All counters will close from 8 - 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 10 to allow staff to attend an all-employee meeting.

• The permit counter and contractor licensing will open at 9 a.m.

• The cashier and records counters will open from 7:30 to 8 a.m. and re-open at 9 a.m.

• Inspectors will hold office hours only from 7:30 to 8 a.m.

Tomorrow is a great day to try submitting by email instead. Or, use e-permits to pay fees, renew a contractor's license, or check the outcome of an inspection online. First-timers, start with the e-permits tutorial (PDF).

For many construction projects, the first step is to combine or split existing zone lots into new land areas for future development. Zone lot boundaries may be changed as long as the new lots still meet zoning standards for development (e.g., minimum lot size, street frontage, land use type, and so on). 

Often times, a zone lot amendment will also mean realigning the underlying tax parcels (which may not always mirror the zone lot boundaries), property addresses, or subdivision lots.

To improve the likelihood of a successful outcome, zoning staff are offering a free, pre-application meeting to discuss development impacts, survey requirements, and other implications of a zone lot amendment at an early stage in your project. Appointments are available by request, and are highly recommended for commercial/multifamily projects and any zone lots that contain existing structures.

In order to ensure the community has an opportunity to protect buildings that have historic, architectural, and geographic significance, every application for a demolition permit in Denver is reviewed by Landmark Preservation, regardless of whether the site is in a landmark or historic district. 

Properties determined to be non-historic usually receive this review within 10 days. For potentially historic properties, staff must post a public notice of the demolition application onsite for 21 days. Learn more.

When mechanical, electrical, or plumbing (M/E/P) plans have been reviewed and approved as part of a logged-in commercial or multifamily building, the M/E/P subcontractors can use e-permits to pay for (not apply for) their trade-specific permits. 

CPD staff will create the subcontractor's permit record in our system, linking it to the approved plans. Subs can use e-permits to find, pay for, and print their permit. Subs should NOT use the "apply for a permit" function online, as this will not link to the approved plans and could cause inspection delays.

General contractors: Have your subs' permits already created when the main building permit is issued by giving CPD staff the subcontractors' license numbers and job valuations.

• Simple, step-by-step instructions

In Denver, plan review and permit fees are based on a project's valuation (the value of the construction work on the project). We use the latest building valuation data from the International Code Council when determining fee amounts.

For a townhouse unit, the formula used is this:


The sum of the above is then multiplied by an adjustment factor of 0.70 to determine valuation. For reference in the future, this formula is included in the Admin 138 fee policy.

• Type-approved (TA) townhomes should submit structural calculations if the foundation design has changed from the approved Master plan.

• Site plans for buildings within 1 foot of a zoning setback or required building separation should show multiple dimensions from the structure to property lines. Details are in the guide's checklists.

• Construction documents should show the total wall area and wall openings area for any exterior wall located within 5 feet of a property line, as there are limitations on wall openings at those distances.

• The application form is now easier to quickly scan and fill out the applicable sections.