Bathroom Remodel Permits in Denver, Aurora and Parker: What Needs One, Fees and Inspections

A note on terms: "the code" means the model International Residential Code (IRC), which each city adopts with its own amendments; what a city "lists" or "says" comes from its own published pages, linked below; "our practice" is what we do on our jobs, and "we recommend" marks advice. None of this is legal advice, and site conditions, the products chosen and local amendments can change the answer for a specific house.

The three cities draw the line in slightly different places, but the pattern is the same: the more a job reaches behind the wall, the more likely it needs a permit. Aurora's homeowner handbook puts it plainly: if remodeling work "entails changing anything within the wall space (i.e. wiring, plumbing, etc.), a building permit is needed". The model code points the same way: its permit exemptions include "painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, counter tops and similar finish work", but each city decides how much of that list it keeps.

Parker calls its list "limited examples" and points to Section 301 of its administrative code, so treat any "ask" in the table as a question for the town.

Two things trip people up. "Like-for-like" means the same fixture in the same place with nothing changed behind it, and a new shower is rarely that: it usually brings new waterproofing and often a new drain or valve. Denver lists "showers, tubs, and sinks" and "water closets" among the plumbing items it issues as quick permits, which skip plan review. And a cosmetic job can become a permit job after demolition, when rot, a drain that has to move or bad wiring turns up; see Hidden Problems Found During Bathroom Demolition.

A bathroom can involve a building permit (layout, framing, structural work) plus trade permits for plumbing, electrical and mechanical work such as exhaust ductwork. Denver's fee policy says that once a project clears review, separate permits are required for each discipline, and its remodel page says trade permits are "in most cases, issued online as quick permits".

Plumbing and electrical work is licensed at the state level. Colorado law requires plumbers to hold a state license, and a plumbing contractor to be registered with the State Plumbing Board with a master plumber supervising the work. Electricians need a state license too. The State Electrical Board's rules say a wiring permit is issued to the homeowner doing the work or to the registered electrical contractor performing it, and that a contractor shall not perform electrical work under a homeowner's permit. Each city also licenses contractors: Denver requires permits to be pulled by contractors licensed with the city, Aurora says hired contractors must be licensed by the city, and Parker requires all contractors to be licensed in the Town.

Homeowner permits

State law lets a homeowner do plumbing or electrical work on his or her own property or residence without a license, with exceptions for property intended for sale by someone in the building or remodeling business, rentals, and commercial or public buildings. Electrical work done this way still has to be inspected (C.R.S. 12-155-118, 12-115-116). The cities add their own conditions:

• Denver: single-family homes only (no ADUs, townhomes, condos or duplexes). You must own the home, live there and occupy it for at least a year after the work. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work requires passing a homeowner exam, though a state license can substitute for the electrical or plumbing exam. Homeowners request quick permits by email with a photo ID, not through e-permits (homeowner permits).
• Aurora: homeowners can obtain permits for work on their primary home. The city's handbook says most remodeling projects can be permitted without plan submittal and done by the owner, though its permits list marks bathroom remodels as needing plans, so ask.
• Parker: homeowners apply through eTRAKiT like everyone else; the town runs an EZ Permits program for do-it-yourself projects, by appointment on Wednesday mornings.

Whose name is on the permit matters. Denver puts it in one line: "The permit holder bears responsibility for the work covered by the permit." If someone you are paying asks you to pull a homeowner permit for work they will do, treat it as a red flag. Aurora's handbook adds another: beware of any contractor who says a building permit is not required. See also How to Choose a Shower Remodeling Contractor.

A Parker mailing address does not mean the Town of Parker issues your permit. The town's own FAQ says the Parker ZIP code "includes property in the Town, unincorporated Douglas County and unincorporated Elbert County", and points homeowners to the Douglas County Assessor's property search or the town (303-841-0353) to check. If the house is in unincorporated Douglas County, the permit comes from the Douglas County Building Division in Castle Rock, whose online services include an address jurisdiction search. Across the metro, the city on the envelope and the jurisdiction on the permit can differ, which is why our practice on a bathroom remodel or any other job is to confirm the jurisdiction and the permit requirement for each address before work starts.

If you live in an HOA or a condo building, also check its rules on remodel approval, work hours, dumpsters and contractor parking. HOA approval and a building permit are separate, and neither replaces the other. In Denver, condo and townhome owners can't pull homeowner permits at all.

Two details worth knowing. Parker says issued permits stay valid, within reason, if work starts within 180 days of issuance and an inspection is performed in each 180-day period after that. And Denver won't schedule an inspection for a permit still under review, so the permit has to be in hand before the schedule depends on it.

Denver and Parker base the building permit fee on the valuation of the work, and Aurora says its costs vary with it. Denver publishes the full fee table. Valuation is the higher of the value you declare (labor, materials, overhead, profit, the trades) or the city's figure from ICC building valuation data. Between $2,000 and $25,000, the permit fee is $35 for the first $2,000 plus $8 for each additional $1,000 or fraction; from $25,000 to $50,000 it is $220 plus $8 per additional $1,000. Standard plan review adds 50 percent of the permit fee. Express review is 20 percent with a $100 minimum, and quick permits carry no plan review fee (ADMIN 138).

For scale, our tub-to-shower conversions typically run $12,000 to $17,000 depending on the materials chosen and the scope of work, which is why the first two rows are there. This shows how the table works; it is not a quote. Denver sets the valuation, trade permits are figured separately on their own valuations, and reinspections are billed at $100 an hour. For the remodel price itself, see Bathroom Remodeling Costs in Denver.

Aurora says permit costs include permit fees, plan review fees and applicable city and county taxes, varying with plan review, required inspections and valuation, and offers an online Permit Fee Calculator. Its 2026 flat-rate sheet covers set replacement jobs such as water heaters and furnaces; a bathroom remodel is not on it. Parker bases permit cost on the project's total valuation using ICC data and publishes a Homeowner Permit Fee Estimator. For Aurora, Parker and Douglas County numbers, use the city's own tool or ask for the current schedule rather than guess.

Aurora's handbook sums up the rule: if a permit is required, so are inspections, each with a rough and a final. The model code sets the order: rough plumbing, mechanical, gas and electrical inspections come "prior to covering or concealment," before fixtures are set and before framing, and work may not go past an inspection point until it is approved. Denver's inspection card puts it in capitals: rough work in ceilings, walls and floors "SHALL NOT BE COVERED until inspected and approved." A typical bathroom runs like this:

1. Permit on site. Denver's inspection card must be posted on the job with the general contractor and all subcontractors listed, or no inspection is made (for permits issued online, the inspector carries the card). Aurora wants the city-approved plans on site, plus the permit card if you have one.
2. Rough plumbing. New drain, waste and vent piping is tested before it is covered: under the model code, with water held at least 10 feet above the highest fitting for 15 minutes, or air at 5 psi for 15 minutes (P2503.5.1).
3. Rough electrical and mechanical. New circuits and boxes, any heated-floor wiring, and new or rerouted exhaust ductwork. For floor heat, see Heated Bathroom Floors Under Tile.
4. Framing, if walls, openings or floor framing changed. Denver's card says to schedule it after all rough utility installations are inspected and approved. For structural work under a shower, see Curbless Shower Without Cutting Floor Joists.
5. Insulation or drywall, if your permit calls for them. Denver's card has separate lines for both.
6. Shower liner test, where the city inspects it. Details below.
7. Final. After the permitted work is complete, with fixtures set and trim installed.

The shower pan inspection

The model code requires the completed liner to be tested: drain plugged, water at least 2 inches deep at the threshold, held at least 15 minutes with no leakage (P2503.6). Whether an inspector comes to watch it is a local question. At the state level, Colorado's plumbing rules treat shower floor and wall construction as information only, not subject to licensing, permitting or inspection, because plumbers typically don't build them. Denver, Aurora and Parker each adopt the model code with amendments, so ask when the permit is issued whether a pan inspection is on your list and under which permit. Either way, our practice is the same: every shower gets a code-listed membrane, a sloped base and a flood test before tile. More on why in Tile and Grout Are Not Waterproofing.

Inspections cost days when they are requested late, missed or failed. We recommend:

• Bundle the roughs. Have plumbing, electrical and mechanical rough work finished together and request the inspections together. Aurora notes that inspectors don't travel together and one inspector isn't guaranteed to cover everything in a day (FAQ), so "together" means ready together, not always one visit.
• Book the pan inspection the day the liner goes in. Where the city inspects the liner, request the inspection as soon as the liner is in and the test is set, before that day's cutoff, so the inspector comes the next business day and tile can start once it is approved. Use the wait for work that doesn't cover anything awaiting inspection.
• Know the cutoff. Parker: before 4:00 p.m. for the next business day. Aurora: by 4:30 p.m. by phone or email, or online until 5:45 a.m. the day of. Denver: inspections are completed within two business days, so build that into the schedule.
• Be ready before you call. Denver bills reinspections at $100 an hour. Aurora wants someone 18 or older on site, and its inspectors typically call about 30 minutes ahead. Parker wants the person responsible for the work present.
• Ask early. Aurora offers consultations with inspectors once a permit is issued; Parker inspectors are typically available for questions from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
• Watch the weather in Parker. The town says inspections may be cancelled for weather in fall, winter and spring without notice; check eTRAKiT after a storm.
• Hold the final payment until inspections are approved. Both Denver and Aurora give homeowners that advice.

Aurora's handbook is blunt. Starting before the permit is issued "can result in fines and court appearances, and if plans are rejected, can result in removal of all work done at the owner's expense." It also warns that a buyer's home inspection may turn up unpermitted remodeling, which may prevent a sale or require redoing the work with a permit, and that property insurers may not cover work done without permits and inspections.

Covered work is the expensive part: because rough work must be inspected before it is covered, permitting a finished bathroom after the fact can mean opening walls or floors. Building officials can also issue a written stop work order for work done contrary to the code or in an unsafe manner. Aurora's inspectors only inspect permitted work, within the permit's scope, so there is no informal sign-off. And for a plumber, skipping a required permit or inspection is a finable violation under the State Plumbing Board's rules.

Do I need a permit to retile a shower?

If it is truly tile only on a sound shower, it is typically finish work: Denver lists tiling as needing no permit, and the model code exempts it. Parker requires permits for bath remodels beyond cosmetic work, so ask. A new drain or valve brings plumbing work: Denver lists showers and tubs among its plumbing quick permits, and Aurora lists showers as a permit item with framing and plumbing inspections. A full shower remodel usually lands on that side.

Can I pull a homeowner permit and hire someone to do the work?

Not for the trade work. The State Electrical Board's rules bar a contractor from working under a homeowner's permit, and Denver's homeowner policy expects licensed subcontractors to pull their own trade permits. Whoever does the work should be on the permit, because the permit holder bears responsibility for it.

How long does a bathroom permit take?

Parker publishes the clearest figure: a first review of an interior remodel generally takes 1 to 2 weeks. Denver's trade quick permits skip plan review, and its interior remodel reviews are posted as rolling 90-day averages. We did not find a published Aurora figure; ask the Permit Center. Then add inspection time, per the table above.

Do I need a permit to replace a bathroom exhaust fan?

In Denver, a like-for-like ventilation replacement needs no permit, but new or rerouted ductwork does. Adding a fan where there was none is also a new electrical device, which Denver and Aurora both treat as permit work. Parker doesn't list bath fans separately; ask the Building Division.