Evergreen (Unincorporated Jefferson County), COLORADO Building Permit Guide

Permit Authority

Evergreen is an unincorporated community, so building permits are issued by Jefferson County rather than a town or city building department. Evergreen projects often trigger mountain-specific wildfire, snow-load, geotechnical, access, and onsite wastewater review issues.

Department

Jefferson County Division of Building Safety

Address

100 Jefferson County Parkway, Suite 3540, Golden, CO 80419

Phone

303-271-8260

Email

buildingsafety@jeffco.us

Website

https://www.jeffco.us/785/Building-Safety

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Confirm the property is in unincorporated Jefferson County using the county address lookup and jurisdiction tools.
2. Review plan submittal requirements and any Planning and Zoning checklist items for the project.
3. Preregister for the Citizen Portal, then submit the application and electronic PDF plans.
4. Include all required residential or commercial categories, including truss documents at initial submittal where applicable.
5. Obtain any required Planning and Zoning, fire district, floodplain, OWTS, driveway/access, or geotechnical documentation.
6. Pay county permit fees and any related review fees.
7. Once permit is issued, schedule inspections through the Citizen Portal or by phone and complete final documentation before certificate of occupancy.

Typical processing time: No single countywide turnaround is published on the landing pages reviewed; same-day inspections are possible when online requests are made before 6 a.m.

Source: Jefferson County Division of Building Safety

General Requirements

Jefferson County requires permits for covered building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, reroof, and related work in unincorporated areas; mountain-area projects should expect added review for wildfire zone, snow load, access, and site constraints.

Required Documents

• Residential submittals may include architectural plans, structural plans, Manual J, Manual D, door/window schedules, alternative energy documents, REScheck, truss details/layouts, and calculations
• Commercial submittals may include application, site plan, architectural, structural, MEP, fire alarm/sprinkler plans, COMcheck, truss details, calculations, and spec books
• Planning and Zoning may require survey, site plan, deeds, driveway engineering, fire district letter, water/sewer or well/septic documentation, and soils reports

Permit validity

Not clearly stated on the county landing pages reviewed; verify with Building Safety at issuance.

Building code

Jefferson County publishes the 2018 IRC, 2018 IBC, 2018 IECC, 2018 IEBC, 2018 IFGC, 2018 IMC, 2018 IPC, and 2023 NEC, plus county supplements; Appendix Z wildfire construction rules apply in Wildfire Zone 1, including much of the mountain area above 6400 feet.

Owner-builder

A homeowner/builder may be exempt from contractor licensing when acting as contractor for a residential dwelling or accessory buildings intended for the homeowner's own personal use and occupancy; a person may secure permits on only one residence in a 24-month period under this exception.

Contractor requirements

All general, roofing, and mechanical contractors applying for permits in unincorporated Jefferson County must obtain a Jefferson County contractor license; state-licensed plumbers and electricians are not separately licensed by the county.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

Verify from current Jeffco fee sheet before quoting

Plan check fee

County plan review fee is 65% of permit fee on permits requiring plan review

Permit fee formula

Unified building permit fee schedule with valuation-based building permit fees and listed fees for MEP and reroof/reside categories

Reinspection fee

Reinspection fees may be assessed under the county supplements; inspections will not be scheduled if an outstanding reinspection fee has not been paid

Payment note

Confirm payment workflow in the Citizen Portal or with Building Safety at issuance.

Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

Contact the Jefferson County Division of Building Safety to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• Citizen Portal (24/7) (online)
• 303-271-8260 (Monday through Thursday) (phone)

Scheduling deadline

Online requests made before 6 a.m. may be performed the same workday; phone requests must be received by 5 p.m. the day before

Inspection hours

Field inspections Monday through Friday

Time windows

Online requests made before 6 a.m. may be performed the same workday; phone requests must be received by 5 p.m. the day before; inspection windows post online at 8 a.m. the day of inspection

Typical inspection sequence: County guidance references rough trade inspections before frame inspection, then insulation certificate/foundation compliance/special inspection letters before final building inspection; a dedicated inspection sequence procedural guide is also published.

Inspections will not be scheduled if a reinspection fee remains unpaid; stamped plans, inspection card, final documents, and ladders must be onsite.

Additional Resources

• Building code: Jefferson County publishes the 2018 IRC, 2018 IBC, 2018 IECC, 2018 IEBC, 2018 IFGC, 2018 IMC, 2018 IPC, and 2023 NEC, plus county supplements; Appendix Z wildfire construction rules apply in Wildfire Zone 1, including much of the mountain area above 6400 feet.
• Verify contractor license: Contractor Licensing
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• Adopted Building Codes
• Appendix Z (Wildfire Construction)
• Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria
• Requests
• License lookup guide: Colorado Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: Colorado Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
• Colorado hub: Colorado Contractor License & Permit Hub

Other cities in Jefferson County