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Change of Use Permit in Unincorporated Teller County, Colorado

CONFIRMED ABSENCE of a standalone 'Change of Use Permit' or 'Change of Occupancy Permit' in unincorporated Teller County. The full 58-page Teller County Building Code was searched directly for 'change of use,' 'change of occupancy,' and 'change in occupancy' — zero matches. A change in occupancy classification is instead processed through the same Commercial Building Permit Application used for all commercial work: the form's 'Type of Construction' field offers checkboxes for New Build, Addition to existing building, Interior Remodel, or 'Other: ___', alongside a required 'Occupancy Classification' field — there is no dedicated 'change of use' or 'change of occupancy' checkbox, so such a project would be declared via the 'Other' field and the Occupancy Classification entry. The technical compliance framework for an occupancy change is supplied by the County's adopted 2021 International Existing Building Code (Article XIV of the Teller County Building Code), which is adopted by reference with no county-specific amendments addressing change of occupancy found in the Building Code text.

Verified 2026-08-14 · Source

When you need this permit

  • No standalone Change of Use or Change of Occupancy Permit application exists in unincorporated Teller County; a change in occupancy classification is submitted on the standard Commercial Building Permit Application by marking 'Other' under Type of Construction and completing the required Occupancy Classification field
  • The Commercial Building Permit Requirements handout requires a full 'Building Code Analysis' (occupancy classification, mixed-occupancy separation, area, type of construction) for 'New builds, Additions and Remodels' alike — a change of occupancy would be evaluated under this same analysis requirement, not a reduced-scope process
  • Technical compliance for an occupancy change is governed by the County's adopted 2021 International Existing Building Code (Article XIV of the Teller County Building Code), adopted by reference with no county-specific amendments to its change-of-occupancy provisions found in the Building Code text
  • Fire Department AHJ review and approval may separately be required per the Commercial Building Permit Requirements handout, in addition to County Building Department review — relevant to a change of occupancy that affects fire/life-safety classification
  • GENUINE GAP: confirmed by searching the complete 58-page Teller County Building Code text for 'change of use,' 'change of occupancy,' and 'change in occupancy' — zero matches for any of the three phrases

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Filing fee
Not published — contact the department

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use Permit permit actually take in Unincorporated Teller County?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Final

    Completed work verified against approved plans; a Certificate of Occupancy is issued or updated to reflect the new occupancy classification

See the full Unincorporated Teller County inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Tips

  • There is no 'Change of Use' or 'Change of Occupancy' line item anywhere in Teller County's Commercial Application Forms table — apply for the standard Commercial Building Permit, mark 'Other' under Type of Construction, and fill in the Occupancy Classification field.
  • Because a change of occupancy gets the SAME full Building Code Analysis requirement as new commercial construction (occupancy classification, mixed-occupancy separation, area-per-occupancy), don't expect a lighter-weight review just because no new construction is involved.
  • If the change of occupancy affects fire/life-safety classification, expect a separate Fire Department AHJ review from the fire protection district covering the property, in addition to County Building Department review.

Frequently asked questions

Unincorporated Teller County requires a change of use permit for: No standalone Change of Use or Change of Occupancy Permit application exists in unincorporated Teller County; a change in occupancy classification is submitted on the standard Commercial Building Permit Application by marking 'Other' under Type of Construction and completing the required Occupancy Classification field; The Commercial Building Permit Requirements handout requires a full 'Building Code Analysis' (occupancy classification, mixed-occupancy separation, area, type of construction) for 'New builds, Additions and Remodels' alike — a change of occupancy would be evaluated under this same analysis requirement, not a reduced-scope process; Technical compliance for an occupancy change is governed by the County's adopted 2021 International Existing Building Code (Article XIV of the Teller County Building Code), adopted by reference with no county-specific amendments to its change-of-occupancy provisions found in the Building Code text; Fire Department AHJ review and approval may separately be required per the Commercial Building Permit Requirements handout, in addition to County Building Department review — relevant to a change of occupancy that affects fire/life-safety classification; GENUINE GAP: confirmed by searching the complete 58-page Teller County Building Code text for 'change of use,' 'change of occupancy,' and 'change in occupancy' — zero matches for any of the three phrases. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Teller County Building Division (Community Development Department) at 719-687-3048 before starting work.

Unincorporated Teller County does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Teller County Building Division (Community Development Department) at 719-687-3048 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Commercial Building Permit Application (PDF); Commercial Building Permit Requirements (PDF). See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Unincorporated Teller County requires 1 inspection(s) for a change of use permit, in order: Final. Schedule each through Teller County Building Division (Community Development Department) (719-687-3048).

Apply through Teller County Building Division (Community Development Department) at 800 Research Drive, Suite 100-B, Tamarac Business Center, Woodland Park, CO 80863. Phone: 719-687-3048. Office hours: Monday through Friday (except holidays), 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for lunch. Building Inspectors answer Building Code questions by phone or in person 7:30-8:30 a.m. Monday-Friday at 719-687-3048; the Plans Examiner is available by appointment only, scheduled by calling 719-686-5405. Source: https://www.tellercounty.gov/Building-Division. Official information: https://www.tellercounty.gov/Building-Division.

Unincorporated Teller County, Colorado has adopted: AUTHORITY MODEL: The Teller County Building Division is responsible for regulating building activities to ensure residential and commercial structures comply with applicable codes, and 'issues Permits and Inspects all land/property located within unincorporated Teller County.' Woodland Park, Cripple Creek, and Victor all have their own separate Building Departments for issuing permits and performing inspections within their own municipal jurisdictions. This is a direct, affirmative statement of first-party permit issuance to unincorporated-area residents (not a records/coordination-only office), independently confirmed live 2026-07-06. Source: https://www.tellercounty.gov/Building-Division; Colorado has no statewide mandatory building code for most jurisdictions (home-rule/county-adoption authority under C.R.S. Title 30, Article 28); Teller County adopts and amends its own construction codes for the unincorporated area via the Teller County Building Code, administered by a Board of Review created under C.R.S. 30-28-206 and 207.; Teller County Building Code, as adopted by the Board of County Commissioners, effective 07/01/2023 (Resolution 06-22-2023 (21)), with subsequent amendment Resolution 11-09-2023 affecting contractor-license definitions and fees (Article II). This is the county's own current, in-force code compilation (58-page consolidated document), independently downloaded and read in full 2026-07-06. Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), https://www.tellercounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/242/Teller-County-Building-Code-PDF; Article III - 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), including Appendix Chapters AA, AB, AC, AG, AH, AJ, and AN, with numerous county-specific amendments (see localAmendments). Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article III; Article IV - 2021 International Building Code (IBC), including Appendix Chapters G, H, and I, and the 'Building Safety Journal.' Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article IV; Article V - 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) as amended by the State of Colorado, including Appendices B, E, and G. Colorado uses the International Plumbing Code (not the Uniform Plumbing Code) for this jurisdiction. Where Article V conflicts with Article III (IRC) or Article IV (IBC), Article V (the Plumbing Code) governs. Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article V, Section 102.1; Article VI - 2021 International Mechanical Code (IMC), including Appendix Chapter A. Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article VI; Article VII - 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), including Appendix Chapter A. Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article VII; Article VIII - Mobile/Factory Built/Manufactured Housing Code, with county-specific definitions of Manufactured Home, Factory Built Home (Modular/IRC Code Compliant Unit, per 8 CCR 1302-3), and Mobile Home; a building permit is required for the permanent foundation and all utility connections. Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article VIII; Article IX - 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC/NFPA 70), adopted directly by Teller County (not merely deferred to a state board), governing all electrical alterations, repairs, replacements, equipment, appliances, fixtures, fittings, and appurtenances; where the 2021 IRC/IBC conflict with the NEC, the NEC (Article IX) prevails as the more restrictive code. Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article IX; Article X - 2003 International Fire Code, adopted as the Teller County Fire Code for the unincorporated area by Teller County Ordinance #16. Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article X; Article XII - 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), including the IECC Appendix for reference only. This is the county's own current adopted edition as of this review (2026-07-06) -- it is the 2018 edition, not the 2021 or 2024 edition. Colorado's HB22-1362 (statewide 'model' energy code adoption requirements for larger/home-rule jurisdictions with updates on a rolling schedule) was checked for applicability: Teller County's own code text does not reference HB22-1362 or a more recent IECC edition anywhere in the 58-page Building Code document, and no separate county page or resolution updating the energy code to a post-2018 edition was found. This is reported honestly as the genuinely current adopted edition rather than assumed to have been superseded. Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article XII; Article XIII - Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators (ASME A17.1-2019, A17.3-2011, A18.1-2011, ASME QEI-2013, ANSI/ASSE A10.4-2007); all inspections performed by a State of Colorado-designated ANSI Certified Inspector with results submitted to the Building Department. Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article XIII; Article XIV - 2021 International Existing Building Code (IEBC). Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article XIV; Article XV - Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, 1997 edition. Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article XV; Article XVII - Penalties: violations of the Teller County Building Code are unlawful and punishable per C.R.S. 30-28-209 and 30-28-210. Source: Teller County Building Code (PDF), Article XVII. Local amendments apply — see the Unincorporated Teller County overview page for the full list.

No. This is a confirmed absence: the full 58-page Teller County Building Code contains no reference to 'change of use,' 'change of occupancy,' or 'change in occupancy.' A change in occupancy classification is processed through the same Commercial Building Permit Application used for all commercial work, using the 'Other' Type of Construction checkbox and the Occupancy Classification field, with technical compliance governed by the County's adopted 2021 International Existing Building Code (Article XIV).

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-14.

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 Unincorporated Teller County building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.