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Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in Montrose, Colorado

Required for new single-family homes and other new residential construction within Montrose city limits, per the City's Residential Construction in the City of Montrose packet. Reviewed under the 2018 IRC/IBC as locally adopted (Section 4-1-1, City of Montrose Municipal Code). Issued by City of Montrose Building Services; electrical work is inspected separately by the State of Colorado Electrical Board, not the City.

Verified 2026-08-17 · Source

When you need this permit

  • All documents submitted electronically in PDF format to buildingservices@ci.montrose.co.us; paper submittals are not accepted
  • Construction documents must include: completed and signed building permit application; site-specific stamped engineered foundation plan (engineer must be registered in Colorado, plan must bear stamp and signature); floor framing; complete dimensioned floor plan; window and door schedule; roof framing (obtainable from truss company); cross section from bottom of footers through roof peak; minimum of two elevation views; plot plan showing lot dimensions and distances from property lines to structures
  • Sewer-Water Connection Permit is generated by City staff; contact Building Department at 970-240-1407 to request water meter/E-1 pump installation (site must be ready, backflow preventer required)
  • Stormwater permitting for disturbance over 1/2 acre (per the application form) or over 1 acre (per the CDPHE-based stormwater trigger) must be submitted directly to City Engineering (Steve Taylor, staylor@cityofmontrose.org, 970-240-1497) and to CDPHE via CEOS
  • Construction may not begin until the Building Permit is issued; starting before issuance triggers an investigation fee (amount not published in a currently-retrievable City document)
  • Written approval required from the building official before any changes are made to construction not shown on submitted plans
  • Structures with a door opening greater than 6 feet wide are considered vehicle-capable and require a hard-surfaced driveway; one driveway per lot, minimum 12 feet wide
  • Electrical work is inspected exclusively by the State of Colorado Electrical Board (DORA), not the City (phone: (855) 454-0065)

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee (valuation-based)
City of Montrose Code of Ordinances, Appendix B — FEE SCHEDULE, Sec. Show full citationCity of Montrose Code of Ordinances, Appendix B — FEE SCHEDULE, Sec. 3-1-1(H) "Building Code Fees", published on library.municode.com. The Editor's note states: "Printed herein is the Fee Schedule of the City, Res. No. 2025-18, as adopted by the City Council on Nov. 4, 2025." Code current through Ordinance No. 2716, enacted 2026-06-16 (Supp. No. 13). Plan review is charged separately by the same schedule: 65 percent of the building permit fee for commercial, 50 percent for residential. Sec. 3-1-1 is codified in two places on Municode — Code of Ordinances Appendix B and the Regulations Manual Chapter 3-1 — and both are current.
$1.00-$500.00: $23.50 | $501.00-$2,000.00: $23.50 for the first $500 plus $3.05 per additional $100 or fraction, to and including $2,000 | $2,001.00-$25,000.00: $69.25 for the first $2,000 plus $14.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction, to and including $25,000 | $25,001.00-$50,000.00: $391.75 for the first $25,000 plus $10.10 per additional $1,000 or fraction, to and including $50,000 | $50,001.00-$100,000.00: $643.75 for the first $50,000 plus $7.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction, to and including $100,000 | $100,001.00-$500,000.00: $993.75 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 per additional $1,000 or fraction, to and including $500,000 | $500,001.00-$1,000,000.00: $3,233.75 for the first $500,000 plus $4.75 per additional $1,000 or fraction, to and including $1,000,000 | $1,000,000.00 and up: $5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.65 per additional $1,000 or fraction
Investigation Fee
City of Montrose Code of Ordinances, Appendix B — FEE SCHEDULE, Sec. Show full citationCity of Montrose Code of Ordinances, Appendix B — FEE SCHEDULE, Sec. 3-1-1(H) "Building Code Fees". The Editor's note states: "Printed herein is the Fee Schedule of the City, Res. No. 2025-18, as adopted by the City Council on Nov. 4, 2025." Code current through Ordinance No. 2716, enacted 2026-06-16 (Supp. No. 13), hosted on library.municode.com. The schedule lists "Investigation Fees: Work without a permit — Equal to building permit fee". Sec. 3-1-1 is codified in two places on Municode — the Code of Ordinances Appendix B and the Regulations Manual Chapter 3-1. This fee is not published as a specific dollar figure because it is not one: it is a formula, and the formula IS published.
Equal to the building permit fee

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Residential Building Permit (New Construction) permit actually take in Montrose?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Foundation / Setback

    Foundation inspection on work not requiring an engineered foundation; setback inspection on all engineered foundations (engineer must inspect and provide a letter of approval on file before framing inspection)

  2. 2

    Rough Plumbing

    Made prior to covering, with water or air pressure test; rough-in inspected prior to covering trench

  3. 3

    Gas Inspection

    After all piping, vents, ducts, and appurtenances are installed and air-tested to 20 psi for not less than two hours, tested through the gas meter yoke

  4. 4

    Framing

    After the house is dried in, before house wrap and before interior walls/ceilings/partitions are covered; electrical, plumbing, gas, and mechanical ductwork must be installed first; foundation letter must be on file

  5. 5

    Electrical (State)

    Performed by the State Electrical Inspector (DORA), not the City, prior to insulation inspection

  6. 6

    Insulation

    Prior to wallboard installation; insulation must be exposed for inspection

  7. 7

    Wallboard

    Whenever material is hung, prior to taping/finishing joints and fasteners

  8. 8

    Final Inspection

    After building is finished, prior to occupancy; address must be posted and a final electrical inspection form from the State Electrical Inspector must be on site before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued

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

Tips

  • Electrical work on your new home is inspected exclusively by the State of Colorado Electrical Board (DORA) — not the City of Montrose — at (855) 454-0065; the final electrical inspection form from the State must be on-site before the City will issue a Certificate of Occupancy.
  • Starting construction before your building permit is actually issued triggers an investigation fee — the City's own packet warns of this explicitly, though it does not publish the dollar amount.
  • Any structure with a door opening wider than 6 feet is treated as vehicle-capable and requires a hard-surfaced driveway, even if you don't intend to park a vehicle there.
  • The City's base valuation-based Building Permit Fee schedule was not recoverable as of the last verification (the previously published fee-schedule PDF now 404s with no Wayback snapshot) — call Building Services (970-252-4707) directly to get a current fee quote before budgeting.

Frequently asked questions

Montrose requires a residential building permit (new construction) for: All documents submitted electronically in PDF format to buildingservices@ci.montrose.co.us; paper submittals are not accepted; Construction documents must include: completed and signed building permit application; site-specific stamped engineered foundation plan (engineer must be registered in Colorado, plan must bear stamp and signature); floor framing; complete dimensioned floor plan; window and door schedule; roof framing (obtainable from truss company); cross section from bottom of footers through roof peak; minimum of two elevation views; plot plan showing lot dimensions and distances from property lines to structures; Sewer-Water Connection Permit is generated by City staff; contact Building Department at 970-240-1407 to request water meter/E-1 pump installation (site must be ready, backflow preventer required); Stormwater permitting for disturbance over 1/2 acre (per the application form) or over 1 acre (per the CDPHE-based stormwater trigger) must be submitted directly to City Engineering (Steve Taylor, staylor@cityofmontrose.org, 970-240-1497) and to CDPHE via CEOS; Construction may not begin until the Building Permit is issued; starting before issuance triggers an investigation fee (amount not published in a currently-retrievable City document); Written approval required from the building official before any changes are made to construction not shown on submitted plans; Structures with a door opening greater than 6 feet wide are considered vehicle-capable and require a hard-surfaced driveway; one driveway per lot, minimum 12 feet wide; Electrical work is inspected exclusively by the State of Colorado Electrical Board (DORA), not the City (phone: (855) 454-0065). If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Montrose Building Services (Community Development / Planning Services) at 970-252-4707 before starting work.

In Montrose, the published Building Permit Fee (valuation-based) is: $1.00-$500.00: $23.50 | $501.00-$2,000.00: $23.50 for the first $500 plus $3.05 per additional $100 or fraction, to and including $2,000 | $2,001.00-$25,000.00: $69.25 for the first $2,000 plus $14.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction, to and including $25,000 | $25,001.00-$50,000.00: $391.75 for the first $25,000 plus $10.10 per additional $1,000 or fraction, to and including $50,000 | $50,001.00-$100,000.00: $643.75 for the first $50,000 plus $7.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction, to and including $100,000 | $100,001.00-$500,000.00: $993.75 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 per additional $1,000 or fraction, to and including $500,000 | $500,001.00-$1,000,000.00: $3,233.75 for the first $500,000 plus $4.75 per additional $1,000 or fraction, to and including $1,000,000 | $1,000,000.00 and up: $5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.65 per additional $1,000 or fraction. Additional published fees: Investigation Fee — Equal to the building permit fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Montrose does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Montrose Building Services (Community Development / Planning Services) at 970-252-4707 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Residential Building Permit Application; Site-Specific Stamped Engineered Foundation Plan; Full Construction Drawing Set. Depending on your project, Montrose may also ask for: Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) and CDPHE permit proof. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Montrose requires 8 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction), in order: Foundation / Setback, Rough Plumbing, Gas Inspection, Framing, Electrical (State), Insulation, Wallboard, Final Inspection. Schedule each through City of Montrose Building Services (Community Development / Planning Services) (970-252-4707).

Apply through City of Montrose Building Services (Community Development / Planning Services) at City Hall, 400 E Main Street, P.O. Box 790, Montrose, CO 81402. Phone: 970-252-4707, email: buildingservices@ci.montrose.co.us (permit application submittal). A second address, permits@cityofmontrose.us, is listed for Building Inspector Timothy Mazur in search results but does not appear on a City page — prefer the first, and confirm with the City if you need the inspector directly.. Office hours: Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. (City Hall hours, per Building Services page). Inspection scheduling: 970-240-1445, inspection hours 9:00-11:00 a.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m., with 24-hour advance notice required per the City's Residential/Accessory/Commercial Construction packets.. Official information: https://www.cityofmontrose.org/270/Building-Services.

The City of Montrose Building Services division (part of Community Development / Planning Services, City Hall) issues building, plumbing/gas, and trade permits for all work within Montrose city limits. Montrose County operates its own separate Building Division at a different address (63160 Lasalle Road) for unincorporated county areas.

No. All electrical work in Montrose is inspected by the State of Colorado Electrical Board (DORA), not the City Building Services division.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-17.

Checklists & handouts

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

Montrose's permit history isn't searchable here yet

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