Boulder County’s Existing Building Commercial Plan Submittal Checklist outlines the required documents and plan components for commercial building permit applications in existing buildings located in unincorporated Boulder County. The printable checklist helps property owners, contractors, and design professionals prepare complete submittals for review. Additional building publications are available on the Building Applications and Forms homepage, and broader program information can be found on the Building Safety and Inspection division homepage or the Community Planning & Permitting department webpages.
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Boulder County Building Publications
Existing Building - Commercial Plan Submittal Checklist - B70B
All construction drawings must be submitted in PDF format at the time of your online building permit application.
Visit the website Boulder County Permit Records and Online Application Submittals for the online application.
This document serves as a general reference and does not represent a complete set of requirements.
Commercial permit applications are applicable to buildings and structures that are other than one- and two-family dwellings and their accessory structures.
The scope of work may include additions, alterations, remodels, changes of occupancy/use (list the approved existing occupancy), repairs, historic structures, and moved buildings, Tenant Improvements (T.I.)/Tenant Finish (T.F.), or miscellaneous work.
Boulder County issues a permit that includes all trades under one permit. Projects with multiple buildings require a complete submittal package for each building. Complete plans are required from each discipline. Deferred submittals are not allowed (except for fire protection systems) without prior approval of the Building Department. Refer to Boulder County Building Code Amendments for all currently adopted code editions and county amendments.
Please understand, quoting the code section(s) does not demonstrate compliance to the code on the plan set. Please show, or otherwise illustrate, how compliance is achieved with the proposed installation or proposed construction in detail.
Where a structure was constructed or work has been completed without the benefit of a building permit and/or inspections, the Commercial Plan Submittal Checklist is applicable.
Note: Regarding details for all disciplines, the level of detail required on the construction documents will depend on the scope of work proposed.
Submittal Requirements
Applications and supporting documentation without the following information may not be accepted for review.
General Requirements
All digital documents must have all security removed. PDFs must allow electronic markups and comments.
Submit appropriately dimensioned plans that illustrate the proposed construction. Generally, a minimum scale of ¼ inch per foot for plans is preferred.
Provide a Sheet Index on the title sheet or cover sheet listing all sheets included with the Construction Document plan set.
Specify the street address, including suite number, on each sheet of the plans. The building, structure, or suite shall be identified using the approved assigned address and suite number.
A Colorado licensed design professional may be required to provide a design code analysis in accordance with the International Existing Building Code (IEBC), depending on the scope of work. The construction documents must indicate which pathway through the IEBC is to be used for compliance. Generally, one of three paths of compliance will be followed with the IEBC. Where one of the three pathways is not indicated in the code analysis the Prescriptive Compliance Method will be presumed.
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- Prescriptive Compliance Method (IEBC chapter 3, including Accessibility for Existing Buildings, and IEBC chapter 5).
- Work Area Compliance Method (IEBC chapter 3, including Accessibility for Existing Buildings, and IEBC Chapters 6 through 12, as applicable). Choose as applicable to the IEBC definition and scope of work.
- Alterations – Level 1
- Alterations – Level 2
- Alterations – Level 3
- Change of Occupancy
- Additions
- Historic Buildings
- Performance Compliance Methods
- Demonstrate compliance in accordance with IEBC chapter 3, including Accessibility for Existing Buildings, and IEBC chapter 13.
- Repairs or Moved Building/Structures
- Refer to the specific definitions and chapters in the IEBC.
Show or otherwise demonstrate how you will install or maintain safeguards during construction for occupied existing buildings and structures, see IEBC chapter 15.
Submitted plans, construction specifications, calculations, soils report, etc. must be sealed, dated and signed by a Colorado licensed design professional (Registered Architect or Engineer) in accordance with Colorado regulations.
Provide a site plan. Identify the where the work is proposed to take place. In multi-tenant buildings, identify adjacent occupancies, uses, and tenants.
Provide a building code analysis including but not limited to the following.
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- Referenced Codes and Reference Standards, including the current Boulder County Building Code Amendments
- Building construction type
- Building Area (allowed, existing, and proposed)
- Building Height (allowed, existing, and proposed)
- Occupancy Group Classification (previously approved and proposed)
- Occupant Load(s)
- Fire Sprinkler system (partial or throughout or none)
- Fire Alarm system (partial or throughout or none)
- Provide plumbing fixture counts (compliance based on occupant load calculations for egress).
Provide a floor plan for each floor of the structure.
Provide a demolition/deconstruction plan indicating existing layout and existing occupancy/use.
Clearly illustrate fire-resistant-rated assemblies, existing and proposed, on plans, including but not limited to occupancy separations and accessory use areas. Provide complete fire-resistant-rated assemblies on the construction documents.
List required occupancy separations or fire resistive construction elements included for each area. List separately total square footage for each building and space. Commercial plans without this data will not be accepted for review.
Means of Egress compliance shall be illustrated on the plans based on occupancy classification and occupant load calculations. The plans shall demonstrate the method used to determine Means of Egress compliance including exit signs and emergency lighting.
Provide Life Safety Plan including travel distance(s) from individual areas to point(s) of means of egress in accordance with the IBC chapter 10, the International Fire Code (IFC) as referenced, and NFPA 101 (Life Safety Code).
Provide details that show overall building height dimensions on both exterior elevations and at building sections may be required depending on the scope of work.
Where elevation changes exist or are proposed show the following.
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- Indicate existing and proposed height of construction elevation.
- Indicate existing and proposed finished grade elevation.
- Indicate existing and proposed finished floor elevations.
- Indicate slopes and cross-slopes.
List proposed interior finishes in accordance with IBC chapter 8. Note the proposed finish classification for all finishes.
Provide submittals and listings for new equipment or appliances, and demonstrate compliance to the applicable code for the new installation.
A Hazardous Materials Inventory Statement may be required prior to plan review. See IBC section 414, including but not limited to IBC section 414.1.3.
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- Note the type of materials, quantities or amount(s), use (open or closed) and resulting occupancy classification.
- Indicate use, storage, and control areas with fire barrier ratings on plan.
Demonstrate compliance to Ignition Resistant Construction requirements, as applicable.
Fire Protection District project review and approval is required prior to building permit issuance, though it is not required at the time of application. Please correspond with the appropriate Fire Protection District regarding how to submit plans to their agent for review. Email the Fire Protection District approval to ezbp@bouldercounty.gov.
For Retail Food Establishments, Boulder County Public Health (BCPH)-Food Safety Program review and acceptance is required prior to permit issuance. Provide documentation from BCPH of receipt and acceptance of all construction documents for the project for review. Review may be conducted simultaneously with building plan review.Provide completed Jobsite Construction Recycling Checklist and Recycling Plan with permit applications, see BCBC amendment to IECC section C392 and R392 as applicable.
Structural Requirements
A structural analysis and/or structural documentation may be required to show compliance depending on the scope of work and the IEBC compliance pathway proposed or implemented. Please verify the specific requirements based on the pathway proposed. When required, provide the following in detail.
List the current code edition by which the structure is designed or evaluated.
List the Risk Category (IBC section 1604.5) for the structure.
Provide structural evaluation/calculations addressing code compliance for new loads on existing structures.
Construction documents shall reference the structural compliance for the intended use and location of the structure, including but not limited to those listed in IBC section 1603.
Provide a Statement of Special Inspections as per IBC chapter 17. Outline what special inspections are to be conducted and the frequency (continuous or periodic).
Note: Where work has been completed without the benefit of a building permit and/or inspections, a structural analysis may be required.
Electrical Requirements
List the current National Electric Code edition by which the structure is designed.
Provide complete panel schedules with load calculations. For remodels show existing and new loads. Provide a one-line diagram with complete load calculations and fault current calculations. Show Service entrance section for new construction.
Include means of egress illumination and exit signage throughout building and exit discharge.
For alterations to exterior lighting, provide photometric study and exterior light fixture cut sheets to comply with outdoor lighting control guidelines.
Include complete lighting plans with fixture schedule.
A COMcheck Lighting Compliance Certificate may be required depending on the scope of work and/or compliance pathway. See Energy Conservation Code requirements.
Mechanical Requirements
Provide a mechanical layout including but not limited to the ductwork, A/C units, air-handlers, diffusers, etc.
Provide mechanical equipment listings, specifications, and weight of equipment, including changes with medical gas or hazardous materials areas if applicable.
Show locations of equipment and access to equipment. Where mechanical equipment requires structural changes, provide details of the structural means of support.
Provide ventilation calculations for changes in occupancy and where major alterations to the heating and cooling of the existing building are planned. Calculations are to comply with both IMC section 403 and IECC section C403 for equipment sizing.
A COMcheck Mechanical Compliance Certificate may be required depending on the scope of work and/or compliance pathway. See Energy Conservation Code requirements in this document.
For cooking/food preparation areas, provide a complete kitchen equipment schedule and cut sheets coordinated to kitchen floor plans.
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- List and specify each type of cooking appliance as defined by IMC section 202 and IMC chapter 5. Provide complete kitchen hood plans and show ventilation calculations, including make up air, for Type I or Type II kitchen hoods.
- All plans should coordinate with plan submittals made to the Boulder County Public Health Department-Food Safety Program.
Plumbing Requirements
Provide existing plumbing layout and proposed plumbing layout.
Provide a complete plumbing floor plan.
Provide roof drainage calculations and systems, based on the 100-year hourly rainfall rate of 2.4 inches per hour, for the entire project area.
Where changes are proposed, provide plumbing plans with all fixtures, drain, waste and vent piping, traps, interceptors, stormwater drainage systems, as applicable. Provide a plumbing fixture count analysis based on occupancy and use.
For cooking and/or food preparation areas, provide a complete kitchen equipment schedule, including proposed sinks, floor drains, interceptors, and back-flow prevention.
All commercial kitchen plans should coordinate with plan submittals made to the Boulder County Public Health Department-Food Safety Program.
A COMcheck Mechanical Compliance Certificate may be required depending on the scope of work and/or compliance pathway. See Energy Conservation Code requirements, including but not limited to service water heating requirements.
Fuel Gas Requirements
Fuel gas, and liquid propane, installations shall comply with the Boulder County Building Code Amendments, IBC, International Fire Code (IFC), International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), and referenced standards.
For new propane tank installations see Propane Tank Installation and Location Webpage (B23).
Existing fuel gas installations are referenced in Boulder County Building Code Amendments to IFGC section 102.
Where existing fuel gas systems, including liquid propane systems are proposed or altered, provide complete fuel gas installation plans, including gas piping plan, gas load and gas piping calculations and reference method used for calculation.
Reference the service pressure and meter location.
Reference gas piping materials and sizing proposed for use.
Show all appliance or fixture locations and connections. Provide specifications and listings as required. Show compliance with the method of condensate disposal.
Show combustion air compliance, calculations may be required. show chimney or vent system compliance.
Energy Conservation Compliance Requirements
Show compliance to all required elements to incorporate energy sustainability requirements of the Boulder County Building Code Amendments, the IBC, the amended International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), and the amended International Green Construction Code (IgCC).
Where existing buildings were constructed under the IgCC are proposed to have work complete and are required to comply with the IgCC, it is recommended that you schedule a meeting with a Boulder County plans examiner to discuss the proposed pathway to compliance.
Changes in conditioned space, where a space was previously approved as an unconditioned space and is proposed to be converted to a conditioned space, and where changes are proposed to low energy use spaces, may be reviewed alterations, additions, or changes of occupancy, depending on the scope of work.
Energy conservation compliance details shall include, but are not limited to, the requirements noted in Boulder County Building Code Amendments section 107.2.5, as applicable. Note the energy compliance path on the plans.
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- Existing buildings begin in Chapter 5. Please review definitions and show compliance based on type of work proposed.
- Commercial Buildings – Prescriptive Compliance or Total Building Performance (IECC section C401.2 and subsections)
- Residential Buildings – (Residential buildings that are not one- and two-family dwellings reviewed under the IRC)- Pathways include Prescriptive Compliance, Total Building Performance, or Energy Rating Index, etc. (IECC section R401)
- List existing and proposed components and appliances, as applicable.
A COMcheck Mechanical Compliance Certificate may be required depending on the scope of work and/or compliance pathway. The documentation may include but is not limited to building envelope, mechanical equipment, service water heating, and electrical lighting requirements.
Provide project commissioning documentation as required.
Fire Code Requirements
Fire safety and fire protection systems, including fire department access, shall be maintained and comply with the IBC and the fire protection district’s requirements. Show on the submitted plan set the locations of proposed construction parking, staging, and material storage for construction so as to demonstrate fire department access is maintained.
Show location of fire sprinkler riser and standpipe locations. Reference the where the fire department connection is proposed to be located.
A Hazardous Materials Inventory Statement may be required prior to plan review. See IBC section 414 and the General Requirements in this document regarding Hazardous Materials.
Show locations and rating of portable fire extinguishers on floor plans. See IBC section 906.
Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code Compliance
For first time tenant finish/tenant improvement projects and existing buildings where systems were installed in compliance with the Colorado Model Electric-Ready and Solar Ready Code, show how the proposed project will comply with, or continue to maintain, the commercial provision requirements.
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