Aurora's Building Safety: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles building safety a little differently. In Aurora, Colorado, there are 9 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Plumbing Permits

Aurora, Colorado enforces the 2021 International Plumbing Code by ordinance, and City Code Chapter 22 bars issuing a plumbing permit until the required fee is paid.

Key details: Adopted code: 2021 International Plumbing Code. Local citation: Aurora City Code § 22-316. Permit gate: Fees must be paid before issuance. Late-start penalty: 100% surcharge on permit fee. Conflict rule: Most restrictive of city/state applies.

Starting plumbing work before a permit is issued triggers a penalty of 100 percent of the usual permit fee, added on top of the required permit fee itself, under City Code § 22-2.

Fire Sprinkler Requirements

Aurora struck the IRC's automatic fire sprinkler sections, so new one- and two-family homes and townhouses need no residential sprinkler system.

Key details: Governing provision: Aurora City Code § 22-191. What's deleted: IRC §§ R313 and P2904. Effect: No home sprinkler mandate. Applies to: New 1-2 family homes, townhouses. Code base: 2021 IRC, as locally amended.

Not applicable: no sprinkler installation is required, so there is no sprinkler-omission violation for covered residential construction.

The rules around fire sprinkler requirements in Aurora lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Green Building Code

Aurora requires new construction and major renovations to meet the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, adopted locally as the city's Energy Conservation Code with Aurora-specific amendments.

Key details: Code adopted: 2021 IECC, local edition. Local name: Energy Conservation Code of Aurora. Governing chapter: City Code ch. 22, art. VI. Enforced by: Chief building official. Last amended: Ord. 2021-65, Dec. 6, 2021.

Building without required energy-code compliance blocks permit issuance and final inspection sign-off; work found non-compliant can be red-tagged and is subject to the general Code 1-13 penalty provisions applied to Chapter 22 violations.

Building Permits

Aurora requires a paid permit before starting building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, or fuel-gas work; fees follow a schedule the chief building official sets and the city manager approves, and starting work early costs a full extra fee on top.

Key details: Governing section: City Code § 22-2. No-permit penalty: 100% added fee. Refund cap (unused permit): up to 75%. Shed exemption: under 120 sq ft. Fence exemption: 7 feet or under.

Starting work before the permit is issued adds a second, full permit or building fee, 100 percent of the usual amount, on top of the fee already required, per City Code § 22-2.

Elevator Maintenance

Aurora requires at least one elevator per building to stay operational at all times for firefighters' emergency and medical use.

Key details: Rule: 1 elevator operational at all times. Purpose: Firefighter emergency/EMS use. Source: IFC § 604.2.1 (local amendment). Adopted: Ord. 2021-66, Dec. 6, 2021. Separate from: State elevator inspection program.

Violations of Chapter 66 fire code provisions are enforced as municipal ordinance violations subject to the penalties in Sec. 1-13(a); the fire code's general violations and stop-work-order provisions (Secs. 66-29, 66-30) apply to fire-code amendments including this section.

Building Inspections

Aurora, Colorado requires a paid, issued electrical permit before any wiring work starts and requires inspections be requested in time to view work before it's covered. Permits expire after 180 days of inactivity.

Key details: Permit required: Before any electrical work starts. Governing section: City Code § 22-213. Permit validity: 180 days from issuance. Extension length: Up to 180 days, written request. Fraudulent permit use: Unlawful, punishable under § 1-13.

Doing electrical work without a permit, using someone else's license to fraudulently obtain a permit, or violating the adopted Electrical Code is unlawful and punishable under City Code § 1-13 upon conviction.

Electrical Permits

Aurora requires a paid electrical permit before any wiring or apparatus work begins, under the city's amended National Electrical Code.

Key details: Permit required before work starts: Yes, per § 22-213(a). Code adopted: N.E.C. as amended by Colorado. Permit issued by: Building division. Permit validity: Voids after 180 days unused. Fee authority: State Electrical Board / city manager.

Working without a permit, letting a license be used fraudulently to obtain permits, or doing electrical work contrary to the adopted code is unlawful and punishable under City Code § 1-13; the building official may also suspend or revoke a wrongly issued permit.

Door Locking Hardware

Aurora requires a deadbolt on every exterior dwelling door in residential occupancies, mounted no higher than 48 inches, under its amended residential code.

Key details: Deadbolt required: every exterior dwelling door. Max mount height: 48 inches above floor. Sliding glass doors: locking bar, pin, or bolt. Applies since: permits from Sept. 1, 1983.

Building permits for R-occupancy construction require compliance; noncompliant doors can be rejected at inspection by the chief building official's office.

Childcare Center Rules

Aurora, Colorado zoning caps day care centers at 16 hours of care per client per day, bars overnight stays, and sets siting and setback rules.

Key details: Daily care limit: 16 hours per 24-hour period. Overnight stays: prohibited. Minimum interior setback: 25 feet. Large facility threshold: 16+ children or elderly adults. State license: required for all centers.

Operating without the required state license, exceeding the 16-hour care limit, allowing overnight occupancy, or siting a center in a structure that doesn't meet the 25-foot interior setback can trigger a zoning enforcement action and code-compliance citation from the City of Aurora Planning Department.

The Bottom Line

Aurora's building safety rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Aurora is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Aurora can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.