Plan check guide · Denver
Community Planning and Development reviews Denver building permits through E-Permits, and larger commercial or multi-unit projects often need a Site Development Plan coordinated by a project champion before building review can begin. This guide collects what CPD, Denver Fire, and Denver Water publish: review paths, code basis, submission rules, and what the submittal checklists and the 2025 code amendments ask designers to show.
In Denver, Community Planning and Development (CPD) reviews building permits under the 2025 Denver Building Code and Denver Fire Code, submitted online through E-Permits. Projects use Quick Permit, Express Plan Review, or Standard "Log In" review depending on scope and value, and new commercial construction, major additions, or three-or-more-unit residential projects generally need a Site Development Plan before building plan review can start; resubmittals go back into the same log number with a signed, written response to every comment.
Denver at a glance
| Question | What the official source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who reviews building plans? | Community Planning and Development (CPD), with the Fire Department, Denver Water, the Mile High Flood District, and other agencies reviewing the scopes that touch their systems. | City and County of Denver - Community Planning and Development department directory page |
| Which code applies? | The 2025 Denver Building Code and Denver Fire Code, adopted June 13, 2025 and effective for applications since January 1, 2026, incorporating the 2024 I-Codes except energy, which stays on the 2021 IECC. | Denver CPD - Building and Fire Codes (Building Codes, Policies, and Guides) page |
| How are plans submitted? | Through E-Permits, Denver’s Accela-based portal, as one combined PDF per discipline with encrypted electronic signatures preserved and files named to the city’s convention. | Denver CPD - Commercial Building Permit Guide (PDF) |
| How long does review take? | Quick Permit is same-day with no plan review, and Express Plan Review targets two days for qualifying commercial or multifamily scopes under $750,000. Everything else "Requires Log In," and CPD publishes rolling average review times by project tier rather than a fixed guarantee. | Denver CPD - Average Plan Review Times |
| Do larger projects need anything before a building permit? | New commercial construction, major additions, and projects with three or more residential units generally need a Site Development Plan, a three-part process coordinated by a CPD project champion, before building plan review can start. | Denver CPD - Commercial Building Permit Guide (PDF) |
| How do I respond to review comments? | Resubmit under the same log number with a signed, sealed, letter-format response addressing every comment; reviewers can require further rounds if a response is incomplete. | Denver CPD - Commercial Building Permit Guide (PDF) |
Sources reviewed September 12, 2026. Requirements change; confirm the current version with City and County of Denver, Community Planning and Development (CPD).
Who reviews
CPD building review is one of several approvals a larger project may need. Site Development Plan projects route through a CPD project champion who coordinates the partner agencies below before building plan review can begin.
Reviews site plans, water/hydrant plans, building construction, and life-safety systems (fire alarm, sprinklers, smoke detection, carbon monoxide detection, smoke control, emergency communications); issues conveyance (elevator) and fire sprinkler permits.
Right-of-way construction inspection and encroachment permits, official address assignment, Sewer Use and Drainage Permit (SUDP) review of sanitary/storm/floodplain/groundwater impacts, and transportation engineering review of driveways, curb cuts and dedications.
Zoning review against the Denver Zoning Code or Former Chapter 59; issues zoning permits and, for qualifying projects, coordinates the multi-agency Site Development Plan process required before building permits for new commercial construction, major additions, and 3+ unit residential projects.
Design review and Certificate of Appropriateness required before building or zoning permit approval for locally designated landmark structures or properties in a historic district.
Plan review for new water main extensions, fire hydrants, fire sprinkler and domestic connections 3 inches or larger, and water line relocations; plans must be PE-stamped and follow Denver Water CAD standards.
Plan review for projects located near a floodplain, stream or major drainageway.
Co-administers the Green Buildings Ordinance and its rules and regulations for buildings and roof replacements of 25,000 sq ft or more.
Review paths
Same-day permits issued without plan review for simple work such as re-roofs, minor electrical work, and like-for-like mechanical or plumbing replacement.
Commercial/multifamily express review for projects valued under $750,000 that involve no structural work, no change of occupancy, and no review beyond electrical, mechanical, plumbing, architectural or access-control disciplines.
Required for new construction/additions, changes of occupancy, projects over $750,000, structural work, multi-building or multi-floor projects, telecom towers, SDP projects, and any project subject to the Green Buildings Ordinance; review time varies with project complexity and is tracked by log number.
Small, qualifying Denver Fire Department permits (e.g., minor life-safety work) reviewed within two business days of application acceptance rather than through the standard review queue.
A three-part process (concept submittal and agency meeting, formal SDP with partner-agency applications, final recording) required before building permits for new commercial construction, major additions, 3+ unit residential projects, and some change-of-occupancy tenant finishes; a CPD project champion facilitates it and building plan review can start only once the project champion approves.
Projects may submit for zoning and building review together under one Building Log, except landmark/historic projects, design-review-district projects, projects needing special zoning reviews (ZPIN/ZPSE/administrative review), and projects with an SDP under review.
CPD's Average Plan Review Times dashboard reports rolling 90-day average and 90th-percentile ('worst case') days to first review, broken out by tiers such as minor/intermediate/major commercial and residential and zoning-only submittals; the page states no fixed guarantee and cautions that actual review times vary. (source) Quick Permits and Express Plan Review are described as same-day or two-day products; all other project types 'Require Log In' with review times said to vary based on project complexity. (source) Denver Fire Department walk-through permits for qualifying small projects are reviewed within two business days after the application is accepted; standard DFD plan review due dates are calculated from application acceptance but actual review can occur later depending on staffing and workload. (source) Review will not begin until plan review fees are paid after a project is logged in; for simultaneous zoning/building review, zoning permit fees must also be paid before either review is assigned to a reviewer. (source) Demolition permit review is described as a multi-agency process involving local and state authorities that can take up to two months. (source)
What CPD asks for
Denver does not publish a standard correction list. These items come from CPD’s Commercial Building Permit Guide and Permitting Checklist for New Homes and Additions, and from Denver’s own 2025 Building Code amendment document, which lists every local change to the 2024 I-Codes chapter by chapter. Paraphrased from the department’s published documents, grouped by topic. The documents do not rank items by how often they are issued.
| Topic | What the published document asks for | Code cited | Sheets that usually change | Where it appears |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Code analysis | The architectural sheet must carry a complete IBC/DBC code analysis covering, at minimum, scope of work, construction type, building height, number of stories, occupancy classification, the chosen energy code compliance method, fire sprinkler/alarm/detection status, occupant loads, the egress plan, and gross building areas. | — | cover sheet / code analysis on architectural plan | Commercial Building Permit Guide, Applications and Submittal Requirements checklist |
| Occupant load and egress width | Denver's local occupant-load table departs from the base code for several space types: it revises the factor for 'business areas' to require using whichever of the gross or net method yields the higher load, and adds Denver-specific factors for pool decks and for marijuana plant-husbandry flowering/vegetative and CO2-enriched work rooms. | DBC Table 1004.5 | occupant load / code analysis sheet | 2025 Denver Building Code, Chapter 10: Means of Egress, Section 1004 Occupant Load |
| Travel distance and common path | For the single-exit Group R-2 option, Denver's local table caps exit-access travel distance at 125 feet for basement through fourth-story (or third-story-plus-occupiable-roof) buildings, and does not permit the single-exit path at all on the fifth story or higher. | DBC Table 1006.3.4(1) | egress/life-safety plan | 2025 Denver Building Code, Chapter 10: Means of Egress, Section 1006, Table 1006.3.4(1) |
| Number and separation of exits | Denver added a local 'single-stair' exception letting Group R-2 buildings up to five stories above grade (four with an occupiable roof) use one exit if a lengthy list of conditions is met together: no more than four dwelling units per story, gross floor area capped per story, a citywide fire sprinkler system, one-hour-rated corridors, 2-hour-rated exit stairway/elevator shaft enclosures, minimum stair widths of 48 or 54 inches depending on floor area, dedicated emergency escape openings, and a posted 'this building contains only one stair' sign at the fire alarm panel. | DBC 1006.3.4, item 6 and subparts 6.1-6.19 | egress/life-safety plan; code analysis | 2025 Denver Building Code, Chapter 10: Means of Egress, Section 1006 Number of Exits and Exit Access Doorways |
| Stairs, handrails, and guards | Stair drawings and details must show and dimension stair width, headroom, riser/tread dimensions, overall vertical rise, landings, and handrails. | DRC R318.7.1-R318.7.8 | details/enlarged stair drawings | Permitting Checklist for New Homes and Additions, Details/Enlarged Drawings table, Stairs row |
| Stairs, handrails, and guards | Denver added a local requirement that interior exit stairways and ramps running to the top story of buildings four or more stories above grade have a roof hatch openable to the exterior, at least 16 square feet in area with a 2-foot minimum dimension, with narrow exceptions for pressurized enclosures, penthouse-protected enclosures, and steep roof slopes. | DBC 1011.12.3 | roof plan; stair sections | 2025 Denver Building Code, Chapter 10: Means of Egress, Section 1011 Stairways |
| Fire-rated assemblies | Fire-rated walls and projections must be labeled with their rating and backed by a UL listing number, an ICC-ES report, or a prescriptive assembly identified from the local fire-resistance section; drawings must also label the fire separation between garage and dwelling unit and between dwelling units, gypsum protection at under-stair spaces, and floor-assembly fire protection. | DRC R302; DCBC Section 721 | floor plans; wall sections; details | Permitting Checklist for New Homes and Additions, Floor Plans/Reflected Ceiling Plans table, Fire Rated Walls and Separations row |
| Fire-rated assemblies | Denver added local exceptions removing the fire-resistive construction requirement for corridor walls and ceilings inside single-tenant office spaces, and for corridors serving a conference or assembly room with an occupant load under 100 within a single-tenant office space. | DBC 1020.2, Exceptions 6-7 | fire/life-safety plan; corridor wall type legend | 2025 Denver Building Code, Chapter 10: Means of Egress, Section 1020 Corridors |
| Rated openings and penetrations | The percentage of unprotected and protected openings allowed in an exterior wall is set per story by the local fire-separation-distance table, measured from the building face within the height of that story closest to the line used to determine fire separation distance, and applies to openings with or without windows as well as duct and air-transfer openings. | DBC 705.9.1; DBC Table 705.9 | exterior elevations; opening area table | 2025 Denver Building Code, Chapter 7: Fire and Smoke Protection Features, Section 705 Exterior Walls |
| Fire separation distance | Roof overhangs must be dimensioned along with their distance to the property line; where an overhang sits within 5 feet of the property line, the drawings must note or detail its fire-resistance rating. | DRC R302.1 | exterior elevations; roof plan | Permitting Checklist for New Homes and Additions, Exterior Elevations table, Overhang Dimensions row |
| Special inspection | Plans must include a statement of required special inspections and a list of structural observations required by the engineer or building official; if loads added to an existing structure increase by more than 5%, a signed and sealed letter from a licensed engineer stating a personal inspection was performed and the structure is adequate must also be provided. | DCBC 1704-1705; DCBC 1704.6; DCBC 133.2.2 | structural general notes | Permitting Checklist for New Homes and Additions, Structural Documents table, Special Inspections/Structural Observations/Letter of Integrity rows |
| Deferred submittals | Every item to be deferred (typically specialty engineering such as precast concrete, trusses, shop-fabricated stairs or fire alarm systems) must be listed together in the project's initial code analysis and referenced on the relevant discipline sheets; each deferred item still needs its own permit and inspection before a certificate of occupancy will issue. | — | code analysis; architectural/engineering discipline sheets | Commercial Building Permit Guide, Deferred and Phased Construction section |
| Sheet coordination | Every drawing must use a common graphic or engineering/architectural scale, include a north arrow, provide a graphic legend or key for all line types, symbols and abbreviations used, and include callouts/tags for all physical elements and dimensions shown. | DCBC 133.2 | all drawing sheets | Permitting Checklist for New Homes and Additions, Requirements for All Project Submittals table, Plan Graphics row |
| Allowable height and area | Denver's 2025 amendment to the building-area formula changes how the tabular allowable-area factor is pulled for single-occupancy buildings: the amended section directs use of the applicable NS/S1/S13R/S13D/SM value straight from the local Table 506.2 in the area equation. | DBC 506.2.1 | code analysis / allowable area calculations | 2025 Denver Building Code, Chapter 5: General Building Heights and Areas, Section 506 Building Area |
| Accessible route and entrances | Denver rewrote the accessible-EV-charging-space count so that at least 5 percent (minimum one) of vehicle spaces served by EV charging equipment must be accessible, and added a further requirement that remaining EVSE spaces be built as 'universal' vehicle charging spaces at 132 inches wide with a 60-inch access aisle, following ICC A117.1 reach-range and equipment provisions. | DBC 1107.2.1; DBC 1107.2.3 | site/parking plan; accessibility details | 2025 Denver Building Code, Chapter 11: Accessibility, Section 1107 Motor-Vehicle-Related Facilities |
| Accessible route and entrances | Two-way emergency communication call boxes on accessible means of egress must have an ANSI A117.1-compliant protective cover operable with one hand within a 5-lb force limit, plus specific posted and Braille signage (identifying the floor, giving push-button instructions, and directing occupants to wait for assistance) at each call box location. | DBC 1009.8.1; DBC 1009.8.2 | life-safety plan; stair enclosure details/signage schedule | 2025 Denver Building Code, Chapter 10: Means of Egress, Section 1009 Accessible Means of Egress |
| Structural calculations and signatures | Structural general notes must list live, dead, snow and wind loads, seismic design category, and soil parameters (from the soils report, or IRC Table R401.4.1 prescriptive values where no report is required); for ASCE 7-22 sites the notes must distinguish the strength-level ground snow load (Pg) used for engineered designs from the Pg(ASD) value used with IRC prescriptive tables. | DRC Table R301.2; DCBC Chapter 16 | structural general notes | Permitting Checklist for New Homes and Additions, Structural Documents table, Load Information row |
| Structural calculations and signatures | Denver added a local live-load provision for structural decks that fire apparatus can access: the deck must be designed for the greater of the standard trucking load, an existing fire-access load section, or specific platform-truck/ladder-truck axle and outrigger load cases defined by Denver Fire Department vehicle geometry, and the completed deck must be posted with permanent load-rating signage at each entrance. | DBC 1607.8.2 | structural general notes; foundation/deck framing plan | 2025 Denver Building Code, Chapter 16: Structural Design, Section 1607 Live Loads |
| Geotechnical report | A current geotechnical soils report is required for new dwellings/townhouses/conditioned accessory structures, for excavation/benching/sloping/shoring work covered by the excavation policy, for additions using a deep foundation or built over prior excavation areas, and wherever expansive, compressible or shifting soils are likely. | DRC R401.4; Building Code Policy (Excavation, Sloping, Benching, and Shoring for DRC Structures) | foundation plan; structural general notes | Permitting Checklist for New Homes and Additions, Survey & Geotechnical Soils Report table |
| Energy compliance | Commercial submittals must include an Energy Compliance Package: a complete energy checklist, all applicable COMcheck forms, and an energy model submittal, each stamped and signed as required. | — | energy compliance sheets | Commercial Building Permit Guide, Applications and Submittal Requirements checklist |
| Energy compliance | Residential projects must submit a completed Denver Energy Code Residential Checklist for new construction and for additions/alterations expanding above-grade area by 20% or 300 sq ft (whichever is less); a new HVAC system additionally needs ACCA Manual J/S/D packages, and the compliance report required (none, RESCheck, a third-party energy model, or an ERI rating report) depends on the chosen compliance pathway. | DEC R103.2; DEC R403.7; DEC R402.1.5; DEC R405.3.2; DEC R406 | energy compliance sheets; mechanical plans | Permitting Checklist for New Homes and Additions, Energy Documents table |
| Green building | New buildings, additions, and qualifying roof permits at or above 25,000 sq ft of gross floor area must comply with the mandatory Green Buildings Ordinance: install a 'cool roof' and choose one flexible compliance option (green roof/ground green space, renewable energy, greater energy efficiency, LEED or similar certification, an innovative energy program for existing buildings, or funding off-site green space), and submit a signed Green Building Declaration Form. | — | green building declaration/checklist sheets | Commercial Building Permit Guide, Green Building Ordinance section |
| Green building | A signed Denver Green Code Limited Mandatory Use Checklist is a required submittal item separate from the Green Buildings Ordinance declaration. | — | green code checklist sheet | Commercial Building Permit Guide, Applications and Submittal Requirements checklist |
| Plumbing fixture count | Where an all-gender multi-user toilet room is provided, Denver requires each water closet in its own floor-to-ceiling compartment with no sightlines and a lockable door; a urinal may be included only inside a compartment, and such a urinal does not count toward the building's required plumbing fixture count. | DBC 2902.8 | restroom enlarged plans; plumbing fixture count table | 2025 Denver Building Code, Chapter 29: Plumbing Systems, Section 2902 Minimum Plumbing Facilities |
| Plumbing fixture count | Denver added a fixture-count rule specific to drive-in restaurants and drive-in movie theaters: public toilet facilities must be sized to an occupant load equal to twice the number of parking stalls provided, in addition to fixtures otherwise required. | DBC 2902.10 | plumbing fixture count table; site plan (parking stall count) | 2025 Denver Building Code, Chapter 29: Plumbing Systems, Section 2902 Minimum Plumbing Facilities |
| Fire sprinklers and alarms | Denver requires an automatic fire sprinkler system in one- and two-family dwellings, townhouse units, live/work units, and care facilities wherever a habitable attic is built above the third story (plus additional triggers for townhouse family child care and live/work and care uses); required systems must be designed to NFPA 13D or 13R with demand satisfied by Denver Water's site pressure without a fire pump. | DRC R309.1-R309.4 | structural/architectural general notes; fire protection notes | 2025 Denver Building Code (Residential), Section R309 Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems |
| Site plan information | The site plan must show and dimension zone lot lines labeled by street/side/rear designation, all abutting streets and alleys (with alley width and public/private status), every existing and proposed structure with dimensions, driveways, sidewalks (including one from the street to the building entry), and site stairs with spot elevations at landings. | DCBC 133.2; DCBC 133.2.2; DZC 13.1.5.2; DZC 13.1.5.16; DZC 13.1.6.3.B | site plan | Permitting Checklist for New Homes and Additions, Site Plan table |
| Site plan information | When a proposed exterior wall sits less than 3 feet from the required zone-district setback (or Former Chapter 59 building separation), the drawings must add setback-verification dimensions from the property/zone lot line to the outside face of the foundation wall, exterior wall, and roof overhangs (fascia). | DCBC 133.3 | site plan; exterior elevations | Permitting Checklist for New Homes and Additions, Site Plan and Exterior Elevations tables (Setback Verification row) |
Respond and resubmit
Resubmittals happen inside the original project's plan review using the same log number; projects submitted via E-Permits upload revised drawings directly to the record's 'attachments' page. Source
Resubmittals must include a written response, in letter format, addressing every comment from the plan review team; incomplete resubmittals are turned away, and the response letter must be signed and sealed by the design professional of record. Source
Plan reviewers may require additional resubmittal rounds if all comments are not addressed; there is no stated cap on the number of review cycles in the guide. Source
Drawings submitted after a permit has already been issued are 'modified drawings,' not resubmittals: DBC Section 131.3.1 requires a new project with its own log number, a signed/sealed narrative letter describing what changed and why (with sheet references), clouded revision markups, any revised structural calculations, and hourly plan review fees under policy DCBC 138. Source
All deferred submittal items must be listed together in the project's initial Code Analysis and referenced on the relevant discipline sheets; each deferred item must itself be permitted and inspected before a certificate of occupancy can be issued. Source
Official documents
Not a correction sheet; a submittal/process guide for commercial and multifamily permits covering current codes, the step-by-step application process, zoning permit paths, shoring/excavation, deferred and phased construction, the Green Buildings Ordinance, and the full document submittal checklist
Not a correction sheet; a discipline-by-discipline submittal checklist for new single-family homes, duplexes, ADUs and additions covering survey/geotechnical, architectural, structural, excavation/shoring, and energy documents, plus other permits/approvals
Denver's local amendments to the 2024 I-Codes by chapter/section: administration, occupancy classification, building height/area, fire/smoke protection, egress, accessibility, structural design, special inspections, soils/foundations, plumbing, elevators, and the residential code
Before you submit
Upload the drawings with the 2025 Denver Building Code and Denver Fire Code PDFs that apply to the project. Groundbook compares the sheets with each other and with those references, and links each potential issue to its sources for your team to verify.
Look for incomplete information and conflicting requirements before the first plan check cycle.
Prepare for submissionCompare the stated design with the code and local references you supply.
Review against codesWhich code PDFs to bring, and how Groundbook uses them in a review.
Read the guideQuestions, answered
All permit applications are submitted online through E-Permits at denvergov.org/epermits (Denver's Accela-based portal). Register for an account, go to Development Services > Apply for a Permit, and select 'Building Log.' Permits are no longer issued at the CPD counter at 201 W. Colfax.
The 2025 Denver Building Code and 2025 Denver Fire Code, adopted June 13, 2025 (2nd printing November 24, 2025) and effective for applications January 1, 2026. They incorporate the 2024 I-Codes except for energy, which stays on the 2021 IECC, plus Denver-specific amendments such as a local single-exit path for some Group R-2 buildings and Denver Fire Department fire-truck live loads for accessible structural decks.
Resubmit under the same log number, uploading revised drawings to the E-Permits record's attachments page along with a written, letter-format response addressing every review comment; the response letter must be signed and sealed by the design professional of record. Reviewers can request further resubmittal rounds if comments are not fully addressed.
No single published 'correction list' was found. Instead, CPD publishes discipline-by-discipline submittal checklists (the Commercial Building Permit Guide and the Permitting Checklist for New Homes and Additions) and the 2025 Denver Building Code amendment document itself, which this research treats as the checklist/correction-item sources.
No. Groundbook surfaces potential conflicts and omissions in the drawings you upload, with links to the sources, for your team to verify before submitting. CPD reviews the application and makes every approval decision.
Official source directory
13 pages; revised August 3, 2026; current codes, step-by-step commercial permit process, zoning permit paths, shoring/excavation, deferred/phased construction, Green Buildings Ordinance, full submittal checklist
12 pages; updated September 3, 2026; discipline-by-discipline residential submittal checklist with DRC/DZC/DCBC code references
Department divisions (city planning, plan review/permits/inspections, building and fire codes, zoning, contractor licensing, landmark preservation) and related agencies
States 2025 DBC/DFC adopted June 13, 2025 (2nd printing Nov 24, 2025), incorporating 2024 I-Codes except 2021 IECC energy code; links code downloads and building code policies
262 pages; June 2025 1st printing; chapter-by-chapter local amendments to the 2024 I-Codes covering administration, occupancy, height/area, fire/smoke protection, egress, accessibility, structural design, special inspections, foundations, plumbing, elevators, and the residential code
What DFD reviews (site/water plans, building construction, life-safety systems), submission via E-permits, 2-business-day walk-through review for qualifying small projects
Rolling 90-day average and 90th-percentile first-review days by project tier; no fixed numeric guarantee stated on the page itself
Zoning permit categories (use, construction, sign, telecom, residential permits; zone lot amendments; rezoning); SDP project-champion process for zoning during SDP review
Applicability thresholds (25,000 sq ft), exemptions, and compliance-menu overview; effective November 2, 2018
When a Denver Water plan review is required (main extensions, hydrants, 3-inch+ connections), PE stamp and CAD standard requirements, Plan Review Portal submission
Describes E-permits capabilities (apply, pay fees, schedule inspections, track review, download permits)
The actual permitting/licensing portal linked from denvergov.org/epermits; confirms City and County of Denver ownership and available service categories
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Upload the drawing set with the code and local references that govern it. Groundbook links each potential issue to its sources for your team to verify.