Basement Finishing in Cherry Hills Village, CO

Basement finishing in Cherry Hills Village does not have its own named permit category on the City’s website the way kitchens or additions do. Instead, it falls under the Community Development Department’s “Interior Remodel” framework, since finishing a basement almost always means framing new walls and extending plumbing, mechanical, or electrical systems into space that previously had none. Our crew treats every Cherry Hills Village basement as an Interior Remodel project from the start and builds the permit package around that category.

Why a Basement Finish Almost Always Needs Plan Review

The City defines an Interior Remodel as a project where walls or framing are demolished or reconfigured, where plumbing and mechanical pathways are relocated, reconfigured, added, or changed, or where there is any other structural change inside the home. A basement finish checks nearly every box on that list: new framed walls for bedrooms and a family room, new or extended plumbing for a bathroom or wet bar, and new mechanical and electrical runs throughout.

Because of that, we plan for full plan review on a basement finish rather than assuming any part of it qualifies for the City’s lighter, no-plan-review path, which is reserved for like-for-like replacement of drywall, cabinetry, and fixtures in their existing locations. A basement build-out is new construction inside an existing shell, not a like-for-like swap.

Structural Plans and Soils Documentation

The City’s submittal requirements for an Interior Remodel call for complete construction plans, including stamped structural plans, whenever walls or framing are part of the work. A soils investigation report for the property is also required if the structural plans reference site conditions. Basement framing sits below grade against foundation walls, which is exactly the kind of condition an engineer’s structural plans are meant to address before the City approves the layout.

If the project involves removing any existing partition walls or demolishing existing finishes, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment approval covering removal of materials is also part of the City’s submittal list. We confirm that approval is in hand before any demolition begins in the basement.

Drainage and Impervious Surface Rules Can Reach a Basement Project

A basement finish by itself does not add impervious surface, but Cherry Hills Village’s remodel and construction handouts consistently flag a threshold worth knowing: a project that adds more than 2,500 square feet of impervious surface area cumulatively requires a Phase III Drainage Report, and disturbing one acre or more, or working adjacent to a waterway or watercourse, requires a Stormwater Management Plan or Grading, Erosion, and Sediment Control Plan along with a Stormwater Construction Permit. Those triggers matter most when a basement finish is bundled with an egress well excavation, a walkout expansion, or exterior grading changes rather than the interior work alone.

We check whether any part of a basement project disturbs enough exterior ground to reach those thresholds, since it changes what has to be submitted alongside the interior plans.

Egress, Alarms, and Radon: Confirm Current Requirements

Cherry Hills Village’s published Interior Remodel guidance does not spell out basement-specific numbers for egress window openings, window well dimensions, smoke and carbon monoxide alarm placement, or radon rough-in piping. Those items are governed by whichever edition of the International Residential Code the City currently enforces rather than by a separate basement-specific city document. Because Colorado is recognized by the state health department as a high radon-potential state, we treat radon mitigation rough-in as worth discussing on every basement project even where the City has not published a standalone local requirement, and we confirm the current egress and alarm figures with the Building Division before finalizing the framing plan.

Review Cycles and Fees

The City’s timeline for this permit category is 7 to 10 business days per review cycle for Interior Remodel permits requiring Building Division review. The review fee for a remodel that does not add new square footage is $340 for two hours, with additional review time billed at $170 per hour. The building permit fee itself runs $20 for work valued at $2,000 or under, or 1% of valuation above that, plus Arapahoe County use tax of one-eighth of one percent of valuation. A basement finish with a full bathroom, wet bar, and multiple framed rooms typically carries enough valuation to land in the percentage-based tier rather than the flat fee.

Adopted Codes and Confirming the Current Edition

The City’s Interior Remodel handout, revised June 2024, cites the 2021 International Residential Code along with the 2021 Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation, Fire, and Existing Building Codes, the 2020 National Green Building Standard, and the 2023 National Electrical Code. Because code editions change over time and a published handout can lag a Building Division’s current practice, we confirm the exact edition enforced at permit filing with the Building Division, especially for egress and alarm provisions that carry directly into basement bedroom and living-space layouts.

How We Sequence a Cherry Hills Village Basement Finish

We start by laying out the framing plan and confirming it against the City’s Interior Remodel requirements, then prepare stamped structural plans, a soils report if the structural drawings call for one, and confirm current egress, alarm, and radon guidance with the Building Division before the permit is filed. If any exterior grading or window-well excavation is part of the scope, we check that against the drainage and stormwater thresholds as well.

Once the permit is issued, our crew frames the new walls, then brings rough plumbing, mechanical, and electrical work to inspection together. Insulation, drywall, and finish trades follow rough approval, and the project closes with the City’s final inspection. In Cherry Hills Village, a basement finish moves most smoothly when the structural plans, code edition, and any exterior drainage work are confirmed before framing begins.

Common Questions

Does finishing a basement in Cherry Hills Village need a permit?
Yes. New framing and new or extended plumbing, mechanical, and electrical work are exactly what the City’s Interior Remodel category covers, which means full plan review rather than a no-permit or no-plan-review path.

Does the City publish basement egress window sizes?
Not in its Interior Remodel guidance. Basement egress, window well, and alarm requirements follow whichever edition of the International Residential Code the City currently enforces; confirm current figures with the Building Division before finalizing framing.

Can a basement finish trigger a drainage permit?
The interior work alone does not add impervious surface, but if the project also adds an egress well excavation or exterior grading that crosses the City’s 2,500-square-foot impervious surface or one-acre disturbance thresholds, a Phase III Drainage Report or Stormwater Construction Permit can apply.

How long does basement permit review take?
The City cites 7 to 10 business days per review cycle for Interior Remodel permits requiring Building Division review.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Tell us your basement layout, including any bathroom, wet bar, egress window, or exterior grading work. We prepare the structural documentation Cherry Hills Village asks for, confirm current egress and code requirements with the Building Division, and coordinate inspections through closeout.