Where to search Denver permits
| Tool | Search by | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| e-permits (sign in) | Date, record type, address, record number | The permit record and a downloadable copy under Attachments |
| Residential construction permits (open data) | Any field, including contractor name | Permit number, class, valuation, contractor, issue date, final date, cancellation |
| CORA request | Address, record number | Plans and files not online |
| Our Denver firm list | Contractor name | Each firm's permits, values and how recently it filed |
How to look up permits on a Denver address
- Open e-permits and sign in.
- Go to the Development Services tab and choose the permit search.
- Enter the address, or the record number from the permit card. Narrow by date or record type if the list is long.
- Open each record: read the type, issue date and contractor.
- Under Record Info, open Attachments to download the issued permit.
What the dates mean
Denver's open data has no status column. It has a final date, a cancel flag and a certificate-of-occupancy date. Our pages count a permit as finished when it has a final date, but Denver stopped recording final dates for most permits after 2020, so we show a finished share only for foundation and structural repair and for demolition (Denver about page; methodology).
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Finaled (a year or more old) | Usual days to final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation and structural repair | 951 | 130 | 63.2% | 93 |
| Demolition | 1,139 | 122 | 91.3% | 21 |
| Remodel and alteration | 3,530 | 858 | not recorded | not recorded |
| New home | 2,371 | 270 | not recorded | not recorded |
| Addition | 864 | 393 | not recorded | not recorded |
So on a Denver remodel, a missing final date in the open data does not mean the job failed. Ask the contractor for the final inspection result, or ask CPD, before the last payment.
When the record is not online
CPD says "The City started digitizing plans submitted for building permits around 2018; most plans filed before this time were physically filed", with fees such as "$50 per box" for offsite retrieval. To ask for them, use CPD's CORA form; "requests can take up to 10 business days". Denver's CORA page says the first hour of research is free, staff time after that may be charged at up to $41.37 an hour, and paper copies are $0.25 a page (read 23 October 2026).
What our Denver data adds
e-permits is organised by record. Ours lists every residential permit a Denver firm pulled, with its usual job value: the Denver permit statistics, and the compare lists for remodels, new homes and additions. Denver licenses contractors itself; the check is in the Denver contractor license lookup. Which jobs need a permit: Do I need a permit?
See every Denver remodeler by permits filed →
How we know this
Search steps, plan-filing history and CORA costs are quoted from Denver Community Planning and Development's contact page and the City's CORA page, read 23 October 2026. Our counts are City and County of Denver residential construction and demolition permits, October 2023 to September 2026. Denver publishes no electrical, plumbing, HVAC or roofing permits, so those trades are not here.
Numbers come from City and County of Denver residential construction and demolition permits, data through October 16, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I find out if a permit was pulled on my house in Denver?
Sign in to Denver's e-permits, open the Development Services tab, and search building permit records by address, date, record type or record number. Community Planning and Development calls this free and instant.
- Are Denver building permits public record?
Yes. Permit records are searchable in e-permits, residential construction permits are published as open data, and anything else can be requested from Community Planning and Development under the Colorado Open Records Act.
- How do I get a copy of an old Denver permit or plans?
For an issued permit in e-permits, use Attachments under Record Info to download it. CPD says it started digitizing plans around 2018 and most older plans are physically filed, so file a CORA request; requests can take up to 10 business days and retrieval of boxed plans costs $50 a box.
- How much does a Denver CORA request cost?
Denver says the first hour of research is free, staff time after that may be charged at up to $41.37 an hour, and paper copies are $0.25 a page.
- Can I search Denver permits by contractor name?
e-permits searches by date, record type, address or record number. The open data file names the contractor, and our Denver pages list 10,375 residential permits from October 2023 to September 2026 under 2,300 firms.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Denver contractor license lookup: city licenses, state trade licenses and the permits
- Home improvement costs in Denver, CO (2026): what 8 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Home improvement costs in Bernalillo County, NM (2026): what 6 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Cincinnati contractor license lookup: which registration, where to search, and what the permits show
- Denver foundation repair on expansive soil: what the clay does, what the City requires, and who files the permits
- Hartford building permit search: the Accela portal, statuses and old records
For one city
- Tearing down a house in Denver: the 40% rule, Landmark Preservation review, and the 21-day posting
- Do I need a permit to build a garage in Denver? Zoning, building and sewer permits, fees and the old garage
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Denver? Zoning, building and SUDP permits, fees and the homeowner route
- Contact CPD (Search permit records online) — City and County of Denver (2026-10-23)
- Denver e-permits (Accela Citizen Access) (2026-10-23)
- Colorado Open Records Act — City and County of Denver (2026-10-23)
- CPD records request form (CORA) (2026-10-23)
- Residential construction permits — Denver open data (ArcGIS) (2026-10-23)