Severance, Colorado Building Permit Guide

Building permits inside Severance come from the Town’s Building Department, part of Planning Services at 3 S. Timber Ridge Parkway, and the Town accepts applications online only, through Community Core. SAFEbuilt Colorado does all the building inspections. On top of the inspection fees, the Town’s FY 2026 Fee Schedule adds a 30% administration fee, a 15% planning review fee and use tax of 3% on 60% of the valuation, and the Town tells new-home builders that a permit can take up to 15 business days.

What requires a building permit in Severance?

The Town’s What Needs a Permit handout gives examples on both sides of the line and says plainly that neither list is complete.

A fence over 6 ft high needs a Town variance before it can get a permit, and the municipal code adds that swimming pool barriers of any height are never exempt. A lawn sprinkler system tied to the water supply needs a backflow preventer inspection if none was installed when the house was built.

Who issues building permits in Severance?

The Town does, through the Building Department in Planning Services. Town staff take applications, run plan review intake, issue permits and license contractors, and the Building Official signs each Certificate of Occupancy. Inspections are handled by SAFEbuilt Colorado under contract.

The Town’s permits stop at the town limits. Land outside them, unless it lies in another municipality, is unincorporated Weld County and uses the County’s building department.

Severance permit applications and contractor licences

Paper applications are no longer accepted for building permits or contractor registrations. The steps the Town gives are: register in Community Core, download the Building Permit Application PDF, complete it, and upload it with the construction documents, in PDF only, naming the general contractor and each trade contractor.

The four-page application covers new buildings, additions, remodels, replacements and demolition, for residential and commercial or industrial work. It asks for the electrical, plumbing and heating contractors with their Colorado licence numbers, distances from each property line, the water supplier (the Town or North Weld County Water District), the type of sewage disposal, and for commercial jobs the electrical valuation. Production builders can cite an approved Master Plan number in place of re-submitting the same house plans.

Contractor licences: no over-the-counter permit is issued and no application goes to plan review until the general and trade contractors are licensed by the Town. The licence is applied for in Community Core with proof of competence (an ICC exam, or a licence from a government that requires ICC testing), a certificate of insurance and, for electricians and plumbers, the Colorado state and master’s licences. The fee is $75, due every 3 years on January 1. A homeowner needs no licence unless they work on more than one residence in a year.

Severance permit fees, use tax and impact fees

The Town’s FY 2026 Fee Schedule, revised December 9, 2025, does not print a valuation table for the base permit. The valuation of the improvement is determined by SAFEbuilt, and the Town sets its own charges as percentages of the total inspection fees. The fee block on the permit application lists a building permit fee, plan review fee, electrical fee, and sewer and water line inspection fees, with fire impact and school fees alongside the Town’s impact fees.

For a new single-family home, the four Town impact fees alone come to $11,080 before the water and wastewater fees, and raw water is dedicated as a water share or paid as cash in lieu at the current market price. Use tax on a home valued at $400,000 is 3% of $240,000, or $7,200.

Fees are paid in Community Core. Paying by card adds a processing fee, which the builders’ checklist puts at 3%, and paying by e-check adds none. Under the Town’s building code amendments, starting work before the permit is issued can bring an investigation fee of up to the amount of the permit fee on top of it, a refund is limited to 80% of the permit fee when no work has been done, and fees on a voided permit are not refunded. The applicant also signs for the plan review fee whether or not the permit is ever issued.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work in Severance

Weld County is one of the State’s local inspection areas for both electrical and plumbing work, so permits for a Severance address are not bought from the State. Electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical work is permitted by the Town on the same Building Permit Application and inspected by SAFEbuilt.

The Town’s electrical code is the 2023 National Electrical Code, the edition fixed by Ordinance No. 2023-09 of August 8, 2023 (Municipal Code Section 18-4-40), and plumbing, mechanical and gas work follows the 2024 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes. Its building page also links SAFEbuilt’s procedures for contemporaneous reviews of electrical and plumbing licences.

New homes fall under the State’s electric-ready, solar-ready and EV-ready rules. The 2026 residential checklist asks for the location of a 40-amp EV charger circuit within 3 ft of a parking space, a roof plan with solar-ready zones and proof the trusses can carry future panels, and a load calculation showing the house with all-electric appliances.

Septic systems, where the Town allows one, are permitted by Weld County’s health department, and the builder gives the Town a copy of that septic permit before the building permit is issued. Lots in the Box Elder Sanitation District supply that district’s receipt instead.

Documents for a new home in Severance

The Town’s checklist for builders and developers splits the paperwork into what is uploaded with the application and what is due before the permit is released.

SAFEbuilt’s 2026 residential checklist adds a soils report for the specific lot, a plot plan sealed by a registered design professional, Manual S, and electrical and mechanical plans, all to the 2024 codes. Commercial projects follow the Town’s New Commercial Plan Submittal Procedure or its Commercial Tenant Finish procedure.

The Town says returning a permit may take up to 15 business days. A revision sent in during plan review is accepted, but it resets the review days, and after issue a revision needs the Building Official’s permission.

How to apply: 6 steps in Severance

Severance inspections and the Certificate of Occupancy

SAFEbuilt Colorado handles all building inspections for the Town, on 866-671-1036 or 970-674-1037. The permit application requires at least 1 day’s notice to the building inspector for each inspection, and water and sewer line open-trench inspections must be finished by the Town and SAFEbuilt before backfilling.

The Town inspects hard surfaces itself. Sidewalks, curbs, gutters and drain pans on public property are checked before any Certificate of Occupancy; you book by email to inspections@townofseverance.org at least 24 hours ahead, and the visit falls between 8:00 am and 3:00 pm. Two inspections are included for each new structure or addition, and each further one costs $100. The final meter pit inspection and the hard surface inspection have to be done within 2 weeks of the certificate.

Before a Certificate of Occupancy the builder also files the Town’s Setback Certification form, stamped by a Colorado-licensed surveyor, and a Final Elevation and Grade Certificate with drainage certification, stamped by a Colorado-licensed engineer. With all fees paid and every inspection signed off, the request goes by email to the Building Department, which has a minimum of 24 working business hours to review and issue it.

Permits expire 180 days after the last inspection or any sign of inactivity. The code lets an expired permit be renewed for half the fee if the plans are unchanged and the lapse is under 1 year. Permits cannot be transferred.

Local Severance details that matter

Code editions: Ordinance No. 2025-27, adopted December 9, 2025, moved the Town to the 2024 International Building Code, and its design criteria sheet lists the 2024 Residential, Energy Conservation, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Existing Building, Property Maintenance and Pool and Spa Codes with the 2023 NEC.

Design criteria: 115 mph ultimate wind speed, seismic category B, a 30-inch frost line, 30 psf roof and ground snow loads, an assumed soil bearing capacity of 1,500 psf, and ice and water shield and under-floor protection required.

Water and sewer providers: depending on the subdivision, water comes from the Town or North Weld County Water District and sewer from the Town or Box Elder Sanitation District, and each has its own receipt or tap requirement before the permit is released.

Construction debris: applicants initial the Town’s debris ordinance on the application. Mud, rock, portable toilets, dumpsters and materials have to be cleared from public streets and sidewalks daily, and the Town Manager can stop all construction inspections for a builder until violations are corrected.

Permit conditions in the code: the Building Official issues a permit only where the site meets its zoning, has legal access to an accepted public street or approved private road, is connected to the authorized water and wastewater systems where needed, and the applicant has shown proof of ownership.

Appeals: the Town Council sits as the Board of Appeals for building code decisions.

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 Severance permitting resources

• Town of Severance Building Department and building permits
• Severance registration in Community Core
• Severance building permit information and SAFEbuilt building guides
• What Needs a Permit (PDF)
• Severance Building Permit Application (PDF)
• Building Permit and Certificate of Occupancy Checklist for Builders (PDF)
• Town of Severance FY 2026 Fee Schedule (PDF)
• Severance design criteria and adopted codes (PDF)
• Hard Surface Inspection Policy (PDF)
• Severance contractor licensing
• Severance Municipal Code (Chapter 18, Building Regulations)

Severance building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Severance?

The Town of Severance Building Department, 3 S. Timber Ridge Parkway, 970-692-7315. SAFEbuilt Colorado does the inspections for the Town.

How do I apply for a building permit in Severance?

Online only. Register in Community Core, complete the Town’s PDF application and upload it with PDF construction documents and your contractors’ details.

How much does a Severance building permit cost?

The building permit, plan review and electrical fees are worked out for each job from a valuation SAFEbuilt determines; the Town publishes no table for them. On top, the Town charges an administration fee of 30% of the total inspection fees, a planning review fee of 15% (each at least $30), and use tax of 3% on 60% of the valuation. A new single-family home also pays $11,080 in Town impact fees before water and wastewater fees.

How long does it take to get a Severance permit?

The Town’s checklist for builders says returning a permit may take up to 15 business days, and a revision during review resets the clock.

Do I need a permit for a shed or a fence in Severance?

A one-story shed of 120 sq ft or less with a peak under 10 ft needs no permit. Fences up to 6 ft are exempt under the code; a taller fence needs a Town variance and then a permit.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof or water heater?

Yes to both. Re-roofing needs one permit per building, and only shingle repairs of up to 100 sq ft are exempt.

How do I schedule an inspection in Severance?

Call SAFEbuilt Colorado on 866-671-1036 or 970-674-1037 with at least 1 day’s notice. Hard surface inspections are booked separately by email to inspections@townofseverance.org.

Does a homeowner need a contractor licence?

No, unless the homeowner does work at more than one residence in a year. Hired contractors, including the trades, must hold a Town licence before the application goes to plan review.

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