, per the City's Building Permits & Applications page. Reviewed under the 2015 IBC (2009 IMC/IPC/IFGC/IEBC/IECC/IFC, ANSI A117.1-2003 accessibility) and Cortez's local structural design criteria. Issued and inspected by the City of Cortez Division of Planning & Building — the only building department in Montezuma County; electrical work is separately permitted and inspected by the State of Colorado (DORA), not the City. Tenant improvements are NOT a separate permit type in Cortez — they are permitted as a Commercial Remodel (plus the Change of Occupancy checkbox where the use changes) under this same process and fee table.
From$75.00valuation-basedSign Permit
Required to erect, construct, reconstruct, alter, paint, repaint, or change the use of any sign within Cortez city limits, per City of Cortez Land Use Code Section 5.06 (Signs) and Section 6.21 (Sign permits). Administered by the City's Zoning/Building Inspector within the Division of Planning & Building — the same office and address that handles all other Cortez permit types, unlike some peer Colorado jurisdictions where signage is a separate Planning/Zoning function. The one-time sign permit fee is billed on the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee schedule used for building permits generally, based on the declared value of the proposed signing.
See fee scheduleFire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm System Permit
Fire sprinkler and fire alarm system plan review, permitting and inspection within Cortez city limits are handled directly by the City of Cortez's own Division of Planning & Building through its integrated Fire Inspector role (Sean Canada, Fire Inspector/Building Official; Kevin Martineau, Fire Inspector) — confirmed on the City's own Fire Division page, which states that inspections within city limits are performed by the City Fire Inspector. The separate Cortez Fire Protection District, a special district at 31 North Washington Street, 970-565-3157, handles inspections only in unincorporated Montezuma County outside city limits, and its own website publishes no fire-sprinkler or alarm permit or plan-review page — only Burn Permits, Wildland Division, Community Risk Reduction and Preparedness content. So apply to the City, not the District. No standalone City fire-sprinkler or alarm permit application, project-type checkbox or fee line exists; this work is filed through the standard City Building Permit Application process and reviewed under the City's adopted 2009 International Fire Code.
See fee scheduleChange of Occupancy / Change of Use Permit
The City of Cortez's own standard Building Permit Application includes 'Change of Occupancy' as an explicit Project Type checkbox in Section III, alongside New Commercial, Commercial Remodel, Demolition, and the other documented project types — unlike Cañon City, which has no standalone change-of-use application or checkbox at all. A change of occupancy is governed by the City's adopted 2009 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) Chapter 10, Change of Occupancy, and is processed on that same application, with the same Declared Construction Value requirement and the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee schedule, as any other Cortez building permit.
From$75.00valuation-based
Cortez's permit history isn't searchable here yet
This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Cortez yet is the record of permits actually issued — the history you'd search by street address. That is a gap in our coverage, not a statement about any particular property.
Your email, and the place — never an address. We only use it to tell you when Cortez lands. Privacy.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-07)
- No data reported
- Trailing 12 months
- No data reported
- Year to date (2026 YTD)
- No data reported
- Full year 2025
- No data reported
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-07 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Colorado building activity
Tips & gotchas
- Cortez is the ONLY independent building-permit-issuing jurisdiction in Montezuma County — the County has NO building department and, per montezumacounty.gov, does not enforce building codes for residential construction in unincorporated areas ('Montezuma County does not issue Certificates of Occupancy nor do we have a building department'). Commercial/industrial construction countywide is nominally required to follow the Uniform Building Code 1997 or greater, but with no local department to enforce it. If a parcel is outside Cortez city limits, there is no municipal building-permit process to route it through — confirm septic (County Health Dept), driveway/access (County Road & Bridge), and floodplain (County Floodplain Administrator) permits separately via the County's Online Permit Center instead.
- UNUSUAL AUTHORITY SPLIT: the City of Cortez Building Division does NOT issue electrical permits. All electrical work is permitted and inspected exclusively by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA, 800-886-7675) — the City handles building, plumbing, and mechanical only.
- Cortez uses older code editions than many Colorado jurisdictions: 2015 IBC/IRC, with IRC Section R313 fire sprinklers explicitly NOT adopted, plus 2009-vintage IMC/IPC/IFGC/IEBC/IECC/IFC. Verify the edition that applies to your project rather than assuming the newer 2024 I-Code cycle used in places like Golden or Durango applies here.
- Cortez's structural design criteria (30 psf non-reducible snow load, 32-inch frost depth, Seismic Design Category B) are meaningfully lighter than mountain/Front Range jurisdictions like Golden (up to 83 psf snow load) — don't reuse a generic high-snow-load Colorado assumption.
- No City page, FAQ, or the Building Permit Application form itself states a plan-review turnaround for any permit type in Cortez. A third-party site (permitmint.com) publishes a '5 business day' solar figure with no official City source behind it; do not plan around it. Ask the Building Department directly for an expected turnaround.
- Cortez's Accessory Dwelling Unit rules are unusually restrictive and possibly stale: a 2022 City notice requires a Conditional Use Permit (public hearing), owner-occupancy, 20%-larger lot, and 2 extra parking spaces — potentially in tension with Colorado's 2024 HB24-1152 ADU legislation, though Cortez likely falls outside that law's 'Subject Jurisdiction' test (no Metropolitan Planning Organization covers Montezuma County). Confirm current ADU rules directly with Planning & Building before relying on the 2022 notice for a live application.
- Manufactured/mobile home installation has a distinctive fee structure: on a PRIVATE LOT, a HUD manufactured home is billed at only half (1/2) the standard Building Permit per-square-foot schedule, while a Colorado IRC-approved manufactured home is billed at the full 100% rate — plus a flat $225.75 Use Tax specific to manufactured homes. Mobile-home-PARK installations instead pay a flat $175 Mobile Home Set-Up Inspection Fee (or $75 for an RV).
- Roofing permits use a flat, size-tiered fee ($150 up to 5,000 sq ft, then +$0.05/sq ft) rather than the valuation-based building permit table, and do not require a Site Plan — a lighter-weight process than new construction.
- Plumbing and mechanical inspections are bundled into the building-permit fee for NEW CONSTRUCTION (no separate inspection charge in that case); the itemized per-fixture/per-unit fee schedules in this record apply to standalone plumbing/mechanical work outside a new-construction building permit.
- The City's Building Permit Fee Schedule table has an internal boundary quirk: the $1-$50,000 tier ends at '$50,000.00' but the next tier is labeled starting at '$51,000.00' rather than '$50,001.00' — transcribed exactly as published in the official 2026 PDF; flag this small gap with the Building Division if a project falls near that boundary.
- Inspections are scheduled via a 24-hour line (970-564-4071, checked daily at 8:00 a.m.) but only performed Monday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. — plan around the compressed Friday-off inspection week (City Hall itself is also only open until noon on Fridays).
- Fire plan review in Cortez is in-house. The City's own Fire Inspector sits within the Division of Planning & Building and handles fire-sprinkler and fire-alarm review and inspection for all work inside city limits. The separate Cortez Fire Protection District has no in-city permit or plan-review role — its own site covers burn permits, wildland, and community risk reduction for unincorporated Montezuma County. Submit fire-protection work with your City building permit rather than to the District.
- Cortez's Building Permit Application has a 'Change of Occupancy' checkbox built into its standard Project Type list (Section III), so the process is concrete and findable rather than being folded into a generic commercial-alterations application. Use that checkbox rather than describing the change in free text.
- Sign permits are billed on the same valuation-based Building Permit Fee table as buildings (based on declared sign value), not a flat per-sign fee — and the codified Land Use Code's $10.00/year billboard renewal figure is stale versus the current 2026 Fee Schedule's $50.00/year.