Building Department

The building division operates weekdays from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 a.m., except for holidays. Please call (303) 450-8746 to speak with a SAFEbuilt team member or email the Building Permit Technician and we can assist you. SAFEbuilt performs building division services and planning and zoning services for the Town of Mountain View. 

Most construction projects require building permits and inspections to verify compliance with building codes and zoning regulations. Some common projects that most people do not realize a permit is required for are (for questions on anything shown here or if something is not listed, please reach out to us to see if a permit is required):

• Accessory structures, Garages, Sheds, Patio Covers, Sunrooms, etc.  
• Additions  
• Decks 
• Demolition Work  
• Fence replacements: Please Note: The Public Works Department handles fence replacement permits, rather than the Building Department and SafeBuilt. Fence permits are obtained by applying for a Right-of-Way (ROW) permit through the Public Works Department. For additional information, please see the FAQ pertaining to Fence Permits or email the Public Works Department.
• Fireplaces 
• Garage Conversions, Attic Space Conversion and Sunroom Conversions to habitable space/ dwelling space 
• Mechanical, Plumbing or Electrical Work 
• Patio Enclosures  
• Pools, hot tubs and spas 
• Remodeling IE: Kitchen remodel, Basement finish, Bathroom remodel, etc.  
• Replacement or new Mechanical Appliances: IE-Furnaces, heat pumps, mini-splits, AC units, etc.  
• Replacement or new plumbing fixtures/ Appliances- IE: Toilets, sinks, bathtubs, showers, Water Heaters, Sump Pumps, Swamp Coolers, Boilers, etc.  
• Reroofing/ Roof replacements  
• Retaining walls 
• Sheds 
• Siding replacements 
• Signs 
• Solar Panels 
• Structural Modifications 
• Water/ Sewer line replacement  
• Window and Door replacements  

Please review the “Helpful Building Permit Handouts” section for a general list of submittal checklists and guides. If you have questions on any permit type that is not shown or that does not have a checklist, please reach out to us and we would be glad to assist you.

If the entire project is completed - for example, a deck or basement finish - the homeowner remains responsible for obtaining the proper permits and inspections. In some cases, this may mean removal of wall coverings to check concealed work. Homeowners should also contact their insurance company to verify that the new work will still be covered if no permit has been obtained. Often a completed project is not caught until a prospective buyer or private home inspector checks with the Building Division or a disaster occurs. 

In most instances, homeowners may do all the work in their own home with a permit. However, a licensed professional must do the work when: 
    • The home is intended for immediate sale or resale 
    • The home is a rental property which is to be occupied by tenants. 

Permit Fees are based on the total value or cost of the project. The applicant provides this information on the permit forms at the time of submittal. Use tax is also charged on the value of the materials, which is assumed to be 50 percent of the total cost of the job. For an estimate of fees, please reach out to the Building Department and we can provide you with an estimate based on the total valuation you provide, and the type of permit you are applying for. Please keep in mind that this is just an estimate.  

Plan review fees will be required to be paid up front prior to a plan review taking place.  

• Residential: 5-10 business days  
• Commercial job less than $1 million: 10-20 business days 
• Commercial job less than $1 million: 21-30 business days 

Please be aware that these time frames reflect the building department plan review time frames and do not reflect the time frame for review from other departments such as planning and zoning, engineering/ ROW, fire department, etc.  

Additional reviews may be required if submittal documents and plans are not sufficient when submitted during first review. Additional reviews will be in the same time frame as the initial review. To avoid delays in the process, please ensure that you are supplying the correct plans and documents required, that you are submitting plans to all required departments and that the plans are reflecting the correct code years and design criteria for the Town of Mountain View.  

A homeowner getting a permit for his or her dwelling does not require a contractor's license.

Additionally, the Town of Mountain View does not require Contractor Licensing for contractors that are performing work within the Town limits.

However, contractors will still be required to create a contractor user login when logging into our permitting system CommunityCore, for registration and user interface purposes and all construction work performed in the Town of Mountain View is required to meet the municipal and building code requirements. (Please note: The CommunityCore system will be added to the Town's website soon. Check back for updates, as we are actively working to make this resource available to the community.)

Homeowners and contractors are responsible for verifying that the necessary permits have been issued and inspections completed by contacting the Building Department Technician or Building Official. 

The Town collects use tax on building materials at the time of building permit issuance. For use tax purposes, fifty percent (50%) of the total project valuation is assumed to be materials with the balance being labor.

When purchasing materials for the project, show your building permit payment receipt (from the Town of Mountain View) to the supplier or retail home center. The supplier should not charge any municipal sales tax since the use tax has been collected. You will still be required to pay other applicable taxes when you purchase materials.  

Use Tax = total valuation x 50 percent x 3 percent.

All structures (houses, garages, sheds, decks, pools, spas, patio covers, gazebos, additions, etc.) are required to be located a certain distance away from all property lines on your lot. This distance varies with both the type of structure and the zoning of your property. These standards are adopted by ordinance in the Mountain View Municipal Code. 
 
Typically, all structures shall be at least 3 feet away from the side property lines with a combined, total side setback of 10 feet (e.g. 3 feet one side, 7 feet on the other).  However, depending on construction materials used, the adopted Building Code may require 5 feet of separation from side property lines.   
 
Accessory (detached) structures shall be at least 5 feet away from the rear property line and 3 feet from side property lines. Corner lots typically have a 10-foot side setback for all structures.  
 
Room additions to the principal structure are required to be a minimum of 20 feet from the rear property line and are subject to the side setbacks as outlined above. There may also be utility or drainage easements in various locations on your lot that restrict the placement of any structure.   
 
For correct setback information in all zoning districts, please contact us or schedule a Design Review Committee (DRC) Meeting. More about DRC meetings, as well as directions for applying can be found here.

Call our inspection line at (303) 450-8748 (this number is on your permit as well). If you call the number prior to 4:00 p.m., the inspection(s) you request will be scheduled for the following business day. Please leave a message with your address, permit number, type of inspection, and telephone number when you call for your inspection. 

Additionally, after the Town provides access to the CommunityCore system on the website (we are working on providing this additional resource!) you will be able to schedule an inspection online by using our CommunityCore, online permitting portal. If you schedule inspections through CommunityCore, prior to 4:00 p.m., the inspection(s) you request will be scheduled for the following business day.  

Our inspectors receive their assignments in the morning and determine the most efficient route for the day prior to leaving the office. Your inspection could be any time between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. depending on the number of inspections scheduled for that day.  

Specific requests for inspections in either the morning or the afternoon timeframes will be accommodated where at all possible but are not guaranteed. You can add a request for a morning or afternoon request by leaving this information on the permit request you submit, whether online, when the CommunityCore online system is added to the Town website, or through our inspection line. (We are working to provide the CommunityCore system on the webiste as an additional resource to the community, and expect to have this available shortly.)

The simplest answer is that the inspectors need to check all work before it is concealed by the next phase of construction.

All required inspections will also be listed on your permit, if you access our online permitting system (CommunityCore) when it becomes available on our website. (We are currently working to add this additional resource.) 

Some permits may include inspections on setback, foundation, all roughs (including framing, electrical, mechanical and plumbing), insulation, drywall/screw, and final.

Please contact the Building Department Technician or the Building Official and we would be glad to assist you.

To protect yourself from possible injury and from costly repairs, call the Utility Notification Center of Colorado (UNCC) at 811 before you dig. UNCC acts as a communication center between excavators and underground facility operators by notifying the city utility for water and sewer line locations as well as the appropriate companies for gas and electric, phone and cable. They will also advise you if you need to contact anyone else. 

Unless it's an emergency situation, you must allow 48 hours response time 

After calling 811, crews will come by and mark the ground with flags like these, showing where infrastructure lines are underneath.