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The Homeowner Process

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Are you a homeowner who is doing the work yourself? Our Start a Project guide will walk you through a series of questions to help you figure out if your project needs a permit or requires plan review.

Homeowner Permits

Why are Permits and Inspections required?

The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department is responsible for the issuing and management of building permits for all areas under our jurisdiction. These areas include unincorporated El Paso County; the cities of Colorado Springs, Fountain and Manitou Springs; the towns of Green Mountain Falls, Monument and Palmer Lake; and in Teller County, the City of Woodland Park. We do not service the townships of Ramah or Calhan, nor any other areas of Teller County.

Visit our Start a Project page where we will walk you through a series of questions designed to help you figure out if you need a permit for your project, or if plan review is required. For many types of projects you can accomplish this entirely online without needing to visit one of our offices.

Your home or business is an investment. If your construction project does not comply with the codes adopted by the community, the value of your investment could be reduced or can create a hazard for yourself or your family. Also, property insurers may not cover the work done without permits and\or inspections.

What Projects Require a Permit?

Construction, installation and replacement of, but not limited to, the following:

  • Air conditioning system
  • Basement finish
  • Boiler
  • Decks (to include composite materials)
  • Detached accessory structure over 200 square feet (garage, gazebo, greenhouse, etc.)
  • Electrical work
  • Patio or deck enclosure and\or cover
  • Pool
  • Porch
  • Retaining walls greater than 4’ in height
  • Exterior siding and stucco
  • Fireplace or stove (gas or solid fuel)
  • Framing (New or Modification)
  • Furnace
  • Garage conversion
  • Hot tub
  • Lawn sprinkler back-flow device
  • New home
  • Roofing
  • Room addition
  • Sun room
  • Water heater
  • Work with in a floodplain

If you are in doubt or have any questions, please Contact Us prior to starting any project to verify the need for a permit. Discussing your plans with a code official before you begin your project can save time and money as you move forward.

What Projects Do Not Require A Permit?

As a general rule, cosmetic improvements do not require a permit. Examples can include a house interior and exterior painting, replacing kitchen cabinets and most appliances, installation of carpeting or other floor materials, concrete flat work, fences less than 7 feet in height (6 ft. or greater in Colorado Springs requires zoning approval), detached accessory structures less than 200 square feet (125 sq. ft. or greater in Colorado Springs requires zoning approval) and minor plumbing and heating repairs. Depending on where you live, some of these items may still require a review and\or permit from the zoning and floodplain authorities.

If you are in doubt or have any questions, please Contact Us prior to starting any project to verify the need for a permit.

Can The Homeowner Obtain The Permit?

Yes. As a homeowner you may obtain a permit only if you are performing the work on your primary residence, which you own and reside in. You cannot perform work on a rental property you own nor a home you do not reside in. If you obtain a permit and are completing the work yourself you are expected to know the pertinent codes and are responsible for the work passing all required inspections. It is illegal for a homeowner to obtain a permit for a contractor hired to do the work for you.


If you are looking for a licensed contractor, you can Search our Directory.

What Is My Responsibility As A Homeowner When I Hire A Contractor, What Do I Need To Consider?

As a homeowner, who hires a contractor for work that requires a permit, know that the contractor must be licensed and registered with the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department. To find out if the contractor you are looking to hire is indeed licensed and registered with the PPRBD, you can Search our Directory. A contractor cannot obtain a permit unless the contractor's license is in good standing.

What If A Permit Is Not Obtained?

If the work requires a permit and is reported to the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, or observed by an inspector in the area, as non-permitted work, a STOP WORK ORDER will be issued and will remain in effect until the proper permit is obtained.

If a permit is not obtained for the work, a Certificate of Alleged Non-compliance will be issued against the property and filed with the El Paso or Teller County Clerk and Recorder placing a lien against the property. Work completed without a permit may be caught by a home inspector prior to a real estate closing. This can impede or cancel the sale, and the current record owner will be financially responsible for paying any additional fees required to obtain the proper permits and complete the required inspections to verify code compliance. If the work is determined to not be in compliance with code requirements, it is the responsibility of the record owner to address and remedy the identified issues.

Can A Homeowner Track The Inspection Progress On A Project?

Inspection results are available on the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department websites on the Permit Status Page. Inspection results can be searched either by permit number or address. Inspection results are typically entered the same day the inspection is performed.

What If a Homeowner’s Permit is Requested by an Entity?

When an entity requests a homeowner’s permit for a one- or two-family dwelling and any structures accessory thereto, in addition to the requirements of RBC §201.3, the homeowner needs to make certain it provides enough information and documentation from the entity’s authorized agent to PPRBD to document that:

  1. The person acting on behalf of the entity has authority to do so; and
  2. The entity now owns and resides in the property upon which the work will be performed, or the entity now owns and intends reside on the property where the work will be performed; and
  3. The entity does not and will not contract with any person to perform any of the work that will be performed, which would require a license.

Types of entities: corporation, nonprofit corporation, limited liability company, general partnership, limited partnership, registered limited liability partnership, registered limited liability limited partnership, limited partnership association, government or governmental subdivision or agency, trust (Section 38-30-108.5, C.R.S.), and others.

With regard to the following type of entities, the following documentation may be submitted:


Trust(s):

  • Signed, notarized Certificate of Trust or an Affidavit of Trust, which acknowledges: (1) the formation of the trust; (2) the name of the trust and the date such was created; (3) the name(s) of the trustees, and, if there is more than one trustee, whether the trustee(s) can act severally, unilaterally and independent of each other or not; (4) the name(s) of the successor trustee(s), and, if there is more than one successor trustee serving at a time, whether these successor trustee(s) can act severally, unilaterally and independent of each other or not; and (5) what authorities and powers the trustee(s) has/ve. If either issue is not specifically addressed in the Certificate or Affidavit, PPRBD may request supplemental pages from the Trust Agreement to document such (including, but not limited to the Trust Agreement’s cover page, the pages confirming the creation of the trust, the pages designating the trustee(s) and successor trustee(s), the pages designating the trustee(s)’ authority and powers, and the fully executed signature pages); or
  • Trust Agreement; or
  • Signed, notarized and recently recorded Statement of Authority, as recently filed/recorded with a Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

Registered Partnerships:

  • Signed, notarized Statement of Registration (or similarly titled record in accordance with certain Colorado Revised Statutes’ requirements), as filed/recorded with a public office, including, but not limited to a Clerk and Recorder’s Office; or
  • Signed, notarized Statement of Authority, as recently filed/recorded with a Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

All Other Entities:

  • Colorado Secretary of State registration records; and
  • Company operating documents, including but not limited to: Consent Resolution(s) designating a manager, an officer, or an authorized agent, or a signed, notarized Statement of Authority, as recently filed/recorded with a Clerk and Recorder’s Office.