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Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit in Eaton, Colorado

Required when a building or structure's use or occupancy classification changes in Eaton. The Town publishes no separate Change of Use or Change of Occupancy permit type, application form, or fee line — 'CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY' is one of the checkbox options under 'Purpose of Permit' directly on the Town's own Commercial Building Permit application (the same form used for new commercial buildings, additions, remodels, and tenant improvements), and is billed under the same valuation-based Non-Residential Construction fee table. Reviewed under the 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), Chapter 10 (Change of Occupancy), and the 2024 IBC, both adopted by Ordinance No. 664.

Verified 2026-08-13 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Filed on the Town's Commercial Building Permit application (media/166) by checking 'CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY' under Purpose of Permit — Eaton publishes no separate change-of-use/change-of-occupancy application, fee line, or process page (checked the Building and Permitting page, Fee Schedule, and the Commercial and Counter Building Permit application forms directly)
  • Reviewed under the 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), Chapter 10 (Change of Occupancy provisions), and the 2024 IBC, as adopted by Ordinance No. 664
  • Life safety and code study plan, designed and stamped by an architect, addressing the new occupancy classification — the same commercial-only submittal item required for new commercial construction
  • 1st/2nd occupancy classification (A, B, E, F, H, I, M, S, U) fields must be declared on the application, along with building height/stories and floor-by-floor square footage
  • Fire sprinkler determination ('FIRE SPRINKLER REQUIRED') and Fire District approval ('FIRE DISTRICT APPROVAL') fields on the application apply to change-of-occupancy submittals the same as new construction — coordinate with SAFEbuilt and the Eaton Fire Protection District where the new occupancy classification triggers fire-protection requirements
  • Per the application's own notice text: 'Any change in the use or occupancy of the building or structure must be approved prior to proceeding with construction'
  • Applicant is responsible for the plan review fee and administrative review fee regardless of whether the permit is ultimately obtained, per the application's signed acknowledgement

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Non-Residential Construction Building Permit FeeTown of Eaton Fee Schedule, Building Department Fees, p.2; no change-of-occupancy-specific fee line exists — billed under the same table used for any other commercial building permit
Per Appendix L, 2018 IRC valuation table (as referenced in the Town's current Fee Schedule)
Plan Review Fee (Non-Residential)
65% of Permit Fee
Non-Residential Admin FeeTown of Eaton Fee Schedule, Administration Fees section, Res. No. 2022-13
$50.00
Re-Inspection Fee
$85.00 per inspection
Investigation/Violation Fee (work started without a permit)Plus hourly investigation time per Ordinance No. 664's IBC Sec. 109.4 amendment
2x Permit Fee

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

How long did your Change of Use / Change of Occupancy Permit permit actually take in Eaton?

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

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Life Safety / Plan Compliance Review

    Confirms the space meets the life-safety, egress, and fire-separation requirements of the new occupancy classification before work proceeds

  2. 2

    Final Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy

    All work complete per approved plans; a new Certificate of Occupancy is issued reflecting the changed use/occupancy classification

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

Tips

  • There is no separate Change of Use or Change of Occupancy permit type in Eaton, the same pattern already documented in this file for tenant improvements: it's a checkbox purpose ('CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY') on the same Commercial Building Permit form used for new buildings, additions, and remodels/TI work, confirmed directly on the Town's own application PDF.
  • The Commercial Building Permit application's own printed notice states plainly that 'any change in the use or occupancy of the building or structure must be approved prior to proceeding with construction' — don't begin work or reconfigure a space for a new use before that approval is in hand.
  • Because occupancy-classification changes routinely trigger fire-protection requirements (sprinklers, alarms, egress changes), coordinate early with both SAFEbuilt (970-305-3161) and the Eaton Fire Protection District (970-454-2115) — the application's separate 'Fire Sprinkler Required' and 'Fire District Approval' fields apply here as much as to new construction.

Frequently asked questions

Eaton requires a change of use / change of occupancy permit for: Filed on the Town's Commercial Building Permit application (media/166) by checking 'CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY' under Purpose of Permit — Eaton publishes no separate change-of-use/change-of-occupancy application, fee line, or process page (checked the Building and Permitting page, Fee Schedule, and the Commercial and Counter Building Permit application forms directly); Reviewed under the 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), Chapter 10 (Change of Occupancy provisions), and the 2024 IBC, as adopted by Ordinance No. 664; Life safety and code study plan, designed and stamped by an architect, addressing the new occupancy classification — the same commercial-only submittal item required for new commercial construction; 1st/2nd occupancy classification (A, B, E, F, H, I, M, S, U) fields must be declared on the application, along with building height/stories and floor-by-floor square footage; Fire sprinkler determination ('FIRE SPRINKLER REQUIRED') and Fire District approval ('FIRE DISTRICT APPROVAL') fields on the application apply to change-of-occupancy submittals the same as new construction — coordinate with SAFEbuilt and the Eaton Fire Protection District where the new occupancy classification triggers fire-protection requirements; Per the application's own notice text: 'Any change in the use or occupancy of the building or structure must be approved prior to proceeding with construction'; Applicant is responsible for the plan review fee and administrative review fee regardless of whether the permit is ultimately obtained, per the application's signed acknowledgement. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Town of Eaton Building Department (permits issued by the Town Clerk's Office; inspections and plan review contracted to SAFEbuilt) at 970-305-3161 (SAFEbuilt, Contract Building Inspector); (970) 454-3338 (Town Clerk's Office / main line); fax (970) 454-3339 before starting work.

In Eaton, the published Non-Residential Construction Building Permit Fee is: Per Appendix L, 2018 IRC valuation table (as referenced in the Town's current Fee Schedule). Additional published fees: Plan Review Fee (Non-Residential) — 65% of Permit Fee; Non-Residential Admin Fee — $50.00; Re-Inspection Fee — $85.00 per inspection; Investigation/Violation Fee (work started without a permit) — 2x Permit Fee. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Eaton does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact Town of Eaton Building Department (permits issued by the Town Clerk's Office; inspections and plan review contracted to SAFEbuilt) at 970-305-3161 (SAFEbuilt, Contract Building Inspector); (970) 454-3338 (Town Clerk's Office / main line); fax (970) 454-3339 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Commercial Building Permit Application; Life Safety and Code Study Plan. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Eaton requires 2 inspection(s) for a change of use / change of occupancy permit, in order: Life Safety / Plan Compliance Review, Final Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through Town of Eaton Building Department (permits issued by the Town Clerk's Office; inspections and plan review contracted to SAFEbuilt) (970-305-3161 (SAFEbuilt, Contract Building Inspector); (970) 454-3338 (Town Clerk's Office / main line); fax (970) 454-3339).

Apply through Town of Eaton Building Department (permits issued by the Town Clerk's Office; inspections and plan review contracted to SAFEbuilt) at Town of Eaton, 223 1st St, Eaton, CO 80615. Phone: 970-305-3161 (SAFEbuilt, Contract Building Inspector); (970) 454-3338 (Town Clerk's Office / main line); fax (970) 454-3339, email: coemail@safebuilt.com (SAFEbuilt inspections/permit processing). Office hours: Not separately published on the Building and Permitting page as of this review; the Town's main contact line is (970) 454-3338.. Official information: https://www.eatonco.org/building-and-permitting.

No. 'Change of Occupancy' is one of the Purpose of Permit checkboxes on the Town's own Commercial Building Permit application — the same form used for new commercial buildings, additions, and remodels/tenant improvements — and is billed on the same valuation-based Non-Residential Construction fee table, not a separate fee.

The 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), Chapter 10 (Change of Occupancy), and the 2024 IBC, both adopted by Ordinance No. 664.

Sources & verification

Verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-08-13.

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

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