Denver, Colorado - City and County Development Fees
Denver | Consolidated City and County | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO MSA (Front Range / Denver Metro)
Denver is a consolidated city and county - it functions simultaneously as a home-rule city and a county under Article XX of the Colorado Constitution. Development fees are administered by Community Planning and Development (CPD), which issues building permits, and by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI), which administers site development plan review, subdivision plat review, engineering plan review, and sewer use and drainage permits. Water service inside Denver is provided by Denver Water, a separate city-owned utility. This page presents the building permit, plan review, site development, and sewer tap fees captured verbatim from official CPD and DOTI fee schedules. Impact fees (the EHA Affordable Housing Linkage Fee, Gateway Impact Fees, and Construction Use Tax) and Denver Water System Development Charges are summarized with links to their official schedules; see Coverage Notes for the specific amounts ZoneFee did not capture from a hashed official document this pass. Verify current amounts with the City and County of Denver before relying on them.
On this page
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permit and Plan Review Fees (CPD ADMIN 138) | Confirmed | Valuation-based: $20 flat (to $500) rising to $5,385 base + $3.65/$1,000 over $1M; plan review 50% of permit fee | 2024-05-21 |
| Site Development, Plat, and Engineering Review Fees (DOTI) | Confirmed | Site Development Plan Review $2,500 to $12,000 by acreage; subdivision plat $1,500 + $600/lot; wastewater review 2.6% of construction cost | 2024-01-01 |
| Sewer Tap Fees (DOTI SUDP) | Confirmed | Residential $6,320/unit (2025), $6,480/unit (2026); commercial by meter/SFRE, $12,640 (3/4") to $126,400 (2") in 2025; + $425 SUDP application fee | 2025-01-01 |
| Impact Fees (EHA Linkage Fee, Gateway, Construction Use Tax) | Program confirmed | Programs confirmed via CPD ADMIN 138 and DRMC; specific per-sq-ft and percentage amounts not captured from a hashed official schedule this pass (see Coverage Notes) | 2022-11-01 |
| Water System Development Charge (Denver Water) | Program confirmed | Denver Water levies a System Development Charge for water service; two-phase increase adopted March 26, 2025 (phased from Jan 1, 2026). Current amount published on the official Denver Water SDC page (see Coverage Notes) | 2025-01-01 |
| Special District Fees (Metro Districts / PID / TIF) | Not administered | Metro districts (CRS Title 32) are independent landowner-assessed entities; Denver does not levy a distinct city special-district developer application fee | - |
| Proffers | Not applicable | Colorado jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers | - |
Building Permit, Plan Review, and Site Development Fees
Source: City and County of Denver Community Planning and Development Building Permit Policy ADMIN 125 and 138 (revision date May 21, 2024; SHA-256 85f13334...), captured verbatim, and the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) 2024 Consolidated Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2024; SHA-256 1f6072fe...) for the site development, plat, and engineering review fees.
Building Permit Fees (Valuation-Based, ADMIN 138)
| Project Valuation | Permit Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $20.00 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $35.00 |
| $2,000 to $25,000 | $35.00 for first $2,000 + $8.00 per additional $1,000 |
| $25,000 to $50,000 | $220.00 for first $25,000 + $8.00 per additional $1,000 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $420.00 for first $50,000 + $7.00 per additional $1,000 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $770.00 for first $100,000 + $5.60 per additional $1,000 |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,010.00 for first $500,000 + $4.75 per additional $1,000 |
| $1,000,001 and over | $5,385.00 for first $1,000,000 + $3.65 per additional $1,000 |
Plan Review and Permit Surcharges
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plan review fee (all tiers above $2,000) | 50% of permit fee (assessed separately) |
| Express plan review (valuation over $2,000) | 20% of permit fee, minimum $100.00 |
| Two-phase construction permit surcharge | Permit fee + 25% |
| Three or more phase construction permits | Permit fee + 50% |
| Solar / PV and renewable energy permit | $50.00 flat per permit; $0 plan review |
| Reinspection / after-hours inspection | $100.00 per hour (2-hour minimum after-hours) |
| Contractor License (Class A, B, C, D) | $250.00 every 3 years |
| Board of Appeals hearing application | $250.00 |
DOTI Site Development, Plat, and Engineering Review Fees
| Review Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Site Development Plan Review - 0 to 9.999 acres | $2,500 |
| Site Development Plan Review - 10 to 14.999 acres | $5,100 |
| Site Development Plan Review - 15 to 49.999 acres | $7,000 |
| Site Development Plan Review - 50 acres or greater | $12,000 |
| Subdivision Plat Review - base fee | $1,500 |
| Subdivision Plat Review - per lot or tract | $600 |
| Engineering Wastewater (SSPR) plan review | 2.6% of construction cost |
| Engineering Transportation (TEP) curb and gutter review - 0 to 299.999 linear feet | $750 |
| Engineering Transportation (TEP) curb and gutter review - 300 to 599.999 linear feet | $3,750 |
| Engineering Transportation (TEP) curb and gutter review - 600+ linear feet | $13,500 |
Authority: Denver Community Planning and Development (building permits) and the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (site development, plat, and engineering review). Building permit fees are established under D.R.M.C. Sec. 10-16 (2025 Denver Building Code adopting the 2024 International Building Code).
Sewer Tap and Water Connection Fees
Source: DOTI Right-Of-Way Services SUDP Permitting Sewer Permit Fees, effective January 1, 2025 (SHA-256 7b8787ad...) and effective January 1, 2026 (SHA-256 d43d3146...), captured verbatim. These DOTI sewer tap fees recover sanitary sewer availability (SAFE) and Metro Water Recovery District capital (METRO) costs. Water service is provided by Denver Water (see below).
DOTI Sewer Tap Fees (SUDP)
| Connection | SAFE | METRO | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential (SFR / duplex) per unit - 2025 | $410.00 | $5,910.00 | $6,320.00 |
| Residential per unit - 2026 | $410.00 | $6,070.00 | $6,480.00 |
| Commercial 3/4" meter (2.0 SFRE) - 2025 | $820.00 | $11,820.00 | $12,640.00 |
| Commercial 1" meter (4.8 SFRE) - 2025 | $1,968.00 | $28,368.00 | $30,336.00 |
| Commercial 1.5" meter (11 SFRE) - 2025 | $4,510.00 | $65,010.00 | $69,520.00 |
| Commercial 2" meter (20 SFRE) - 2025 | $8,200.00 | $118,200.00 | $126,400.00 |
| SUDP application fee (administrative, per permit) | $425.00 (per 2024 DOTI Consolidated Fee Schedule) | ||
Denver Water System Development Charge
Water service inside Denver is provided by Denver Water, a self-governing city-owned utility, which charges a System Development Charge (SDC) on new service connections. Per the official Denver Water SDC page (linked in Sources), the Denver Board of Water Commissioners voted unanimously on March 26, 2025 to implement a two-phase SDC increase - the first change since 2013 - with Phase 1 effective January 1, 2026 and Phase 2 effective July 1, 2026. The current single-family and nonresidential SDC amounts are published on that official page. ZoneFee retrieved the page but did not compute a content hash for it this pass, so specific SDC dollar amounts are listed under Coverage Notes rather than presented as a hashed-source fee table here.
Impact Fees and Construction Use Tax
Colorado authorizes local development impact fees under C.R.S. Section 29-20-104.5. Denver levies three distinct developer-facing charges that fall under this family. Their existence and legal basis are confirmed from the CPD ADMIN 138 policy (SHA-256 85f13334...) and the Denver Revised Municipal Code; the specific current amounts are published on the official Denver fee schedules and are itemized as a coverage gap below because ZoneFee did not capture them from a hashed official fee-schedule document this pass.
- EHA Affordable Housing Linkage Fee - established under the Expanding Housing Affordability ordinance (Ordinance 20220426; D.R.M.C. Chapter 27, Article V), in effect from November 2022. It applies to new gross floor area added by residential and non-residential projects and is adjusted annually each July 1 per the methodology in DRMC Chapter 27. Existence confirmed in ADMIN 138, Section 400.
- Gateway Impact Fees - transportation impact fees limited to the Gateway planning area in east Denver (near I-70 / Pena Boulevard), administered by DOTI District Management. Most Denver development is outside the Gateway area and does not pay these fees.
- Construction Use Tax - a use tax on construction materials, supplies, tools, and equipment used on Denver job sites, levied under D.R.M.C. Chapter 53, Article III (Treasury Tax Rule 005).
Coverage Notes - What This Page Does Not Cover
Per ZoneFee's Partial-Verified Publication Standard, the items below were not closed on this page with a fee amount traceable to a hashed official source document. They are disclosed here rather than estimated, paraphrased from a non-official source, or omitted silently. These items remain under limited-coverage review until these gaps are closed from official, hash-captured sources.
Impact fee amounts (EHA Linkage Fee, Gateway, Construction Use Tax)
The EHA Affordable Housing Linkage Fee per-square-foot rates, the Gateway Impact Fee schedule, and the Construction Use Tax rate were not captured from a hashed official Denver fee-schedule document in this pass (denvergov.org HTML fee pages were unreachable from the research host; only the prelive CDN served document assets). The programs themselves are confirmed via ADMIN 138 and the Denver Revised Municipal Code. For current rates, consult the official Denver EHA fee schedule and the DOTI Gateway Impact Fee calculator linked in Sources.
Denver Water System Development Charge amounts
The official Denver Water SDC page was retrieved (and reconfirmed live at build) but a content hash was not computed, so specific SDC dollar amounts are not presented as a fee table on this page. The SDC program, the March 26, 2025 board vote, and the two-phase 2026 increase are confirmed from that official page (linked in Sources).
CPD planning application fees (rezoning, variance, special use)
Denver CPD planning application fees (rezoning, design review, variance, and similar discretionary land-use applications) are separate from the ADMIN 138 building permit fees and were not captured this pass. They will be added when captured from an official, hash-verified source.
Special District Fees (Metro Districts / PID / TIF)
Denver is a consolidated city-county. Metro districts within Denver (authorized under C.R.S. Title 32) are independent governmental entities with their own boards and mill-levy authority; their assessments are landowner/property-based, not City and County of Denver development fees. The DOTI 2024 Consolidated Fee Schedule and ADMIN 138 contain no city-administered special-district developer application fee. Closed-search outcome: this fee family is not administered by this jurisdiction.
Proffers
Colorado municipalities do not use Virginia-style cash proffers (a conditional-zoning mechanism under Virginia Code Sections 15.2-2303 and 15.2-2303.4 with no Colorado counterpart). Developer capital contributions in Denver occur through impact fees, building permit and review fees, and utility connection charges. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| City and County of Denver - Community Planning and Development (CPD) | Building permit fees, plan review, EHA Affordable Housing Linkage Fee | denvergov.org |
| City and County of Denver - Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) | Site development plan review, subdivision plat review, engineering plan review, sewer tap (SUDP) fees, Gateway Impact Fees | denvergov.org |
| Denver Water | Water System Development Charge (SDC) | denverwater.org |
| City and County of Denver - Treasury | Construction Use Tax | denvergov.org |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Building Permit Policy ADMIN 125 and 138 (revised May 21, 2024; building permit and plan review fees) (SHA-256 85f13334...) | City and County of Denver - Community Planning and Development | 2026-06-26 |
| DOTI 2024 Consolidated Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2024; site development, plat, engineering review) (SHA-256 1f6072fe...) | City and County of Denver - DOTI | 2026-06-26 |
| DOTI 2025 Sewer Permit Fees (effective January 1, 2025) (SHA-256 7b8787ad...) | City and County of Denver - DOTI | 2026-06-26 |
| DOTI 2026 Sewer Permit Fees (effective January 1, 2026) (SHA-256 d43d3146...) | City and County of Denver - DOTI | 2026-06-26 |
| System Development Charges for 2026 (board vote March 26, 2025; phased 2026) | Denver Water | 2026-06-26 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-06-26. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the City and County of Denver (CPD and DOTI) and Denver Water before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the City and County of Denver Community Planning and Development Building Permit Policy ADMIN 138 (SHA-256 85f13334...), the DOTI 2024 Consolidated Fee Schedule (SHA-256 1f6072fe...), and the DOTI 2025 and 2026 Sewer Permit Fee schedules (SHA-256 7b8787ad... and d43d3146...). ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. Denver's EHA Affordable Housing Linkage Fee, Gateway Impact Fees, Construction Use Tax, and Denver Water System Development Charge amounts are disclosed as coverage gaps pending hash-verified capture from official sources. Colorado jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers, and Denver does not levy a distinct city-administered special-district developer application fee. Verify all current rates directly with the City and County of Denver and Denver Water before relying on this data for land acquisition, project budgeting, or any financial decision. This page is for research and due-diligence reference only - it is not legal or financial advice.