Do I need a (Boulder) building permit?
You have a vision for your home improvement project, but do you need a building permit to carry out that work? A building permit is a legal document that allows you to carry out certain types of construction work on your property. Its purpose is to ensure that your project complies with local building codes, safety standards, and zoning regulations. Additionally, in Boulder, a building permit is used as a means to ensure safe building, coordinated development, effective land use and high-quality site planning. However, not every project needs a permit, and the requirements vary from city to city. In this blog post, we will explain what work does and does not require a building permit in Boulder, Colorado.
In general, any work on your home that isn’t purely aesthetic and deals with building codes, life safety, water management, or zoning requires a building permit, no matter how small.
You DO NOT need a building permit in Boulder for the following residential work:
One-story detached nonconditioned buildings accessory to a residential structure and not more than 80 square feet in area or ten feet in height and not being served by any electrical, mechanical, or plumbing fixtures or systems.
Fences not over 7 feet (2,134 mm) high.
Retaining walls which are not over 3 feet in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless supporting a surcharge or impounding Class I, II, or III-A flammable liquids.
Sidewalks and driveways not more than thirty inches above grade and not over any basement or story below and which are not part of an accessible route.
Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, and similar finish work.
Temporary motion picture, television, and theater stage sets and scenery.
Prefabricated swimming pools accessory to a Group R-3 occupancy which are less than 24 inches deep, do not exceed 5,000 gallons, and are installed entirely above ground.
Shade cloth structures constructed for nursery or agricultural purposes and not including service systems.
Swings and other playground equipment accessory to detached one- and two-family dwellings.
Window awnings in Group R and Group U occupancies supported entirely by an exterior wall and which do not project more than 54 inches from the exterior wall.
Moveable cases, counters and partitions not over 5 feet 9 inches in height.
Replacement of windows in low-rise residential buildings that are three stories or less in height.
Replacement of exterior siding on low-rise residential buildings that are three stories or less in height.
Building energy efficiency components that (a) are required as part of a city energy efficiency program; (b) do not include any electrical, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, solar photovoltaic and solar hot water heating systems; and (c) are inspected by a HERS rater (a Home Energy Rating System rater certified through Residential Energy Services Network) or a city licensed energy inspector as defined in Chapter 4-4, "Building Contractor License," B.R.C. 1981
If your property qualifies for any of the above exemptions but is located in a historic district, or if the individual property has a historic designation, all exterior changes require review and approval through a Landmark Alteration Certificate (LAC).
You DO need a building permit for the following residential work:
New construction homes
New construction attached and detached garages
New additions
Adding an exterior entrance to your basement
Removing or adding walls
Renovations of bathrooms where the layout is changing
Renovations of the kitchen where the layout is changing
Enlarging existing windows
Adding a deck
Moving stairs
Converting existing space to a new use, such as converting a garage to living space.
Any work that impacts the structure of the building
Accessory structures such as garages, sheds, and studios.
You DO need a mechanical permit for residential mechanical work unless the work is:
Portable heating appliance, portable cooling unit, portable evaporative cooler, or portable ventilation equipment.
Steam, hot, or chilled water piping within any heating or cooling equipment regulated by this code.
Replacement of any part which does not alter an approval or listing or make any appliance or equipment unsafe.
Self-contained refrigeration system containing ten pounds (4.54 kg) or less of refrigerant and actuated by motors of one horsepower (746 W) or less.
You DO need an electrical permit for residential electrical work unless the work is:
Minor repair and maintenance work, including the replacement of lamps or the connection of approved portable electrical equipment to approved permanently installed receptacles, radio and television transmitting stations, temporary testing systems for the testing or servicing of electrical systems or apparatus and those items in Article 90.2 (B) of the electrical code.
You DO need a gas permit for residential gas work unless the work is:
Portable heating appliances.
Replacement of any minor part that does not alter approval of equipment or make such equipment unsafe.
You DO need a plumbing permit for residential plumbing work unless the work is:
The stopping of leaks in drains, water, soil, waste, or vent pipe; provided, however, that if any concealed trap, drain pipe, water, soil, waste, or vent pipe becomes defective and it becomes necessary to remove and replace the same with new material, such work shall be considered as new work and a permit shall be obtained and inspection made as provided in this code.
The clearing of stoppages or the repairing of leaks in pipes, valves, or fixtures, and the replacement of water closets, provided such repairs do not involve or require the replacement or rearrangement of valves or pipes.