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Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit in Elko, Nevada

Required for improvements and alterations to tenant spaces within existing commercial buildings in Elko. Tenant improvements are a genuinely distinct submittal track — the City publishes a dedicated Tenant Improvement Checklist separate from the Multi-Family/Commercial/Industrial checklist — but use the same universal Building Permit Application and the same Table 1 valuation-based fee schedule; no TI-specific fee is published. Plans must be drawn by a Nevada State Licensed Architect or Engineer (with a contractor/owner-builder own-work exception), and reviewed against the 2024 IBC/IEBC as adopted December 9, 2025.

Verified 2026-08-01 · Source

When you need this permit

  • Dimensioned drawings must be submitted with each tenant improvement application, including a site plan showing all buildings on the site with the location of the tenant improvement shaded
  • Site plan must show standard parking, handicapped parking, route of access, and facility accessibility
  • A Nevada State Licensed Architect or Engineer must draw the plans and date, stamp and sign each sheet per NRS; a Nevada State Licensed Contractor or Owner/Builder doing their own work may draw and sign their own plans, with contractor plans identified on the front sheet by company name, state license number, classification, license limit, and the preparer's printed name and original signature Owner-builderContractor
  • Only a licensed contractor of the State of Nevada can be issued a permit for construction Contractor
  • Floor plan drawn to an appropriate scale showing the tenant space, names and use of rooms and spaces, adjacent occupancies, and complete exit ways leading to the exterior of the building
  • Typical section views showing wall construction, connection details and material specifications, plus gypsum type/size/nailing schedule and insulation location and R-values
  • Plumbing: floor plan showing location, size and material of all water and drainage piping (drain-waste solid line, vent dotted line), fixture symbols, gas/fuel-oil piping, water heater, and cleanouts; plans must include the count and type of all plumbing fixtures being removed — call the Building Department for a survey of fixtures BEFORE they are removed to ensure credit
  • Mechanical: layout of equipment, air duct systems and fire/smoke dampers, with all existing and new equipment indicated by model, type, size, BTU, location and material specification
  • Electrical: single line diagram, service and load calculations including short and fault-current calculations, panel schedules with connected loads and feeder sizes, all outlets/smoke detectors/equipment on plans with panel and circuit numbers, and emergency power system if applicable
  • Code Analysis Sheet: occupancy group, type of construction, occupant load, address/APN, land use zone, square footages, code editions used, fire sprinklers/alarms if required, height and stories, and exit analysis
  • Energy code compliance if applicable — Prescriptive, COMCheck, or ASHRAE method (check with Building Department personnel on applicability)
  • A Letter of Approval from the Nevada Health Department (775-753-1138) is required before permit issuance when food preparation is involved
  • All submittal documents must be filed electronically via the E-Permits portal per Municipal Code Section 2-1-5(A), notwithstanding the checklist's legacy 'two complete sets' wording

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Minimum charge per permit/application (Processing Fee $40 + minimum Permit Fee $47)City of Elko Building Permit Fee Schedule; no tenant-improvement-specific fee line exists — TI permits are priced off the same universal schedule
$87.00
Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (Table 1)City of Elko Building Permit Fees, Table 1 Fees Valuation Table; valuation determined from the current ICC Building Valuation Data per Resolution 18-25
$23.50 at $1-$500 valuation, scaling per bracket (e.g., $69.25 for the first $2,000 plus $14.00 per additional $1,000 up to $25,000; $993.75 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 per additional $1,000 up to $500,000)
Plan Review FeePer the Table 1 header; due at plan submittal
65% of the Table 1 permit fee
Other Inspections and FeesCity of Elko Building Permit Fees, Table 2; outside consultants for plan review or inspections at actual cost
$100.00 per hour

Review timeline

Plan review
Not published — contact the department

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

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Inspection process

  1. 1

    Pre-Removal Plumbing Fixture Survey

    Call the Building Department for a survey of existing plumbing fixtures BEFORE they are removed to ensure credit — the TI checklist requires plans to include the count and type of all fixtures being removed

  2. 2

    Phased Inspections per Approved Permit

    Work is subject to inspection at predetermined phases; the permittee may not proceed past a phase without the building official's approval, and work must remain accessible and exposed until approved (Municipal Code Section 2-1-8(A))

  3. 3

    Final Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy

    Space inspected for compliance before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued where the TI involves a change in occupancy (Municipal Code Section 2-1-9); the City will not provide water service to a building without a Certificate of Occupancy

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

Tips

  • Tenant improvement IS a distinct submittal track in Elko — it has its own published Tenant Improvement Checklist, separate from the Multi-Family/Commercial/Industrial checklist — but it is billed under the same universal Table 1 valuation-based fee schedule with no TI-specific fee, and uses the same universal Building Permit Application.
  • The TI checklist is notably lighter than the full commercial checklist: no civil drawings, no SWPPP/storm-water package, and no fire-protection-systems section are listed for TI work, and energy code compliance is 'if applicable — check with Building Department personnel' rather than mandatory.
  • Unlike new commercial construction, the TI checklist allows a Nevada State Licensed Contractor OR Owner/Builder doing their own work to draw and sign their own plans. Owner-builderContractor
  • Before demolishing anything, call the Building Department for a survey of plumbing fixtures being removed — fixture credit is only ensured if the survey happens before removal.
  • The published TI checklist is a legacy document (PDF metadata dates it to 2009, and it carries the old 'two complete sets' paper-submittal wording) — it remains the City's currently published TI requirements document, but submit electronically via the E-Permits portal per Municipal Code 2-1-5(A) and design to the 2024 code suite adopted December 9, 2025.
  • If the tenant improvement changes the occupancy classification or occupancy capacity of the space, see this dataset's change-of-use-permit entry — Municipal Code Sections 2-1-4(A)(1) and 2-1-9 require a permit and a new Certificate of Occupancy for occupancy changes.
  • No TI review timeline is published; the FAQ's 6-8 week figure is residential-new-construction only. Confirm turnaround at (775) 777-7220.

Frequently asked questions

Generally yes — a Nevada State Licensed Architect or Engineer must draw, date, stamp and sign each plan sheet per NRS. The exception: a Nevada State Licensed Contractor or an Owner/Builder performing their own work may draw and sign their own plans, with contractor-drawn plans identified on the front sheet by company name, license number, classification, license limit, and preparer's name and signature. Source: City of Elko Tenant Improvement Checklist.

In Elko, the published Minimum charge per permit/application (Processing Fee $40 + minimum Permit Fee $47) is: $87.00. Additional published fees: Building Permit Fee — valuation-based (Table 1) — $23.50 at $1-$500 valuation, scaling per bracket (e.g., $69.25 for the first $2,000 plus $14.00 per additional $1,000 up to $25,000; $993.75 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 per additional $1,000 up to $500,000); Plan Review Fee — 65% of the Table 1 permit fee; Other Inspections and Fees — $100.00 per hour. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Elko does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Elko Building Department at (775) 777-7220 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Building Permit Application Form; Tenant Improvement Checklist; Stamped Dimensioned Drawings; Contractor Contact Sheet; Subcontractor of Record. Depending on your project, Elko may also ask for: Nevada Health Department Letter of Approval. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Elko requires 3 inspection(s) for a commercial tenant improvement permit, in order: Pre-Removal Plumbing Fixture Survey, Phased Inspections per Approved Permit, Final Inspection / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through City of Elko Building Department ((775) 777-7220).

Apply through City of Elko Building Department at 1753 College Avenue, Elko, NV 89801. Phone: (775) 777-7220, email: Permits@elkocitynv.gov. Office hours: Elko City Hall, 1751 College Avenue, Elko, Nevada 89801; Building Department at 1753 College Avenue. The Building Department accepts electronic submittals only (E-Permits portal). Main city phone: 775-777-7100; Building Department direct: (775) 777-7220.. Official information: https://www.elkocity.com/departments/building_department/index.php.

Partially. Elko publishes a dedicated Tenant Improvement Checklist with its own, lighter submittal requirements (no civil drawings or storm-water package, and an owner/builder or contractor may draw plans for their own work), so TI is a genuinely distinct submittal track. However, there is no separate TI application or fee: both use the universal Building Permit Application and the same Table 1 valuation-based fee schedule, subject to the $87.00 minimum charge.

A Letter of Approval from the Nevada Health Department (775-753-1138) is required before the permit will be issued whenever food preparation is involved. Source: City of Elko Tenant Improvement Checklist, item 1.

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Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit in other cities

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