Aurora building department

The City of Aurora Building Division (within Development Services) reviews plans, issues permits, and inspects construction inside Aurora city limits. Aurora spans Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties, so a nearby address may fall under the city, a county, or a neighboring town. Check the city’s Property Information map or Zoning Navigator before you apply. The Permit Center also issues public improvement, sign, lawn and irrigation, and chicken permits.

Office and contacts

The Permit Center is in Suite 2400 (second floor) of the Aurora Municipal Center. Its hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (303) 739-7420 or email [email protected] for permit status, plan review, inspections, and code questions. Other offices you may need:

Office	Handles	Contact
Planning & Development Services	Land use and zoning	(303) 739-7217, [email protected]
Office of Development Assistance	Development guidance	(303) 739-7345, [email protected]
Public Improvements / Engineering	Public improvement permits (e.g., driveways)	(303) 739-7300, [email protected]
Aurora Water	Water/sewer, floodplain development permits	(303) 739-7195, [email protected]
Contractor licensing	Contractor and supervisor licenses	[email protected]

Applying online: Aurora4Biz

Building permits are handled in Aurora4Biz, the city’s Building Plan Review and Permit Management portal (amandacommerce.auroragov.org). Use it to apply for a permit, upload plans, pay select fees, request and cancel inspections, view results, and renew contractor licenses. Development applications, civil plans, drainage and paving, floodplain development permits, and temporary use and sign permits have moved to the separate DevPortal.AuroraGov.org. Card payments on either portal carry a processing fee of at least 2.25%; cash, debit, ACH, and checks do not. Checks can still be delivered in person at the Municipal Center.

The city’s DIY home improvement handbook (March 2019) says permits expire if work does not begin within six months or is not finished within one year. Expired permits can be renewed or extended.

What needs a permit

These rules come from the permit chart in Aurora’s DIY and DIR (Do It Right) handbook, dated March 2019:

Project	Permit?
Fence	Not required up to 7 ft tall (new or replacement); must still meet city code on location and materials
Storage shed, playhouse, gazebo	Not required under 120 sq ft (playhouses also one story); zoning placement rules still apply
Deck under 30 in. above grade	Required if attached to the house
Deck over 30 in., patio cover, pergola, carport	Always required, with plans
Concrete patio	Only if over 30 in. above grade
Roof replacement	Always required. Minor repairs are exempt
Replacement windows	Not required unless the width increases
Water heater, furnace, central A/C	Always required
Cabinets, countertops, flooring, painting	Not required unless plumbing changes
Driveway	Public improvement permit, except like-for-like replacement

Homeowners can get permits for work on their own primary home, including re-roofing and water heater replacement. Any contractor you hire must be licensed by the City of Aurora. Every permitted job needs a rough and a final inspection.

Fees

Permit costs combine the permit fee, plan review fee, and city and county taxes. Many common residential jobs have a flat fee. These come from the 2026 Flat Rate Fee schedule (Form A175, revised 08/2026):

Work	Flat fee
Water heater replacement, egress window, gas piping, residential EV charger, siding replacement	$99 each
Residential electrical service upgrade	$190
Furnace or A/C replacement (each)	$201
Single-family roof replacement	$350
Single-family deck, patio cover, or demolition	$402 each
Roof and siding replacement	$424
Residential solar PV	$500
Basement finish or fire damage repair	$536 each

Flat fees do not change use tax. You still have to report building material costs so the city can calculate city use tax and county taxes. For other work, use the Permit Fee Calculator and the New Building Construction Fees schedule on the Building Fees page.

Adopted codes

Aurora enforces the 2021 editions of the IBC, IRC, IMC, IFGC, IFC, IPC, IEBC, IECC, and ISPSC. Electrical work follows the 2026 National Electrical Code, which took effect August 1, 2026, at the same time as the state. Permits pulled from existing single-family master plans are processed under the 2026 NEC automatically. Multifamily master plans must submit revisions first. The city’s engineering design criteria (Form A200) list a 36-inch minimum frost depth and require ice-barrier underlayment. Zoning is governed by the Unified Development Ordinance, in effect since September 21, 2019.

Inspections

Request next-day inspections in one of three ways:

• Online through Aurora4Biz, 24 hours a day, up to 5:45 a.m. on the day of the inspection. Only contractors registered and licensed with the city can request inspections online; others can view results.
• By phone at (303) 739-7420 during Permit Center hours. Requests after 4:30 p.m. miss the next day’s schedule.
• By email to [email protected] by 4:30 p.m., Monday–Friday.

Have the permit number, address and unit, inspection type, and a callback number ready. The permit card and stamped approved plans must be on site. Same-day, weekend, and overtime inspections depend on justification and staff availability, and overtime is billed at hourly rates. Licensed HVAC and plumbing contractors can ask for same-day inspections on replacement water heaters and furnaces. If you disagree with a field call, you can ask a Building Inspector Supervisor for a second opinion. Before a certificate of occupancy is issued, the general contractor must pass all building inspections plus engineering and grade inspections (requested through Public Improvements), and all public improvements must be complete.

Contractor licensing

Aurora requires a city contractor license to build, alter, repair, demolish, or move a structure. Each type also carries a $131 supervisor license (SL) fee. License fees from the Contractor License Fees & Requirements form (revised 02/2026):

License	Requirement	License fee
Commercial building	ICC General Building Contractor A or B	$392
Residential building	ICC Residential Building Contractor C	$235
Roofing	ICC Roofing Contractor certification	$164
Mechanical	ICC Master Mechanical certification	$164
Remodeling, sign, pool, demolition	Registration plus 3 years of documented experience	$164

Registration also requires three job references. Aurora does not license electricians or plumbers itself; it requires a State of Colorado master’s and contractor’s license on file. Search for licensed contractors with the city’s online Contractor Lookup.