Framing in Greenwood Village, CO

Framing changes are exactly the kind of work Greenwood Village expects to see on a permit application. Interior remodels are named directly on the City’s list of residential work that requires a permit, and any framing that touches a load path pulls in the City’s engineering and survey requirements on top of the base permit. Apollo Construction treats a framing scope as a structural question first and a construction task second, because the City’s review does the same.

Interior Remodels Put Framing on the Permit List

The City’s Building Permits and Inspections page lists “interior remodels” among the residential examples that need a permit, distinct from the finish work, such as painting or floor coverings, that typically does not. Opening a wall, adding a header, or reframing a room is not finish work, and we file it as the structural alteration it is rather than folding it into a generic remodel description that understates the scope.

Framing is also its own named activity on the City’s Level D individual-trade contractor license, alongside demolition and sheetrock. Whoever is performing the framing on a Greenwood Village project needs that license current before work starts, separate from the general contractor’s own licensing on the job.

Structural Work Needs a Stamped Engineer

Where framing involves structural work, the City’s residential submittal requirements call for structural drawings “signed and stamped by an engineer registered in the State of Colorado.” That covers load-bearing wall removal, new beams and headers, and other changes that affect how the structure carries load. We do not treat “it looks like it’s holding weight” as a design decision; we get the engineered drawing before the wall comes down.

The City backs this up with survey checkpoints tied to the framing stage. Local code section R109.1.1.1 requires, when the Planning Manager calls for it, a foundation location and foundation height survey approved by Planning before construction rises above grade and before above-grade inspections proceed. Section R109.1.4.1 adds a roof ridge height survey requirement, approved before above-grade rough inspections, when the Planning Manager requires one. On additions and larger framing projects, we confirm early whether either survey applies to the address.

Snow Load and Frost Depth Are Set — Wind Speed Is Not Settled

Greenwood Village’s adopted climatic design table lists a ground snow load of 30 psf, a frost line depth of 36 inches, seismic design category B, and “Severe” weathering exposure. Those figures drive footing depth, member sizing, and connection design on every framing job we take on in the Village.

Wind design speed is where the City’s own sources disagree. The Municipal Code’s design table shows 100 mph, while the City’s Residential Submittal Requirements page separately lists 120 mph. We do not pick whichever number makes a design easier; we confirm the wind speed in force with the Building Division before finalizing bracing and connection details, and we tell clients up front that this is an open question on the City’s own materials, not a detail we are guessing at.

Wall Bracing Methods Are Not Separately Published

We have not found a Greenwood Village amendment to the IRC’s wall-bracing provisions on an official City page, which means bracing method selection follows the adopted 2018 IRC as amended, using whichever wind design value the Building Division confirms for the project. We do not represent a specific bracing method as a City requirement unless we can point to the City’s own text for it, and for framing that means a design-stage conversation with the Building Division rather than a default assumption carried over from another jurisdiction.

Framing Gets Inspected Before It Disappears

The City describes its inspection approach broadly: inspections happen “at various stages” and specifically examine structural elements along with electrical, plumbing, and fire safety features, and inspectors can issue stop-work orders, fines, or penalties. Framing is squarely in that structural-elements category, and a beam, header, or bearing connection needs to clear inspection before insulation and drywall close it in. We schedule that inspection request through the City’s portal with enough lead time that the project does not sit waiting on an inspection slot.

How We Sequence Greenwood Village Framing

We start with the structural scope: what is being removed, added, or changed, and whether it affects a load path. If it does, engineered drawings stamped by a Colorado-registered engineer come before demolition or framing begins, and we confirm with the Building Division whether a foundation or roof ridge height survey applies to the project. We also lock down the wind design value we are building to before bracing and connections are finalized.

Once the permit is issued and the licensed framing crew is on site, work follows the engineered drawings and the City’s climatic design criteria for snow load and frost depth. We hold the framing open for inspection rather than covering it early, and we keep the survey and inspection sequence — foundation, above-grade, roof ridge where applicable, rough framing — aligned with what the City’s local code amendments actually require for that address.

Common Questions

Does a framing change need a permit in Greenwood Village?
Yes. Interior remodels are named on the City’s permit-required list, and framing that changes a wall or load path is structural alteration, not exempt finish work. We file it as the specific scope it is.

Do I need an engineer for a load-bearing wall removal?
Yes. The City’s residential submittal requirements call for structural drawings signed and stamped by an engineer registered in Colorado wherever structural work is involved, which covers load-bearing wall and beam changes.

What wind speed does Greenwood Village design to?
The City’s own sources disagree: the Municipal Code table lists 100 mph and the Residential Submittal Requirements page lists 120 mph. We confirm the value in force with the Building Division before finalizing bracing and connections.

Will my framing need a foundation or roof height survey?
It can. Local code sections R109.1.1.1 and R109.1.4.1 allow the Planning Manager to require a foundation location and height survey, and a roof ridge height survey, at defined points before above-grade work proceeds. We check whether either applies early in design.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Tell Apollo Construction the address, scope, and timeline for your framing project in Greenwood Village. We will confirm which City and state requirements apply, coordinate licensing and inspections, and turn the details into a scoped planning conversation.