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Residential Building Permit (New Construction) — Telluride, Colorado · Requirements sheet
Reviewed 2026-08-02 · Source: https://telluride.gov/230/Building-Department
PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency. Requirements change and vary by project — confirm current details with the building department before you submit.
Residential Building Permit (New Construction) in Telluride, Colorado
Required for new construction of single-family, duplex, and townhouse structures in the Town of Telluride. Reviewed under the 2024 IRC/IBC as locally amended, including the Town's Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria (100 mph Vult wind speed/Exposure B, Seismic Design Category B, 48-inch frost depth, ground/roof snow load per the ASCE Hazard tool, mandatory ice barrier underlayment). Because the entire town lies within a National Historic Landmark District, HARC Certificate of Appropriateness approval is required before permit issuance for any exterior work.
Reviewed 2026-08-02 · Source
When you need this permit
- Plans must comply with the 2024 IRC/IBC as adopted (Ordinance 1620, effective 9/12/2025) and the Town's Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria: 100 mph Vult wind speed/Exposure B, Seismic Design Category B, 48-inch minimum frost depth, ice barrier underlayment required, ground/roof snow load determined per the ASCE Hazard tool (or the Structural Engineer Association of Colorado's 'Snow Load Design Data for Colorado', whichever is most restrictive)
- Roof design must comply with snow-shed mitigation requirements (IBC 903.5/IRC R318.2.1) so ice/snow does not shed onto occupied areas, egress doors, walkways, or utility meters
- HARC Certificate of Appropriateness required before building permit issuance for any exterior design elements, since Telluride's core is a National Historic Landmark District
- Construction Mitigation Plan (CMP) required and must be approved by the Building Department (referred to Planning and Public Works) prior to permit issuance for any project disturbing 500+ sq ft of property or involving demolition/renovation of 500+ sq ft within a 12-month period
- All contractors must hold a current Town of Telluride business license (Municipal Code Chapter 6)
- Applications submitted via the Town's SmartGov online portal (paper applications no longer accepted)
- Permit becomes invalid if work is not commenced within 180 days of issuance, or suspended/abandoned for 180 days after commencement
Required documents
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Fee schedule
Building Permit Fee — valuation $1.00 to $500.00Table 1-A, Building Permit Fee Schedule effective 1/1/2023
$51.50
Building Permit Fee — valuation $501.00 to $2,000.00Table 1-A, Building Permit Fee Schedule effective 1/1/2023
$51.50 for the first $500 plus $3.35 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof, to and including $2,000.00
Building Permit Fee — valuation $2,001.00 to $25,000.00Table 1-A, Building Permit Fee Schedule effective 1/1/2023
$101.75 for the first $2,000 plus $16.25 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $25,000.00
Building Permit Fee — valuation $25,001.00 to $50,000.00Table 1-A, Building Permit Fee Schedule effective 1/1/2023
$475.50 for the first $25,000 plus $11.75 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $50,000.00
Building Permit Fee — valuation $50,001.00 to $100,000.00Table 1-A, Building Permit Fee Schedule effective 1/1/2023
$769.25 for the first $50,000 plus $8.10 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $100,000.00
Building Permit Fee — valuation $100,001.00 to $500,000.00Table 1-A, Building Permit Fee Schedule effective 1/1/2023
$1,174.25 for the first $100,000 plus $6.50 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $500,000.00
Building Permit Fee — valuation $500,001.00 to $1,000,000.00Table 1-A, Building Permit Fee Schedule effective 1/1/2023
$3,774.25 for the first $500,000 plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $1,000,000.00
Building Permit Fee — valuation $1,000,001.00 and upTable 1-A, Building Permit Fee Schedule effective 1/1/2023
$6,574.25 for the first $1,000,000 plus $4.20 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof
Plan Check FeeBuilding Permit Fee Schedule effective 1/1/2023, Plan Check Fee line
65% of Building Permit Fee
Town Use TaxBuilding Permit Fee Schedule effective 1/1/2023, Town Use Tax line
Construction cost x 40% x 4.5%
County Use TaxBuilding Permit Fee Schedule effective 1/1/2023, County Use Tax line
Construction cost x 40% x 1%
Green Building Fee (TEMP)Can alternately be mitigated on-site or off-site with an eligible renewable energy system, per Ordinance 1372
20% of the Building Permit Fee
Building License FeeExempt for single-family, duplex, and triplex units in the residential zone, and deed-restricted long-term housing units in any zone (Municipal Code Ch. 6, Sec. 6-1-20(5))
Construction cost x 0.007
Review timeline
Plan review
Not published — contact the department
Inspection process
- 1
Foundation
Before concrete pour, per 48-inch minimum frost depth
- 2
Framing
Structural framing complete before cover
- 3
Rough Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical
Trade rough-ins before concealment
- 4
Final Inspection
All work complete per approved plans and applicable codes
See the full Telluride inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →
Tips
- Telluride's Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria were updated with the 2024 code cycle (Ordinance 1620, effective 9/12/2025): ground/roof snow load is now determined per the ASCE Hazard tool rather than a single flat psf figure used under the prior 2018-cycle ordinance — confirm your structural engineer is pulling the current site-specific ASCE value, not an older flat number.
- Because Telluride's core is a National Historic Landmark District, HARC Certificate of Appropriateness approval is required before building permit issuance for essentially any exterior work — budget calendar time for HARC's staff/Chairperson/full-Commission review tiers ahead of the building-permit application itself.
- Any project disturbing 500+ sq ft of property (or 500+ sq ft of demolition/renovation within 12 months, cumulative across the same property) needs an approved Construction Mitigation Plan before the building permit can be issued — this is a separate Building Department-routed approval, not a rubber-stamp attachment.
- The Building License Fee (construction cost x 0.007) does NOT apply to single-family, duplex, or triplex homes in the residential zone, or to deed-restricted long-term housing — confirm your project type against Municipal Code Section 6-1-20(5) before assuming this fee applies.
Frequently asked questions
Telluride requires a residential building permit (new construction) for: Plans must comply with the 2024 IRC/IBC as adopted (Ordinance 1620, effective 9/12/2025) and the Town's Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria: 100 mph Vult wind speed/Exposure B, Seismic Design Category B, 48-inch minimum frost depth, ice barrier underlayment required, ground/roof snow load determined per the ASCE Hazard tool (or the Structural Engineer Association of Colorado's 'Snow Load Design Data for Colorado', whichever is most restrictive); Roof design must comply with snow-shed mitigation requirements (IBC 903.5/IRC R318.2.1) so ice/snow does not shed onto occupied areas, egress doors, walkways, or utility meters; HARC Certificate of Appropriateness required before building permit issuance for any exterior design elements, since Telluride's core is a National Historic Landmark District; Construction Mitigation Plan (CMP) required and must be approved by the Building Department (referred to Planning and Public Works) prior to permit issuance for any project disturbing 500+ sq ft of property or involving demolition/renovation of 500+ sq ft within a 12-month period; All contractors must hold a current Town of Telluride business license (Municipal Code Chapter 6); Applications submitted via the Town's SmartGov online portal (paper applications no longer accepted); Permit becomes invalid if work is not commenced within 180 days of issuance, or suspended/abandoned for 180 days after commencement. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Telluride Planning & Building Department, Building Division at 970-728-5700 before starting work.
In Telluride, the published Building Permit Fee — valuation $1.00 to $500.00 is: $51.50. Additional published fees: Building Permit Fee — valuation $501.00 to $2,000.00 — $51.50 for the first $500 plus $3.35 for each additional $100 or fraction thereof, to and including $2,000.00; Building Permit Fee — valuation $2,001.00 to $25,000.00 — $101.75 for the first $2,000 plus $16.25 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $25,000.00; Building Permit Fee — valuation $25,001.00 to $50,000.00 — $475.50 for the first $25,000 plus $11.75 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $50,000.00; Building Permit Fee — valuation $50,001.00 to $100,000.00 — $769.25 for the first $50,000 plus $8.10 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $100,000.00; Building Permit Fee — valuation $100,001.00 to $500,000.00 — $1,174.25 for the first $100,000 plus $6.50 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $500,000.00; Building Permit Fee — valuation $500,001.00 to $1,000,000.00 — $3,774.25 for the first $500,000 plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof, to and including $1,000,000.00; Building Permit Fee — valuation $1,000,001.00 and up — $6,574.25 for the first $1,000,000 plus $4.20 for each additional $1,000 or fraction thereof; Plan Check Fee — 65% of Building Permit Fee; Town Use Tax — Construction cost x 40% x 4.5%; County Use Tax — Construction cost x 40% x 1%; Green Building Fee (TEMP) — 20% of the Building Permit Fee; Building License Fee — Construction cost x 0.007. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.
The Town of Telluride does not publish a specific numeric turnaround time for residential building permit review. Colorado is a home-rule state with no statewide review-time statute, and Telluride's website, fee schedule, and Construction Mitigation Plan Manual do not state an SLA for this permit type.
You'll need: Building Permit Application (SmartGov); HARC Certificate of Appropriateness; Construction Mitigation Plan; Certificate of High Altitude Form. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.
Telluride requires 4 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction), in order: Foundation, Framing, Rough Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical, Final Inspection. Schedule each through Town of Telluride Planning & Building Department, Building Division (970-728-5700).
Apply through Town of Telluride Planning & Building Department, Building Division at Rebekah Hall, 113 W. Columbia Ave, Telluride, CO 81435 (mailing: PO Box 397, Telluride, CO 81435). Phone: 970-728-5700, email: planningandbuilding@telluride.gov. Office hours: Main Planning & Building Department line 970-728-5700. Building Official Sam Samuelson: 970-728-2143. SmartGov online-portal assistance / Historic Preservation, Planning and Building Coordinator Tammy Brand: 970-728-2175. Building Inspector Bill Spencer: 970-708-2464.. Official information: https://telluride.gov/230/Building-Department.
Telluride, Colorado has adopted: 2024 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted by Ordinance 1620 (Series of 2025), effective September 12, 2025, per the Town Council second-reading staff memorandum (September 9, 2025) and the live Building Codes webpage; 2024 International Residential Code (IRC); 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC); 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC); 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC); 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC); 2024 International Fire Code (IFC) — enforced jointly with the Telluride Fire Protection District per Resolution No. 2019-03; 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); 2024 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC); 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC); 2024 International Code Council Performance Code for Buildings and Facilities; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC); 2023 Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code; Prior code cycle (superseded, listed for reference only): 2018-edition IBC/IRC/IEBC/IMC/IFGC/IPC/IPMC adopted by Ordinance 1502, effective February 18, 2020; All codes locally amended via Telluride Municipal Code Chapter 15 (Building Regulations), Articles 1-13; the amendment structure is confirmed by both the archived 2018-cycle amendment ordinance (Ordinance 1502 full text) and the current 2024-cycle Town Council staff memorandum/ordinance text (Ordinance 1620), which corroborate each other — see tipsAndGotchas regarding access to the telluride.municipal.codes site.. Local amendments apply — see the Telluride overview page for the full list.
The Town of Telluride Planning & Building Department, Building Division issues its own building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits for all work within Telluride town limits via the SmartGov online portal. Telluride is a home-rule town with its own department; San Miguel County's Building Department has authority only over unincorporated county land and does not issue permits within Telluride.
Sources & verification
Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-02.
Fee schedules
Applications & forms
Codes & ordinances
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 Telluride building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.
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