Colorado Springs building department

Colorado Springs does not run its own building department. Building permits, plan review, inspections, contractor licensing, addressing, and floodplain permits are handled by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD), which serves the City of Colorado Springs, unincorporated El Paso County, Fountain, Manitou Springs, Monument, Green Mountain Falls, Palmer Lake, Calhan, and Woodland Park in Teller County. PPRBD does not serve the Town of Ramah or any other part of Teller County.

Zoning and land use are a separate step. In Colorado Springs, that is the city’s Planning Department (719-385-5905). In unincorporated areas, it is El Paso County Planning and Community Development (719-520-6300).

Offices and phone lines

PPRBD has two offices: the main office at the Pikes Peak Regional Development Center, 2880 International Circle (80910), and a North Office at 3939 Cordera Crest Avenue (80924). Each counter has its own line:

Service	Hours	Phone
Permits (building, electrical, mechanical/plumbing)	7:30 a.m.–4:15 p.m.	719-327-2883
Plan Review	By appointment	719-327-2885
Contractor Licensing	7:30 a.m.–4:15 p.m.	719-327-2887
Floodplain	By appointment	719-327-2898
Enumeration (addressing)	By appointment	719-327-2960
Inspectors (office hours)	7:30–8:30 a.m.	719-327-2880, option 2

What needs a permit

PPRBD’s homeowner list of work that needs a permit includes basement finishes, decks (composite too), detached accessory structures over 200 sq ft, patio covers, retaining walls over 4 feet, roofing, siding and stucco, furnaces, water heaters, A/C, fireplaces, hot tubs, pools, additions, and any work in a floodplain.

Work exempt from a permit (PPRBC Section 105.2)

• One-story detached accessory structures of 200 sq ft or less, supported directly on grade (120 sq ft for commercial storage buildings)
• Fences up to 7 feet tall
• Retaining walls up to 4 feet, unless they hold back a surcharge or a steep slope
• Detached decks for one- and two-family homes of 200 sq ft or less, no more than 30 inches above grade, that don’t serve the required exit door
• Roofing or siding repairs under 100 sq ft
• Same-size door and window replacements
• Painting, flooring, cabinets, countertops, and similar finish work
• Above-ground pools under 24 inches deep and 5,000 gallons
• Some agricultural buildings in unincorporated El Paso County, if the county approves

Colorado Springs zoning still applies to permit-exempt work. PPRBD says sheds of 125 sq ft or more and fences 6 feet or taller in the city need zoning approval. The city’s fence page says any fence over 7 feet counts as an accessory structure and needs a PPRBD building permit. Fences are not allowed in preservation areas, and the Hillside, Streamside, and Historic Preservation overlays add more review. Questions about fences and zoning go to Development Review at 719-385-5982.

Applying and plan review

PPRBD’s online Start a Project tool walks you through whether a job needs a permit or plan review, and whether you can buy the permit online. You need a free web account to buy permits, request inspections, and submit plans. To submit electronic plans, sign in and go to Plans > Electronic Plans > New Plan.

If a plan is disapproved, it goes back to Incomplete with a marked-up “Review Set,” and you must upload corrected versions of every disapproved document before you can resubmit. PPRBD does not accept locked PDFs for most required plan documents. After approval, some permits can be issued and paid for online, but PPRBD says most must still be picked up at the department.

Use tax: permits for sites in El Paso County require you to choose a county use-tax option. You can either sign an affidavit that you’ll pay sales tax at El Paso County suppliers, or pay use tax based on the job’s valuation. If the job is in Monument, Manitou Springs, or Palmer Lake, settle use tax with that town before PPRBD will issue the permit.

Fees

PPRBD’s fee schedule is Appendix B of the 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code. It uses 2025 ICC valuation data, effective June 30, 2025. A fee calculator is on the PPRBD website. Selected fees:

Item	Fee
Valuation $2,001–$25,000	$80 + $8 per additional $1,000
Asphalt-shingle reroof, existing 1–2 family home	$135.00
Basement finish, existing 1–2 family home	$300.00
Water heater replacement	$40.00
Furnace, A/C, or boiler replacement	$50.00
Trade attachment to a residential alteration permit	$50.00 per trade
Manufactured home permit	$240.00
After-hours inspection (2-hour minimum)	$100.00/hour

Adopted codes

The 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code, 2nd Printing, is in effect as of June 30, 2026. It adopts the 2021 IBC, IRC, IMC, IFGC, IPC, IECC, IEBC, and ISPSC, along with the 2023 NEC, 2019 ASME A17.1, and Colorado’s Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code. Colorado Springs adopted the code by Ordinance 23-16, effective June 30, 2023. Woodland Park and El Paso County have their own appendices (J and C) that change the permit exemptions.

Inspections

You can request inspections online through your web account (find the permit and click Request Inspection) or by calling 719-327-2880. Only the party that bought the permit can schedule, so a homeowner can’t book inspections on a contractor’s permit. The cutoff for a same-day inspection is 8:30 a.m. on weekdays. Routes are set by geography, not request order.

After 9:00 a.m., you can look up the inspector’s estimated arrival time by permit number. You can also ask for an automated call from 719-301-4403 about 60 minutes before the inspector arrives. Inspection results are usually posted the same day.

Homeowner permits and contractor licensing

You can pull a homeowner permit only for work on your primary residence, meaning a home you own and live in. You can’t pull one for a rental, and you can’t pull one for a contractor you’ve hired. Work without a permit can lead to a stop-work order and a Certificate of Alleged Non-compliance. That certificate is recorded with the county clerk and becomes a lien on the property.

Contractors must hold a PPRBD license or registration. Building licenses range from A (general commercial) and C (home builder) down to D (specialty trades such as roofing, siding, and pools) and E (decks, fences, sheds, and interior nonstructural remodeling). PPRBD does not accept licenses from other building departments. It accepts ICC exams passed on or after January 1, 2017. Licensing takes about 6–8 weeks, and the Licensing Committee meets on the second Thursday of each month. Electricians, plumbers, elevator contractors, and manufactured-building installers licensed by the State of Colorado must register with PPRBD right away.