Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in Lamar, Colorado

Lamar requires a residential building permit (new construction) for: Building Permit Application (2026 form) completed by the property owner, licensed contractor, or an authorized representative, describing project information, applicant, property owner, and contractor(s); Plans/work must comply with the 2018 IBC/IRC as adopted and the City's Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria: 30 psf ground snow load, 110 mph wind speed, Seismic Design Category B, 36-inch minimum frost depth, ice barrier underlayment required; Asbestos certification section on the permit application must be completed per C.R.S. 25-7 et seq.; Electrical and plumbing/gas-line permits and inspections are NOT part of this application — apply directly through Colorado DORA (State Electrical Board and State Plumbing Board); Properties on US Hwy 287 (Main Street) or US Hwy 50 (East Olive/Main) require a separate CDOT State Access Permit for new construction; All contractors performing the work must hold a current City of Lamar Contractor's License (liability insurance $100,000 minimum, workers' compensation or Opt-Out documentation, paid license fee, paid Business/Sales Tax license); Permit expires if work has not begun within 90 days of issuance (LMC Sec. 6-5(a)), or if work has not been substantially completed within two years of issuance (LMC Sec. 6-5(b)); Owner responsible for 3% use tax on construction materials at project completion, per the City's Building Permit Application. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Lamar Building Department at 719-336-2085 before starting work.

In Lamar, the published Building Permit Fee — valuation $1-$500 is: $33.00. Additional published fees: Building Permit Fee — valuation $501-$2,000 — $33.00 plus $5.00 per additional $100 increment; Building Permit Fee — valuation $2,001-$25,000 — Base fee plus $20.00 per additional $1,000 increment; Building Permit Fee — valuation $25,001-$50,000 — Base fee plus $15.00 per additional $1,000 increment; Building Permit Fee — valuation $50,001-$100,000 — Base fee plus $10.00 per additional $1,000 increment; Building Permit Fee — valuation $100,001-$500,000 — Base fee plus $8.00 per additional $1,000 increment; Building Permit Fee — valuation $500,001-$1,000,000 — Base fee plus $7.00 per additional $1,000 increment; Building Permit Fee — valuation $1,000,001 and up — Base fee plus $7.00 per additional $1,000 increment; Plan Review Fee — 65% of the total Building Permit Fee; Use Tax — 3% of construction materials value not already subject to sales tax collection; Commencing work without a valid permit (penalty) — 2x the cost of the Building Permit that would have been required. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

The City of Lamar does not publish a specific numeric review-time commitment for building permits. Colorado is a home-rule state with no statewide review-time statute, and Lamar's Building Department webpage, permit application, and fee schedule do not state an SLA for this permit type.

You'll need: Building Permit Application (2026); City of Lamar Contractor's License. Depending on your project, Lamar may also ask for: Plan Review Application (for commercial properties and developments). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Lamar requires 3 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction), in order: Foundation, Framing, Final Inspection (Building). Schedule each through City of Lamar Building Department (719-336-2085).

Apply through City of Lamar Building Department at Lamar Community Resource & Senior Center, 405/407 E. Olive, Lamar, CO (mailing: 102 E Parmenter St, Lamar, CO 81052). Phone: 719-336-2085, email: buildingcodes@ci.lamar.co.us. Office hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Inspections conducted Monday-Friday between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM; 24 hours advance notice required by calling 719-336-2085. Staff: Tony Gratta (Building Inspector) and Joy Dashner (Assistant Building Inspector), both reachable at 719-336-2085 / buildingcodes@ci.lamar.co.us.. Official information: https://ci.lamar.co.us/building-department.

Lamar, Colorado has adopted: 2018 International Building Code (IBC); 2018 International Residential Code (IRC); 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) (listed on the City's page as '2018 Mechanical Code'); 2018 International Plumbing Code (IPC); 2018 International Fire Code (IFC); 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) (listed on the City's page as '2018 International Energy Code'); 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (listed separately on the City's page as '2015 Energy Conservation Code' alongside the 2018 IECC entry — the page lists both without clarifying which governs; treated here as a verbatim-as-published discrepancy rather than resolved by assumption); 2015 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC); 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards; 2006 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC); Codes are enforced within Lamar city limits AND for any properties connected/connecting to City water/wastewater within a 3-mile radius of the City limits, per the Building Department's own scoping statement.; HB22-1362 (Colorado Building Greenhouse Gas Emissions Act) compliance note: Lamar's own Building Department webpage lists the 2018 IECC (plus a separately-listed 2015 Energy Conservation Code entry) as the currently enforced energy code, which pre-dates the 2021 IECC-family editions that HB22-1362 nominally directs Colorado jurisdictions to adopt on a phased statewide timeline. HB22-1362's own statutory carve-out mechanism is a 'rural county' exemption (grant-application-contingent, allowing continued use of one of the 3 most recent IECC editions in lieu of the model low-energy/electric-ready codes) that applies at the COUNTY level, not a flat municipal population threshold — Prowers County (est. population ~11,900-12,300) would plausibly qualify as rural under this mechanism, but the City's own webpage does not cite HB22-1362, a grant application, or any rural-county determination as the basis for its 2018 IECC adoption. This is reported as an honest as-published discrepancy, not resolved by assumption; confidence on code-currency is 'partial' for this reason alone (the codes-adopted list itself, as literally published by the City, is verified).. Local amendments apply — see the Lamar overview page for the full list.

The City of Lamar Building Department (405/407 E. Olive, Lamar, CO; mailing address 102 E Parmenter St) issues building, mechanical, demolition, and plumbing-related permits within city limits and for properties connected to City water/wastewater within a 3-mile radius. Electrical and interior plumbing/gas-line permits and inspections are handled directly by the State of Colorado DORA boards, not the City.