Sterling, Colorado Building Permit Guide

Inside Sterling city limits, building permits come from the Public Works Department at City Hall, 421 N 4th Street. There is no online portal: application forms are requested from Public Works on 970-522-9700, extension 1109, and the finished permit is mailed to you. A use tax on building materials is collected with the permit, and electrical and plumbing permits are filed with the State of Colorado, not the City.

What needs a permit in Sterling?

Sterling requires a building permit to erect, enlarge, alter or repair a structure. Public Works also lists a set of smaller jobs that each need their own permit.

Any structure or change of use inside a mapped special flood hazard area also needs a floodplain development permit from the Public Works Director.

Who issues building permits in Sterling?

Sterling has no separate building department. Permits are handled by the Public Works Department, whose permit forms carry the name of its Code Enforcement Division. The Director of Public Works reviews each building permit application and also serves as the City’s floodplain administrator. Appeals of the building official’s decisions go to the City’s Public Works Board.

The City’s permits apply inside the city limits. Property in unincorporated Logan County is handled by the county’s Planning, Zoning & Building Department at the Logan County Courthouse, 315 Main Street (970-522-7879).

Sterling permit applications and how to get them

The City has taken its downloadable permit applications off the website while it brings them into line with accessibility rules, so the forms are requested from Public Works by email or phone. A paid, approved application is turned into a permit by the Public Works administrative assistant, and a copy is mailed to the address on the application. You can ask for an emailed copy or collect one at City Hall.

Applications the department lists:

• Building Permit Application, which asks for the job address and legal description, owner, contractor and City licence number, the use of the building, the class of work (new, addition, alteration, demolition or move), any change of use, the total value and the material cost.
• Mechanical, Re-Roof, Fence, Sign and Demolition permit applications.
• Zoning Compliance Permit and Home Occupation applications.
• Flood Plain Development Application and Elevation Certificate instructions.
• Mobile/Manufactured Home Setup & Inspection Application and Temporary Structure Application.
• Right-of-Way Encroachment and Curb, Gutter and Sidewalk Replacement applications.
• Waste Water Questionnaire, required for every new commercial building.
• Contractor License application, checklist and renewal form.

A building permit lapses if work does not start within 180 days, or stops for 180 days once it has begun.

Sterling permit fees, use tax and licence fees

Sterling does not post a building permit fee table. Public Works states that building permit fees follow the fee chart in the building code the City has adopted, that a plan review fee is added in some cases, and that fees vary with the type of permit. The figures the City does publish are below.

The 4% on the Public Works permits page is the sum of two taxes: the City’s own 3% use tax, set by Section 19-145 of the municipal code, and the 1% Logan County tax in the Finance Department’s rate table. Under the code the tax is collected when the permit is issued and the materials are deemed to be 50% of the project valuation; the alternative is to arrange with the Director of Finance to pay on filed returns, in which case a final project cost report must be approved before the final inspection.

Open permit fees and licence fees can be paid online through Point & Pay by entering PW-Permit or PW-License in the account field. Card payments carry a transaction fee of $2 up to $50, $2.95 up to $100 and $4.95 up to $200; an e-check costs a flat $2.95. Building without the required permit can bring additional fees and penalties.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Sterling

Electrical and plumbing: the City does not issue these. Both permits are filed through the State of Colorado and the work is inspected by the state’s local electrical and plumbing inspectors. Public Works keeps the state application forms at its counter. The City’s adopted building and residential codes exclude their plumbing and electrical provisions, apart from the fixtures a building must have, so the electrical standard is the State’s: the 2026 National Electrical Code for work from August 1, 2026.

Mechanical: heating, cooling and ventilation work takes a City mechanical permit under the 2018 International Mechanical Code and Fuel Gas Code, with a rough inspection before concealment and a final inspection once the equipment is ready for service.

Trade contractors: plumbers, electricians, HVAC installers, roofers and other single-trade firms need the City’s Class IV subcontractor licence. Where the State licenses the trade, Sterling will not issue its own licence until it has proof of a current state licence in good standing. The general contractor is responsible for making sure every subcontractor on the job is licensed, and an unlicensed subcontractor is grounds for revoking the building permit.

Fire code: Sterling enforces the 2018 International Fire Code and has removed that code’s operational permits.

What Sterling asks for with an application

Before issuing a building permit, the Director of Public Works decides whether the project triggers public improvements such as street paving, curb, gutter, sidewalk or drainage work. If it does, building them to the City’s Engineering Specifications at the permit holder’s cost becomes a condition of the permit.

Public Works also publishes its Climate and Geographic Design Criteria (2023) and a letter on roofing permit applications alongside the 2018 codes.

How to apply: 7 steps in Sterling

Sterling inspections

Inspections are booked by phone on 970-522-9700. Every request needs 24 hours’ notice and should be called in before 4 p.m. The City’s minimum inspections for a building are:

• Footing: excavation complete, forms and reinforcing steel in place, before concrete.
• Foundation wall: forms and steel in place, before concrete.
• Underfloor: service equipment, conduit and piping in place, before concrete or floor sheathing.
• Rough mechanical: pipes and ducts in place, before they are concealed.
• Framing: roof, framing, fire-blocking and bracing complete and the rough mechanical, plumbing and electrical approved, before insulation and wallboard.
• Wallboard: gypsum board or lath in place, before taping or plastering.
• Final mechanical, then the final building inspection after the state electrical and plumbing finals are signed off.

A re-roof needs two visits in person: a pre-mid roof inspection and a final. The City will not complete a final roof inspection without the earlier one, and asphalt shingles must go on a solidly sheathed deck.

The permit holder has to keep work exposed and accessible until it is inspected, and the City does not pay for removing material that hides it. The Certificate of Occupancy is the last line on the City’s inspection record.

Local Sterling rules worth knowing

Flood hazard: no building permit is issued until the Director of Public Works finds the site reasonably safe from flooding. In a special flood hazard area with base flood elevation data, the lowest floor of a new or substantially improved home, with its electrical, heating, plumbing and air conditioning equipment, must sit 1 ft above the base flood elevation, certified by a Colorado engineer, architect or land surveyor.

Fences: the limit is 6 ft in every district. In the R1, R2, R3, NB and MH districts a front-yard fence may be 36 in. high if solid, or 48 in. if at least 50% open. Corner lots must keep a sight triangle clear for 40 ft along both street frontages. Electric fences are banned, barbed wire is limited to the top of commercial or industrial chain link, and an outdoor pool of 5,000 gallons or more must be enclosed by a 6 ft fence or wall.

Home sprinklers and wall wrap: Sterling adopted the 2018 International Residential Code without its automatic fire sprinkler section. The City highlights the water-resistant barrier rule: one layer of No. 15 asphalt felt or an approved equivalent over the studs or sheathing of all exterior walls, before any veneer.

Contractor licences: Class I and Class II applicants qualify by passing the ICC contractor exam. Every applicant supplies a general liability certificate naming the City as certificate holder, and licences run for 1 year without refunds or proration. A Class III jobber is limited to nonstructural alterations under $5,000.

New businesses: a business opening in Sterling must obtain zoning compliance from Public Works before it applies for a City sales tax licence.

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 Sterling permitting resources

• Sterling Public Works: Permits and Licenses
• Sterling Building Permit Application
• Sterling Contractor License Application
• Sterling Planning and Zoning
• Sterling online payments (Point & Pay)
• Sterling municipal code (Municode): Chapter 5 buildings, Chapter 8 flood, Chapter 9 contractors
• Logan County Planning, Zoning & Building Department
• Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (state electrical and plumbing)

Sterling building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Sterling, Colorado?

The City of Sterling Public Works Department at City Hall, 421 N 4th Street, for property inside the city limits. Logan County handles land outside them.

How much is a building permit in Sterling?

The City does not post a fee table. The permit fee comes from the fee chart in the adopted building code, a plan review fee applies in some cases, and use tax on the materials is collected at the same time. Public Works will quote a job on 970-522-9700, extension 1109.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Sterling?

Only if it is larger than 120 sq ft. Smaller storage sheds are exempt from the permit requirement.

Do I need a permit for a fence or a new roof?

Yes to both. Building or rebuilding any fence, wall or hedge takes a fence permit, and re-roofing takes a re-roof permit with a mid-roof and a final inspection.

Where do I get an electrical or plumbing permit?

From the State of Colorado. State inspectors based locally inspect the work, and Public Works can hand you the state forms.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Sterling?

Yes. A homeowner may act as their own contractor for work on their primary residence without a City contractor licence.

Which building codes does Sterling use?

The 2018 International Building, Residential, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation, Existing Building and Fire Codes, adopted by ordinance in June 2023.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 970-522-9700 before 4 p.m. with at least 24 hours’ notice.

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