Unincorporated Teller County building permits

Requirements

• Building permit required for new single-family dwelling construction in unincorporated Teller County; issued and inspected directly by the Teller County Building Division
• Plans must comply with the 2021 IRC (Article III) plus the 2018 IECC (Article XII); must account for county design criteria: 57 psf ground snow load / 40 psf flat roof snow load (no ASCE 7 Chapter 7 reduction allowed), 115 mph ultimate wind speed with Exposure C, Seismic Design Category B, 30-inch minimum frost depth, and required ice-barrier underlayment
• Site-specific soils report and engineer/architect-stamped foundation design required for habitable structures per Article III Sections R401-R407
• Homeowner Builder permits limited to one new dwelling per owner in any 24-month period, and no more than two in any 10-year period, with primary-residency conditions on the second permit
• IECC (Energy Conservation) Application and a permanent Thermal Envelope Certificate required at final
• All contractors and sub-contractors working on the project must be licensed with Teller County (Board of Review-issued license) and insured per Article II

Required documents

• RequiredSingle Family Dwelling (SFD) Permit ApplicationPrimary residential building permit application
• RequiredSFD and Addition Requirements (PDF)Submittal checklist/guidelines for new single-family dwellings and additions
• RequiredIECC (Energy Conservation) Application (PDF)Energy-code compliance submittal

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Separate permit applications exist for Residential Addition, Residential Interior Remodel, and Residential Basement Finish -- each is its own listed application category
• Design must meet county Design Criteria (57 psf snow load, 115 mph wind, Seismic Design Category B, 30-inch frost depth) where structurally applicable
• SFD and Addition Requirements (PDF) applies to additions; ICC Basement Finish Building Guide referenced for basement finish projects
• Foundation/structural work tied to an addition may require engineer/architect stamping per Article III Sections R401-R407

Required documents

• RequiredResidential Addition Permit ApplicationApplication for additions to existing dwellings
• RequiredSFD and Addition Requirements (PDF)Submittal checklist for additions
• RequiredResidential Interior Remodel Permit ApplicationApplication for interior remodel work
• RequiredResidential Basement Finish Permit ApplicationApplication for finishing an unfinished basement
• OptionalICC Basement Finish Building GuideReference guide for basement-finish code compliance

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Electrical permit required for installation, alteration, repair, or replacement of wiring, equipment, appliances, fixtures, fittings, and appurtenances
• Governed by the 2023 NEC (Article IX of the Teller County Building Code); where the 2023 NEC conflicts with the 2021 IRC/IBC, the NEC prevails
• Contractor/examinee must hold a current Colorado state electrical license (Master Electrician or equivalent), registered with the Teller County Building Department at no additional annual county fee for the registration itself
• Existing-wiring alterations: if more than 50% of a building's wiring (by floor-area served) or more than 50% of a circuit's outlets are changed, the ENTIRE wiring installation or circuit must be brought up to new-building standards
• Teller County performs its own electrical inspections and posts an Electrical Contemporaneous Review procedure per C.R.S. 12-23-116 to verify licensing/apprentice-ratio compliance

Required documents

• RequiredElectrical Permit ApplicationApplication for electrical permit
• OptionalElectrical Contemporaneous Review (PDF)State-mandated procedure Teller County posts as an Inspecting Entity performing its own electrical inspections, per C.R.S. 12-23-116(1)(a) and (10)

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Plumbing permit required for fixture installation, water supply/drain-waste piping, and related plumbing work
• Governed by the 2021 IPC as amended by the State of Colorado, per Article V of the Teller County Building Code; uses the International Plumbing Code, not the Uniform Plumbing Code
• Where Article V (Plumbing Code) conflicts with Article III (IRC) or Article IV (IBC), Article V governs
• Contractor/examinee must hold a current Colorado state plumbing license (Master Plumber or equivalent), registered with the county at no additional annual county fee for the registration itself
• Teller County performs its own plumbing inspections and posts a Plumbing Contemporaneous Review procedure per HB19-1086

Required documents

• RequiredPlumbing Permit Application (PDF)Application for plumbing permit
• OptionalPlumbing Contemporaneous Review (PDF)State-mandated procedure Teller County posts as an Inspecting Entity performing its own plumbing inspections, per HB19-1086

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Mechanical permit required for HVAC, ventilation, ductwork, and fuel-gas-fired appliance installation/alteration/repair
• Governed by the 2021 IMC and 2021 IFGC as amended by the Teller County Building Code
• Floor furnaces are PROHIBITED (both Article VI Section 910/1408 and Article VII Section 609) -- a genuine county-specific prohibition, not merely a code cross-reference
• Unvented room heaters may not be used for comfort heating in a dwelling unit and are prohibited in occupancy Groups A, E, I, and R
• Gas piping: copper and copper-alloy piping/tubing may not be used on natural gas systems; underground gas piping must be listed polyethylene plastic or corrugated stainless steel (with limited exceptions) and buried a minimum of 18 inches
• Contractor must hold a Teller County Mechanical Contractor A or B license (county-issued, in addition to any required state licensure)

Required documents

• RequiredMechanical Permit Application (PDF)Application for mechanical/HVAC permit

Fee schedule

Requirements

• A Re-Roof Permit Application (PDF) is a distinct, separately listed application category
• Ice barrier required for heated/conditioned structures: installed per manufacturer specification, extending 6 feet beyond the interior wall face of the exterior wall and covering the entire overhang -- a stricter local amendment than the base IRC/IBC ice-barrier requirement
• Roof jacks, attic vents, and similar penetrations must be located no less than 24 inches from the center of a valley to the closest edge of the penetration

Required documents

• RequiredRe-Roof Permit Application (PDF)Application for roof replacement/re-roofing

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Solar Permit Application is a distinct, separately listed application category
• Alternative Energy Installation Contractor AE/DC-side license required for the D/C side of photovoltaic system installation and repair (annual fee $75.00, no testing required, but state licensure may still be required for the A/C side and plumbing-adjacent work such as solar hot water)
• Covers Photovoltaic Solar Electric, Wind/Water Generated Electric, Solar Hot Water, Solar Heat (Active Space Heating), and Geothermal Energy systems; contractors must follow industry standards/codes and design prepared by a State of Colorado-licensed design professional

Required documents

• RequiredSolar Permit ApplicationApplication for solar PV or other alternative-energy system installation

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Demolition Permit Application (PDF) is a distinct, separately listed application category, alongside a State of Colorado Demolition Information (PDF) reference handout
• Only a licensed demolition contractor may perform demolition (annual Class D specialty license fee $50.00, no testing required), except a licensed general contractor may wreck minor buildings/portions as part of alteration or remodeling
• Demolition contractors must show proof of X, C, and U provisions in their liability insurance policy prior to issuance of each permit
• Contractor is responsible for compliance with State asbestos/lead-based-paint removal regulations; all debris must be completely removed from the site

Required documents

• RequiredDemolition Permit Application (PDF)Application for demolition permit
• OptionalState of Colorado Demolition Information (PDF)State reference handout on demolition requirements (asbestos/lead-paint)

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Residential Deck Permit Application is a distinct, separately listed application category, with a separate Minor Deck Site Plan Requirements (PDF) pathway for smaller decks
• A water-resistive barrier must be placed between the deck ledger and structure substrate (Article III Section R507.2.4)
• The base IRC deck lateral-load-connection subsection (R507.9.2) is deleted in its entirety by Teller County -- confirm current lateral-load design approach directly with the Building Division rather than assuming the stock IRC prescriptive detail applies
• Decks which support another structure, spa, or hot tub, or which have piers spaced greater than 8 ft on center, must be designed by a licensed Colorado architect or engineer (a required-design trigger under Article III Section R105.3)
• Deck piers not exceeding 10 ft from the residence with =8 ft on-center spacing are exempt from the general engineered-foundation requirement

Required documents

• RequiredResidential Deck Permit ApplicationApplication for new deck construction
• OptionalICC Deck Building Guide (PDF)Reference guide for deck code compliance
• OptionalMinor Deck Site Plan Requirements (PDF)Simplified site-plan pathway for smaller deck projects

Fee schedule

Requirements

• No standalone EV charger/EVSE permit application exists; EV charging station circuits, disconnects, and charging equipment are permitted through the standard Electrical Permit Application
• Governed by the 2023 NEC (Article IX of the Teller County Building Code), which includes NEC Article 625 (Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System) requirements for EVSE branch circuits and disconnects
• Contractor must hold a current Colorado state electrical license (Master Electrician or equivalent), registered with Teller County at no additional annual county fee, per the same requirement as the general Electrical Permit
• No county-published confirmation of Colorado HB24-1173 (EV Charging System Permits Act) compliance track (model code adoption, custom objective standards, or status-quo retention) or of the statute's 3-business-day permit-decision notification requirement was found on the Building Division's public pages

Required documents

• RequiredElectrical Permit ApplicationSame application used for general electrical work; no EV-specific application exists

Fee schedule

Requirements

• Commercial Building Permit required for any new commercial building, addition to an existing commercial building, or interior remodel in unincorporated Teller County (application form's 'Type of Construction' checkboxes: New Build / Addition to existing building / Interior Remodel / Other); issued and inspected by the Teller County Building Division. Source: Commercial Building Permit Application (PDF)
• Plans reviewed against the 2021 IBC (Article IV) as amended by the Teller County Building Code, plus the 2018 IECC (Article XII); the seal of a design professional licensed by the State of Colorado is required on each sheet of the commercial plans submittal, and electronic stamps must not lock the file from markups. Source: Commercial Building Permit Requirements handout (COM HAND 11/2023)
• Commercial building structures and all portions must be designed by a licensed Colorado engineer or architect -- explicitly including soils, footings, foundations, structural calculations/loads, energy, mechanical, plumbing, elevators, and electrical; electrical/mechanical/plumbing plans must bear the stamp and signature of the appropriate Colorado-licensed engineer except as provided in NEC Article 27. Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article IV Section 1604.1
• One complete plan set required, submitted electronically and NOT password-protected; incomplete submittals will not be accepted for review. Required items (per the Commercial Building - Required Documents checklist): site plan (by a professional surveyor/engineer/architect per Teller County Land Use Regulations Chapter 7, Table 7.1), driveway information, septic/wastewater information, well permit or water-district letter of service, site-specific soils report, foundation plans, elevation views, floor plans, cross-section details, floor framing plans, electrical/mechanical/plumbing plans, elevator plans (if applicable), roof framing plans, truss engineering, and an IECC energy-code compliance form. Source: Commercial Building Permit Application (PDF), page 2
• All subcontractors must be individually listed by name on the application (Foundation, Excavator, Framing, HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, Elevator, Roofing, Inside Gas, Outside Gas, Fire Sprinkler/Suppression, Fireplace/Woodstove) and must be licensed and insured per Article II of the Building Code. Source: Commercial Building Permit Application (PDF)
• Change Orders (plan modifications submitted after the permit is issued) require a completed Change Order Request Form and carry a non-refundable $100 processing fee; additional inspections triggered by the change may require a separate inspection fee. Source: Commercial Building Permit Requirements handout (COM HAND 11/2023)
• Contractor must hold the applicable Teller County Building Contractor license for commercial work -- Building Contractor A (General, any type/size/occupancy) or Building Contractor B (General-Limited, excludes Type I/II fire-resistive construction and E/H/I-1/I-2/I-3 occupancies) for new commercial construction; Building Contractor B-1 (Remodel) for remodel/interior-remodel work, with similar occupancy and size exclusions -- in addition to any Colorado DORA trade licenses required for electrical/plumbing/mechanical subcontractors. Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article II Sections 105.a, 105.b, 105.c
• The Building Department will not issue a commercial permit on a property in violation of Teller County Land Use (zoning) Regulations, lacking demonstrated legal access, in violation of Sewage Disposal Regulations, or with an existing unresolved building-code violation. Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article IV Section 105.8
• Fire Department AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) review and approval, and potentially other departments/entities (planning and zoning, floodplain, roads and bridges, environmental health, water, and wastewater), may require their own separate review in addition to the Building Division's plan review. Source: Commercial Building Permit Requirements handout

Required documents

• RequiredCommercial Building Permit Application (PDF)Primary commercial building permit application, including a required subcontractor listing and a 'Commercial Building - Required Documents' submittal checklist (page 2)
• OptionalCommercial Building Permit Requirements (PDF)Guidance handout summarizing plan-review submittal, corrections/resubmittal, change-order, and professional-seal requirements for commercial projects (COM HAND 11/2023)
• OptionalChange Order Request FormRequired for any plan modification submitted after the commercial permit has been issued

Fee schedule

Requirements

• No standalone Tenant Improvement / TI permit application exists in unincorporated Teller County; interior remodel and tenant-improvement work in commercial space is permitted through the standard Commercial Building Permit Application by selecting 'Interior Remodel' under Type of Construction. Source: Commercial Building Permit Application (PDF)
• The same design/submittal requirements apply as for new commercial construction: a State of Colorado-licensed design professional's seal is required on each plan sheet, and a full 'Building Code Analysis' (occupancy classification, mixed-occupancy separation, area, type of construction) is explicitly required 'for New builds, Additions and Remodels' -- remodels are not a reduced-requirement track. Source: Commercial Building Permit Requirements handout (COM HAND 11/2023)
• A tenant-improvement project that changes occupancy classification would trigger the same Article IV commercial provisions as new construction, including the licensed-engineer/architect design-stamp requirement of Article IV Section 1604.1
• Change Orders on an in-progress tenant-improvement/interior-remodel permit carry the same non-refundable $100 processing fee (plus possible added inspection fee) as any other commercial permit. Source: Commercial Building Permit Requirements handout

Required documents

• RequiredCommercial Building Permit Application (PDF)Same application used for all commercial work; select 'Interior Remodel' under Type of Construction -- no TI-specific application exists

Fee schedule