The Grand County Building Division in Hot Sulphur Springs (970-725-3255) is the permit authority for unincorporated Grand County and for property inside Grand Lake, Hot Sulphur Springs and Kremmling; Fraser and Winter Park share a joint building division, and Granby has had its own Building Department since February 1, 2026. Every county application, building or septic, is filed online in Cloudpermit. Fees follow the county’s 2026 Permit Schedule, with a plan review fee of 65% on top, and since July 1, 2026 the county has enforced the 2021 International Codes and the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code.
What requires a permit in Grand County?
The Building Division’s rule is that a permit is required for any construction, alteration, relocation, repair, change of use or demolition of a building or structure. It publishes a short list of exceptions.
Permit required
- New buildings, additions, remodels and repairs
- Change of use
- Demolition or moving a structure
- Roofing and window replacement, priced on their own fee table
- Mobile homes
- Sheds over 120 sq ft, barns, greenhouses and fences over 6 ft, all treated as utility structures
- Wood stoves and fireplaces, which get their own inspection
- New, upgraded, replaced and most repaired septic systems
Exceptions
- One-story detached tool or storage sheds and playhouses up to 120 sq ft and no more than 12 ft high, only alongside a single-family dwelling
- Fences not over 6 ft high
- Retaining walls not over 4 ft from the bottom of the footing, unless carrying a surcharge
- Water tanks on grade up to 5,000 gallons
- Platforms, walks and driveways at grade that are not part of an accessible route
- Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets and counter tops
- Prefabricated pools less than 24 inches deep
- Swings, playground equipment and small window awnings
Barns, stables and livestock shelters on land with an agricultural classification are left out of the county’s utility-structure valuation list.
Who issues building permits in Grand County?
There are three building departments in Grand County, and which one you use depends on the town, not on distance. The county division is part of Community Development, whose director is Kristen Manguso; it also acts as the Grand County Sanitarian for septic systems. The County’s Building page still describes a joint Winter Park, Fraser and Granby division, but Winter Park’s notice of December 17, 2025 and Granby’s own permit page show Granby running its own department since February 1, 2026.
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Get a free quote →| Place | Building department | How to reach it |
|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated Grand County (Tabernash and other rural areas) | Grand County Building Division | Cloudpermit; 308 Byers Avenue, Hot Sulphur Springs; 970-725-3255 |
| Grand Lake | Grand County Building Division, under contract with the Town: every building permit and inspection goes through the County in Cloudpermit. The Town adds its own use tax and affordable housing fee sheet, a use tax consent form and a Planning Department consent form, uploaded with the application | County 970-725-3255; Town Hall, 1026 Park Avenue |
| Hot Sulphur Springs | Grand County Building Division, under contract with the Town. The Town’s home-building guide (November 2023) has the package handed in or emailed to Town Hall first, with the local permit fee, for a zoning check before it goes on to the County | County 970-725-3255; Town Hall, 513 Aspen Street, 970-725-3933 |
| Kremmling | Grand County Building Division, in partnership with the Town. The Town Manager gives the Town’s development approval and carries out the zoning (setback) inspection | County 970-725-3255; Town Manager, 200 Eagle Avenue, 970-724-3249 |
| Fraser and Winter Park | The Winter Park and Fraser Building Division, part of Winter Park’s Community Development Department. Applications are emailed, review is to the 2021 International Codes, and inspections are requested online by 4 p.m. for the next business day | 50 Vasquez Road, Suite B, Winter Park; permits@wpgov.com; 970-726-8081 |
| Granby | Town of Granby Building Department, since February 1, 2026, when the Town left the joint division. Every application goes through the Town’s Cloudpermit portal, under the 2021 International Codes with the exceptions in Granby Municipal Code 15.05.040 | building@townofgranby.com; 970-887-2501 |
The county’s fee line for Grand County, Tabernash, Kremmling, Hot Sulphur Springs and Grand Lake is 970-725-3255, option 1. Electrical permits are issued by the State in all six towns and in the unincorporated county.
County applications, Cloudpermit and contractor registration
All Grand County permit requests are submitted online. Sign in to Cloudpermit, pick the jurisdiction and upload the plans; the county suggests watching Cloudpermit’s short tutorial before a first application. The applicant has to be the property owner or a contractor registered with the county. For help, email building@co.grand.co.us.
- Contractor registration. Every contractor who takes out a building permit must be registered. New and renewal applications are made on the county’s online form with insurance certificates and a $100 annual fee, or mailed to P.O. Box 238, Hot Sulphur Springs.
- Owner as Builder Form and the county’s occupancy requirements for owner-builder permits.
- Change of Contractor and Contractor Verification forms, and a Workers’ Compensation Insurance Waiver.
- Plan Change Request Form, for older permits that were not issued through Cloudpermit.
- Guidelines for roofing and re-roofing, window replacement, stairs, handrails and guardrails, building height, and solid fuel burning devices.
The Building Division’s stated function is enforcing and interpreting the codes, not design advice. If you want a conference with staff, the county asks for at least 2 days’ notice and a set appointment.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Permit costs and fees in Grand County
The county’s 2026 Permit Schedule sets fees from a construction value that it calculates itself: the floor area of each use, measured to the outside of the walls, multiplied by a rate from the schedule. The county stresses that this value has nothing to do with what the project actually costs. Current rates for ordinary wood-frame construction are $120.08 per sq ft for a one- or two-family dwelling, $60.04 for an unfinished residential basement, $31.58 for a private garage or utility building, $26.80 for a deck and $25 for a carport, deck roof or patio.
| Total valuation | Building permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $2,000 | $54 |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $54 for the first $2,000 plus $14 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $376 for the first $25,000 plus $10.10 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $628.50 for the first $50,000 plus $7 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $978.50 for the first $100,000 plus $5.10 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,018.50 for the first $500,000 plus $4.25 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $1,000,001 and up | $5,343.50 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.65 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
The plan review fee is 65% of the building permit fee and is charged in addition to it. The county’s own example is a 2,500 sq ft house with a 576 sq ft garage and a 300 sq ft deck: construction value $326,430.08, permit fee $978.50 plus 227 × $5.10, which is $2,136.20, and plan review $1,388.53, for $3,524.73 in total. All fees are paid before the permit is issued.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Roofing or window replacement, value up to $500 | $30 |
| Roofing or window replacement, $501 to $2,000 | $30 plus $1 per additional $100 or fraction |
| Roofing or window replacement, $2,001 to $25,000 | $45 for the first $2,000 plus $8.35 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Roofing or window replacement, over $25,000 | $237.05 for the first $25,000 plus $10.10 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Moving or demolishing a building | $100 |
| Mobile home | $1,000 |
| Re-inspection, after-hours inspection, or extra plan review | $47 per hour, 1-hour minimum |
| Outside consultants for plan check or inspection | Actual cost plus 20% |
| Septic permit | $850 new; $400 repair; $500 for a variance |
| Contractor registration | $100 per year |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Checks are made out to Grand County Building Services. The county does not accept checks with lien waiver endorsements or checks drawn on foreign banks.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and septic permits
Electrical. Grand County issues no electrical permits. All electrical inspections are made by the State of Colorado Electrical Inspector (303-869-3473), and the county’s forms page links straight to the State electrical permit. A single-family home cannot be occupied until the State inspector has signed off the electrical work.
Plumbing and mechanical. These are inspected by the county under its 2021 codes: rough plumbing is checked with the rough framing, and plumbing and built-in appliances again at the final. County inspectors also check plumbers’ State licences on site under a written contemporaneous review procedure.
Septic. The Building Division, acting as the county Sanitarian, reviews designs, issues onsite wastewater permits and inspects the installations. Apply in Cloudpermit and choose Unincorporated Grand County as the jurisdiction. You need a design stamped by a Colorado professional engineer and a notarized Declaration of Covenants, which staff deliver to the Clerk for recording once you have paid the Clerk’s $43 recording fee by phone. The permit costs $850 for a new system or complete replacement and $400 for a repair, paid online after approval. The covenant commits the owner to connect to a public sewer if one ever comes within 400 ft of the property line.
Application documents and plan review
The Building Permit Application Checklist for new construction sets the minimum drawings. Planning & Zoning and Building reviewers can ask for more.
Site plan
- North arrow and scale; 1 inch to 20 ft or 40 ft preferred
- All property lines with dimensions, and the party wall for a duplex or townhome
- Setbacks, building envelopes and easements
- Every existing and proposed structure, with dimensions
- 2 ft contours when the structure is within 3 ft of the height limit
- Driveway slope, culverts and adjacent streets; the first 50 ft must be at 5% or less
- Streams, wetlands, ponds and ditches, with the 30 ft water quality setback from the high water mark
- Wells, septic tanks and leach fields, including those on adjacent lots
Building plans
- Architectural plans at 1/4 inch to 1 ft or larger: foundation, each floor, roof plan with snow stops, elevations showing finished grade 10 ft out
- Room labels, mechanical equipment locations, attic and crawlspace ventilation
- Fireplaces and wood stoves labeled gas or wood, with model number
- Stair, handrail and guardrail details
- Structural plans with wind, snow, floor and soil design criteria
- Floor, deck and roof framing plans with sizes, species, grades and connectors
- Engineered truss design and layout before the permit is issued
Rather not deal with the Grand County building department?
Get a free quote →A surveyed setback verification is required when the structure is within 3 ft of a minimum setback or the lot has a building envelope. For a new home the reviewers also verify legal water and legal sanitation: start the State well permit before applying if you will use a well, and expect tap fee payments to a water or sanitation district, any fire impact fee and any driveway permit to be checked in the permitting software. The county tells applicants their fees once plan checking is complete and publishes no review time.
How to apply in Grand County: 6 steps
Fraser and Winter Park go to the joint division at Winter Park and Granby to its own Building Department; everything else in the county goes to the Building Division in Hot Sulphur Springs.
Start the State well permit or pay district tap fees, and line up a driveway permit and any fire impact fee.
The applicant must be the owner or a county-registered contractor; registration is $100 a year.
Upload the site, architectural and structural plans from the checklist, and file the septic application alongside if the lot needs one.
The county calculates the construction value, permit fee and 65% plan review fee and tells you the total when review is finished.
Keep the hard-card permit and the approved plans on site and ask for each inspection before 3 p.m. for the next business day.
County inspections and occupancy
The owner is responsible for getting every required inspection. For a permit issued through Cloudpermit, log in there to request it; for an older open permit, use the county’s online inspection request form. A request has to be made before 3 p.m. to be scheduled for the next business day.
- The hard-card permit must be on the job site where the inspector can see it, with the approved plan set in the weatherproof packet the department supplies. A lost or misplaced card means a re-inspection fee.
- Minimum inspections: zoning stake-out before any footing or concrete, footing forms with steel tied, foundation, rough framing and plumbing, drywall, roofing, wood stoves and fireplaces, and the final.
- The final covers plumbing, built-in appliances, structural items, site cleanup and grading, and is carried out with the contractor or owner present.
- A Certificate of Occupancy is issued only after the final inspection and once construction debris, waste and equipment have been cleared. For a single-family home the county issues a letter of occupancy instead; none is issued for garages or fences.
- Commercial buildings must be fully complete before occupancy. Unfinished tenant spaces need their own finish permit when they are leased.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Local Grand County details that matter
New codes from July 1, 2026. Resolution 2026-4-11 adopted the 2021 International Codes with local amendments and Resolution 2026-6-9 adopted the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code. The 2015 codes still apply to some permits issued before that date.
Three Lakes Design Review Area. From the south end of Lake Granby north to Rocky Mountain National Park, and about 3 miles either side of U.S. Highway 34, plans have to state the roof, siding and foundation covering colors and types, the trim color and all door colors. Before any other inspection, the applicant calls the county Zoning Office for a separate zoning inspection of the footprint.
Design criteria. Wind speed is 115 mph (3-second gust) in Exposure C, the minimum frost line depth is 30 inches, the seismic design category is B or C and the winter design temperature is −16. Roof snow load comes from the county snow zone map or its subdivision index, and an ice barrier is required.
Water quality setback. Buildings must sit at least 30 ft from the high water mark of streams, wetlands, ponds and ditches.
Septic records. The county keeps an online archive of septic system records, and its current septic regulations date from August 24, 2018.
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
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Official Grand County resources
- Grand County Building & Sanitation
- Grand County Building Division general information and design criteria
- Applying for a Grand County building permit
- Cloudpermit sign-in
- Grand County building fees
- Grand County 2026 Permit Schedule
- Building Permit Application Checklist: New Construction
- Grand County permit forms and guidelines
- Grand County codes and amendments
- Grand County inspections
- Grand County septic permit information
- Three Lakes Design Review
- Grand County contractor registration
- Winter Park and Fraser Building Division
- Town of Granby building permits
- Town of Grand Lake building permits
Grand County permit FAQs
Who handles building permits in Grand County?
The Grand County Building Division, for unincorporated land and for Grand Lake, Hot Sulphur Springs and Kremmling. Fraser and Winter Park are served by a joint building division based at Winter Park, and Granby by its own Building Department.
How much is a building permit in Grand County?
The county works it out from floor area. Its own 2026 example, a 2,500 sq ft house with a 576 sq ft garage and a 300 sq ft deck, comes to a $2,136.20 permit fee and a $1,388.53 plan review fee: $3,524.73.
Can I apply on paper?
No. All building and septic permit applications are submitted online through Cloudpermit.
Do I need a permit for a shed or fence?
Not for a one-story shed up to 120 sq ft and 12 ft high that goes with a single-family home, or a fence not over 6 ft.
Who issues electrical permits in Grand County?
The State of Colorado. Its electrical inspector does every electrical inspection in the county.
Where do I get a septic permit?
From the same Building Division, in Cloudpermit. A new system costs $850 and needs an engineer’s stamped design and a notarized Declaration of Covenants.
How do I book an inspection?
In Cloudpermit, before 3 p.m. for the next business day.
Which codes apply?
The 2021 International Codes and the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code, with local amendments, for permits from July 1, 2026.
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More Colorado permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Grand County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.