Arvada, CO Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required by
- City Code Sec. 78-294(a)
- No-permit surcharge
- $250 or double the fee, greater applies
- Routine maintenance window
- 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. on collector/arterial streets
- Enforcing office
- Director of Public Works
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 3717, 8-27-2001
Summary
Arvada requires anyone doing construction, excavation, or work in a public right-of-way, including private use of the space over a sidewalk or street, to get a permit from the Department of Public Works first. Unpermitted work draws an automatic surcharge on top of the permit fee.
(a)Permit required. No person, except an employee or official of the city or a person exempted by contract with the city, shall undertake or permit to be undertaken any construction, excavation, or work in the public rights-of-way without first obtaining a permit from the city as set forth in this article. A copy of each permit obtained, along with associated documents, including a traffic control plan, shall be maintained on the job site and available for inspection upon request by any officer or employee of the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: City Council Policy Manual: Supplement 1 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67).
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. " That covers private encroachments onto or over sidewalks and streets, not just utility digs: Article V's purpose section (Sec. " A copy of the permit and its supporting documents, including a traffic control plan, must stay on the job site for inspection by any city officer or employee. If the work grows beyond the area, location, or time window the permit covers, the permittee must notify the director within 24 hours and file a supplementary application, per subsection (b). Subsection (c) covers new-development infrastructure: ownership stays with the developer until the city formally accepts it, and anyone working on that infrastructure before acceptance still needs both a city permit and the current owner's permission.
window set by Sec. 78-303, follow the traffic-control-plan rules of that same section, and cause no material disturbance to right-of-way infrastructure or nuisance-level noise under Chapter 38. Permit fees are set annually by city council resolution and include a degradation/restoration component tied to the actual cost of repairing the street; a temporary-use permit involving no construction skips that degradation fee under subsection (c) of Sec. 78-296.
Violations & Fines
Working in the right-of-way without the required permit forces an immediate stop-work order, exclusive of steps needed to stabilize the site, under Sec. 78-294(d). The person or utility must then obtain the permit before restarting, and pay a surcharge of $250.00 or double the normal permit fee, whichever is greater, on top of every otherwise-applicable permit fee. Performing work outside the area, location, or time frame the permit actually authorizes is also a violation under subsection (b), requiring a supplemental application within 24 hours of the director's notification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put something in the sidewalk right-of-way in Arvada?
What happens if I do the work without a permit first?
Does routine utility maintenance need a right-of-way permit?
Who gets the permit fee money and how is it set?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arvada
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Encroachment Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jefferson County handle encroachment permits.