Colorado

Do you need an HVAC permit in Colorado?

By Mario Bailey Last checked

Always required
2
of 3 jurisdictions
Conditional
1
depends on size or scope
Not required
0
exempt outright

HVAC Permit rules nationwide, beyond Colorado.

A technician inspects an outdoor air-conditioning condenser beside a house

Requirements and size thresholds for HVAC permits vary by locality. The table below compares what each Colorado county or city requires. Always confirm with the local office before starting.

Comparing states? See HVAC permit rules across every locality we cover.

What to know about HVAC permits in Colorado

HVAC permits in Virginia typically apply to new installations and to replacing gas or oil fueled equipment. Costs vary with equipment type and your locality. Using a licensed mechanical contractor matters, because the install must meet code and pass inspection, which also helps protect your equipment warranty.

The application steps and inspection sequence for HVAC permits come from the model code rather than from Colorado law, so they read the same wherever you build. We keep that walkthrough in one place: how an HVAC permit application and its inspections work, start to finish. What changes between Colorado jurisdictions is below: who requires a permit, what they charge, and which office you file with.

Swipe sideways to see thresholds and confidence.

Locality Permit required? Typical threshold Confidence
Aurora Conditional Not specified Confirmed on official page
Denver Yes Not specified Confirmed on official page
Jefferson County Yes Not specified From an official source

What an HVAC permit costs in Colorado

3 Colorado jurisdictions we cover publish a fee figure for this work. Each line is quoted from that office's own schedule and linked to its citation. The figures are not comparable to one another: some are flat minimums, some a percentage of job value, some charged per fixture, so what you pay depends on which schedule applies and on your job's valuation.

Aurora

On the 2026 flat-rate schedule (Form #A175, footer "Flat-Rate Fee (Revised 08/2026)"), "Air Conditioner Replacement", "Evaporative Cooler Replacement" and "Furnace Replacement" sit under the price heading "$201 EACH"; "Boiler Replacement" and "Furnace and Air Conditioner Replacement" under "$300 EACH"; "Rooftop Unit Replacement" and "Furnace, Air Conditioner and Water Heater Replacement" under "$336 EACH"; "Furnace and Water Heater Replacement" at "$292"; and "Gas Pipe Installation or Modification" under "$99 EACH". City use tax on materials is collected separately: "The flat fee process has no effect on the calculation and collection of city use taxes."

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Denver

Valuation-based fee per CPD Table 1 with a $20 minimum; like-for-like furnace, AC and boiler swaps issue as no-plan-review quick permits, per the Development Fees schedule and Quick Permits page

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Jefferson County

Mechanical permits not tied to an active building permit bill on the countywide valuation fee table with a $55 minimum for the first $1,000 of value, per the 2024 Building Code Supplements fee schedule effective 7/1/2026

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Jurisdictions not listed publish no dollar figure we could quote. Absence does not mean a permit is free.

Common questions about HVAC permits in Colorado

Do I need an HVAC permit in Colorado?
In most of Colorado, yes. Permits are issued locally, so the answer comes from your Colorado city or county rather than a single statewide rule. Of the 3 Colorado jurisdictions we have verified for HVAC work, 2 require a permit outright, 1 depends on the size or scope of the job, and 0 require none.
Is there an HVAC permit exemption in Colorado?
1 of the 3 Colorado jurisdictions we cover sets a threshold rather than a flat rule, so the same job can be exempt in one Colorado county and permitted in the next. The table above lists each Colorado jurisdiction's published threshold in its own words, with the source and the date we verified it.

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