Westminster, CO
Westminster building permit cost
A Westminster building permit comes from one valuation table:
$19.50 up to $500, then $19.50 plus $2.65 for each additional $100, then $59.25 plus $11.90 for each additional $1,000 — and the schedule's own opening sentence says the fee "shall include the permit and plan review fees, use tax and trade fees". Plan review is 65% of the permit fee, use tax is 4.25% of half the valuation, and each trade scope adds 15% of the permit fee. A $250,000 project with mechanical, plumbing and electrical scopes pays $8,983.06.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction trailer with electricalPermit fee | $125.00 flat fee | schedule item is construction trailer | — |
| Demolition permitPermit fee | $25.00 flat fee | schedule item is demolition | — |
| Mobile home set-up with electricalPermit fee | $125.00 flat fee | schedule item is mobile home setup | — |
| Solar systemsPermit fee | $300.00 flat fee | schedule item is solar systems | — |
| Above-ground poolPermit fee | $50.00 flat fee | schedule item is above ground pool | — |
| Air conditionerPermit fee | $80.00 flat fee | schedule item is air conditioner | — |
| Evaporative coolerPermit fee | $60.00 flat fee | schedule item is evaporative cooler | — |
| FencePermit fee | $50.00 flat fee | schedule item is fence | — |
| Furnace replacementPermit fee | $60.00 flat fee | schedule item is furnace | — |
| Gas logPermit fee | $60.00 flat fee | schedule item is gas log | — |
| Lawn irrigation sprinklerPermit fee | $60.00 flat fee | schedule item is lawn sprinkler | — |
| Re-roofingPermit fee | $100.00 flat fee | schedule item is re roofing | — |
| Spa / hot tubPermit fee | $80.00 flat fee | schedule item is spa | — |
| Detached storage shedPermit fee | $80.00 flat fee | schedule item is detached storage shed | — |
| Water heater replacementPermit fee | $40.00 flat fee | schedule item is water heater | — |
| Building permit fee, valuation $1 to $500Permit fee | $19.50 flat fee | schedule item is not provided and Project valuation up to $500 | — |
| Building permit fee, valuation $1,000,001 and overPermit fee | $4,659.20 + $2.65 per $1,000 of project valuation above $1,000,000, or fraction thereof | schedule item is not provided and Project valuation over $1,000,000 | — |
| Building permit fee, valuation $100,001 to $500,000Permit fee | $844.20 + $4.60 per $1,000 of project valuation above $100,000, or fraction thereof | schedule item is not provided and Project valuation over $100,000 and Project valuation up to $500,000 | — |
| Building permit fee, valuation $2,001 to $25,000Permit fee | $59.25 + $11.90 per $1,000 of project valuation above $2,000, or fraction thereof | schedule item is not provided and Project valuation over $2,000 and Project valuation up to $25,000 | — |
| Building permit fee, valuation $25,001 to $50,000Permit fee | $332.95 + $8.55 per $1,000 of project valuation above $25,000, or fraction thereof | schedule item is not provided and Project valuation over $25,000 and Project valuation up to $50,000 | — |
| Building permit fee, valuation $500,001 to $1,000,000Permit fee | $2,684.20 + $3.95 per $1,000 of project valuation above $500,000, or fraction thereof | schedule item is not provided and Project valuation over $500,000 and Project valuation up to $1,000,000 | — |
| Building permit fee, valuation $50,001 to $100,000Permit fee | $546.70 + $5.95 per $1,000 of project valuation above $50,000, or fraction thereof | schedule item is not provided and Project valuation over $50,000 and Project valuation up to $100,000 | — |
| Building permit fee, valuation $501 to $2,000Permit fee | $19.50 + $26.50 per $1,000 of project valuation above $500, or fraction thereof | schedule item is not provided and Project valuation over $500 and Project valuation up to $2,000 | — |
| Estimated use tax, 4.25% of half the valuationSurcharge | 2.125% of project valuation | schedule item is not provided | — |
| Plan review fee, 65% of the building permit feePlan review | 65% of calculated permit fee | schedule item is not provided | — |
| Additional permit trade fee, electrical — 15% of the permit feeOther fee | 15% of calculated permit fee | electrical trade is true and schedule item is not provided | — |
| Additional permit trade fee, mechanical — 15% of the permit feeOther fee | 15% of calculated permit fee | mechanical trade is true and schedule item is not provided | — |
| Additional permit trade fee, plumbing — 15% of the permit feeOther fee | 15% of calculated permit fee | plumbing trade is true and schedule item is not provided | — |
| Plan review fee for the electrical trade — 15% of the plan review feeOther fee | 9.75% of calculated permit fee | electrical trade is true and schedule item is not provided | — |
| Plan review fee for the mechanical trade — 15% of the plan review feeOther fee | 9.75% of calculated permit fee | mechanical trade is true and schedule item is not provided | — |
| Plan review fee for the plumbing trade — 15% of the plan review feeOther fee | 9.75% of calculated permit fee | plumbing trade is true and schedule item is not provided | — |
| Electrical permit fee on the flat permit, 15% of that feeOther fee | 15% of calculated permit fee | schedule item is air conditioner | — |
| Electrical permit fee on the flat permit, 15% of that feeOther fee | 15% of calculated permit fee | schedule item is evaporative cooler | — |
| Electrical permit fee on the flat permit, 15% of that feeOther fee | 15% of calculated permit fee | schedule item is furnace | — |
| Electrical permit fee on the flat permit, 15% of that feeOther fee | 15% of calculated permit fee | schedule item is spa | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A commercial tenant finish with a declared total valuation of $250,000, including mechanical, plumbing and electrical scopes, filed as one permit rather than in phases.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $250,000 |
| Plumbing trade | Yes |
| Electrical trade | Yes |
| Mechanical trade | Yes |
Example total
$8,983.06
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 9Rules considered 35
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Building permit fee, valuation $100,001 to $500,000Permit feeValuation table: "$844.20 for the first $100,000 plus $4.60 for each additional $1,000, or fraction thereof, to and including $500,000". Produces $2,684.20 at its top, exactly what the band above opens with.Show the working
| $844.20 + $4.60 per $1,000 of project valuation above $100,000, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $1,534.20 |
Estimated use tax, 4.25% of half the valuationSurchargeThe schedule's own row: "Estimated Use Tax — 4.25% of 50% of Total Valuation (effective 1/1/2026)". That is 2.125% of the valuation, carried as the exact fraction 17/800 rather than rounded to basis points, because 2.125% is 212.5 of them.Show the working
| 2.125% of project valuation | $5,312.50 |
Plan review fee, 65% of the building permit feePlan reviewThe schedule's own row: "Plan Review Fee — 65% of Building Permit Fee". Priced on the `permit_fee` basis, so it is computed from the permit fee this run produced and the two can never drift apart.Show the working
| 65% of calculated permit fee | $997.23 |
Additional permit trade fee, electrical — 15% of the permit feeOther feeThe schedule's own row: "Permit trade fees — An additional 15% of the permit fee for each of the following; mechanical, plumbing, electric". An addition to the building permit fee, not a permit priced on its own, so it is only computable once the building permit fee is known.Show the working
| 15% of calculated permit fee | $230.13 |
Additional permit trade fee, mechanical — 15% of the permit feeOther feeThe schedule's own row: "Permit trade fees — An additional 15% of the permit fee for each of the following; mechanical, plumbing, electric". An addition to the building permit fee, not a permit priced on its own, so it is only computable once the building permit fee is known.Show the working
| 15% of calculated permit fee | $230.13 |
Additional permit trade fee, plumbing — 15% of the permit feeOther feeThe schedule's own row: "Permit trade fees — An additional 15% of the permit fee for each of the following; mechanical, plumbing, electric". An addition to the building permit fee, not a permit priced on its own, so it is only computable once the building permit fee is known.Show the working
| 15% of calculated permit fee | $230.13 |
Plan review fee for the electrical trade — 15% of the plan review feeOther feeThe schedule's own row: "Plan review trade fees — An additional 15% of the plan review fee for each of the following; mechanical, plumbing, electric". The review fee is 65% of the permit fee, so this is 15% of 65% of the permit fee, charged on the same base as the permit fee itself.Show the working
| 9.75% of calculated permit fee | $149.58 |
Plan review fee for the mechanical trade — 15% of the plan review feeOther feeThe schedule's own row: "Plan review trade fees — An additional 15% of the plan review fee for each of the following; mechanical, plumbing, electric". The review fee is 65% of the permit fee, so this is 15% of 65% of the permit fee, charged on the same base as the permit fee itself.Show the working
| 9.75% of calculated permit fee | $149.58 |
Plan review fee for the plumbing trade — 15% of the plan review feeOther feeThe schedule's own row: "Plan review trade fees — An additional 15% of the plan review fee for each of the following; mechanical, plumbing, electric". The review fee is 65% of the permit fee, so this is 15% of 65% of the permit fee, charged on the same base as the permit fee itself.Show the working
| 9.75% of calculated permit fee | $149.58 |
| Total | $8,983.06 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Construction trailer with electrical — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Demolition permit — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Mobile home set-up with electrical — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Solar systems — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Above-ground pool — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Air conditioner — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Evaporative cooler — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Fence — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Furnace replacement — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Gas log — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Lawn irrigation sprinkler — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Re-roofing — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Spa / hot tub — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Detached storage shed — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Water heater replacement — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit fee, valuation $1 to $500 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit fee, valuation $1,000,001 and over — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit fee, valuation $2,001 to $25,000 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit fee, valuation $25,001 to $50,000 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit fee, valuation $500,001 to $1,000,000 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit fee, valuation $50,001 to $100,000 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit fee, valuation $501 to $2,000 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Electrical permit fee on the flat permit, 15% of that fee — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided. (4 rules with the same outcome)
Assumptions
- Calculated from 9 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
The table's sixth band: $844.20 for the first $100,000, plus $4.60 for each of the 150 additional thousands, which is $1,534.20. Plan review is 65% of that permit fee, $997.23, and the estimated use tax is 4.25% of half the $250,000 valuation, $5,312.50 — more than three times the permit fee itself. Each of the three trade scopes adds 15% of the permit fee, $230.13, plus 15% of the review fee, $149.58, so the three together add $1,139.13. The total is $8,983.06. Drop the three trade scopes and the same project pays $7,843.93, which is the permit fee, the review fee and the tax only.
What is different in Westminster
The table has eight bands and all seven seams close. Read down the list of opening figures — $19.50, $59.25, $332.95, $546.70, $844.20, $2,684.20, $4,659.20 — and each one is exactly what the band below it produces at its own top. Denver's table is a dollar short at one handover, Clark County's four cents short at another, and Houston's brackets do not chain at all; this one is exact, and the pages here assert it band by band rather than assuming it.
One band counts in hundreds rather than thousands: "$19.50 for the first $500 plus $2.65 for each additional $100, or fraction thereof". That is the only row of its kind in this table, and it is what makes a $2,000 valuation cost exactly the $59.25 the next band opens with.
Three rows sit under the table and are read off it rather than looked up. Plan review is 65% of the building permit fee — no threshold, no minimum, so a $1 valuation pays $19.50 plus $12.68. Estimated use tax is 4.25% of 50% of the total valuation, which is 2.125% of the work; on a $250,000 project that is $5,312.50, the largest line in the bill and more than three times the permit fee. And each trade is an addition: "an additional 15% of the permit fee for each of the following; mechanical, plumbing, electric", plus 15% of the review fee for each — not a separate permit, and not a figure you can look up on its own.
Because all three of those are percentages of something else, the order matters and the schedule fixes it: the permit fee comes from the table, the review fee is 65% of that permit fee, and the trade fees are 15% of the permit fee rather than 15% of the permit fee plus trade fees. This site computes them in that order for every job.
Finally, the schedule prices some jobs by name instead of by value. Its "Miscellaneous SFD Residential Permit Fees" list fixes a water heater replacement at $40.00, re-roofing at $100.00, a detached storage shed at $80.00 and a fence at $50.00, and its miscellaneous list fixes solar systems at $300.00 and a demolition permit at $25.00. Those rows replace the valuation route for the job they name.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This estimate is the schedule's valuation table for the permit fee, plus the plan review fee, the estimated use tax and any trade fees selected. It excludes:
- The "Other Inspections and Fees" block, charged by event or by hour: inspections outside normal business hours at $50.00 per hour with a two-hour minimum, re-inspection at $50.00, additional plan review for revisions at $50.00 per hour, a temporary certificate of occupancy at 5% of the building permit fee with a $100.00 minimum, a copy of a previously issued certificate of occupancy at $5.00 and a letter of code compliance at $25.00.
- Sign permits. Monument signs and wall or building signs are priced "per fee schedule", and the wall sign row is specifically marked no use tax. Banners and bus benches are on the miscellaneous list but are not construction work.
- Fire department fees and operational permits, where the two readings of this document disagree about which row the $100.00 belongs to — so no figure from that block is published here.
- Stop-work order penalties: double the permit fee with a $250 floor for a first offence, triple with a $500 floor for a second.
- Water, sewer and utility connections, which are utility charges rather than permit fees.
- Anything charged by another Colorado authority, including planning and engineering fees, which the City publishes on a separate schedule for land use and development review.
- The cost of the work itself. A use tax estimate is a tax on materials, not a permit cost, and it is shown as its own line for that reason.
What you need before applying
- A total valuation, not a contract priceRequired
"The valuation to be used in computing the permit and plan review fees shall be the total value of all construction work, including labor and materials, for all finish work, painting, roofing, electrical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, conveyance systems, fire protection systems and other permanent work or equipment." The list is deliberately broad: the electrical and plumbing work is *inside* the valuation that produces the permit fee, and is then charged again as its own 15% trade fee.
- Plan review is 65% of the permit fee, at every size of jobRequired
"Plan Review Fee — 65% of Building Permit Fee." There is no threshold and no minimum: a $1 valuation pays $19.50 in permit fees and $12.68 in review fees, so unlike Denver — where the review column prints 0 below $2,000 of valuation — Westminster charges a review fee on the smallest permit it issues.
- A trade scope is an addition, not a separate permitMay be required
"Permit trade fees — An additional 15% of the permit fee for each of the following; mechanical, plumbing, electric", and "Plan review trade fees — An additional 15% of the plan review fee for each". Because it is an *additional* percentage of the building permit fee, it is only computable once that fee is known, and a project with all three trades pays three times the addition rather than one.
Common questions
How much is a building permit in Westminster?
It depends on the total valuation of the work: $19.50 up to $500, $59.25 at $2,000, $332.95 at $25,000, $546.70 at $50,000, $844.20 at $100,000, $2,684.20 at $500,000 and $4,659.20 at $1,000,000, with dollar rates easing from $11.90 to $2.65 per additional $1,000 along the way. Plan review, use tax and trade fees are then added on top of that figure.
Is plan review included in the permit fee?
No — it is 65% of the permit fee, charged in addition, and unlike Denver there is no threshold below which it disappears. A $1 valuation pays $19.50 in permit fees and a further $12.68 in review fees. The schedule's first sentence says the permit cost "shall include the permit and plan review fees, use tax and trade fees (as applicable)", which is a statement about what a permit costs overall, not three separate applications.
What is the use tax on a Westminster permit?
"Estimated Use Tax — 4.25% of 50% of Total Valuation", which is 2.125% of the declared valuation. It is the largest line on a commercial project: $5,312.50 on a $250,000 valuation, against a $1,534.20 permit fee. It is an estimate of sales or use tax on the materials rather than a permit fee, and it is shown as its own line here for that reason.
How much does an electrical or plumbing permit add?
15% of the building permit fee for each trade, plus 15% of the plan review fee for each. On the $250,000 project above that is $230.13 plus $149.58 per trade, so a project with all three trades adds $1,139.13. Westminster does not charge trades as separate permits priced from their own value the way Denver does.
Do some jobs avoid the valuation table?
Yes. The schedule's "Miscellaneous SFD Residential Permit Fees" list prices named single-family jobs at flat figures — water heater replacement $40.00, re-roofing $100.00, detached storage shed $80.00, fence $50.00, above-ground pool $50.00 — and its miscellaneous list fixes solar systems at $300.00, a demolition permit at $25.00, a mobile home set-up with electrical at $125.00 and a construction trailer with electrical at $125.00.
Does the table agree with itself?
Yes, at every seam. Each band's opening figure is exactly what the band below produces at its top — $59.25 at $2,000, $332.95 at $25,000, $546.70 at $50,000, $844.20 at $100,000, $2,684.20 at $500,000 and $4,659.20 at $1,000,000. Denver's table is a dollar short at one handover and Clark County's is four cents short at another; this one is exact, and this site checks it at every boundary rather than trusting the arithmetic.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CityPrimary source
Building Division Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2026)
One page, headed "BUILDING DIVISION FEE SCHEDULE" and "(Effective January 1, 2026)", sha256 beginning 8d77172fe6affc1d. Read 2026-09-24 in three pdftotext modes. `-raw` and `-table` disagree by one row throughout the two flat lists at the foot of the page — `-raw` puts each value on the line above its label — and both agree once that shift is accounted for, which is the check the project's two-mode rule exists for. The valuation table, the review percentage and the use tax rate are unaffected by the shift.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.