Building Permits in Arvada

Arvada's Building Services administers building permits and inspections. Applications, permit records and inspection scheduling are available through the City's online permit system.

Current codes

Arvada states that it has adopted the 2024 International Codes with amendments. Applicants should review the City's current code and amendment pages for the particular project rather than assuming an unamended model code applies.

Fees

A new Arvada Building Fee Schedule took effect January 1, 2026. The City explains that the total permit cost can include the permit fee, plan-check fee, use tax, mechanical/electrical/plumbing charges and inspection fees depending on the project.

The permit fee itself is valuation-based under Table 18-1. Arvada also calculates building use tax using a 58% materials / 42% labor split for the construction valuation, as stated in the 2026 schedule. These are Arvada-specific rules and are not generalized to other jurisdictions.

Inspections and completion

Arvada states that inspections are required for building permits, with the required inspections varying according to project scope. Inspections can be scheduled through the permit system. For most permit types, after all required inspections are completed, the permit can be closed and finaled.

The City permits inspection scheduling until 6 a.m. on the desired inspection date, but completion can be affected by demand and weather; this is an inspection-request rule, not a permit-review deadline.

Project-specific engineering

Some project types have additional requirements. For example, the City's retaining-wall guidance requires engineered stamped structural plans for that category. This page does not extrapolate that requirement into a universal engineer-seal rule for every Arvada building permit.

Official sources

• Arvada Building Permits: https://www.arvadaco.gov/332/Building-Permits
• Arvada 2026 Building Fee Schedule: https://www.arvadaco.gov/1263/Building-Fee-Schedule
• Arvada retaining-wall guidance: https://www.arvadaco.gov/436/Retaining-Wall

Disclaimer: Verify current code amendments, valuation, use tax, plan-review charges and project-specific professional requirements with Arvada Building Services.