Building permits inside Frederick come from the Town of Frederick Building Department, which also inspects the work and licenses contractors. Permit fees in the January 1, 2026 Fee Schedule start at $35 and rise with valuation, plan review is a further 65% of the permit fee, and inspection requests are due by 4 pm on the business day before.
What requires a building permit in Frederick?
Frederick’s Home Improvement page names the common projects that need a permit and lists the work that does not. Ask the Building Department about anything that is on neither list.
Permit required
- Uncovered decks and porches
- Additions
- Accessory dwelling units
- Basement finishes
- Detached garages
- Re-roofing, and any roof repair over 100 sq ft, which triggers a complete re-roof
- Furnace, air conditioner, evaporative cooler and water heater replacements
- Electrical service upgrades and solar
- Lawn sprinkler backflow devices
- Retaining walls over 4 ft, with an engineering letter
- Demolition
No permit
- One-story detached accessory structures up to 200 sq ft
- Fences not over 6 ft high (chain link is prohibited)
- Retaining walls not over 4 ft from the bottom of the footing, unless supporting a surcharge
- Sidewalks and driveways not more than 30 inches above grade
- Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets and countertops
- Prefabricated pools less than 24 inches deep
- Playground equipment at a one- or two-family home
- Window awnings projecting no more than 54 inches
- Portable appliances and minor part replacements
Roof repairs of up to 100 sq ft with like material may be allowed without a permit at the Building Official’s discretion. If work starts before a required permit is issued, the fee schedule makes the permit subject to double the calculated fee.
Who issues building permits in Frederick?
The Building Department oversees permits, inspections, contractor licensing and code compliance for homes and commercial buildings. Its inspection list covers electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas stages along with the structural ones, so trade work on a Frederick permit is inspected by the Town.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | 401 Locust Street, Frederick, CO 80530 (mail: PO Box 435) |
| General questions | 720-382-5516, building@frederickco.gov |
| Inspection line | 720-382-5620 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 4:30 pm |
| Permit portal | Accela portal linked from the Town’s Permits page |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The department works only inside the town limits; a site in unincorporated Weld County is the county’s to permit. Fire protection plans for alarms, sprinklers, kitchen hoods and commercial buildings are sent separately to the Frederick-Firestone Fire Protection District.
Frederick permit applications and licensing
The Town’s Permits page links to its Accela portal and to three application forms: New Residential, New Commercial and a General Permit Application for everything else, including a construction trailer on a site with no active permit. Submittal outlines are posted for demolition, commercial work, homes built from a master plan, custom homes and solar.
- Contractor licences: no one may work as a contractor in Frederick without a licence from the Building Division, and no permit is issued for work by an unlicensed contractor. Licensing has moved to a separate online licensing portal, where every application is treated as new, with no separate renewal. The 2026 fees are a $50 processing fee plus a $75 licence fee each year.
- General contractor rule: a project that uses 2 or more licensed trades needs a licensed general contractor.
- Homeowners: an owner may build, alter or repair their own residence or an accessory building for personal use without a contractor licence. An owner may build 1 single-family house in a 3-year period this way and must then live in it for at least 2 years after the certificate of occupancy.
- Roofing contracts: a signed contract has to be presented with the permit application for residential and light commercial roofing.
A permit expires 180 days from issue unless work has started and inspections have been done.
Frederick building permit fees
The Town reviews its Fee Schedule every year, and the current one took effect January 1, 2026. Building permit fees are in Chapter 18 and are based on the project valuation, meaning the cost of labor and materials.
| Valuation | Permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $35 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $35 for the first $500 plus $3.72 for each additional $100 or fraction |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $90.80 for the first $2,000 plus $17.08 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $483.64 for the first $25,000 plus $12.32 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $791.64 for the first $50,000 plus $8.54 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $1,218.64 for the first $100,000 plus $6.83 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,950.64 for the first $500,000 plus $5.80 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $1,000,001 and up | $6,850.64 for the first $1,000,000 plus $4.45 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →The plan review fee is 65% of the building permit fee, and an administrative fee is added by valuation: $20 under $10,000, $100 up to $80,000, $150 up to $150,000 and $200 above that. For example, a $20,000 basement finish has a permit fee of $90.80 plus 18 × $17.08, which is $398.24, a plan review fee of $258.86 and a $100 administrative fee, $757.10 in all before use tax.
| Permit or service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential A/C, furnace or evaporative cooler | $200 per item |
| Residential like-for-like water heater | $200 |
| Residential service upgrade, 200 A maximum | $200 |
| Residential lawn sprinkler backflow device | $100 |
| Demolition of a structure | $200 |
| Temporary or accessory structure | $200 |
| Temporary electrical service or construction meter, 200 A or less | $150 |
| Solar device | $500 residential, $1,000 commercial |
| Stock or same-as plan review | $500 with no change, $750 with a minor change |
| Re-inspection | $100 |
| Inspection outside normal business hours | $120 per hour, 2 hours minimum |
| Additional plan review after changes to approved plans | $100 per hour |
| Temporary Certificate of Occupancy | $1,000 for 30 days, with the Chief Building Official’s approval |
Each new single-family unit also pays Town impact fees of $5,493 for transportation, $3,291 for parks and open space, $3,067 for general capital improvements and $617 for public safety. Sewer is a separate district: St. Vrain Sanitation District’s proof of tap purchase is required before the Town issues a building permit, and the St. Vrain Valley School District collects its own cash-in-lieu payment.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work in Frederick
Frederick enforces the 2024 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes. For electrical work, Section 18-4-10 of the Municipal Code (Ordinance 1408 of 2026) adopted the 2023 National Electrical Code and provided that the 2026 edition takes over on the date the State Electrical Board adopts it; the Board adopted it on May 27, 2026, with an effective date of August 1, 2026. The Town’s inspection request form has its own electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspection codes, from underground and rough stages to finals, and a gas line test at 10 psi.
The permit applications have a line for each trade contractor, and commercial applications ask for a separate electrical valuation. Stand-alone replacements are flat-fee permits: $200 for a furnace, air conditioner, evaporative cooler, like-for-like water heater or a service upgrade up to 200 A.
Solar: a professional engineer’s seal is not needed for a system on a single-family home or duplex unless it reaches 10 kilowatts or includes a generator or battery backup. Every submittal needs equipment cut sheets, a one-line diagram, mounting details and conductor calculations.
Application documents and plan review
Planning and Building staff check each application against the adopted codes, and a complete package moves faster. Engage a surveyor early, because survey documents can be required for setbacks and building height.
New home
- Application with owner, general contractor and electrical, plumbing and HVAC subcontractors, legal description, square footage, heat source, water source and valuation, signed by owner and contractor
- Soils report by a Colorado licensed soils engineer
- Foundation plans stamped by a Colorado engineer and stamped structural plans
- Floor plans, roof details and four building elevations
- Electrical and mechanical plans, with Manual J, D and S
- Energy code compliance: REScheck or an energy rater’s report
- Stamped plot plan with setbacks, easements, lot coverage, utilities, grading and drainage (5% slope away from the foundation for the first 10 ft) and erosion controls
Commercial and multi-family
- Completed application with use, class of work, valuation, heating, water and sewer details
- PDF plans stamped by a Colorado licensed engineer
- Approved site plan and civil plans, with drainage contours at 2 ft intervals
- Cover sheet with project summary, signed by a Colorado architect
- Project manual and specifications
- Soils or geotechnical report
- Architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing and electrical sheets
- Fire protection plan review application emailed to the fire district
New single-family and commercial projects east of I-25 must also meet the Town’s Colorado-Big Thompson water dedication requirements. Before renovating or demolishing, check the State’s asbestos rules.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →How to apply: 6 steps in Frederick
Each contractor applies in the Town’s licensing portal and pays the $50 processing and $75 licence fees.
For a new building, get proof of tap purchase from St. Vrain Sanitation District and settle the school district payment.
Use the New Residential, New Commercial or General Permit Application and the matching submittal outline.
File through the Accela portal on the Permits page with the stamped plans, soils report, energy documents and plot plan.
Permit, plan review, administrative and impact fees are assessed from the valuation and the Fee Schedule.
Send the online Inspection Request Form by 4 pm the business day before, and keep a large-format approved plan set (22 x 34 or 24 x 36 inches) on site until finals pass.
Frederick inspections
Inspections are requested with the Town’s online Inspection Request Form, which asks for the address, permit number, requested date and inspection types. Requests must be in by 4 pm on the business day before. Anything received after 4 pm on a Friday goes on the following Tuesday’s schedule, and no inspections are made on Town holidays, including the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.
The Town’s list for a new house runs from setback, footing, Ufer ground, perimeter drain, open hole and foundation through underground and rough trades, weather barrier, insulation, drywall and mid-roof to the four finals, followed by final planning and final engineering. Five documents are required along the way: a setback certificate, grading certificate, insulation certificate, HERS report and Improvement Location Certificate. The foundation setback certificate is due before framing.
- Mid-roof: since January 1, 2024, all old shingles, underlayment and drip edge must be removed and the new underlayment and ice and water shield in place, with no shingles installed. A mid-roof with any shingles on fails and the shingles come off for the re-inspection. Without a mid-roof there is no final.
- Ladder: the contractor sets and secures a ladder extending 36 inches above the roof surface.
- Re-inspection: $100 when work is not ready or corrections were not made.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Local Frederick details that matter
2024 codes: Frederick lists the 2024 International Building, Residential, Fire, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Plumbing, Existing Building, Energy Conservation, Swimming Pool and Spa and Property Maintenance Codes with local amendments, the National Electrical Code (shown on the Town’s list as the 2023 edition, although the Municipal Code moved the Town to the 2026 edition when the State adopted it), the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code and the Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code.
Design criteria: 115 mph wind speed, exposure C unless the site meets another definition, 30 psf ground and roof snow load, and footings 36 inches to the bottom.
Roofing: ice and water barrier on all roofs, drip edge on gutter and rake edges, roofing materials warrantied for 115 mph 3-second gusts, all old layers removed, and exposed nail heads sealed.
Fences: a fence up to 6 ft needs no permit, but chain link is prohibited and the Town publishes a fence materials and design brochure.
Dumpsters and storage containers: a remodeling dumpster must sit on your driveway or property, out of alleys and roads. A moving container may stay up to 30 days without a permit.
Grading: overlot grading has its own plan review and permit fees, with no review fee for 50 cubic yards or less and a $23.50 permit for that volume.
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 Frederick permitting resources
- Town of Frederick Building Department
- Frederick Permits page (applications, Accela portal, inspection list)
- Frederick Residential / New Construction Building Permit Checklist
- Frederick commercial and multi-family submittal checklist
- Frederick Fee Schedule (January 1, 2026)
- Frederick Building Fee Information (sanitation and school districts)
- Frederick Building Codes and design criteria
- Frederick Request an Inspection
- Frederick Home Improvement (permit and no-permit lists)
- Frederick Solar Submittal Requirements
- Frederick Contractor License
- Colorado DORA: state and local electrical and plumbing inspection areas
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Frederick building permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Frederick, Colorado?
The Town of Frederick Building Department, 401 Locust Street. Call 720-382-5516 or email building@frederickco.gov; the inspection line is 720-382-5620.
How much does a building permit cost in Frederick?
Fees follow valuation, starting at $35. A $20,000 project pays $398.24 for the permit, $258.86 for plan review and a $100 administrative fee. Furnace, A/C and water heater replacements are $200 each.
Do I need a permit for a fence or shed in Frederick?
No permit is needed for a fence up to 6 ft high, though chain link is prohibited, or for a one-story detached accessory structure up to 200 sq ft.
What roofing inspections does Frederick require?
A mid-roof and a final. At the mid-roof the roof must be fully torn off with underlayment and ice and water shield installed and no shingles on.
How do I schedule an inspection in Frederick?
Submit the online Inspection Request Form by 4 pm the business day before. Requests after 4 pm on Friday are scheduled for the following Tuesday.
Can a homeowner build their own house in Frederick?
Yes, without a contractor licence: 1 single-family dwelling in a 3-year period, provided the owner lives in it for at least 2 years after the certificate of occupancy.
Which building codes does Frederick use?
The 2024 International Codes with local amendments. The electrical code is the 2026 National Electrical Code, which the Municipal Code adopted from the date of the State Electrical Board’s adoption in 2026.
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More Colorado permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Frederick permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.