Title
Building Permit Process Review
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Summary and Background Information:
In response to Council inquiries, staff is providing the results of an analysis of the building permit process as it relates to:
– What types of residential permits are required
– How is this communicated
– Identified improvements within these aspects of the process partly based on survey of peer cities in the front range area
– Additional future presentation will be provided related to land use cases
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Background of Building Permits
Building, plumbing, gas, HVAC and electrical permits give you legal permission to start construction of a building project in accordance with approved drawings and specifications. Building permits are required to help protect the public by reducing the potential hazards of unsafe construction and ensuring public health and safety.
In Commerce City, review times vary by permit type:
– 10 days for standard building permit reviews
– 4 days for reviews on home improvement projects.
– Over-the-counter same-day permits, Monday-Friday, that require no plan review.
– Weekend Warrior same-day permits for small home improvement projects
In Commerce City, accessory residential permits usually require building permits, such as fences, sheds, driveways, and decks. A number of other types of residential work do not, however, such as water tanks, fences less than 42 inches, landscaping, panting, papering, tiling, cabinetry, limited interior wall finishes, etc.
These requirements are communicated in three main ways:
1. Forms
a. Builder Guides - Primarily for residents, aides with simple DIY projects
b. Topical Information Guides - More complex projects often performed by contractors
c. Facts to Know for LDC processes - Usually for Land Use Cases, such as Rezonings or Variances
2. City website - Currently, some forms are not available, but some actions are available online, such as requesting inspections and limited online permits.
3. Staff communication to custom...
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