Building Services

A minimum of one full exterior elevation wall (including all stories of that elevation wall) must be retained of the original building for a project to be considered an alterations or addition.

Demolition of a substantial portion of a structure, beyond this limitation shall be considered fully demolished, and the new structure shall meet all building code requirements for new construction.

New Buildings and Additions#

Yes, most work requires a building permit, but some work is exempt.

• Can I do the work myself?
  • Homeowners may perform work on their primary primary residence only, if it is a single family detached home.
  • Commercial building owners may perform work on their buildings if the total amount of work is less than $2,000 and does not include any structural.
  • All contractors and subcontractors hired to perform work must be licensed with the City of Fort Collins for the type work being done. This is verified prior to permit issuance. To confirm that your contractor/subcontractor are licensed and up to date contact: contractor_licensing@fcgov.com
  Step 3: Additional Requirements Prior to Submittal

  A separate submittal or review process from one or more of the following departments below may be required.

  A development review process may be required prior to submitting for a building permit for:

  • New buildings
  • Additions
  • Change of use to land
  • Change of use to buildings

  Website:

  Email:

  Phone: 970-221-6689

  PFA is a multi -jurisdictional Fire Department. Separate and additional online submittals are required for most commercial and multi-family projects.

  1. A submittal will be required for fire code review for all new construction and most commercial tenant finish projects.

  2. A separate and additional submittal will be required for any fire systems installations or alterations i.e. sprinkler, fire alarm, hood and duct, etc.

  3. When required, City of Fort Collins Building permits will not be issued without PFA issued permits and/or approvals and sign-off.

  Website:

  Phone: 970-416-2892

  Larimer County Health Department is a multi-jurisdictional Health Department. Separate and additional submittals are required for:

  1. Food or drink service, preparation, handling, or processing (Bars, Breweries, Distilleries, Restaurants, Commercial Commissary Kitchens, Food Manufacturing/Packaging, Grocery Stores)
  2. Daycare
  3. Schools
  4. Healthcare Facilities
  5. Public recreational facilities (Pools)
  6. Institutions (Nursing home, Assisted Living, Rehab Centers, Hospitals)
  7. Individual sewage disposal systems (septic and potable water wells).

  When required, City of Fort Collins Building permits will not be issued without LCHD approval.

  Website:

  Email:

  Phone: 970-498-6775

  Website:

  Email:

  Phone: 970-416-2745

  Is your building located in a flood plain?

  Buildings and alterations to buildings located in with a floodplain have specific requirements and limitations.

  Website:

  Email:

  Phone: 970-416-2632

  Is your building historically designated? Or, need a commercial/multi-family permit for a building over 50 years old?

  Exterior alterations (including siding and windows) on historically-designated property and commercial/multi-family permits require review by Historic Preservation Services. Check out the incentives available for projects in Fort Collins. Not sure if replacing materials is cheaper than repairing what you have? Check out the cost calculator tool.

  Website:

  Email:

  Phone: 970-224-6078

  Step 4: What is required to submit for a permit?

  Use the table below to get info guides and checklists, permit applications, and resources specific to your project type.

  Plans should be submitted in PDF format only. Each PDF needs to be named correctly.

  Other Resources:

  • Building Codes
  • Energy Code Resources
  • Contractor Licensing

  Each independent structure requires a separate permit

  Step 5: What can I expect during the review process?

  I've successfully submitted my permit, what happens next?

  • The design, plans and documents you submitted will be checked before the permit is issued and construction begins.

  *****No work can begin until the applicant has received a copy of the building permit and approved plans. (Reviewers add red-lines and conditional comments to the plans that you will need for construction).********

  Why Review? Reviews address code at the design phase which reduces costly re-construction and failed inspections by reviewing for compliance prior to construction.

  Who Reviews? The project is reviewed by many City Departments for compliance with building codes, land use code, zoning, historic, flood plain, and other project specific requirements.

  I received an e-mail that a "Resubmittal is Requested," does that mean I have to submit for a new permit or start from the beginning?

  No, your permit has not been denied. This just means that:

  1. A reviewer may need additional information, clarification, or has questions about your project.
  2. Or a specific drawing, critical detail, page or form may be missing from the submittal.
  3. Or plans do not comply with codes/requirements and need to be revised to show compliance.

  How do I resubmit my plans/documents?

  Follow the resubmittal instructions in the email you received. New documents should be named v2 (v=version #=round of review).

  How long will it take to process a resubmittal?

  Resubmittals have priority and are typically assigned a two week max turn around after submitted for building code items. You may contact the reviewer directly for questions about their timeline.

  

  1. Use the Citizen Portal
  2. Under the Building category, select 'Search permits' (see photo above)
  3. Enter the address, permit number or stock plan number (i.e. B180xxxx or SP0xxxx), scroll down to click on 'Search'
  4. Select the permit/project from the list.
  5. Click 'Record Info' for drop down list of options (top left corner)
  6. Select 'Workflow Tasks'
     • No icon = task has not been activated/routed yet (not complete)
     • Hourglass = not completed, in process, or additional items are needed from the applicant.
     • Green check mark = completed task
  7. Click the grey triangle/arrow next to each task to view holds/comments from each reviewer.

  Building and Zoning Review Times

  This chart provides target review dates for Zoning (Land Use Code Compliance review) and Building Code review. For most permit types Zoning (Land Use Code Compliance) will activate and open up the workflow of the permit and start the review time for building and all departments.

  • Target dates are subject to change due to workload.
  • Times are given in calendar days.

  Project Type

  Zoning Review Time

  Building Code Review Time

  • Pole Barn (commercial and residential)
  • New Residential Secondary Building
  • Wireless Telecommunication Facility
  • New Residential Building with Habitable Space
  • New Commercial Secondary Building
  • Shed
  • Residential Addition
  • Single Family Detached
  • New Manufactured Home Commercial
  • Stock Plans
  • Single Family Attached (Townhome)
  • Two Family Duplex
  • Commercial addition