In unincorporated Summit County, and in the towns of Dillon, Keystone and Montezuma, permits come from the Summit County Building Inspection Department at the County Commons in Frisco. Applications must be handed in in person before 4:30 p.m., the plan review fee (65% of the permit fee) is paid on the spot, and inspections are booked in eTRAKiT by 5 p.m. the business day before. Breckenridge, Frisco, Silverthorne and Blue River issue their own building permits.
What needs a permit in Summit County?
The county requires permits for all new structures, alterations to existing structures and remodels. Its own lists single out decks, guard replacements, basement finishes, hot tubs and window replacements as jobs people often assume are exempt.
Permit required
- New buildings, additions, alterations and remodels
- Decks and guard replacements
- A stand-alone hot tub, plus an electrical permit to connect it
- Replacement windows and sliding glass doors
- Demolition, including safe disconnection of utilities
- Park (mobile) home installation, before the home is delivered
- Gas fireplaces, wood stoves and outdoor fire pits
- Solar systems, backup generators and mini split heat pumps
- Temporary construction power
No building permit
- Re-roofing, unless the roof structure changes
- One-story residential sheds of 120 sq ft or less (running power to one still takes an electrical permit)
- Decks of 200 sq ft or less that are no more than 30 in. above grade at any point and meet the setbacks
- Carpeting, countertops and cabinets
An exempt shed still has to sit where the Planning Department allows it on the lot. Construction work is limited to Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with none on Sunday.
Who issues building permits in Summit County?
The Building Inspection Department takes in every county permit application, routes it to the county’s review agencies, issues the permit and inspects the work. It is part of Community Development, and Glen Morgan is the Chief Building Official.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | County Commons, 0037 Peak One Drive (PO Box 5660), Frisco, CO 80443 |
| Phone | 970-668-3170 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; on Wednesdays staff are in a meeting until about 10:30 a.m. |
| Submittal cut-off | 4:30 p.m., in person |
| Inspections and permit search | eTRAKiT, commdev.summitcountyco.gov/eTRAKiT3 |
| Septic (OWTS) permits | Summit County Environmental Health, 970-668-4070 |
Seven incorporated towns lie in the county. Three rely on the county department for building permits and four run their own.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Town | Who issues the building permit |
|---|---|
| Dillon | Summit County Building Inspection Department, for structural, electrical, plumbing and mechanical review and inspections. A Town of Dillon development permit must be issued first (Town planning, 970-262-3421). |
| Keystone | Summit County Building Inspection Department, on the same basis. The Town’s development permit comes first and the Town signs off the building permit (Community Development, 970-450-3500, extension 5). |
| Montezuma | Summit County Building Inspection Department; the county’s referral list sends the plans to the Town of Montezuma for planning and zoning sign-off (970-513-6846). |
| Silverthorne | The Town of Silverthorne, through its SmartGov portal (970-262-7360). Comprehensive Building Code Services has carried out the Town’s plan review and inspections since August 17, 2026. Electrical permits still go to the Summit County Building Department. |
| Frisco | The Town of Frisco Building Division, through CommunityCore (Town Hall, 1 East Main Street; building permits 970-668-9128). Plumbing and mechanical permits are Town permits; electrical and solar permits and inspections for Frisco addresses are handled by the Summit County Building Department. |
| Breckenridge | The Town of Breckenridge Building Division, Town Hall, 150 Ski Hill Road (970-453-3180), through its online access portal, for work inside the town limits only. |
| Blue River | The Town of Blue River Building Department, through its Citizenserve portal, including plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits (Town Hall, 970-547-0545). |
Copper Mountain and the other resort and subdivision areas outside those towns are unincorporated and use the county department.
Summit County permit types and how to file
There is no online application. A representative who can answer questions about the submittal brings the application form and plans to the counter, and the department does not accept emailed, mailed or couriered packages. No appointment is needed to submit or to see a plan reviewer.
- Building Permit Application: used for building and demolition permits. A building permit covers the foundation, framing and carpentry, and the exterior and interior finishes.
- Technical Permit Application: one form for mechanical, plumbing, fireplace, electrical and temporary power permits.
- Hot Tub, Window, Park Home and Photovoltaic permit applications, each with its own form. A like-for-like, non-structural window replacement at a home needs no plans; commercial window replacement is plan reviewed.
- Contractor Registration: every contractor must be registered with the department before pulling a permit, and only the employees named on the registration may sign for permits.
- Special Inspector Application, where plan review decides a special inspector is needed.
A building permit expires 18 months after issue and can be extended once for up to 18 months on written request. Stand-alone technical, window and hot tub permits expire after 6 months, with one extension of up to 3 months.
Summit County permit fees
Fees come from the Summit County Building Department 2026 Fee Schedule, adopted as Exhibit B of the county’s 2024 code amendments. The building permit fee is read from a valuation table, and the valuation must include labor and materials for the plumbing, electrical, gas, mechanical and fireplace systems. The Building Official sets the final valuation.
| Total valuation | Building permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $50 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $50 for the first $500, plus $1.25 per additional $100 or fraction |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $69.25 for the first $2,000, plus $14 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $391.25 for the first $25,000, plus $10.10 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $643.75 for the first $50,000, plus $7 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $1,169.55 for the first $100,000, plus $6.73 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,663 for the first $500,000, plus $5.34 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $1,000,001 and up | $6,332.22 for the first $1,000,000, plus $3.90 per 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, is added to it, and is due when the plans are submitted. For a project valued at $400,000 the permit fee is $1,169.55 plus 300 × $6.73, which is $3,188.55; plan review adds $2,072.56, for $5,261.11 before trade permits and the impact fee.
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Window permit | Same valuation table as a building permit |
| Residential hot tub permit | $65, including plan review |
| Standard mobile home set | $65 plan review plus $65 permit |
| Re-inspection | $65, paid in person before the re-inspection is requested |
| Work started without a permit | Investigation fee equal to the building permit fee, on top of the permit fee |
| Change of contractor | $65 |
| Additional plan review | $65 per hour, 1 hour minimum |
| Inspection outside business hours | $200 per hour, 2 hour minimum |
| Fire hazard mitigation permit | $150, collected by the fire department |
| Contractor registration (general, mechanical, alternative energy) | $100; renewal $50 if paid between December 1 and January 31 |
| Building Board of Review appeal | $1,000, refunded if the appeal succeeds |
Affordable housing impact fee: charged on new construction and additions. For a single-family home or duplex it is $0 up to 1,499 sq ft, $0.50 per sq ft from 1,500 to 2,499 sq ft, $1 from 2,500 to 3,499 sq ft, $1.50 from 3,500 to 4,999 sq ft and $2 at 5,000 sq ft or more. Commercial and industrial buildings pay $2 per sq ft. Copper Mountain and the Keystone PUD are exempt, and an owner can avoid the fee at permit issuance by recording the county’s Voluntary Housing Allowance Restrictive Covenant, which puts a transfer fee on later sales.
The counter takes cash, check, e-check ($1 fee) or credit card ($0.75 plus 2.25%). If a permit is cancelled before any work starts and before it expires, 80% of the permit fee may be refunded; the plan review fee is not refundable once the review is done.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and septic permits
Summit County runs its own trade inspection program, so electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fireplace permits are county technical permits, not state ones. Its inspectors check state electrician and plumber licences and apprentice ratios on site.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plumbing, mechanical or fireplace | 0.75% of the valuation of that work, $65 minimum |
| Plumbing or mechanical on a new building | 0.75% of an assumed valuation equal to 10% of the building valuation |
| Plan review for plumbing or mechanical, when required | 65% of the permit fee, $65 minimum |
| Electrical, home up to 1,000 sq ft | $146 |
| Electrical, home of 1,001 to 1,500 sq ft | $218 |
| Electrical, home of 1,501 to 2,000 sq ft | $292 |
| Electrical, home over 2,000 sq ft | $292 plus $15 per 100 sq ft or fraction over 2,000 |
| Other electrical work up to $2,000 in value | $146 |
| Other electrical work over $2,000 | $146 plus $15 per $1,000 or fraction |
| Temporary power, or hot tub electrical | $146 |
| Electrical plan review | 65% of the electrical permit fee |
Electrical fees track the state electrical board’s schedule and can change from year to year. Residential technical permits need no plan review; commercial mechanical, plumbing and electrical work always does.
Solar: a residential roof-mounted system under 15 kW can be issued over the counter with a complete submittal. Larger, ground-mounted and commercial systems are plan reviewed. The adopted 2026 schedule prices solar on the electrical valuation table with a cap of $400 for residential and $1,000 for commercial systems, although the department’s fee web page still lists the earlier flat charges of $175 plus $325 and $350 plus $650. The installer must be a NABCEP certified PV installer.
Septic: the Summit County Environmental Health Department issues onsite wastewater treatment system permits and inspects every new system and repair. The work has to be done by a licensed OWTS contractor, and Environmental Health also reviews wells and water rights during building plan review.
Fire sprinklers: a new home larger than 4,500 sq ft, counting attached garages, must be sprinklered, and the fire district reviews, permits and inspects the system.
What to bring: the county submittal checklist
The Permit Submittal Completeness Checklist (July 2026) is written mainly for new houses and additions. Bring one set of stamped plans with the application form.
Site
- Site plan at 1:10 or 1:20 scale
- Existing and proposed topography at 1 or 2 ft contours
- Property lines and setbacks
- Wetlands and floodplains
- Height calculations, with certified topography if within 5 ft of the height limit
- Exterior lighting cut sheet
- Town approval, for a site in a town the county serves
Building
- Floor plans and elevations
- Stamped structural plans
- Soils report, where the subdivision or the engineer’s design calls for one
- Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code material specifications for siding, decking, roofing and exterior walls
- 2024 Energy Compliance Checklist, signed, for a new single-family home
- Insulation details
- Energy audit for an addition or remodel valued at $50,000 or more
Rather not deal with the Summit County building department?
Get a free quote →At the counter you receive a sign-off card listing the outside referral agencies for your subdivision, usually the water, sewer and fire districts. Every sign-off has to come back to the office before the permit is issued. Fire district approval is required on all commercial and multi-family permits.
Planning checks use, setbacks, lighting and height; Engineering checks site stability, wetlands, grading, drainage, driveways and erosion control; Environmental Health checks septic design; Housing reviews workforce housing projects. Building Inspection comments are typically sent within 2 weeks of submittal, and overall timing depends on the season and how complete the plans are.
How to apply: 7 steps at the Summit County counter
Unincorporated addresses and sites in Dillon, Keystone and Montezuma go to the county. In those three towns, get the Town’s development permit or sign-off first.
The Building Inspection Department Matrix gives the roof snow load, whether a soils report is expected, and which water, sewer and fire districts must sign.
File the Contractor Registration form with a $1,000,000 general liability certificate naming the department, or pass the homeowner builder test.
Bring the application, one stamped plan set and the checklist items to the County Commons before 4:30 p.m. and pay the plan review fee.
Take the sign-off card to each listed district while the county departments review the plans.
When every department has approved, a permit technician notifies you to collect the permit and pay the balance, including any impact fee.
Link the permit number to your account and request each inspection by 5 p.m. the business day before.
Summit County inspections
All inspections are requested online in eTRAKiT, up to 3 business days ahead, and a next-day request must be in by 5 p.m. on the business day before. Inspectors visit on the day scheduled, and each inspector’s route slip is posted online every morning. A morning or afternoon slot can be requested for concrete inspections only.
- Technical inspections must be requested under the technical permit, not the building permit.
- The approved plans and every approved change must be on site. Plan changes are submitted in person with the original red-lined set, and inspectors do not review changes in the field.
- Do not type gate or door codes into the request notes, which are public; phone them to the office.
- After a failed inspection, correct the work and book a re-inspection before moving to the next phase. If a $65 re-inspection fee is assessed, eTRAKiT blocks new requests until it is paid.
- All final inspections have to be scheduled for the same day.
- To cancel, use eTRAKiT before 5 p.m. the business day before, or leave a message on 970-668-3170 after that.
A home can be occupied only after the Certificate of Occupancy is issued, which needs every building and technical permit complete and all referral agency sign-offs in hand. A temporary certificate is possible with the Building Official’s approval.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Local Summit County rules that change the design
2024 codes: plans submitted on or after July 1, 2026 must meet the 2024 International Codes with county amendments. The Summit County Sustainable Code is no longer an energy option for single-family homes, which now follow the 2024 IECC with a simplified prescriptive path.
Wildfire hardening: permits applied for on or after May 4, 2026 fall under the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code with county amendments. The county treats every part of Summit County, town centers included, as moderate to high fire intensity requiring Class 2 structure hardening: Class A roofing, noncombustible gutters, vent mesh of 1/8 in. or finer, ignition-resistant or noncombustible siding and deck surfaces, and noncombustible or ignition-resistant fencing within 8 ft of the building.
Snow, frost and wind: the frost line is set at 40 in. below grade, and deck piers carrying no roof may be 24 in. deep. Roof snow loads are assigned by subdivision in the Matrix, from 70 to 100 psf, with no reduction for duration. The Matrix lists a 115 mph design wind speed.
Outdoor energy use: under the Renewable Energy Mitigation Program, exterior hot tubs, pools and snowmelt systems must have 50% of their energy use offset by on-site renewable energy, and fuel-fired heaters are not allowed for them. One hot tub of up to 64 sq ft per single-family home and the first 100 sq ft of residential snowmelt are exempt.
Homeowner builders: an owner building or altering their own principal residence may pull building and technical permits after passing the county’s free, open-book tests with 80% or better on the first attempt. Trusts and LLCs do not qualify, short-term rental properties are excluded, and a new home project is allowed no sooner than 2 years after the last Certificate of Occupancy obtained as a homeowner builder.
Hot tubs on wells: filling an outdoor hot tub from a well may need water augmentation, and proving adequate water rights is the owner’s responsibility.
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 Summit County resources
- Summit County Building Inspection Department
- Summit County building and technical permit types
- Summit County building permit fee schedule
- Summit County 2024 code amendments and 2026 Fee Schedule (Exhibits A and B)
- Summit County building forms and applications
- Summit County Permit Submittal Completeness Checklist (July 2026)
- Summit County Building Inspection Department Matrix
- Summit County inspections
- eTRAKiT permit search and inspection scheduling
- Summit County contractor registration
- Summit County homeowner builders
- Summit County Wildfire Resiliency requirements
- Summit County Environmental Health: onsite wastewater treatment systems
Summit County building permit FAQs
How much is a building permit in Summit County, Colorado?
It depends on valuation. Between $100,001 and $500,000 the fee is $1,169.55 for the first $100,000 plus $6.73 per additional $1,000, and plan review adds 65%. A $400,000 project comes to $3,188.55 plus $2,072.56, before technical permits and the affordable housing impact fee.
Can I apply for a Summit County building permit online?
No. Applications and plans are submitted in person at the County Commons in Frisco before 4:30 p.m. eTRAKiT is used only to search permits, check review status and schedule inspections.
Do I need a permit to re-roof in unincorporated Summit County?
No, unless the work changes the roof structure. New roofing still has to be Class A.
Do I need a permit for a deck or a shed?
A deck needs a permit unless it is 200 sq ft or less, no more than 30 in. above grade and within the setbacks. A one-story residential shed of 120 sq ft or less needs none, but its location must suit the Planning Department.
Who issues permits in Dillon, Keystone and Silverthorne?
The county department issues building permits for Dillon and Keystone after each town’s development permit. Silverthorne issues its own building permits and has used Comprehensive Building Code Services for plan review and inspections since August 2026, while its electrical permits still go to the county.
How long does plan review take?
The county gives no fixed period. Building Inspection comments are typically sent within 2 weeks of submittal, and total time depends on the season, plan quality and the other reviewing departments.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Summit County?
Yes, for their own principal residence, after passing the homeowner builder tests at the Building Department with 80% or better. Bring your own 2024 IRC code book.
Who issues septic permits?
The Summit County Environmental Health Department, 970-668-4070, at the County Commons in Frisco.
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More Colorado permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Summit County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.