Fort Morgan building permits

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

Email

Not published as a general department email on the Building Department page as of the last verification; contact by phone

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; the full municipal code is hosted at library.municode.com/co/fort_morgan (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.

  From$27.00→

• 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.

  From$27.00valuation-based→

• 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.

  See fee schedule→

• 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.

  From$35.00→

• 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.

  From$40.00→

• 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.

  $40.00→

• 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.

  $160.00→

• 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.

  From$65.00→

• 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.

  $35.00→

• 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.

  See fee schedule→

• Commercial Building Permit (New Construction, Additions, Remodels / Tenant Improvements)

  Required for new commercial construction, commercial additions, and commercial alterations/remodels (including tenant improvements) within Fort Morgan city limits. Issued by the City of Fort Morgan Building Department — Fort Morgan is a home-rule city; Morgan County's building division covers only unincorporated county territory. The City's Building Department page states it performs 'Construction Plan Reviews for residential, commercial, and miscellaneous construction,' and that 'The Chief Building Official and Fire Marshal review all construction plans to ensure compliance with all adopted Codes.' Reviewed under the 2024 IBC/IEBC/IMC/IFC/IECC as adopted by Ordinance No. 1337 (effective June 16, 2026), with plumbing/fuel-gas still on the 2018 IPC/IFGC cycle. Electrical work is NOT included — it is permitted separately through the State of Colorado Electrical Board (DORA), and commercial fire sprinkler systems are permitted through the State of Colorado (Division of Fire Prevention and Control), per the City's own fee schedule. There is NO separately-published tenant-improvement permit type: TI/remodel work runs through this same permit and valuation-based fee, with the fee schedule's own valuation rule that 'Remodel projects with no addition in square footage that include all trades will be calculated at 60% of the unit costs.'

  From$27.00→

• Sign Permit

  Fort Morgan regulates signage under Municipal Code Chapter 20 (Land Use Code), Article 9 — Sign Regulations, per the full text hosted on Municode Library. The sign code exempts signs installed by the Federal government, State of Colorado, Morgan County, the City itself, and Morgan County School District Re-3 (including street signs and traffic-control devices) from the chapter's regulations. The City Manager or designee has authority to inspect signs and order repair, repainting, alteration, or removal of any sign that constitutes a hazard to safety, health, or public welfare due to inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, or building/electrical code violations. Sign permits are administered by the City's Building Department alongside general building permits.

  See fee schedule→

• Fire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm System Permit

  Fort Morgan Fire Department (Fire Marshal, 116 Main Street, 970-542-3983) issues fire alarm and fire sprinkler permits via its own Fire Alarm & Fire Sprinkler Permit Request Form, published on the City's Fire Department Documents page. The form requires the application to be filled out completely and accompanied by detailed plans before a permit is issued; inspections are scheduled by appointment.

  From$75.00→

• Change of Use / Change of Occupancy

  Fort Morgan does not publish a standalone 'Change of Use' or 'Change of Occupancy' permit application separate from its general building permit process — the City's Building Department and Permits/Licenses pages list only standard building, sign, and trade permit categories. A change of use or occupancy classification is governed by the City's adopted 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), per Ordinance No. 1337 (effective June 16, 2026), which generally addresses change-of-occupancy requirements in IEBC Chapter 10. A use/occupancy change is processed through the same Building Permit Application used for all other Fort Morgan permit types.

  See fee schedule→

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