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Change of Use / Change of Occupancy in Fort Morgan, Colorado

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.

Reviewed 2026-08-13 · Source

When you need this permit

  • No standalone change-of-use or change-of-occupancy application is published on the City's Building Department or Permits/Licenses pages — checked directly
  • Governed by the City's adopted 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), per Ordinance No. 1337 (effective June 16, 2026); IEBC Chapter 10 (Change of Occupancy) applies as adopted, since no City amendment to that chapter was confirmed
  • Processed through the standard Building Permit Application used for every other Fort Morgan permit type
  • Where alteration or construction work accompanies the use change, standard building-permit fees and review timelines apply; contact the Building Department (970-542-3907) to confirm requirements for a specific project
  • Fort Morgan Fire Department review may be required depending on whether the new occupancy classification triggers fire/life-safety requirements — see this file's fire-sprinkler-alarm-permit entry

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee / Plan Check Fee (only if construction accompanies the change)No standalone 'change of use' fee is published on the City's Permits/Licenses or Building Department pages; contact the Building Department (970-542-3907) for a project-specific quote
Not published as a standalone change-of-use fee line

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use / Change of Occupancy permit actually take in Fort Morgan?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy

    A Certificate of Occupancy reflecting the new use must be issued before occupancy under the new classification, consistent with IEBC Chapter 10 change-of-occupancy provisions as adopted by Ordinance No. 1337

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

Tips

  • Fort Morgan has no dedicated change-of-use form — call the Building Department (970-542-3907) before assuming a project needs (or doesn't need) construction-level review; the correct path depends on whether the new use triggers IEBC Chapter 10 alteration/occupancy requirements under the City's 2024 code cycle (Ordinance No. 1337).
  • If the new occupancy classification changes fire/life-safety requirements, budget time for Fort Morgan Fire Department review as part of the standard building-permit routing.

Frequently asked questions

Fort Morgan requires a change of use / change of occupancy permit for: No standalone change-of-use or change-of-occupancy application is published on the City's Building Department or Permits/Licenses pages — checked directly; Governed by the City's adopted 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), per Ordinance No. 1337 (effective June 16, 2026); IEBC Chapter 10 (Change of Occupancy) applies as adopted, since no City amendment to that chapter was confirmed; Processed through the standard Building Permit Application used for every other Fort Morgan permit type; Where alteration or construction work accompanies the use change, standard building-permit fees and review timelines apply; contact the Building Department (970-542-3907) to confirm requirements for a specific project; Fort Morgan Fire Department review may be required depending on whether the new occupancy classification triggers fire/life-safety requirements — see this file's fire-sprinkler-alarm-permit entry. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Fort Morgan Building Department at 970-542-3907 before starting work.

In Fort Morgan, the published Building Permit Fee / Plan Check Fee (only if construction accompanies the change) is: Not published as a standalone change-of-use fee line. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Fort Morgan does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Fort Morgan Building Department at 970-542-3907 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Fort Morgan requires 1 inspection(s) for a change of use / change of occupancy permit, in order: Final Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through City of Fort Morgan Building Department (970-542-3907).

Apply through City of Fort Morgan Building Department at 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 this review; 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.. Official information: https://www.cityoffortmorgan.com/84/Building-Department.

Fort Morgan, Colorado has adopted: 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). Local amendments apply — see the Fort Morgan overview page for the full list.

No standalone permit exists. A change of use or occupancy classification is governed by the City's adopted 2024 International Existing Building Code (Ordinance No. 1337) and processed through the same Building Permit Application used for all other permit types.

Sources & verification

Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-13.

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

Other permits in Fort Morgan

Residential Building Permit (New Single-Family Residence / New House)Residential Addition / Remodel Permit (Addition, Garage, Basement Finish)Electrical Permit — REFERRED TO STATE OF COLORADO (Not Issued by the City)Plumbing / Gas / Water & Sewer Line PermitMechanical / HVAC Permit (A/C Installation)Roofing Permit (Re-Roofing)Solar Panel PermitDemolition / Moving PermitFence PermitEV Charger / Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permit — REFERRED TO STATE OF COLORADO (Not Issued by the City)Commercial Building Permit (New Construction, Additions, Remodels / Tenant Improvements)Sign PermitFire Sprinkler / Fire Alarm System Permit

Change of Use / Change of Occupancy in other cities

Akron, ColoradoAlamosa, ColoradoArvada, ColoradoAspen, ColoradoAult, ColoradoAurora, ColoradoAvon, ColoradoBasalt, Colorado

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