Fort Morgan building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Fort Morgan, Colorado.
Last verified 2026-07-06 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 110 Sherman Street, Fort Morgan, CO 80701 (mailing: P.O. Box 100, Fort Morgan, CO 80701); Building Inspector office at 710 E. Railroad Ave., Fort Morgan, CO 80701
- Phone
- 970-542-3907
- Office hours
- Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., per the City's Building Permit Application form (710 E. Railroad Ave. location). Chief Building Official: Rocky Watkins, 970-370-6559. Permit Technician: Kayla Thompson, 970-542-3907. Building Inspector line: 970-542-3908.
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Fort Morgan's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Fort Morgan — 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.
- 2024 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted by City of Fort Morgan Ordinance No. 1337, effective June 16, 2026, per the City's Building Department page
- 2024 International Residential Code (IRC) — Ordinance No. 1337, June 16, 2026
- 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — Ordinance No. 1337, June 16, 2026
- 2024 International Fire Code (IFC) — Ordinance No. 1337, June 16, 2026
- 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — Ordinance No. 1337, June 16, 2026
- 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — Ordinance No. 1337, June 16, 2026 (City's page notes phased enforcement; the City's CCICC-hosted residential guides still reference an older 2009 IECC enforcement baseline predating the June 2026 update, so confirm current phase-in status directly with the Building Department for a specific project)
- 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC) and 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — City's Building Department page states these 2018-cycle codes remain currently enforced (not yet updated to the 2024 cycle adopted for the other I-Codes)
- 2023 Colorado Model Electric and Solar Ready Code (CMERSRC) — state-mandated, adopted per Ordinance No. 1337
- 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) — referenced on the City's CCICC-hosted residential building guides; moot for City permitting purposes since the City no longer issues or inspects electrical permits (see localAmendments) — electrical work is governed by whatever NEC edition the State of Colorado Electrical Board currently enforces
- Fort Morgan Municipal Code Chapter 21 (Building Regulations), Article 2 (Building Code) and Article 3 (Residential Code) codify local adoption and amendments; full municipal code hosted at library.municode.com/co/fort_morgan (page was Cloudflare/captcha-gated during this review — citations here rely on the City's own Building Department page rather than the Municode text directly)
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Single-Family Residence / New House)
Required for new single-family home construction within Fort Morgan city limits, per the City's Building Permit Application (which includes a 'New House' square-footage field) and Building Department page. Reviewed under the 2024 IRC/IBC as locally adopted by Ordinance No. 1337 (effective June 16, 2026), plus the 2023 Colorado Model Electric and Solar Ready Code. Issued by the City of Fort Morgan Building Department; electrical work on the project is NOT included — it is permitted separately through the State of Colorado Electrical Board.
Residential Addition / Remodel Permit (Addition, Garage, Basement Finish)
Required for room additions, garages, and basement finishes to existing residential buildings in Fort Morgan, per the City's Building Permit Application (which itemizes 'Addition, Garage, or House' square footage and 'Basement') and the CCICC-published residential building guides the City references (additions, basement finishes, decks/porches, detached garages, patio covers/carports, enclosing patio covers, ramps, pole barns). Reviewed under the 2024 IRC as locally adopted.
Electrical Permit — REFERRED TO STATE OF COLORADO (Not Issued by the City)
The City of Fort Morgan does NOT issue electrical permits or conduct electrical inspections. Per the City's own Building Department page: 'The City of Fort Morgan is no longer issuing electrical permits or conducting inspections for such.' All electrical permitting and inspection for work within Fort Morgan is handled directly by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), State of Colorado Electrical Board.
Plumbing / Gas / Water & Sewer Line Permit
Required for plumbing installation/alteration/repair, gas appliance installation, backflow devices, and water/sewer line work in Fort Morgan. Governed by the 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC) and 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) as currently enforced by the City (the City's page notes these codes were not updated to the 2024 cycle alongside the other I-Codes adopted by Ordinance No. 1337). Issued by the City of Fort Morgan Building Department.
Mechanical / HVAC Permit (A/C Installation)
Required for HVAC/air conditioning installation in Fort Morgan. Governed by the 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) as adopted by Ordinance No. 1337, effective June 16, 2026. The electrical connection portion of an A/C installation is explicitly excluded from this permit and must be separately permitted through the State of Colorado Electrical Board.
Roofing Permit (Re-Roofing)
Required for roofing and re-roofing work in Fort Morgan, billed as a flat fee. The City references CCICC-published roofing requirements and roof inspection procedures documents in addition to the base Building Department page.
Solar Panel Permit
Required for solar panel installation in Fort Morgan, billed as a flat fee that explicitly excludes electrical work. The electrical interconnection portion of a solar project must be separately permitted through the State of Colorado Electrical Board, consistent with the City's broader policy of not handling electrical permits.
Demolition / Moving Permit
Required for demolition or structure-moving work in Fort Morgan, billed at a tiered flat fee (primary vs. secondary structure) when done in conjunction with a Building Permit.
Fence Permit
Required for fence construction in Fort Morgan, billed as a flat fee. The legacy Building Permit Application form requests fence type, height, length, and whether the job has been surveyed.
EV Charger / Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permit — REFERRED TO STATE OF COLORADO (Not Issued by the City)
The City of Fort Morgan does NOT issue electrical permits or conduct electrical inspections of any kind, including for EV charger/EVSE circuits. Per the City's own Building Department page: 'The City of Fort Morgan is no longer issuing electrical permits or conducting inspections for such.' All electrical permitting and inspection for EV charger installation within Fort Morgan is handled directly by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), State of Colorado Electrical Board — the same authority-split mechanism documented in the electrical-permit entry, which also explicitly carves electrical scope out of the City's A/C and solar permits.
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 (2026-05)
- 0units
0 buildings · $0 valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 8units
11 of 12 months reported · #53 in Colorado coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 1units
1 buildings · $343,994 valuation
5 month(s) reported to Census
- Full year 2025
- 17units
16 buildings · $5.6M valuation
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Colorado building activity
Tips & gotchas
- Fort Morgan is a home-rule city with its OWN Building Department (110 Sherman St / 710 E. Railroad Ave.) — Morgan County's Planning & Zoning / Building Inspections division explicitly covers only the unincorporated portion of the County and does NOT serve incorporated Fort Morgan. Confirm jurisdiction directly if a parcel is near the city boundary.
- UNUSUAL AND CONFIRMED AUTHORITY SPLIT: the City of Fort Morgan Building Department does NOT issue electrical permits or conduct electrical inspections at all — confirmed directly and currently on the City's own Building Department page ('The City of Fort Morgan is no longer issuing electrical permits or conducting inspections for such'). All electrical work is permitted and inspected exclusively by the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), State of Colorado Electrical Board (dpo.colorado.gov/EandP/Permits), including the electrical portion of A/C installations and solar panel installations, both of which have City permits that explicitly state 'Does NOT Include Electrical.' This mirrors the same authority-split pattern found in Durango within this corpus, though the specific carve-outs (A/C, Solar) are locally distinct to Fort Morgan's fee schedule.
- STALE FORM WARNING: the City's own legacy paper Building Permit Application (DocumentCenter DID=126, revised 4/9/10) still lists 'Electrical' as a checkbox permit type and an 'Electrical Contractor' field — this predates the City's current no-electrical-permitting policy and should not be relied upon; use the current MyGov portal (public.mygov.us/fort_morgan_co) and confirm routing by phone (970-542-3907) if uncertain.
- Fort Morgan enforces a SPLIT code-cycle: 2024 I-Codes (Building, Residential, Mechanical, Fire, Existing Building, Energy Conservation) were adopted via Ordinance No. 1337 effective June 16, 2026, but the City's Plumbing and Fuel Gas codes remain on the 2018 cycle — do not assume all trade codes updated together.
- The Citywide Fee Schedule, Exhibit A to Resolution No. 2026-03-03 (effective March 3, 2026), is the CURRENT governing fee document — a separate, older 'Building Department Fees & Fine Schedule' PDF dated 2019 is still independently hosted on the City's DocumentCenter and should not be used if it conflicts with the 2026 Citywide schedule.
- A meaningful number of permit types in Fort Morgan are billed as FLAT FEES rather than valuation-based (Fence $35, Roofing $40, Solar $160, Garage $65, Shed $40, Demolition $65/$40, various trade-specific items $30-$65) — don't default to the valuation-based Construction Fee table without first checking whether a flat-fee line item applies.
- Fort Morgan charges a 4% use tax on non-locally-purchased building materials (per Colorado Dept. of Revenue municipal rate data), collected by the Building Department as part of the permit process unless proof of local purchase (with sales tax paid) is provided.
- NO REVIEW-TIMELINE SLA IS PUBLISHED ANYWHERE for any Fort Morgan permit type — checked the Building Department page, FAQ page, Permits/Licenses page, and the full Citywide Fee Schedule directly; none publish a turnaround figure of any kind (general or permit-specific). This is a genuinely thinner public disclosure than several peer Colorado jurisdictions in this corpus (e.g. Durango's 30-business-day general figure, Golden's tiered Review Periods table) — every permitType in this file honestly carries null/false rather than an invented number.
- 24 hours advance notice is required to schedule any City inspection, per the Building Department page.
- Contractor registration with the City of Fort Morgan (separate from any state trade license) is required for all contractors performing work in city limits before a permit can be issued.
- Morgan County is a brand-new county for this corpus as of this file — its own Planning & Zoning / Building Inspections division (231 Ensign St., Fort Morgan; 970-542-3526 planning line, 970-768-7197 building inspector) governs only unincorporated Morgan County, requiring permits for structures over 120 sq ft with a roof.