Brighton, Colorado Building Permit Guide

Inside Brighton city limits, the City of Brighton Building Division issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits and contractor licences through its OpenGov portal. The 2026 permit fee is set by valuation ($993.75 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 per additional $1,000), plan review adds 65% of the permit fee, and use tax is 3.75% of half the valuation. A tract home gets its first review in 12 business days and a custom home in 18.

What needs a building permit in Brighton?

Brighton’s handout “Do I Need a Building Permit?” starts from the 2021 International Residential Code: building, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a structure needs a permit, and so does installing or replacing an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system. It then lists what is exempt, and adds that repairs or alterations not on the exempt list generally require a permit.

Emergency replacement of a water heater, furnace, boiler, heat pump or water or sewer service can start before the permit: email the permit counter, apply in the portal by the next business day and leave the work unconcealed.

Who issues building permits in Brighton?

The Building Division, part of Community Development, handles building permits, contractor licensing, right-of-way and utility permits and bonding through its “1stop” permit counter. The City licenses general, mechanical, plumbing and electrical contractors and inspects those trades itself.

Brighton lies mostly in Adams County, with a small area in Weld County, and the City permits both parts. Property outside the city limits is unincorporated Adams County or Weld County, and the county is the permitting authority there. The City’s permit page links both counties’ GIS maps for checking a parcel.

OpenGov filing, checklists and contractor licences

Create an OpenGov account to apply for any permit or contractor licence. After the permit is paid, print the City-stamped plans and the permit card from the portal; the inspector expects both on site.

The City publishes these checklists and forms for the common application types:

• Permit Checklist: Residential, covering master plan review, production home permits and custom builds.
• Permit Checklist: Commercial, Industrial, Multi-family.
• Site Plan Checklist and the Accessory Dwelling Unit Requirements & Checklist.
• Residential Pool Handout and a handout on model homes and sales trailers.
• Change Order Application for Building Plans, for revisions after approval.
• Commercial CO Checklist and the Single Family Unit/Duplex/Townhome CO Checklist.

Contractor licences run for 12 months and are applied for in the same portal. The classes are A (unlimited general), B (limited general), C (residential general), D (jobbing: garages, patios, sheds, pools, basement finishes, fences, signs), E (specialty trades such as roofing, framing and solar), P (plumbing), M (mechanical) and Electrical, which is a registration backed by a State master electrician. New A, B and C licensees need the matching ICC exam before ground-up construction.

An owner may build or work on a personal residence and its accessory buildings without a licence, but only one residence in any three consecutive years.

Brighton building permit fees (2026)

City Council set the 2026 fees by Resolution 2025-76, effective January 1, 2026, and amended them by Resolution 2025-87. Permit fees are based on valuation: materials and labor for all the work, including finishes, roofing and permanent equipment. Where it applies, the City values buildings from the ICC building valuation data published in August of the preceding year, and the building official sets the final valuation.

Plan review is 65% of the permit fee, paid when the permit is issued. A deposit toward it is taken at application: $200 for a new custom home or a residential master plan, and $500 for new commercial, industrial or multi-unit plans and tenant improvements over $25,000. A home built from a plan the City has already mastered pays a flat $189 plan review fee instead.

For example, a job valued at $300,000 pays a permit fee of $993.75 plus 200 × $5.60, which is $2,113.75. Plan review at 65% is $1,373.94, and use tax at 3.75% of half the valuation is $5,625. Development impact fees, water and sewer charges and district fees for a new home are separate.

Under the amendment, accessory dwelling units are not charged the permit fee, the plan review fee or the electrical inspection fee. Card payments carry a 2.9% surcharge. Plan review fees are not refunded once the review is complete, and permit fees are not refundable more than 90 days after payment unless a homeowner documents a hardship.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Brighton

Brighton runs its own trade inspection programme under the 2023 National Electrical Code and the 2021 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, so these permits are City permits applied for in OpenGov, not State permits. The fee schedule prices them by valuation like other permits, and a new home pays a $126 electrical inspection fee per unit.

General, mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractors must all be licensed or registered with the City before they pull a permit. A plumbing licence requires a State master plumber in a supervisory role, and electrical registration requires a State master electrician. Commercial building owners allowed to do minor remodel work themselves must still use licensed electricians and plumbers.

The Brighton Fire Rescue District charges an emergency services impact fee on new homes, and its receipt is part of the production-home submittal. The City publishes handouts on gas pipe pressure tests, grease interceptors and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in existing dwellings.

Application documents and review times

Everything is uploaded in OpenGov. The City does not treat an application as complete, or start review, until every required document is in.

The City states that it has no second track or expedited permitting process.

How to apply: 6 steps in Brighton

Brighton inspections and Certificates of Occupancy

Contractors must schedule inspections in the OpenGov portal. Requests are taken until 11:00 p.m. for the next business day, except single-family unit inspections, which must be in by 3:30 p.m. Homeowners may use the inspection line, 303-655-2151, by 4:00 p.m. for the next business day.

• Building Division inspections are generally next day; Planning Division inspections need 3 days’ lead time.
• For an arrival window, call between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. on the day.
• An inspector cannot enter an occupied home unless someone 18 or older is present.
• Each inspection needs written approval before the next stage starts, and work must be exposed and accessible.
• A request made before 4:00 p.m. on the business day before a City holiday is scheduled for the second business day after the holiday.
• To cancel, call 303-655-2017 before the scheduled time.

Re-roof finals are flown by drone, so the contractor no longer has to provide a ladder. A mid-roof inspection is required on tile roofs, flat commercial roofs and wherever decking is replaced.

To get a residential Certificate of Occupancy, email the completed CO request checklist to the permit counter with all final inspections passed, energy compliance documents, the ILC and grading certification, and the engineer’s observation letters. The City answers CO submittals within 48 hours and does not issue them at the counter. Temporary certificates are not available for residential uses.

Local Brighton details that matter

Wildfire code: Brighton has not adopted the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code. The City says that, if it is adopted, it will affect only the mapped areas such as Jacob’s Run.

Design criteria: ground snow load 35 psf, wind speed 107 mph, frost line 36 inches, Seismic Design Category B. Ice barrier is not required.

Roofing: the roof covering needs a manufacturer’s wind warranty of at least 110 mph. 3-tab shingles are not permitted on habitable structures, existing roofing must be removed first, and drip edge is required on eaves and rakes.

Right-of-way work: the City asks for a financial guarantee for any work in the public right-of-way or on public infrastructure, and publishes its bond policy and templates.

Construction hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., anywhere in the city, under the municipal noise code.

Fee scam warning: the City warns of phishing aimed at permit customers in Colorado. If a fee notice arrives unexpectedly, check it with your planner or permit technician before paying.

Colorado building code

Colorado has no statewide building code for private buildings: each city and county decides whether a code applies and which edition, while the state sets electrical and plumbing rules, a minimum energy code on any update, and a wildfire code for the mapped wildland-urban interface. Building codes in Colorado

Official Brighton permitting resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations
• Brighton Building Division permit reports
• City of Brighton permitting and OpenGov portal
• Brighton codes, design criteria and review times
• Brighton inspections
• Brighton contractor licensing
• Brighton adopted fee regulations
• 2026 City of Brighton Fees, Resolution 2025-76 (PDF)
• Amendment to 2026 fees, Resolution 2025-87 (PDF)
• Do I Need a Building Permit? (PDF)
• Permit Checklist: Residential (PDF)

Brighton building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Brighton?

The City of Brighton Building Division, for property inside the city limits in both Adams and Weld counties. Applications go through OpenGov.

How much is a building permit in Brighton?

It depends on valuation. In 2026 a $300,000 project pays a $2,113.75 permit fee, $1,373.94 for plan review (65%) and $5,625 in use tax, before impact and utility fees.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Brighton?

Not for a one-story detached shed of up to 200 sq ft, although zoning setbacks and height limits still apply. Larger sheds need a permit.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

Yes, unless the repair is no more than one square (100 sq ft) of roofing or decking.

How long does plan review take in Brighton?

12 business days for a tract home, deck, basement or patio, 18 for a custom home, 15 for a commercial tenant improvement and 24 for new commercial. Resubmittals take about 7 business days.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Brighton?

Yes, for work on a personal residence and its accessory buildings. An owner may build only one residence in any three consecutive years.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Contractors use the OpenGov portal, by 11:00 p.m. for the next business day (3:30 p.m. for single-family units). Homeowners can call 303-655-2151 by 4:00 p.m.

Does Brighton charge permit fees for an ADU?

No. The 2026 fee amendment waives the permit fee, plan review fee and electrical inspection fee for accessory dwelling units.

Simplify Brighton permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Colorado. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Brighton permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.