What each job was filed at
"Usual" is the middle permit: half were filed for less, half for more. "Middle half of firms" takes every firm with three or more permits in the trade, finds each firm's usual job, and shows the band the middle 50% of firms sit in; it is the number to hold a quote against. A dash (—) in the days column means too few permits of that type carry a final-inspection date to give a usual figure.
| Job | Usual filed value | Middle half of firms | Permits (share priced) | Usual days to final | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demolition | $8,000 | $6,945–$10,000 | 1,139 (99.9%) | 21 | cost · compare firms |
| Foundation & structural repair | $12,220 | $9,870–$26,100 | 951 (98.9%) | 93 | cost · compare firms |
| Remodel & alteration | $25,000 | $15,000–$67,951 | 3,530 (88.2%) | — | cost · compare firms |
| Garage | $29,882 | $21,815–$33,115 | 989 (98.7%) | — | cost · compare firms |
| Pool, shed & outdoor structure | $37,786 | $20,000–$88,325 | 269 (99.3%) | — | cost · compare firms |
| Home addition | $110,000 | $60,178–$200,000 | 864 (96.4%) | — | cost · compare firms |
| ADU | $137,144 | $102,992–$175,000 | 262 (97.3%) | — | cost · compare firms |
| New home | $275,110 | $280,806–$587,500 | 2,371 (98.7%) | — | cost · compare firms |
The usual new-home permit sits below the new-home firm band: a few volume builders file many permits at low figures, which pulls the permit-weighted middle down, while most builders usually file more. Read a builder's own usual figure on the compare page.
What moves the price in Denver
The home. Each cost page splits firms into thirds by the usual value of the homes they work on (City and County of Denver parcel values). Denver's single-family value figure is $631,000.
| Job | Firms on the least expensive third | Firms on the most expensive third |
|---|---|---|
| Pool, shed & outdoor structure | $12,961 | $55,759 |
| Remodel & alteration | $15,000 | $50,000 |
| Home addition | $80,250 | $165,041 |
| New home | $248,238 | $400,000 |
| Garage | $30,642 | $29,415 |
| Foundation & structural repair | $50,000 | $24,000 |
Figures from each cost page, data of 16 October 2026. Outdoor structures quadruple and remodels triple with home value; garages don't move, and foundation repair runs the other way.
The firm. In remodels the ten busiest firms usually file $9,222 a permit, while the 747 firms with fewer than ten permits usually file $34,694 (Denver remodel cost page). A busy remodeler's low usual figure means many small jobs, not a cheap rate.
The season. Garage permits peak in October (index 155, where 100 is an average month) and are fewest in September (79). We have no prices by month.
What a Denver permit costs
From Community Planning and Development's building permit fee table (read 23 October 2026):
| Valuation of work | Permit fee | Plan review fee |
|---|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $20 | 0 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $35 | 0 |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $35 for the first $2,000 plus $8 per additional $1,000 | 50% |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $220 for the first $25,000 plus $8 per additional $1,000 | 50% |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $420 for the first $50,000 plus $7 per additional $1,000 | 50% |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $770 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 per additional $1,000 | 50% |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,010 for the first $500,000 plus $4.75 per additional $1,000 | 50% |
An addition valued at the usual $110,000 pays $826 plus $413 plan review. Solar panels are a $50 flat fee for the solar part of a project. Reinspections are $100 an hour.
Filed value is not the price
- The fee rides on it. Every extra $1,000 of valuation costs $5.60 to $8 in permit fee plus half that again in plan review, a small reason not to round up. The City's Admin 138 policy and the ICC's building valuation data set how valuations are judged.
- One permit type covers small and large jobs. Remodels span $15,000 to $67,951 across the middle half of firms; get a scope sheet before comparing.
- The lot. New-home and ADU values are construction only.
Check a quote in five minutes
- Find your job in the table and open its cost page.
- Put your quote against the "middle half of firms" band. Inside it is normal here; above it, ask what the extra covers.
- Open compare firms, find the contractor, and read its usual filed value, permit count and finished share.
- Ask whether the price includes the permit and plan review fees and the final inspection; the usual foundation-repair permit took 93 days to reach final.
Single-job guides: home addition cost, what is an ADU, detached garage cost. To check a Colorado license, see Denver contractor license lookup.
How we know this
Every row is a permit type with a cost page: the City and County of Denver issued at least 100 priced permits of it in the window 2023-10 to 2026-09, making up at least 80% of the type. Usual = median of the permits that carry a value; middle half of firms = 25th to 75th percentile of the usual value of firms with three or more permits in the trade (shown when at least eight firms qualify); days = median from permit issue to final inspection. Home-value thirds and busiest-firm figures are copied from each job's cost page and dated. Fees are quoted from the Development Fees page linked under Sources.
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.
Compare every Denver remodeler by usual job and finished share →
Questions
- What is the cost to build a house in Denver?
New-home permits in Denver were usually filed at $275,110 across 2,371 permits, but the middle half of 148 builders usually file between $280,806 and $587,500. The ten busiest builders usually file $220,930, against $515,000 for builders with fewer than ten permits (Denver new-home cost page, data of 16 October 2026). That is construction only; the lot is not in it.
- How much does an ADU cost in Denver?
The usual ADU permit was filed at $137,144, across 262 permits, with the middle half of 24 builders between $102,992 and $175,000. Firms on cheaper and dearer homes file about the same ($133,866 against $127,865), so the house is not what moves an ADU quote here.
- What is the cost of a home renovation in Denver?
Remodel and alteration permits were usually filed at $25,000 (3,530 permits), with the middle half of 324 remodelers between $15,000 and $67,951. Remodelers on the most expensive third of homes usually file $50,000, against $15,000 on the least expensive third.
- How much does garage construction cost in Denver?
Garage permits were usually filed at $29,882 across 989 permits, and the middle half of 52 garage builders sit in a narrow band from $21,815 to $33,115. Home value hardly moves it: $30,642 on the least expensive third of homes, $29,415 on the most expensive.
- How much is a building permit in Denver?
Denver charges by the valuation of the work: $35 for the first $2,000 plus $8 for each additional $1,000 up to $25,000, and $770 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 per additional $1,000 up to $500,000, with plan review at 50% of the permit fee above $2,000. A remodel valued at $25,000 comes to $219 plus $109.50 plan review; solar panels are a $50 flat fee.
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
- Denver building permit search: e-permits, attachments and CORA requests
- Home improvement costs in Bellingham, WA (2026): what 5 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Home improvement costs in Bernalillo County, NM (2026): what 6 kinds of jobs were filed at
For one city
- Denver ADU rules since citywide ADUs: owner occupancy, the licensed-contractor rule, and what ADU permits were filed at
- Tearing down a house in Denver: the 40% rule, Landmark Preservation review, and the 21-day posting
- Denver foundation repair on expansive soil: what the clay does, what the City requires, and who files the permits