Elbert County, Colorado Building Permit Guide

The Elbert County Building Department, 215 Comanche Street in Kiowa, issues permits for construction, remodeling and repair in unincorporated Elbert County, and all applications are submitted in CommunityCore. Since April 22, 2026 the County has charged a flat price per square foot that includes plan review: $2.00 for a new residence and $0.90 for a barn or garage, with a $150 minimum. The towns of Elizabeth, Kiowa and Simla issue their own building permits inside their limits.

What requires a building permit in Elbert County?

Most new construction, remodels and repairs in the unincorporated county need a permit. The Building Department’s FAQ page lists the work that does not.

Under the fee schedule, work started without a permit can be charged a violation fee of up to 10 times the permit fee, and continuing after a stop work order costs $500 per violation, per day.

Who issues building permits in Elbert County?

The Building Department covers every parcel that is not inside a town, under codes the commissioners adopted for the entire unincorporated area. Tom Blevins is the Chief Building Official. The 3 incorporated towns run their own permits, and both Elizabeth and Kiowa state that addresses outside their limits must go to the County.

Fire code enforcement is not the Building Department’s job. The County applied the fire code in the unincorporated area but left enforcement to the fire protection district, which reviews plans and contacts the applicant about its own fees.

Elbert County permit types, CommunityCore and contractor licences

Every application goes through CommunityCore. Contractors apply for a County licence there, and owners register a community member account. The Permits page has a checklist for each permit type and step-by-step links for applying and uploading documents.

• Contractor licensing: since February 1, 2023 a County contractor licence is required on all new permit applications. Classes A, B and C cover general building work, with separate gas piping, mechanical, roofing and specialized trade licences. Applicants need a driver’s licence, general liability and workers’ compensation insurance, and a passed ICC test or a licence from a jurisdiction that tests. Licences expire 1 year from issue. Electrical and plumbing licences come from the State.
• Homeowners: an owner may act as their own contractor on a single-family residence or accessory structure without a licence or insurance, after signing the homeowner agreement form that names the work they will do themselves.
• Master plans: under the Master Plan Acceptance Policy of July 28, 2026, standard plan sets are accepted when every project-specific option is redlined and every option not being built is clearly struck out. This replaced an October 2025 procedure that had refused plans with options crossed out.
• Zoning first: a building permit can be issued only where the property is zoned appropriately or lies in an approved subdivision, and parcels smaller than 35 acres must go through subdivision review before development.

A permit is valid for 180 days from issuance or from the last inspection. Renewing an expired permit costs $150 within 60 days, $225 from 61 to 90 days and $350 from 91 to 180 days.

Elbert County building permit fees

The Board of County Commissioners adopted Resolution 26-20 on April 22, 2026, replacing valuation-based permit fees with a flat price per square foot of the structure. The price includes the plan review fee, the minimum permit fee is $150, and fees are non-refundable once paid.

For example, a 2,400 sq ft new residence has a permit fee of $4,800, and a 1,500 sq ft barn $1,350. Modular and manufactured homes pay a $350 flat fee when set on a crawl space, plus fees on the basement, attached garage, porches and decks.

A retaining wall between 4 and 5 ft high is not on the exempt list, so it still needs a permit; the schedule’s $150 minimum flat fee for miscellaneous permits applies, the same amount as the row for walls over 5 ft.

Use tax. A separate 1% road and bridge use tax is charged on half of the determined valuation, and here the valuation still comes from a cost-per-square-foot table: $170.80 for a wood-frame (Type VB) one- or two-family house and $31.50 for decks.

Impact fees. These apply only to accessory dwelling units, new residences and commercial projects, and are reviewed by Community & Development Services. From January 1, 2026 the County totals are $8,640 for a single-family home of 2,600 sq ft or less of finished floor space, $10,854 for a larger one, $4,503 for an accessory dwelling unit and $6,564 per multi-family unit. School district fees are paid to the district, which signs the form for the application packet, and fire impact fees are paid to the fire district.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and septic in Elbert County

Electrical: Elbert County is not on the State’s list of local electrical inspection areas, the County fee schedule has no electrical permit, and its adopting ordinance does not include an electrical code. Electrical permits and inspections for unincorporated Elbert County therefore come from the State of Colorado through DORA.

Plumbing, gas and mechanical: the County adopted the 2018 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes, and the State lists Elbert among the counties with their own plumbing inspection program. Plumbing, gas and mechanical plans are part of the County submittal, and a stand-alone furnace, air conditioner or water heater permit is $250 and a gas line $150. The County licenses gas piping and mechanical contractors itself.

Septic: onsite wastewater (septic) permits are issued by Elbert County Public Health, 75 Ute Avenue, Kiowa, 720-595-3620, with permit and inspection hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 am to 5 pm. Health Department approval is on the checklist for a new residence, and for a remodel or basement finish that adds bedrooms.

Application documents and plan review

Plans must be designed to the 2018 International Codes and to Elbert County’s own design criteria, and the Building Department does not allow reductions on those criteria. Compile each item as a clearly labeled PDF.

Commercial projects need a commercially licensed contractor, a site safety plan and, for a tenant finish, Community & Development Services approval of the site development plan. Applications are processed in the order received. The Building Department does an initial completeness check, Community & Development Services reviews the site plan and use, the fire district reviews, and then the County’s plan reviewer stamps the plans.

How to apply: 7 steps in Elbert County

Elbert County inspections

Inspections are requested in CommunityCore and can happen at any time between 8:30 am and 5:00 pm, so the site has to be accessible all day. The County does not take time requests because of the size of the area it covers; the day’s route is posted in CommunityCore each morning and inspectors give notice when they are on the way.

• Regular inspection days are Monday to Thursday. Since August 7, 2026 Friday inspections have been offered by appointment at no charge, under the County’s announcement of August 4, 2026. The $95 fee still printed in Resolution 26-20 and on the Inspections page now applies to same-day requests only.
• Cancel by 8:00 am on the day, or the visit is recorded as failed, not ready.
• Same-day requests must be in before 2:00 pm, depend on inspector availability and carry the $95 fee.
• The approved plans, permit card and inspection record must be on site and visible.
• Rough and final inspections cannot be scheduled until the required documents are uploaded to the permit.
• After a re-inspection fee is assessed, all further inspections stop until it is paid.

Re-roofs have a mid-roof inspection once the old roofing is off and the underlayment is on, a warranty step and an in-person final. The mid-roof can be done in person, by photos with a notarized affidavit, or by an engineer’s letter with photos, and the choice is made at application.

Certificate of Occupancy: upload the completed inspection card and a photo of the whole front of the house, then schedule the CO inspection in CommunityCore. The County says the certificate is issued within 2 business days of the permit being completed.

Local Elbert County details that matter

Adopted codes: Ordinance 22-01 adopted the 2018 International Building, Residential, Energy Conservation, Existing Building, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Plumbing, Property Maintenance and Fire Codes with County amendments. The County also adopted the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code on May 27, 2026.

Design criteria: 115 mph ultimate design wind speed, a 36 inch frost line and climate zone 5B. Snow load is looked up by address, and every structural submittal includes the ASCE 7-22 Hazard Tool printout.

Roof repairs: under the re-roof policy effective April 1, 2026, damage of 1 square or less needs no permit, and when damage reaches 25% of a roof slope the whole slope must be replaced. Up to 25% of the sheathing can be replaced under a re-roof permit.

Driveways and grading: Public Works issues residential and commercial access permits, grading permits and right-of-way permits through its own CommunityCore page.

HOAs: a County permit does not authorize work that breaks private covenants, and the County does not review or enforce them.

Invoice fraud warning: Community & Development Services never sends invoices from third-party email addresses or asks for wire transfers; call 303-621-3136 to check an unexpected invoice.

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 Elbert County resources

• Elbert County Building Department
• Elbert County Permits (checklists and CommunityCore links)
• Elbert County Building FAQs (exemptions, use tax)
• Elbert County Resolution 26-20 and Building Department Fee Schedule
• Elbert County Inspections
• Elbert County Building Policies and Procedures
• Elbert County Contractor’s Corner
• Elbert County Community & Development Services
• Elbert County planning and impact fees
• Elbert County Public Health: septic (OWTS) permits
• Elbert County Road & Bridge permit applications
• Town of Elizabeth Building Code and Permit Information
• Town of Kiowa Building Department
• Town of Simla documents (building permit packet)
• Colorado DORA electrical and plumbing permits
• Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations

Elbert County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Elbert County, Colorado?

The Elbert County Building Department, 215 Comanche Street, Kiowa (720-595-3619), for unincorporated land. Elizabeth, Kiowa and Simla issue their own permits inside town limits.

How much is a building permit in Elbert County?

$2.00 per sq ft for a new residence, $0.90 for a barn or garage and $0.85 for a remodel or basement finish, plan review included, with a $150 minimum. A re-roof is $350. Use tax and impact fees are separate.

Do I need a permit for a shed or fence in Elbert County?

Not for a one-story detached accessory structure up to 200 sq ft with no utilities, or for a fence that does not exceed 7 ft.

Do I need a permit to repair my roof after hail?

Yes for any repair over 1 square (100 sq ft) and for a replacement. The re-roof permit is $350 and includes a mid-roof inspection that can be done by photo with a notarized affidavit.

Who issues electrical permits in Elbert County?

The State of Colorado. Elbert County is not a local electrical inspection area, so electrical permits are bought from DORA.

Can a homeowner build without a contractor licence in Elbert County?

Yes, on a single-family residence or accessory structure, after signing the County’s homeowner agreement form.

Does Elbert County accept master plans?

Yes. Since July 2026 standard plan sets are accepted if the options being built are redlined and everything else is struck out.

Who issues septic permits in Elbert County?

Elbert County Public Health, 720-595-3620.

Simplify Elbert County 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 Elbert County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.