Framing in Sheridan, CO

Framing in Sheridan starts with a set of published structural numbers, not a guess borrowed from a neighboring city. The city’s Design Criteria page states the ground snow load, wind speed, and seismic category that govern how a wall, header, or roof framing member is sized, and its Residential Building Permit Requirements page sets out what has to accompany a permit application when framing changes the structure. Apollo Construction plans Sheridan framing against those two documents before a beam is ordered.

The City’s Published Structural Design Criteria

Sheridan lists a ground snow load of 30 pounds per square foot, applied as a non-reducible 30 psf roof load, a wind speed of 90 mph sustained and 105 mph for a 3-second gust with the city identified as a Special Wind Region, and a Seismic Design Category of B. The same page lists a 36-inch frost line depth, a 1°F winter design temperature, and an air freezing index of 712.

Those figures are the starting point for any beam, header, or roof-framing calculation on a Sheridan project. We do not substitute a value from Denver, Lakewood, or another Front Range city, because snow and wind loading are set locally and can differ meaningfully between adjacent jurisdictions even along the same stretch of the metro area.

A Code-Edition Detail Worth Confirming Before Rough-In

Sheridan’s own Design Criteria page lists the adopted codes as the “2021 International Codes with amendments” and the “2026 NEC,” while the city’s 2026 Fee Schedule lists the adopted electrical code edition as the 2023 NEC. That is a real inconsistency between two official city pages, not a rounding error, and it matters for framing work that sets blocking, backing, and panel locations ahead of an electrical rough-in.

We confirm the currently enforced NEC edition with the Building Department before finalizing any electrical-adjacent framing decisions rather than assuming either published figure is the current one. That single phone call is faster than reworking backing after an inspector cites a different edition than the one used for layout.

What the Permit Application Requires for Structural Work

Sheridan’s Residential Building Permit Requirements call for a complete set of construction drawings, with professional stamps required for new buildings and additions, along with “structural calculations and appropriate details required for construction.” A soils report can be requested by the city depending on the project. The city states that plans are reviewed within 10 working days after acceptance and routed to Public Works and Planning and Zoning as needed.

For an altered wall, a new opening, or a basement layout change that is not a full addition, we still document the existing framing condition, the proposed change, and the load path in writing, even when the scope falls short of triggering a full stamped drawing set. That record gives the Building Department a clear basis to evaluate the application and gives our own crew a reference once the wall is open.

Bearing Walls Are Confirmed, Not Assumed

Sheridan has not published a threshold that defines which interior wall removals require an engineer’s stamp versus which can proceed on a standard permit, and no beam or header sizing table specific to the city was found on an official page. In the absence of that published threshold, we treat any wall with an unclear load path as one that needs direction before it is opened, using the city’s structural-calculation submittal requirement as the baseline expectation rather than a shortcut.

That means a wall is traced from finish to framing — joist direction above, walls below, any beam or post nearby — before a cut is made. If the observed condition does not match the assumption used for pricing, the work pauses for a design decision rather than proceeding on appearance alone.

Temporary Support and Sequencing

Where framing work changes a load path, temporary support goes up before the permanent condition is disturbed, and it stays in place until the new framing is ready to carry the load. This sequencing is not specific to Sheridan; it is standard structural practice, but it takes on more weight given the city’s own 30 psf non-reducible roof load and 90 mph wind design — loads a temporary condition should never be asked to carry for longer than necessary.

Once the permanent members are set, we hold a coordination check with electrical, plumbing, and mechanical trades while the framing is still open, so routing decisions are made deliberately rather than by cutting into a finished member later.

How We Sequence a Sheridan Framing Project

We begin with the existing-condition survey and confirm the applicable snow, wind, and seismic criteria against the city’s published Design Criteria page for the property. Where the scope needs stamped structural drawings, that documentation is prepared and submitted with the Building Permit Application ahead of any demolition that would remove existing support.

After the permit is issued, we install temporary support where a load path changes, remove only what the approved scope covers, and frame to the confirmed criteria — 30 psf snow load, 90 mph/105 mph wind design, Seismic Design Category B — with connections and backing sized for the assembly rather than substituted casually. The frame stays open for a trade coordination check and any required inspection before insulation and drywall close it in.

Common Questions

What snow and wind loads does Sheridan framing need to meet?
The city’s Design Criteria page lists a 30 psf ground snow load, applied as a non-reducible 30 psf roof load, and a wind design of 90 mph sustained with a 105 mph 3-second gust, with Sheridan identified as a Special Wind Region.

Which electrical code applies to framing decisions like blocking and backing?
Sheridan’s own pages disagree: the Design Criteria page lists the 2026 NEC while the Fee Schedule lists the 2023 NEC. We confirm the currently enforced edition with the Building Department before finalizing layout that affects electrical rough-in.

Does removing an interior wall in Sheridan always need an engineer’s stamp?
No published threshold distinguishes which wall removals require a stamp. We trace the load path for any wall with an unclear condition and use the city’s structural-calculation submittal requirement as the baseline before deciding.

How long does Sheridan take to review framing-related permit drawings?
The city states residential plans are reviewed within 10 working days after acceptance, then routed to Public Works and Planning and Zoning as needed.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Tell us what you want to change — a wall, an opening, a basement layout, or a structural repair — and what you know about the existing framing. We will confirm the applicable Sheridan design criteria, prepare the documentation the permit application calls for, and sequence temporary support and trade coordination before the frame is closed in.