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Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit in Cripple Creek, Colorado

Required for interior build-out or alteration of commercial space in Cripple Creek. Reviewed under the 2018 IBC as locally adopted; commercial properties within the Bennett Avenue Historic District (much of the City's B and BB zone districts) are additionally subject to Historic Preservation Commission review for any exterior-visible changes.

Reviewed 2026-08-02 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Plans reviewed under the 2018 IBC as locally adopted and amended by Cripple Creek Municipal Code Ch. 18
  • Certificate of Appropriateness required for any exterior-visible alteration to a commercial structure within a designated Historic District (interior-only tenant improvements with no exterior change generally fall outside Historic Preservation Commission review, per the Ordinance's 'Ordinary Maintenance'/interior-scope distinctions)
  • Contractor must hold a current City of Cripple Creek contractor's license plus any required Colorado state trade license Contractor
  • For tenant improvements inside a licensed gaming/casino establishment specifically: separate from the City building permit, the operator must maintain a Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) Certificate of Compliance for Limited Gaming, which requires an application 'signed by the local fire and building authorities having jurisdiction asserting that the facility is in compliance' (8 CCR 1507-57, Article 10) -- i.e. Cripple Creek's own Building/Fire sign-off feeds into this state certificate, but the certificate itself is a distinct state gaming-licensure requirement, not a substitute for the City building permit

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Building Permit Fee
Cripple Creek Municipal Code Sec. 18-7-20 (Amendments to the locally adopted IRC) contains a full valuation-based 'CRIPPLE CREEK PERMIT FEE TABLE' with two schedules: 'For all Residential… Show full citationCripple Creek Municipal Code Sec. 18-7-20 (Amendments to the locally adopted IRC) contains a full valuation-based 'CRIPPLE CREEK PERMIT FEE TABLE' with two schedules: 'For all Residential Construction Groups' and 'For all other Construction Groups' — the latter applies to standalone commercial work such as tenant improvements. The section is served in full on the elaws.us code-publishing platform (cripplecreek-co.elaws.us, 'Latest version'); the official Municode hosting (library.municode.com/co/cripple_creek/...) delivers content only through its client-side application and does not serve the section text directly. The same section states: 'Plan Review Fee: 65% of the permit fee' and 'All construction groups, residential, commercial etc., which are constructed in a business or commercial zone, as defined in this chapter, will pay fees as listed under "For all residential construction groups"... at the time of initial construction. At such time as a certificate of occupancy is required for conversion to business or commercial use, the additional fees as listed under "For all other construction groups"... will be addressed.' Currency caveat: the section's amendment citation is '(Ord. 2003-24 Sec.3-13; Ord. 2007-07 Sec.Sec.1-3)' — last touched in 2007, predating the City's 2018-code-cycle adoption (Ord. 2019-03) and later amendments (Ord. 2022-06, Ord. 2023-13). Resolution 2021-21 ('Approving the Building, Planning and Community Development Fee Schedule,' referenced in the October 2021 Council minutes) is an uncodified administrative resolution that Municode does not carry, so published sources cannot confirm whether it left these 2007 dollar figures unchanged or superseded them with different amounts. Treat the codified table as the best-available, directly-sourced fee methodology (valuation tiers, 65% plan-review multiplier, $84.00/$54.60/$138.60 minimums) for a commercial tenant improvement, and confirm current dollar amounts with the Building Department (719-689-3588 ext. 1) before budgeting, specifically asking whether Resolution 2021-21 changed the Sec. 18-7-20 table.
Valuation-based, per the 'CRIPPLE CREEK PERMIT FEE TABLE' codified at Municipal Code Sec. 18-7-20 (Amendments to IRC Sec. R108.2): 'For all other Construction Groups' (the commercial-classification schedule applicable to tenant improvements) -- $84.00 minimum for $1.00-$3,000.00 valuation; $108.00 for the first $2,000.00 plus $21.60 per additional $1,000.00 (or fraction) up to $25,000.00; $604.80 for the first $25,000.00 plus $15.60 per additional $1,000.00 up to $50,000.00; $994.80 for the first $50,000.00 plus $10.80 per additional $1,000.00 up to $100,000.00; $1,534.80 for the first $100,000.00 plus $8.40 per $1,000.00 up to $500,000.00; higher tiers continue above that.
Plan Review FeeDirectly sourced 2026-08-02 from the same codified fee table described above (cripplecreek-co.elaws.us mirror of Municipal Code Sec. 18-7-20). Same currency caveat applies -- last amended by Ord. 2007-07, currency relative to Resolution 2021-21 not confirmable online.
65% of the Building Permit Fee (per Municipal Code Sec. 18-7-20); minimum Plan Review Fee $54.60; minimum combined total for a permit with plans $138.60

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit permit actually take in Cripple Creek?

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Inspection process

  1. 1

    Rough Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical

    Trade rough-ins before concealment

  2. 2

    Final Inspection

    All work complete per approved plans and applicable codes

See the full Cripple Creek inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • Most of Cripple Creek's commercial core sits within the Bennett Avenue Historic District (B/BB zones) — even a purely interior tenant improvement should be checked against Historic Preservation Commission requirements if any exterior signage, storefront, or facade element is touched.
  • Given Cripple Creek's gaming-town economy, many commercial tenant improvements involve casino/hospitality space — confirm with the Building Department whether your occupancy classification triggers additional Fire Code (2018 IFC) requirements beyond standard IBC tenant-improvement review.

Frequently asked questions

Cripple Creek requires a commercial tenant improvement permit for: Plans reviewed under the 2018 IBC as locally adopted and amended by Cripple Creek Municipal Code Ch. 18; Certificate of Appropriateness required for any exterior-visible alteration to a commercial structure within a designated Historic District (interior-only tenant improvements with no exterior change generally fall outside Historic Preservation Commission review, per the Ordinance's 'Ordinary Maintenance'/interior-scope distinctions); Contractor must hold a current City of Cripple Creek contractor's license plus any required Colorado state trade license; For tenant improvements inside a licensed gaming/casino establishment specifically: separate from the City building permit, the operator must maintain a Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) Certificate of Compliance for Limited Gaming, which requires an application 'signed by the local fire and building authorities having jurisdiction asserting that the facility is in compliance' (8 CCR 1507-57, Article 10) -- i.e. Cripple Creek's own Building/Fire sign-off feeds into this state certificate, but the certificate itself is a distinct state gaming-licensure requirement, not a substitute for the City building permit. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Cripple Creek Building Department at 719-689-3588 ext. 1 before starting work.

In Cripple Creek, the published Building Permit Fee is: Valuation-based, per the 'CRIPPLE CREEK PERMIT FEE TABLE' codified at Municipal Code Sec. 18-7-20 (Amendments to IRC Sec. R108.2): 'For all other Construction Groups' (the commercial-classification schedule applicable to tenant improvements) -- $84.00 minimum for $1.00-$3,000.00 valuation; $108.00 for the first $2,000.00 plus $21.60 per additional $1,000.00 (or fraction) up to $25,000.00; $604.80 for the first $25,000.00 plus $15.60 per additional $1,000.00 up to $50,000.00; $994.80 for the first $50,000.00 plus $10.80 per additional $1,000.00 up to $100,000.00; $1,534.80 for the first $100,000.00 plus $8.40 per $1,000.00 up to $500,000.00; higher tiers continue above that.. Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee — 65% of the Building Permit Fee (per Municipal Code Sec. 18-7-20); minimum Plan Review Fee $54.60; minimum combined total for a permit with plans $138.60. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Cripple Creek does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Cripple Creek Building Department at 719-689-3588 ext. 1 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Commercial Building Permit Application — Tenant Improvement scope. Depending on your project, Cripple Creek may also ask for: Certificate of Appropriateness (if exterior changes within a Historic District). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Cripple Creek requires 2 inspection(s) for a commercial tenant improvement permit, in order: Rough Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical, Final Inspection. Schedule each through City of Cripple Creek Building Department (719-689-3588 ext. 1).

Apply through City of Cripple Creek Building Department at 337 E. Bennett Ave, Cripple Creek, CO 80813 (mailing: P.O. Box 430, Cripple Creek, CO 80813). Phone: 719-689-3588 ext. 1. Office hours: Building Inspector normal duty hours are 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM on Mondays and Fridays only (with an alternate day sometimes added around a holiday week, decided case-by-case). The inspector is typically present in the office at 337 E. Bennett Ave from 7:30-9:00 AM on Monday/Friday mornings for questions in person or by phone (719-689-3588 ext. 1); after 9 AM the inspector is generally in the field performing inspections and returns to the office afterward for consultations. As of May 28, 2026, Martin L. Colgan serves as the City's Combination Inspector (Residential and Commercial Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, and Gas Piping). SAFEbuilt is stated on the City's Building Department page to be the City's new full-service company for plan review, permits, and inspections; the City notes it is currently implementing new permitting software and directs applicants to call the Building Department to ask about the current submission process.. Official information: https://www.cityofcripplecreek.com/building-department.

Cripple Creek, Colorado has adopted: 2018 International Building Code (IBC) — City of Cripple Creek Municipal Code Ch. 18, Art. 2 Sec. 18-2-10 and Art. 3 (adopted by Ord. No. 2019-03, as amended by Ord. No. 2022-06 and Ord. No. 2023-13); 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), including Appendices H, J, and Q — Ch. 18, Art. 4; International Plumbing Code (IPC), most current edition as adopted by the State of Colorado — Ch. 18, Art. 5; 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — Ch. 18, Art. 6; 2015 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — Ch. 18, Art. 7; 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — Ch. 18, Art. 8; 2018 International Fire Code (IFC), including all appendices A-N — Ch. 18, Art. 9; 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — Ch. 18, Art. 10; National Electrical Code (NEC), most current edition as adopted by the State of Colorado — Ch. 18, Art. 11; 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) — Ch. 18, Art. 12; 2018 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) — Ch. 18, Art. 13; ASME A17.1 (2010)/A17.2 (2010)/A17.6 (2010)/A17.3 (2010) and A18.1 (2011) Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, as adopted by Teller County (SCEE) — Ch. 18, Art. 14; all inspections performed by Teller County's designated ASME Certified Inspector, results submitted to the City Building Department; Manufactured Home Code (locally drafted, not an ICC model code) — Ch. 18, Art. 19, enacted by Ord. No. 2021-11; Note on code currency: Cripple Creek Municipal Code Chapter 18 adopts the 2018-cycle IBC/IRC/IMC/IECC/IFC/IEBC/ISPSC/IPMC by reference (via Ord. No. 2019-03, adopted Aug. 7, 2019), one cycle behind the 2021/2024 editions used by some neighboring Colorado jurisdictions (e.g. Vail's 2024 cycle). The IPC and NEC sections instead float to 'the most current edition as adopted by the State of Colorado,' so those two trades track the state's adoption cycle rather than a fixed local edition. This is the governing, most-recently-verified text of Municode's Cripple Creek library as of the last verification (chapter carries amendment history through Ord. No. 2023-13, effective 1-3-24).. Local amendments apply — see the Cripple Creek overview page for the full list.

Generally not, if the work is purely interior with no exterior-visible change — the Historic Preservation Ordinance's review authority is triggered by alterations to a structure's exterior appearance or by new construction/demolition, not by interior-only tenant improvements. Confirm with the Historic Preservation Commission/Building Department for your specific scope.

Sources & verification

Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-02.

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

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