Plans are reviewed by the Fire Prevention Division as a proactive step to identify any potential problems or fire code violations and ensure compliance with the relevant adopted fire codes and standards. Before a permit can be issued by the Fire Prevention Division, plans (often referred to as construction documents) must be submitted for review by the applicant proposing the structure, system, building modification or operation.  

Submitting Plans for Review

All plans shall be drawn to a nationally accepted engineering or architectural scale. The Fire Prevention Division no longer accepts paper or hard copies of plans for review and only accepts electronic plans in PDF format, which you can upload when submitting your application. In order to avoid unnecessary delays that can be associated with the submittal of incomplete plans, plan submittals should be as complete as possible the first time they are submitted.

In accordance with 4 CCR 730-1, all submitted drawings and engineering reports/letters must be sealed, signed, and dated by the respective Professional Engineer(s) or Architect(s) in responsible charge, as appropriate, licensed in the State of Colorado. Seals may be accompanied by a limitation of scope of practice/discipline responsibility and/or by statements such as, “Preliminary,” or “For Review.”

Plans are reviewed on a first-in, first-out basis, with plan review turnaround time depending largely on the amount of construction taking place in the jurisdiction at the time the plan is submitted. In order for a project to have a higher potential for on-time completion, construction schedules should account for plan review time by all agencies involved, including the Fire Prevention Division.

A properly completed Application for Plan Review shall accompany all plans submitted to the Fire Prevention Division for review.

Fees Assessed for Plan Reviews, Permits and Inspections

Please see our Inspection-Related Fees document for a table of estimated fees associated with construction permits. The wording of the fee structure itself can also be found on the last page of the aforementioned link.

Permit and plan review fees are set forth in the adopted fire code and are, in most cases, based on the subcontractor’s valuation of the work to be performed under the permit. Below are some generalizations pertaining to how fees are assessed by the Fire Prevention Division. However, you may contact the Fire Prevention Division at 720-887-8217 at any time during normal business hours to get the exact amounts for your plan review and permit fees.

Permit and plan review fees are collected for the review of fire code required permit construction documents after plans have been approved and prior to the permit being released to the subcontractor by the fire district. If a set of plans is not approved, North Metro Fire charges the plan review fee for the corrected permit documents and assesses a fee of $130.00 per hour for the amount of time it took staff to review and process the disapproved submittal. These additional plan review fees must be paid prior to the permit being released by the fire district.    

Fees associated with the review of building construction or tenant finish construction plans submitted to the fire district are based on a fee schedule of $130.00 per hour for the amount of time it takes the Fire Prevention Division to complete the review. These fees will be invoiced to the applicant upon completion of the review.

All fees must be paid prior to permit issuance and/or prior to any relevant inspections being conducted. Final approval by the fire district of the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Completion by the Building Official having jurisdiction will not occur without all due fees being paid.

Inspection of Property

Only after plans have been reviewed, approved, and (when applicable) a permit issued and paid for, can inspections be requested by the applicant. The Fire Prevention Division’s fire Inspectors will always try to accommodate all requests for inspections in a timely manner, but at least two business days advance notice is required for inspection scheduling. Before calling in an inspection, please be sure to read and comply with all conditions stated on the permit and/or within the plan review letter. Failure to comply with those requirements may result in a failed initial inspection and may also necessitate a future inspection, for which additional reinspection fees will be charged.

We’re Here to Help

North Metro Fire Rescue District’s Fire Prevention Division is available to help businesses and the public with various permit- and inspection-related questions. Our plan reviewers are fire protection specialists with over half a century of cumulative fire service experience. We are available to answer technical and administrative questions as well as assist in developing solutions to fire protection problems regardless of complexity. Assistance is available to all individuals – from people who are just getting started in the planning process to code consultants and fire protection engineers who may be part of a specific project’s design team. The Fire Prevention Division’s technical staff can help identify when an alternative method or performance-based approach to achieving code compliance may be appropriate and can help outline the steps necessary to properly demonstrate that the intent of the code is being met.